L’Epée 1839 has been making horological products for over 185 years and is one of Switzerland’s leading clock manufacturers today, creating extraordinary and innovative timekeepers. We take a look at three of its most recent creations which push the boundaries of clock design into exciting new realms.
T35
Based on the legendary Bugatti T35 racing car from the 1920s, the T35 clock was made by L’Epée 1839 last year to mark the clockmaker’s 185th anniversary. The original car was one of the most successful racing cars of all time, winning over 2,000 races between 1924 and 1930. It was unparalleled in its technology, design, and performance, so it is easy to understand why L’Epée 1839 was inspired to create a horological creation based on this legendary sports car.
The T35 clock is the 35th car-related project that L’Epée 1839 has worked on, only three of which have ever been revealed to the public to date, making this creation even more of a treat. The T35 reproduces the famous Bugatti with the hours and minutes displayed on the side of the coachwork. The clock is powered by an in-house movement with an 8-day power reserve that is wound by turning the rear wheels, just like a pull-back toy car. The time is also set in an unusual way, by turning the steering wheel in an anticlockwise direction.
In addition to the time, this horological object features a functional hand-break which is located on the side of the chassis. When pulled, it releases the engine to reveal a gas-powered cigar lighter. The clock comes in a solid aluminium body with the engine and chassis made of stainless steel and palladium-plated brass. Each component is individually finished by hand with polished, satin-finished, or sand-blasted effects. There are four colour versions – black, blue, green, and red – each of which is limited to 100 pieces.
L'Epée 1839 X MB&F – Albatross
L’Epée 1839 and MB&F have co-created 15 different clocks over the last decade and the most recent edition is the most ambitious to date. This flying ship called the Albatross features a striking hour function that chimes the individual hours (on the hour) and the half-hours (with one chime), much like a church clock. But that is not all, 16 propellers launch into action every hour.
The timepiece features two movements with two winding systems. The first movement powers the time and striking hours and is manually wound via the propellers at the front of the flying ship (clockwise for the striking hour and anti-clockwise for the time), while the second movement powers the propellers. The beauty of this system is that its owner can choose to have the propellers turn without the hour chime and vice versa. There are also two “on demand” buttons that chime the time and/or turn the propellers separately.
This extraordinary creation is comprised of 1520 components, measures 600 mm (length) x 350 mm (width) x 600 mm (height), and weighs 17 kg. The clock is made from a mix of brass, stainless steel, and aluminium and is available in a choice of five different translucent cold lacquer colours – blue, red, green, champagne, or black.
L'Epée 1839 X The Dial Artist – Grenade
For something completely different, L’Epée 1839 joined forces with The Dial Artist, aka Chris Alexander, a British artist based in Scotland, for a different kind of clock. The Dial Artist is renowned in the watch community for his abstract dials in bright colours. It is these vibrant colours that he has employed in this collaborative piece with L’Epée 1839 called the Grenade.
The idea behind the Grenade is to visualize the artistic meaning of the “Art Bomb”, an art form that creates a visual effect by inserting unexpected elements into an existing artwork. In this case, it is street art that finds itself on this grenade-inspired clock, combining a dangerous military weapon with the fun and colours of street art.
The Grenade measures 120.5 mm (height) x 77.6 mm (width) X 66.6 mm (depth) and weighs 620 g (which is the actual weight of a real hand grenade). The hours and minutes are displayed on black aluminium discs with engraved numerals. The clock is powered by an in-house movement with an 8-day power reserve and is wound via the pin at the top of the grenade. There are eight colours to choose from with 99 pieces per colour.
Why put up a clock up in your home or office, when you can have an horological marvel like one of these creations from L’Epée?
