Naissance d’Une Montre 1, No. 1 tourbillon wristwatch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 2016
This handmade tourbillon wristwatch represents the first production piece from the Naissance d'Une Montre 1 project, organized under the Time Æon Foundation. Numbered 1 of 11, its movement was entirely hand-crafted and assembled by French watchmaker Michel Boulanger during an intensive six-year apprenticeship with Philippe Dufour and Greubel Forsey in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Constructed using traditional manual tools rather than automated machinery, it features an asymmetrical dial layout with an offset silver time subdial, a small seconds display inscribed 'No 01/11', and an exposed tourbillon mechanism. Unlike other examples, it is cased in custom handmade 18k white gold.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Tourbillon wristwatch
- Project Type
- Handmade tourbillon wristwatch
- Case Material
- 18k white gold
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Number in Series
- 1 of 11
- Maker / attribution
- Michel Boulanger / Time Æon Foundation
Design
- Visible features
- • White off-centered time dial bearing inscriptions 'GREUBEL FORSEY' and 'PHILIPPE DUFOUR' with blued hands. • Subsidiary dial positioned at approximately 9 o'clock marked 'No 01/11'. • Prominently visible exposed tourbillon cage with curved balance bridge. • Fitted to a light brown leather strap with contrast white stitching.
- Dial and Visual Observations
- The watch exhibits an asymmetrical dial layout with an offset time display intended to reveal the tourbillon mechanism. The subdial includes the inscriptions 'GREUBEL FORSEY' and 'PHILIPPE DUFOUR' with blued hands. A subsidiary dial marked 'No 01/11' is positioned at approximately 9 o'clock. The watch is presented on a leather strap.
- Identity and Project Context
- This timepiece is identified as the first of the production pieces from the 'Naissance d’Une Montre 1' project, numbered 'No 01/11'. Organized under the Time Æon Foundation, the project involved a six-year apprenticeship where Michel Boulanger worked under Philippe Dufour and the Greubel Forsey team. The subject is noted as the only example in the series where the movement was entirely made and assembled by Boulanger. It was finished with a handmade 18k white gold case at the request of the original owner, a feature reported as unique among the examples in the series.
- Construction and Technical Details
- Dating to circa 2016, the timepiece was constructed using manual machines and traditional methods. The movement features hand-executed anglage, straight-grained steel components, and black-polished surfaces. The project's stated objective was to use tools and methods accessible to 18th- and 19th-century watchmakers to prove traditional techniques remain achievable.
Identification
- Lot Number
- 65
- Serial number
- No. 01/11
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Movement side and case back are not visible in the provided photographs.
- Research required: Country attribution to Switzerland relies on manufacture under Greubel Forsey in La Chaux-de-Fonds, though Boulanger is a French educator.