The Chronomètre FB 3SPC draws its stylistic, technical and aesthetic inspiration from a rare and exceptional creation, the No. 26 decimal watch, made in 1793 by Louis Berthoud. Calibre FB-SPC is based on a cylindrical balance-spring, a rare watchmaking speciality. It is the only one of its kind to satisfy the chronometric (precision timekeeping) criteria of the COSC: ISO 3159 certification made possible only by the precision adjustments performed by the Manufacture's watchmakers.
The FB 3SPC.2, one of the two versions available, is equipped with an 18-carat 5N rose gold case framing a black-varnished minutes track with black-rhodium treated visible movement components.
Appearing at 9 o'clock, the three main escapement organs – the balance-wheel, pallet-lever and escape-wheel – are thus individualised, distinct and prominent. This ample space dedicated to the regulating organ enables its operation to be admired in full, and the cylindrical balance-spring to be seen beating throughout the three-day power reserve, including through a large water-resistant porthole created in the case middle.
Its round case, available in 18-carat white or rose gold, recalls the curves of pocket watches from the early 19th century, such as the decimal watch No. 26, made in 1793 by Louis Berthoud and now on display within the Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud heritage collection in Fleurier.
The hours and minutes flange, shaped like an amphitheatre, extends vertically to the mainplate. The rest of the dial, deliberately left open, enables one to admire the aesthetics of the movement's components, their arrangement, as well as the surface conditions alternating between chamfered and polished bevels and matt surfaces created by fine sandblasting.
Powered by a mechanical movement featuring a cylindrical balance-spring and chronometer-certified by the COSC, the Chronomètre FB 3SPC approaches the core theme of precision from a new angle. This collection takes its cue from the refined design of pocket watches from the early 19th century.
Discover this Piece
