At Horology By The Sea, we are exceptionally proud to present a true masterpiece of avant-garde haute horlogerie: the Emmanuel Bouchet "Complication One".
The dramatic, highly domed box sapphire crystals on both the dial and caseback sides are perfectly balanced by the fluid, polished lines of the case. Beneath the front crystal lies an breathtakingly vibrant dial fashioned from hand-selected, natural Lapis Lazuli. This precious stone base, celebrated for its deep celestial blue hues and subtle flecks of golden pyrite, provides a rich, organic contrast to the openworked, multi-layered mechanical architecture suspended above it. Additionally, Mr. Bouchet designed hands unique to this piece, integrating faceted opals to the pointer section of each of the four hands and subsequently increased the movement's torque to accommodate the additional weight of the special handset.
The Complication One entirely reimagines the classical regulator layout by presenting time across five distinct, floating dimensions. At the twelve o’clock position, a transparent sapphire subdial displays a large running small seconds indicator layered directly over a contemporary day-and-night disc. The jumping hours are intuitively tracked on an elegant sapphire subdial at eight o’clock, while the minute display at four o’clock introduces a groundbreaking technical twist. Rather than a traditional singular hand, the minutes are split across two distinct indicators: a short, thick hand that tracks the jumping decimal tens-of-minutes, and a longer hand that indicates the individual single minutes. Once the single minutes hit nine and the second hand sweeps past zero, the decimal hand snaps forward to the next interval. At the top of the hour, the decimal tens hand executes a swift, satisfying retrograde jump back to zero, completing a mesmerizing horological dance that makes reading time a profoundly rewarding experience.
At the beating heart of this piece unique is the in-house calibre EB-1963, a completely integrated, manual-winding mechanical movement consisting of 383 beautifully finished components which beats at 2.5Hz. Unlike conventional movements, the calibre EB-1963 utilizes two independent mainspring barrels powering separate gear trains: one dedicated entirely to driving the smooth sweep of the seconds hand, and the other built to handle the intense energy required for the jumping indications. This dual-barrel architecture delivers a 55-hour power reserve and features an incredible world-first mechanism: a secondary, deconstructed transmission escapement positioned directly on the dial side at six o'clock. Complete with inward teeth on its double escape wheel and a central anchor, this dial-side escapement deliberately beats 75 times slower than a standard Swiss lever mechanism. It snaps forward exactly once every 15 seconds, poetically slowing down the visual perception of time while simultaneously distributing the precise burst of power needed to actuate the jumping subdial displays.
Turning the watch over reveals an equal dedication to ergonomic brilliance and ultra-high-end finishing. In a nod to historical pocket watches, the white gold caseback features a curved, snap-on construction rather than a modern screw-down design. Remarkably, the mainplate of the movement is itself curved to mirror the contours of the sapphire display back. Every angle, bridge, and wheel showcases exemplary hand-chamfering, mirror-polishing, and frosted finishes.
The 18 Karat White Gold case measures 44mm x 18mm x 50.5mm lug-to-lug. Furnished on an OEM black alligator strap with 18 karat white gold pin buckle, and an additional unworn OEM blue alligator strap. Complete with Box, Papers, and Travel Case. Watch delivered new September 2024.
