by Curtis D. Thomson - April 2007
The watch was classic, but unusual at the same time. It was large, but deceptively so, as it smartly and comfortably fit the wrist. A quick inspection revealed the crown to be fitted on the back of the case instead of the more usual 3 o'clock position. Additionally, the movement looked different in arrangement - same components, just planted differently, or designed specifically to meet Romain's aesthetic and technical vision. A vision that was not guided by what had come before... it was constructed, as he liked.
Ian was right, I was interested in learning more about Romain and seeing if he'd like to be included on the tempered website. Several emails and telephone conversations with him lead to my visiting his Le Sentier, Switzerland workshop in December 2006.
After a warm greeting, Romain invited me into his office to talk watches. An easy fellow to talk with, the conversation flowed easily but lacked something... watches! Impatiently I asked if I could examine the watches while we chatted. With a chuckle, and not missing a beat, he continued talking as he retrieved the prototypes for the Prestige Collection.
Consisting of four models: red gold case with black dial, red gold case with a champagne dial, a white gold case with rhodium dial and a platinum case with charcoal dial - each will be limited to 38 pieces, with 8 additional pieces per model having diamonds set into the bezel. The diameter of the water resistant case is 41mm and 11.3mm in height, which is fairly large, but it wears comfortably and due to its design its looks and feels smaller, with gentle contours and sculpted lugs - the craftsmanship is first class. The dial is engine turned from 18kt gold, with the hours chapter ring offset north of center. The hands and buckle are also made from gold.
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Turning the watch over to examine the movement, Romain reminds me that these are prototypes and changes are coming. For example, ever the perfectionist, the crown has been reworked to make its comfort and function even nicer for the purchaser. And, speaking of the crown, besides be situated unusually, he incorporates a sapphire ball in the mechanism for changing between the winding and hand setting functions. The in-house 22-jewel movement, caliber 2206 Hm, is 34mm in diameter and 5.5mm in height and has a power reserve greater than 60 hours.
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The proprietary inertia block balance, which requires supreme skill to fabricate, vibrates at 28,800. All of the components, save the anchor and escape wheel were made by Romain (there are plans for the escapement to be made in house, too), which is quite clear, as every component is unique in its appearance. From the crossing out of the wheels to the shapes of the arbors - there is no mistaking who manufactured this caliber. The signature look of the wheels is one of artistic license, but the wave shaped screw head slot, while attractive, meets other requirements.
1. With this design the specially made screwdriver won't slip when tightening, as can happen from time to time with standard head slots/screwdrivers.
2. This shape prevents the screwdriver from marking the screw head, which can happen when tightening screws with standard slots - a safety measure of sorts.
3. Without the wave shaped screwdriver, one cannot open the case back or "fiddle" with the movement.
4. This design is not as easily copied - an additional hurdle for potential counterfeiters.
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The finishing of the movement is done in-house, too. The plates are made from brass and, depending on the version purchased, rhodium or gold plated, with Geneva waves or, they are gold plated with a frosted finish. The edges have nice full bevels and the flanks are finished with a straight grain. The other flat surfaces are perlaged. The general quality, all in, is superb.
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Montres Romain Gauthier is not a one-man show. Romain is a trained CNC operator and constructor of the highest order; manufacturing is his strong suit. For the assembling of watches, however, he hired Sebastien Berney - a watchmaker trained at the famous watchmaking school in Le Sentier. While I was there, Sebastien was busy with the first assembly of a movement. If all goes well, then he will begin the finishing followed by the final assembly and testing. Currently, he is the only watchmaker, but there are already plans to hire another to meet the demand for these watches. Each watchmaker will receive the manufactured components and are responsible for them from that moment forward, including the after-sales servicing - just like a parent and child, even when they leave the home they are still your babies.
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Arriving early in the morning, it was now quite dark outside, yet it seemed I had only been there a minute. How time flies when it is spent with interesting people! I came to see for myself the quality of the work and the character of the man behind the watches and was most impressed on both counts. Romain Gauthier is a man filled with passion and a plan for producing watches of high quality and excellent value for years to come. I'm happy that he has decided make "tempered" a home away from home.
*For more reference material please click Here
**Thanks to KokChoon Tay for his use of Romain Gauthier photos - KC's website is Here
*** Special thanks to Ian Skellern for introducing me to Romain, for the use of his photos, and for his friendship and continued support of tempered
Last fall I received an intriguing email, which quickly led to a phone call, from a friend, Ian Skellern, about a young maker of watches he had fortuitously met that day. Visiting a professional photographer to pick up a few tips to improve his own photography, he met Romain Gauthier who was there to have the prototype of his first watch photographed.
Located on the main street, not too far from Jaeger Le Coultre, the atelier occupies the top floor of an unassuming downtown building. It is refurbished, with room for growth, and has ample natural light for its current and future watchmakers. This space is the beginning of Montres Romain Gauthier, manufacture of fine wristwatches.
