Watch News: Haute Horlogerie—When Time Becomes Audible and Mechanics Become Visible
These two watches offer very different ways of experiencing their mechanics. With the Vox Temporis, L. Leroy forgoes a conventional minute display and instead lets time be heard. Speake Marin places the architecture of the open-worked movement front and center in the Tourbillon Royal Blue.
L. Leroy Vox Temporis: A fixed hand and an audible minute
At first glance, the Vox Temporis’s display appears radically minimalist. A single arrow-shaped hour hand remains stationary, while the guilloché dial rotates beneath it. This keeps the approximate time visible. To determine the exact minutes, activate the minute repeater.
The concept traces its origins to a pocket watch that L. Leroy crafted for the Prince of Hesse in 1810. The new interpretation does not replicate its form, but rather embraces the idea of a time display that can be experienced tactilely or acoustically. The dial is free of logos and traditional scales. A radial guilloché-flinqué pattern beneath translucent lacquer forms the visible surface.
Inside, the watch is powered by the L601SQR manual-winding caliber, developed exclusively for L.Leroy in Geneva. Its 321 components combine a minute repeater with a flying tourbillon. The movement runs at three hertz and offers more than 90 hours of power reserve.
The Officer case, measuring 43 millimeters in diameter and 14.74 millimeters in height, is available in rose gold, platinum, or Grade 5 titanium. A hinged protective cover pays homage to historic pocket watches and can be personalized. A total of 15 pieces will be produced across all three versions.
Speake Marin Tourbillon Royal Blue: Open Architecture, Limited to Five Pieces
Speake Marin brings a bold royal blue to its skeletonized tourbillon collection. The open movement is not covered by a solid dial. The bridges, gear train, and tourbillon remain visible and are visually unified by the blue color scheme.
The frame is the brand’s signature Piccadilly case. Its round basic shape, distinctive lugs, and fluted crown provide a clearly recognizable outer contour that contrasts with the exposed movement.
The Tourbillon Royal Blue is limited to five pieces. The price is 95,000 Swiss francs, excluding taxes. Unlike the Vox Temporis, it does not introduce a new form of time display. Its appeal lies in the combination of visible mechanics, vivid color, and the very limited production run.
