With the completion of Romain Gauthier's in-house enamel workshop in Switzerland, customers can now choose the color of the Grand Feu enamel dial for the brand's signature model, the Logical One. Previously available in only white and black, four new colors have been added: green, blue, red, and burgundy. These four new colors will be priced the same as the existing white and black dial models. These options apply to standard models with grade 5 natural titanium, grade 5 ADLC titanium, and 18K white gold cases. As a brand that strives for a relationship reminiscent of the "customer-watchmaker" relationship of medieval Western aristocracy, the addition of these dial colors is part of Romain Gauthier's efforts to meet customer demands.


Logical One Grade 5 Natural Titanium Case
Since its founding, Romain Gauthier has been highly praised by watch enthusiasts for the beauty of its hand-crafted movement finishing, but it was the Logical One that marked a turning point for the brand. The Logical One not only boasts the beauty of its movement finish, but also an innovative mechanism that reinterprets the classic fusee chain used in pocket watches, and won the Grand Prix in the Men's Complications category at the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix (GPHG), known as the Oscars of the watch world, in 2013. All parts of the Logical One are made without compromise, and the new Grand Feu enamel dial, which has now been added as a new option for the dial, is no exception.

Logical One Grade 5 Natural Titanium Case
The enamel is fired at high temperatures using traditional handcrafting techniques, resulting in a captivatingly beautiful color. We encourage watch enthusiasts to come see this dial in person in-store to truly appreciate its depth of color and brilliance. Additionally, although not visible, both sides of the 18K gold dial base plate are enameled to prevent cracks caused by the differential thermal behavior of different materials.


■ The Innovative Mechanism of the Logical One
Characteristic features of the Logical One mechanism include the fusee and chain mechanism, push-button winding mechanism, a barrel with a sapphire insert, and movement finishing. Romain Gauthier says: "Coming from an engineering background, it seemed strange to me to operate a precision instrument with fluctuating power. Therefore, I began development with the premise that it would be better to keep the power constant."

The Innovative Fusée and Chain Mechanism


The fusee (French for "cone") is a cone-shaped pulley that is wound by a cord or chain attached to the barrel. This mechanism works to keep the torque supplied by the mainspring constant. (This is because the torque supplied changes depending on whether the mainspring is fully wound or about to unwind.)

Fuseé chain used in the era of pocket watches

This mechanism was also commonly used in the era of pocket watches, but traditional fuseé chains have two problems:
1. Because the chain is wrapped around the fusee multiple times, the individual links need to be small, making each link fragile.
2. Chains often transmit power at an angle between the fusee and the barrel, which is inefficient and puts additional strain on the movement.
Snail Cam
Romain Gauthier solved these problems by replacing the fusee with a snail cam, which rotates slowly and is located to the left of the hour/minute dial (10 o'clock). Because the snail cam and barrel are at the same level, power is always transmitted in a straight line. Furthermore, because only a single, short chain is required, the individual links are larger and stronger. And it features a ruby chain link to reduce friction where it comes into contact with metal.

Ruby Chain Link

Ergonomic Push-Button Winding


Romain Gauthier's innovative push-button winding mechanism, using a pusher on the left-hand side of the case, turns winding into a pleasant task. The pusher is ergonomically designed and efficiently transfers winding force. Typical watch crowns have a relatively thin stem that is prone to breaking, forcing the winding force to be transmitted at a 90° angle between the crown and the barrel. The pusher used to wind the Logical One transmits power to the barrel on the same plane.

The barrel incorporates a sapphire insert to reduce friction.
In a traditional brass barrel, when the mainspring unwinds, the metal of the spring rubs against the metal of the barrel, even if it has been freshly lubricated. Over time, as the oil solidifies, friction increases and the barrel and spring begin to stick together, preventing smooth rotation.


Therefore, the mainspring of the Logical One is placed between two artificial sapphire plates. Sapphire has the property of causing little friction with metal. It is also scratch-resistant.

Finishing the movement by hand


The parts, made with high precision, are then finished by hand. For example, the highly polished, sharp internal chamfers on the movement's bridges are a testament to the exquisite hand-finishing process, as no machine is capable of creating such a chamfer today. In the Logical One, the sharp internal chamfers are doubled to create a border-like effect. This eye-catching finish, with two parallel chamfers, achieves a similar effect to a picture frame, further enhancing the beauty of the artwork within.


For example, the balance bridge (circled in the photo) alone takes approximately 15 hours of hand-finishing.


The "bridge" of the constant-force mechanism (the part circled in the photo) takes approximately 17 hours to make. This process includes hand-carving and polishing the surfaces, hand-polishing the mortises where the bearing stones are placed, and applying frosting to the flat areas. But this is just one part. The Logical One is made up of approximately 350 parts made from various types of metal, and all of them are crafted without any compromise.


■Logical One Specifications

Logical One Grade 5 Natural Titanium Case
2013 Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix (GPHG) Grand Prix Winner in the Men's Complications category
Case diameter: 43mm
Case material: Grade 5 titanium or 18K white gold
Water resistance: 5 bar
Movement: Cal.Logical One (hand-wound, 28,800 vph, 46-hour power reserve, 37 jewels (63 jewels including 26 in the chain link))
Specifications: Push-button winding mechanism (9 o'clock position: push-button winding mechanism), crown with sapphire cabochon (2 o'clock position: for setting the time)
Dial: Grand Feu enamel dial
Strap: Alligator strap (handmade in Switzerland)
Price excluding tax: Grade 5 natural titanium case...14.5 million yen
Grade 5 ADLC titanium (black titanium) case...15 million yen
18K white gold case...18 million yen


■Retail locations
Takashimaya Watch Maison Tokyo Nihonbashi
〒103-0027 3-1-8 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
TEL 03-3211-4111
Business hours 10:00 - 19:30

Kamine Kyukyoryuchi Store
1 Kyukyoryuchi Heiwa Building, 49 Harima-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0036
TEL 078-325-0088
Business hours: 10:30 - 19:30

*The Romain Gautier Fair is currently being held at Takashimaya Watch Maison Tokyo Nihonbashi. (Until June 9th)
During the fair, you can see a variety of precious watches in-store, including the "Logical One Grade 5 ADLC Titanium (Black Titanium) Case" (green dial).

https://watch.takashimaya.co.jp/news/detail/index/id/574?site=tokyo


■About the Brand


Romain Gauthier is a luxury watch brand from the Vallée de Joux in Switzerland. (Established in 2005)
Founder Romain Gauthier is a successor to the traditional watchmaking of the Vallée de Joux, the birthplace of the Swiss luxury watch industry. At the same time, he has earned high praise from watch enthusiasts worldwide by combining traditional watchmaking with a theoretical approach that makes use of his engineering background. In 2013, it won the Grand Prix de la Watchmaking de Genève (GPHG) Grand Prix for Best Men's Complication. All watches, including the movement, are personally designed by Romain Gauthier and finished in-house under his supervision. They are characterized by their exceptionally high level of finish. Annual production is approximately 60 pieces.



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