Louis Moinet's Unbeatable Combination
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
LOUIS MOINET’S UNBEATABLE COMBINATION It’s not easy being a small, high watchmaking brand. more than just difficult, it can be nearly impossible to get the watchmaking part right, but that’s not all. The brand must also excel at marketing itself and at selling watches. Louis moinet is one small Louis Moinet Astralis Swiss brand that is get - Exploded case construction of the award-winning Louis ting it right on all fronts. Moinet Jules Verne 092 : | WATCHJOURNAL.COm starts producing timepieces on his own studied architecture, sculpting and painting published two- in Rome volume treatise on watchmaking 1770 1780 1790 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 appointed professor of fine arts at the Louvre in Paris appointed president of the born on a farm Chronometry Society of Paris but drawn to horology and art trained with a master watchmaker and artists befriends watchmaking legend Abraham- Louis Breguet Under the direction of CEO Jean-marie At 20, he went to Rome to study architecture, bespoke clients were Napoleon Bonaparte, Schaller, the Saint-Blaise–based brand has sculpting and painting. Next, he went to King George IV, Thomas Jefferson and positioned itself well, with a range of prod - Flo rence for more art study, and then it was James monroe. In 1848, moinet published ucts like nothing else on the market. It offers on to Paris, where he was appointed a profes - his two-volume treatise on watchmaking, interesting designs and unique materials sor of fine arts at the Louvre. While in Paris, complete with comprehensive diagrams. It along with a story of real historical signifi - moinet reunited with the master watchmaker became one of the key watchmaking refer - cance and watchmaking legitimacy. he had studied under years earlier. Before long, ences of the 19th century. “ A TrUE ArTIST ACCEpTS ONLy the student would become the master. moinet’s hallmark was the combination WhAT IS gENUINE, SIMpLE, SOLId IN THE BEGINNING By 1817, moinet had met watchmaking of his passions—art and horology—into true ANd USEfUL.” —LOUIS MOINET, 1848 Louis moinet was a watchmaking legend. leg end Abraham-Louis Breguet, and the two works of horological art. Today’s Louis Born into a farming family in 1768, moinet began living and working together. When moinet does much the same, drawing on its was drawn to horology and art. He had Breguet died in 1823, moinet had been pro - heritage to make products unlike any oth - dreams and ambitions aimed beyond the ducing timepieces on his own for years, and ers on the market. Schaller has crafted the farm, and he succeeded in training with a in time was appointed president of the Louis moinet brand into one of which its master watchmaker and with artists in Europe . Chronometry Society of Paris. Among his namesake certainly would have been proud. 095 : | WATCHJOURNAL.COm ASTRONOMICAL UNDERTAKING discs crafted from four different meteorite time zone chronograph with chronograph Leading this emphasis on art and horology materials, representing four heavenly bodies: counters made from genuine petrified palm is the product of the year for Louis moinet, mars, mercury, the sun and the moon. wood. Believed to be 70 million years old, the Astralis. A severely limited edition, just “We are lucky to have become friends with this beautiful wood comes from the tropical Louis Moinet Astralis caseback 12 pieces for the world, the Astralis is a Luc Labenne, the world’s leading meteorite forests of Southeast Asia. Like the Astralis, and LM27 movement unique combination of complications—it is hunter,” acknowledges Schaller. “There are this timepiece uses the Louis moinet hall - a tourbillon, a split-seconds column-wheel so few meteorites that have been found, and marks, the Gouttes de Rosée hands on a chronograph, and a 24-hour planetarium Luc has found most of them. Because of this dial adorned with Côtes du Jura. A second incorporating four extremely rare meteorites. friendship, we have been able to purchase time zone is indicated by a serpentine hand. The design of the minutes circle and of the “moon” and the “sun” are inspired by “ ThE METEOrITE IS SO rArE; IT MAKES original Louis moinet creations dating from ThE WATCh UNIqUE ANd TrULy rEfLECTS the 1820s, in particular the Return from Egypt clock made for marshal Joachim OUr vALUES.” —JEAN-MArIE SChALLEr murat and the Egyptian Discovery clock. This is the world’s most precious known meteorite On the caseback is an intricate engraving, and the most ancient, at an estimated 4.56 billion years (with a 100,000-year margin of error). This watch’s complexity doesn’t stop these extraordinary meteorites. The idea was inspired by the rainforest and depicting an with its movement. Even the case, in 5N 18- to mix the world of high watchmaking with orangutan and a hornbill rhinoceros against karat rose gold, comprises 50 individual the world of astronomy. We put these pieces a backdrop of the tropical rainforest and a components. Louis moinet uses its signa - of actual meteorites on the planetarium—it’s starry sky. ture Côtes du Jura engraving motif on the an artistic display on a disc that rotates once The Geograph Rainforest is available in a dial, along with distinctive Gouttes de each day, so every six hours you see a new 120-piece limited edition. Each watch sold Rosée (dewdrop) hands. planet or star. triggers a substantial contribution to the The 60-second tourbillon is backed by a Pulau Banding Foundation, an organization plate made from aventurine, a material that GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORATION that aims to preserve the malaysian tropical looks like a starry sky, mirroring the celestial Another great new watch from Louis forest of Belum-Temengor, believed to be 130 nature of the Astralis. The planetarium has moinet is the Geograph Rainforest, a two million years old. This rare lunar meteorite To date, fewer than 75 Martian rounds out the planetarium. meteorites have been authenti - cated by scientific institutes worldwide. The Jiddat al Harasis 479 Martian meteorite traveled more than 55 million kilometers before striking earth. The Astralis with 24-hour planetarium This beautiful mete - orite originated with The Geograph Rainforest with an asteroid that petrified palm wood subdials formed near the sun. Jules Verne, Winner of the 2010 Starhill Award for Innovative Design Watch ThE fOUr vALUES Of LOUIS MOINET: Each watch is a perfect fusion between design and watchmaking. Louis Moinet’s unique artistic spirit is embodied in innovative creations. Each watch features distinctive, rare and often unique mechanisms. Louis Moinet watches are only man - ufactured in limited editions and as one-of-a-kind models. FUTURE ENDEAVORS Several notable design awards indicate Having survived the economic that Schaller is absolutely on the right track. crisis, Louis moinet is in a good Louis moinet recently won two red dot position to succeed in the future; awards (one for its Tempograph and one for in fact, the brand’s fortunes seem its Jules Verne timepiece) as well as the 2010 very promising indeed. According Starhill Award for Innovative Design Watch to Schaller, Louis moinet will always for the Jules Verne. “I want Louis moinet to be exclusive and extremely limited. be a creative alternative, not too classic, Its watches are as rare as some of the something really special,” Schaller com - most unusual materials they in corpo - ments. “Businesswise, we want to be with the rate. “Our concept is mechanical art in top retailers around the world, in keeping limited editions of one, 12, 60, 120 or with our image of quality. And we want to be 365 pieces,” Schaller explains. “It’s a niche brand—1,000 watches a year, not important to me that we honor the more—to remain very exclusive.” heritage of Louis moinet and In these times, when many small watch write new chapters of his history brands are struggling to survive, Louis as if he were alive. We are not a moinet is thriving with a unique combina - “marketing brand,” we are a tion of fantastic complications, great designs real brand with a real tradition. and true innovation. And I feel that we are moving Can’t beat that. The left caseside of in the right direction .” 678.827.7900, louismoinet.com the Jules Verne with its moon rock dis - played in a porthole 098 : | WATCHJOURNAL.COm.