Swiss watch atelier Ferdinand Berthoud has unveiled the Chronomètre FB 1RES.3 Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition, a three-piece limited-edition timepiece created in commemoration of Sincere Fine Watches’ 70th anniversary.
Named after a master watchmaker from the late 18th century, the Ferdinand Berthoud brand was launched by the Chopard group in 2015. The brand’s namesake crafted highly accurate marine chronometers used by sailors to determine their position at sea, a niche skill that earned him the title of Watchmaker-Mechanic to the King and to the Navy of France.
That heritage carries through in Ferdinand Berthoud’s creations today, with strong nautical influences seen in many of its pieces. The Chronomètre FB 1RES.3 Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition is no exception; the round face set in an octagonal case is reminiscent of those marine chronometers that Berthoud once made for voyagers on the sea.
Beyond its unique form, the first thing that jumps out when viewing the watch is its unique configuration: Ferdinand Berthoud’s distinctive octagonal case in platinum paired with a satin-brushed salmon dial, a combination created exclusively for Sincere.
The gilded 4N nickel-silver dial stands out strongly against the silver-plated indices and the case, which has a diameter of 44mm and provides 30 metres of water resistance. The crown, also made of platinum, has a dynamometric system that disengages the winding system from the barrel to avoid overwinding.
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Adding another layer of contrast to the Chronomètre FB 1RES.3 Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition are its hands. The glided and skeletonised dagger-shaped hours and minutes hands are rendered in 18-karat white gold, while the seconds hand is bronze with blue CVD coating.
An opening between 3 and 6 o’clock breaks up the satin-brushed dial’s surface, revealing three bridges that converge at its centre. Another opening is found at the power reserve indicator, which provides balance to the face.
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This skeletonised look gives a small peek into the hand-wound calibre FB-RES.FC that powers the Chronomètre FB 1RES.3 Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition. Also visible through the sapphire caseback are hand-bevelled and polished angles spanning a total length of two metres; it takes more than 250 hours to achieve the sleek, multifaceted look of the movement’s many different surfaces.
The calibre FB-RES.FC has a power reserve of 50 hours and moves at 2.5 Hertz or 18,000 vibrations per hour. A fusée-and-chain transmission within equalises force across the mainspring for increased accuracy; without such a mechanism, the torque delivered by the barrel would gradually diminish as it unwinds, affecting reliability and precision.
Another special feature of the calibre FB-RES.FC is its deadbeat seconds mechanism. Whereas a majority of mechanical watches have the seconds hand travelling smoothly, here the seconds hand ticks from second to second for a more precise reading of time.
This is achieved with a “remontoir d’égalité”, which temporarily stores energy and releases it in one-second intervals. This configuration not only enables a deadbeat seconds display, but also improves timekeeping stability by regulating power delivery to the escapement.
To denote the special edition, Sincere’s Platinum Jubilee emblem has been engraved on the side of the case at 9 o’clock. Completing the piece is a beige alligator leather strap, with a folding clasp in 18-karat white gold and a platinum top cover.
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The Chronomètre FB 1RES.3 Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition will be available at Sincere Fine Watches boutiques with a retail price of $452,800 including GST.
The limited three-piece Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1RES.3 Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition is exclusive to Sincere Fine Watches.
