Ludovic Ballouard had to be the most interesting character at Salon QP this year
and the same can be said for his Upside Down watch.On first appearance the Upside Down looks like your typical
high end dress watch. Sleek case, supple croc leather strap but a closer look
reveals an unusual complication within the winding mechanical movement.
Each hour indicator is placed on a rotating disc. Each of these
discs are placed so that the hour markers appear upside down except for the one
that marks the current hour which is the right way up. When the hour changes
the discs very quickly switch over, almost too fast for the eye to catch it,
making it appear as a illusionists trick. The minutes are told by a single blued
steel hand and a sub dial at 6 o’clock.
There are several versions of this watch with different
dials and finishes upon the 950 platinum case and even a diamond set version
for an extra touch of luxury. My particular favourite is the limited edition
model with a rose case and mother of pearl hour marker discs. The centre of the
dial also features mother of pearl, pieces of which also rotate at the change
of the hour, adding a further layer of complication to this piece.
Ludovic Ballouard himself was on hand to give a demonstration
of how the watch works and managed to let me know that the watch is patented so don’t even think about it. I think he could see
inner product developer in me making mental notes. I doubt I could ever hope to
copy something so complex, especially not for my comparatively low-end brands
but it’s nice to know I have that look. Taa Ludovic.
Master of the 'don't-mess-with-me' eyebrows.
Although a seemingly odd character, Mr. Ballouard is right
to be so protective of his innovative and unusual time pieces.The watch
industry so often takes itself so seriously, it is refreshing to see a
high-end, extremely accomplished watchmaker bringing an element of pageantry to
the scene. Mr. Ballouard has also been noted to disagree with the hugely inflated
prices that are charged by some of the big-boy brands stating “It's becoming
more urgent to sell watches for their real worth, like everything in life”. Another
reason to like him and the philosophy of value he has for his watches.
Considering these are Mr. Ballouard’s first watches, it will
be very interesting to see the new complications and techniques he will employ
in the future.
For more information on the man and his watches visit the website here
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