Honoris 1

HONORIS I

The first slim and elegant timepiece with a 1,000-hour power reserve, setting a new world record for autonomy with a single winding barrel and a tourbillon.

To achieve the goal of a 1,000-hour power reserve for the HR01 caliber, Stéphane von Gunten increased the mainspring’s size to the maximum while preserving the overall dimensions of the watch. Usually, timepieces that offer 10 days of running time are quite enormous, often packaged in futuristic designs. HONORIS I was conceived in the most classic spirit of wearability. That’s why Stéphane von Gunten opted for a single barrel.
Increasing its size meant having the plate act as the drum. Custom-designed by a specialist in this field, the mainspring inside is 3 meters long, certainly the longest ever installed in a wristwatch. To deliver the smoothest possible torque, it is fitted with a sliding flange that prevents surges and peaks. The sliding flange also protects the gear train when the spring is fully cocked.

The barrel communicates on one side with the power reserve indicator, located on the case back. Around a grained central cover, a ring with a graduation from 0 to 1000. This 360-degree indication offers optimum readability at all times, impossible with a traditional gauge. On the other, the barrel engages a differential that connects it to the gear train and to the winding mechanism. Winding is effected by turning the bezel counterclockwise. Why? The force required and the number of barrel turns would have made it quite impossible to use a crown. What’s more, the bezel feels comfortable to the touch, easy to turn thanks to the 60 subtly recessed grooves. They provide just the right grip for the winding operation, which can be spaced 40 days apart, i.e., once a month, with a 10-day safety margin.