Introducing The Mesure Du Temps Represents A New Chapter For The Boutique Ferdinand Berthoud Manufacture

Following up the breathtaking Naissance d’une Montre of last year was always going to be tough, but Ferdinand Berthoud is taking the right approach, using that magnum opus as a turning point in their - and I can’t believe I’m saying this - “standard production”.

This is how the new Mesure du Temps 1787 collection came about, and its first chapter, the Chronomètre FB 2TV. The 2TV replaces the FB-T.FC architecture that the brand started with in 2015, but keeps some of its signatures like the constant torque delivery via the fusée-and-chain, and further complicates the tourbillon escapement with a flying configuration.

The main touchpoints that translate from the NdM3 to the new Mesure du Temps collection is the shape of the case, and the movement components (at least the most interesting ones), which are now fully visible dialside. Given Ferdinand Berthoud’s connection to Chopard, it’s no surprise that the 44mm case uses ethically-sourced white gold - and there’s a lot of it there, considering it sits at 15.46mm in thickness.

The actual time-telling sub-dial is relegated to a small, hand-sanded silver circle just beneath 12 o’clock, separated from the central seconds hand that features zero-reset functionality via the pusher embedded into the crown. The dial and its blocky Arabic numerals float above a huge aperture for the fusée-and-chain, while the power reserve cone and hand offer some asymmetry, located to the left of the 15mm flying tourbillon. Let’s break each of these complications down further, as they’re very much worth exploring.

There’s a reason why fusée-and-chain mechanisms aren’t common, with only a handful of watchmakers producing them in any notable quantities. One of those reasons is that the chain itself usually comprises hundreds of individual pieces, in this case 777 of them. The system now includes a Maltese cross stopwork system that reduces the number of crown turns needed to wind the watch, and a differential that allows the movement to keep running even when the watch is being wound.

Aside from the fusée, you’ll find another cone in this movement, this one used for the power reserve indicator. As the mainspring winds or unwinds, this cone travels up and down along a threaded arbor, impacting a ruby-tipped sensor arm that detects the changing diameter of the cone, and translates the level of power available to the blued hand at 07:30.

Finally, at 6 o’clock, you’ll find the flying tourbillon with a titanium cage, hand-bent Phillips terminal curve and a hacking function engaged by the crown. You would’ve noted that this watch also features a zero-reset seconds mechanism, which Ferdinand Berthoud decided to develop as a separate function that can be operated at any point. The result is a flyback-like pusher coaxial with the crown, which uses a specially shaped cam (more akin to what you’d find in a QP than a chrono) visible from the movement side, with a titanium seconds hand to minimise backlash.

Curiously, this highly complex, artisanal watch from Ferdinand Berthoud can be broken down to a simple list of pros and cons. The bad? It’s clumsily named, and its propositions mean it won’t be the ideal companion for the smaller-wristed. The good? Pretty much everything else, really.

Jokes aside, I have a lot of time for anything that comes out of Ferdinand Berthoud’s ateliers, and that’s unlikely to change. Like many high-end makers that focus on niche new technologies and achingly beautiful finishing - Greubel Forsey and Romain Gauthier are the two that come to mind immediately - it’s all about context. This isn’t a daily champion, though I take my hat off to anyone who chooses to wear theirs this way. What it is is proof that micromechanical evolution hasn’t stagnated, and there will always be impressively complicated new ways to tell time in the most overengineered way possible.

A fusée-and-chain mechanism is a show-stopper any day, the only easy thing about it being how well it differentiates the good from the great, but as usual with Ferdinand Berthoud, there’s more to it than just that. I won’t talk about finishing specifics as they’re expectedly excellent, but quirky solutions like the power reserve indicator and the obsession around how winding their watch feels and sounds are something I can always get behind.

The caseback view is less impressive than the front when it comes to depth, but it is still a great way to discover even more delicate finishing touches, as well as other curious engineering developments. That huge, 28mm-wide gear wheel that links the offset hours and minutes to the crown is my personal favourite.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, both the tactility of the crown and the sound of the meshing gears are nothing short of wonderful. Much of my time with this watch at Watches & Wonders this year was spent putting it up to my ear and winding it away.

Brand: Ferdinand Berthoud
Model: Mesure du Temps 1787 Chronomètre FB 2TV
Reference Number: Ref. FB 2TV.1
Diameter: 44mm
Thickness: 15,46mm
Case Material: 18k white gold
Dial Colour: Hand-sanded nickel silver
Indices: Pad-printed Arabics
Crystal: Domed sapphire with double-sided AR coating front and back
Lume: None
Water Resistance: 30 metres
Strap/Bracelet: Blue alligator leather, 18k white gold folding clasp (all customisable)

Calibre: FB-TV.FC
Functions: Hours and minutes at 12, central seconds, power reserve, zero-reset seconds, fusée-and-chain, hacking 60-second flying tourbillon 
Power Reserve: 60 hours
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 3 Hz
Jewels: 51
Number of Components: 1,240
Chronometer Certified: Yes, by COSC

Price: €382,000
Availability: Boutiques and retailers
Limited Edition: No, but FB production is estimating 10-12 pieces per year maximum

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