Noritaka Sakurai's Nouvelle Chronometrie introduces its inaugural timepiece, the Montre Ordinaire, a tourbillon chronometer that masterfully blends traditional aesthetics with modern horological craftsmanship. Emmanuel (quattro) delves into the watch's intricate design and its philosophical underpinnings, drawing parallels to historical observatory chronometers and Breguet's iconic pocket watches. This exploration highlights the brand's commitment to 'Firmitas, utilitas, venustas'—firmness, utility, and delight—in a contemporary wristwatch.
“
Firmitas, utilitas, venustas ” (Firmness, commodity, delight) is the
motto of
Nouvelle Chronometrie, an independent
brand founded by
Noritaka Sakurai.
Its
first watch, called “
Montre Ordinaire” (Ordinary watch) is nothing less than a
tourbillon chronometer inspired by 20th century
observatory chronometer watches.
The
design of the
case and
dial is, of course,
entirely inspired by
Breguet.
The brand claims:
“Inspired by the exterior grandeur of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s pocket watches, we aim to recreate this elegance in a 38mm wristwatch.”
The
gold case measures
38 x
11 (including. crystal) x
46.3 mm.
The lug width is unusually large for such a case diameter: 22 mm, with a buckle width of 18 mm.
Such a
ratio of
case size to
lug width is however
reminiscent of some
1930s timepieces like the Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 96.
credit: @masahiro_kikuno, @nouvellechronometrie & Sjx (close up of the tourbillon)
Founder
Noritaka Sakurai
credit: Nouvelle Chronometrie The
dial is crafted in
collaboration with
J.N.Shapiro.
The
pinions are supplied by
Luc Monnet and the
rubies by
Ogura Jewel Industry Co., Ltd.
Here's a
diagram showing the
layout of cal. NC01 A04.
And some shots showing the refined steel tourbillon bridge.
credit: Charles-Hadrien Vinault aka @neverlatewatches (1-2 & 4), Sjx (6-7) & Nouvelle Chronometrie (view of the naked dial, naked tourbillon bridge & diagram)
The
case features a
Breguet-style
reeded band and a
convex bezel and
back.
I personally
love the vintage looking
case shape and the
wide,
flat crown.
On the
wrist, the watch looks
wonderful, imo.
credit: @infinitydials & @nouvellechronometrie
Such a watch is very
close to my
ideal: a
major complication—the
tourbillon—which is
only visible on the
back, and an extremely
elegant look rooted in
tradition.
credit: @lelangelust & @herrmorgensonne
Here's how the
Montre Ordinaire compares to the
Primevère by
Yosuke Sekiguchi, another watch which I
love.
The Primevère doesn't feature a tourbillon but the movement architecture is simply stunning.
Firmitas, utilitas et venustas –Firmness, commodity, and delight: for me, the Montre Ordinaire more than fulfills its mission.
One could certainly criticize its lack of aesthetic originality, as the design is essentially borrowed from Breguet.
But what a beautiful watch!
And what a wonderful idea to revive the tradition of chronometer tourbillons.
What do you think?
Thank you for reading.
Best, Emmanuel
