Ferdinand Berthoud’s Beloved Chronomètre Watch Just Got a Makeover

Since its revival in 2015, Ferdinand Berthoud has quickly established itself as one of the premier producers of exceptional in-house movements. In just seven years, the watchmaker has notched three GPHG awards for its achievements, including the coveted Aiguiile d’Or in 2016 and Chronometry Prize in 2019 and 2020, respectively. All that expertise is evident within the new Chronomètre FB3 collection.

With the previous FB1 and FB2 lines, Ferdinand Berthoud has offered a range of complications, from deadbeat seconds to tourbillons, all with the same base movement made entirely in-house. With the Chronomètre FB 3SPC, however, we get a new movement from the brand that features a cylindrical balance spring and also offers COSC certification.

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The inspiration for the new timepiece and its innovative movement comes from the watchmaker’s archives. Back in 1793, Ferdinand Berthoud’s nephew, Louis, joined his uncle’s workshop and created a model called the No. 26 decimal watch. Powering the piece was a movement equipped with a cylindrical or helical balance spring typically reserved for marine chronometers.

Ferdinand Berthoud built upon what Louis started with the new Caliber FB-SPC movement. Here, the unique cylindrical hairspring is strategically placed in a void in the mainplate, so it’s visible through the open-worked dial at the nine o’clock position. Receiving official ISO 3159 chronometer certification for this particular type of movement is an industry first.

In addition to a new movement, the Chronomètre FB 3SPC also received an updated case. Despite the impressive complexity within, the case measures just 42.3 mm by 9.43 mm and is the brand’s thinnest yet. As a result, this wrist candy is highly wearable.

The watch is available in two colorways: the 18-karat white-gold case comes with yellow-gold movement components, while the 18-karat rose-gold case sports black rhodium-treated accents. Each style will be limited to 25 pieces per year and is priced at $140,000.

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