Description
Subscription III
Understated and reserved… the Subscription Define combines Jochen Benzinger’s skills as a master ennobler with his aesthetic eye to create a stunning timepiece that pays homage to the fine traditions of watchmaking.
The sterling silver dial is hand-guilloched with the barley & ribbon pattern and finished with a Breguet Frost treatment adding an element of elegance. The manual movement within is hand engraved, skeletonised and guilloched. The hour/minute and small second dials balance each other to the top and bottom of the dial. The elegantly-presented, off-white dial features subtle flame-blued, Breguet-style hands surrounded by Roman Numeral markings in the classic style.
The entire piece is presented in a highly polished/brushed steel case with hand-turned onion crown. This piece is a fine example of refined watchmaking and design, rendering it versatile and timeless for ongoing enjoyment.
- Case
- High-grade steel case made in Pforzheim with screwed-in strap lugs
- Screwed-in, hand-fluted bezel
- Diameter of 42 mm
- Sapphire crystal case front and exhibition case back
- Movement
- Hand-guilloched and hand-engraved Unitas 6425 Manual windingmovement with in-house redesign to move hour/minute towards 12 o’clock movement
- Additional features
- Different skeletonized subjects possible according to customers’ wishes
- Dial
- Hand-guilloched Sterling Silver dial in “Breguet” quality and with the original “Breguet”-frosting & Barley pattern
- Hour and minute indication moved towards 12 o’clock, this made an overdimensional subsecond possible
- Band:
- Hand-sewed alligator leather strap with double-folding clasp
What is the art of Guilloche?
Guilloché (or guilloche) is a decorative technique whereby a very precise, intricate and repetitive pattern is mechanically engraved into an underlying material. It was developed between the 1600-1700s as part of the “royal craft” of art-reversing. From these princely beginnings, the watchmakers of the 18th and 19th century developed the beautiful Guilloche machines, with which, for example, Breguet cut its unique dials. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the court jeweller of the Russian Tsar, Fabergé, brought the art of Guilloche to its fullest perfection. He used the guilloche technique as a base for his famous enamel work, which culminated in the renowned Fabergé eggs. Today, thanks to the renaissance of mechanical clocks and watches, a limited number of high-quality manufacturers are still offering their products with hand-guilloched dials, which are still unmatched in their classic appearance. Jochen Benzinger is a master in this field.
What is the art of engraving?
Engraving is as old as mankind itself. People used cutting tools at all times to decorate jewellery and utensils. The engraving art in Europe in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries reached its climax when armour and weapons were artfully engraved. In the sixteenth century, Albrecht Dürer brought this work to a new heyday when, using the same tools as Jochen Benzinger uses in his studio today, he cut the copper-printing blocks for his famous prints. Nowadays there are very few specialists who know the techniques of this craft. Hand-engraving in horology is a highly valued attribute on any timepiece. Benzinger watches feature this finish with flourish and skill.
What is the art of skeletonising?
Skeletonising is a refinement method for giving a new, individual character to closed movements. Parts of the movement are removed by a goldsmith’s saw to reveal the direct view into and through the mechanical movement. The view of the movement is made possible by a sapphire crystal, exhibition case back in all models. The imbued creative energy of Jochen Benzinger is brought to the fore in his bespoke skeletonising creations. Each piece is skilfully crafted to highlight the beauty of the mechanical movement beating within – a pleasure to observe and a privilege to wear.
