Romain Gauthier releases a new collection in platinum which he simply calls C by Romain Gauthier Platinum. Release details and commentary in italics within.
New: C by Romain Gauthier Platinum
Retail price of the new C by Romain Gauthier Platinum is set at CHF 78,000 without taxes
Commentary
Two versions are of this novelty is released. Both are encased in platinum, with one in a grey dial with blue accents, and the other in a blue dial with white accents. Options abound with the ability for strap, and a crown which is fluted or surrounded by grey rubber band.
The design of the case, hands and dial follows closely to the established Romain Gauthier titanium editions. As with the titanium series, the new C Platinum has a case made of platinum, and with the dial and movement plates in white gold.
As we commented in the Continuum Titanium series, at first glance, the design looks traditional. A round watch, with hour, minute and a subsidiary seconds hand at 8 o’clock. But on closer examination, one finds the sapphire glass opening for the dial is oval instead of round, and the printed dial, which is of course circular is offset asymmetrically up on the face of the watch. The crown is located at 2 o’clock and the bezel itself is a marvel in machining. Romains says that it starts its life as a round bezel, but is then faceted to create the complex shape.
The movement is where Romain Gauthier usually shines, and the new C Platinum is no different. The attention to detail in both the design and execution is flawless. The design of the movement components calls for exquisite detailing which is then used to show off the superb hand finishing lavished. The movement is made from components in white gold, steel, brass and maillechort.
The bridges are particularly pleasant in their layout and treatment. The bridges are rather thick, and feature the Romain Gauthier signature stepped finish – the outer edge is brushed, and the insides of the bridges feature a dimpled surface. The edges also have a double anglage, which is also unusual, and gives the movement a sense of volume.
The interesting and clever use of a cam instead of a spring lever to stop the balance wheel to provide the seconds hacking function is retained, as the novelty uses the same movement as the titanium series, except for the parts which were formerly titanium is now executed in white gold.
Pricing is increased from CHF 37k for 28 piece limited edition Continuum – Titanium Edition One to CHF 78k for the C Platinum which is proposed as an unlimited series. We see the price increase as the consequence to the upgrade in case material as well as the substitution of white gold for titanium components in the movement.
Release Details
The elegance of modernity, the chic of casualness.
Romain Gauthier is pleased to present the heritage collection of its latest caliber, C by Romain Gauthier Platinum Edition.
Now featuring a platinum case and 18k white gold movement, C by Romain Gauthier Platinum Edition resonates with the most discerning collectors in the watchmaking world. Romain brings a touch of refinement to this timepiece with a sporty profile and assertive character, a combination of noble materials that reveals a traditional side to this very modern timepiece.
Casual in its design but refined in its properties, this new edition is a harmony of elegance and modernity, traditional and contemporary, an evolution of tradition summarized in a single timepiece.
Always with the objective of preserving the ancestral watchmaking savoir-faire, so precious to Romain, and while evolving it with the capacities developed until now, Romain Gauthier is releasing a technical timepiece that is rich of artisanal craftmanship.
Inspired by the finger bridges style, the design of the movement follows the watchmaking history of the Swiss Vallée de Joux, with a modern approach, reflecting Romain’s vision of the evolution of tradition.
This new Platinum edition opens the doors of this Caliber to the personalization and customization of C by Romain Gauthier timepieces
C BY ROMAIN GAUTHIER IN DETAIL
Flow and continuity to the fore on an atypical dial
Aesthetically, C by Romain Gauthier Platinum Edition is very close to the previous titanium editions. The movement, entirely decorated by hand, has exceptional polished bevels, hand-frosted finishes on the surfaces, straight graining on the edges, and the interior of the bridges enhanced by a hand-engraved structure. Thanks to the Manufacture’s in-house decoration workshops and the savoir-faire and meticulousness of its artisans, Romain Gauthier carries out the most sophisticated hand finishing operations.
In order to preserve the general spirit of the calibre, the hour-minute hands are off-centred on the horizontal axis and the hour indices taper ever so slightly and are of varying lengths, while the 5-second intervals of the small seconds at 7 o’clock are also marked by tapering lines of differing lengths.
The dial is available in grey and highlighted with blue details, or in blue highlighted with white details.
Romain explains this purposeful play on perspective, saying: “Rather than a series of enclosed circles, as we often see in watchmaking, I wanted an open, airy dial on which full or part orthogonal lines form vanishing points with the axes of the hands, reinforcing the notion of continuity and freedom.”
The tapering, three-dimensional hands, numerals and index are made of 18k white gold. For enhanced legibility, the hands are filled with Super-LumiNova. Each index and Roman numerals bring a more traditional feel to the design of the piece – matte-treated and hand-finished with satin-finish that contrasts the overall aesthetics of the piece and harmonizes with the surface of the case.
The dial plate is made of 18k white gold. The grey dial has been sand-blasted and treated with a special coating that protects it against UV rays and the blue dial has a blue PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) treatment.
Eye-catching case and detail-rich strap
Framing the dial is a platinum bezel whose eye-catching, geometric profile – characteristic to C by Romain Gauthier – is unlike anything previously seen before on a timepiece from the brand. The bezel is first machined into a round shape featuring a circular bevel, then six straight sides are cut into it to create six facets. While these facets, which have been polished, reflect the light and bring the bezel to life, the rest of the bezel absorbs light thanks to its satin-finishing. The same facetted design is replicated around the sapphire crystal on the back of the watch.
In between the bezel and caseback, the one-piece caseband and lugs are geometrically sculpted, with satin and polished finishes as well as aesthetic grooves cleverly deployed to draw out the resulting shapes. Meanwhile, the rubber strap and the platinum pin buckle follow the form of the angular lugs and rounded caseband so it appears as a continuous, organic extension of the case.
And not for the first time in his work, Romain has placed the crown for winding and time-setting at 2 o’clock, freeing up space for wrist movement. To facilitate handling, the platinum crown can be fluted or surrounded by a rubber ring.
Clever stop-seconds mechanism that uses a snail cam
Romain has endowed C by Romain Gauthier with a stop-seconds – or hacking seconds – mechanism, allowing the wearer to set the time exactly according to a reference time.
Like many stop-seconds mechanisms, a brake is placed on the balance wheel when the crown is pulled out. But instead of using a straight or L-shaped balance stop lever to halt the balance, Romain has opted to employ a snail cam that performs a double function: It touches and stops the balance wheel when the crown is pulled out and, when the crown is pushed back in, the snail cam makes a turn, with its increasingly wide form giving the balance an impulse to help it start beating again.
Those familiar with the brand will know Romain has used the snail cam’s unique shape in his past creations: It appears on the watchmaker’s acclaimed Logical One.
In-house movement where design and decoration meet modernity
The themes of modernity and continuity carry over to the manual-winding, in-house movement, which is gloriously on show through the display back.
Taking centre stage are a number of finger bridges – historically typical of the Vallée de Joux, Romain’s birthplace – but reinterpreted here in a contemporary way. For starters, these bridges are horizontally configured and feature a ‘stepped’ shape – previously seen on some of Logical One’s bridges – that not only provides volume and depth, but also gives the sense that the bridges are literally flowing over the gears and balance wheel, with no clear end to them.
The bridges are made from 18k white gold and boast contrasting tones and textures thanks to a variety of finishes. The outer edges of each bridge all feature a double bevel, while the flat bridge surfaces and rubies are each framed by a raised border that has been hand-frosted. Within these borders, the hand-finishing specialists at Manufacture Romain Gauthier have used a special hand-engraving technique to create a highly original dimpled texture. The movement mainplate beneath has been hand-frosted.
The impressive decoration doesn’t stop with the bridges and mainplate: Romain’s trademark gears and ratchet wheel featuring circular, bevelled spokes have been circular-grained, while the click, snail cam and screws with S- slot heads – another signature of Romain – have been highly polished. Finally, the lid of the mainspring barrel has been embellished with a superb snailing decoration.
C by Romain Gauthier’s regulator features the Romain Gauthier balance wheel with curved arms and calibrated eccentric weights, plus hand-assembled pallet lever that is triangular for maximum rigidity.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Edition
Unlimited edition in platinum, engraved with the number of the piece on the back of the movement.
Features and indications
Off-centred hours and minutes
Small seconds at 7 o’clock
Platinum case, and 18k white gold dial, movement bridges and mainplate In-house movement featuring stop-seconds mechanism
Sporty rubber strap
Dial and hands
Dial available in grey, highlighted with blue details or in blue, highlighted with white details. Off-centred hours and minutes
Small seconds at 7 o’clock with 5-second intervals marked by tapering bright white or blue lines Super-LumiNova-filled 18k white gold hands
18k white gold numerals and hour markers
Movement and finishing
In-house, hand-wound movement Dimensions: 32.10 mm x 5.50 mm Power reserve: 60 hours
Number of jewels: 24
Number of components: 154
Balance frequency: 28,800 vph / 4Hz
Components made from: White gold, stainless steel, steel, brass, and German silver Finishing: Superlative decoration by hand
Case
Material: Platinum
Dimensions: 41mm x 9.55mm, lugs to lugs: 49.5 mm
Water resistance: 50m/5atm/160ft
Crown for winding and time-setting at 2 o’clock
Watch supplied with a fluted crown or surrounded by grey rubber crown rings. Sapphire crystal with interior anti-reflection coating, front and display back.
Strap and buckle
Supplied with grey rubber strap with specially developed, satin-finished and polished platinum pin buckle. Total weight of the watch: 149g, including rubber strap and pin buckle
