Louis Moinet 20-second Tempograph Deep Blue

Louis Moinet 20-second Tempograph Deep Blue

The Louis Moinet 20-second Tempograph Deep Blue and Louis Moinet Memoris White Gold are two limited edition watches which embrace eye-catching blue hues to splendiferous effect. Indeed, Angus Davies ponders whether the company’s charismatic CEO is embracing his very own ‘Blue Period’. 

Blue Period of Picasso

The ‘Blue Period of Picasso’ was a creative epoch from 1900 to 1904 when the colourful Spanish genius painted in the monochromatic tones of blue and blue-green, sometimes sparingly using alternative, warmer hues. Picasso’s body of work captured the zeitgeist of this era, when the Spanish intellectual and his contemporaries embraced avant-garde notions and artistically depicted the desperate fate of the disadvantaged and downtrodden.

Les Ateliers Louis Moinet

Jean-Marie Schaller, CEO of Les Ateliers Louis Moinet SA, together with his creative team, also appear to have embraced a blue period of late. They have expertly paired mechanical ingenuity with breathtaking design, releasing several new models this year, a handful of which employ a multitude of blue tones to eye-catching effect.

Reddot design awards

Whilst Schaller clearly shares Picasso’s predilection for the regal allure of blue pigments, his work differs, portraying cheerful aesthetics and engendering joy in any self-respecting admirer of horology. His design prowess has attracted much acclaim and the company has received several reddot design awards over the years.

In 2014, I waxed lyrical about the 20-second Tempograph, whilst earlier this year I fell for the beguiling charms of the Memoris. This latter watch, a chronograph, seduced my eyes with its comely appearance and sated my hunger for innovation with its alternative approach to the stop-watch complication.

Recently, both watches have been touched by the sumptuous tones of the sea and sky, enticing admiring eyes to absorb every captivating detail.

I am often surprised how an alternative case material or a change of dial colour can influence the aesthetics of a timepiece. A few weeks ago, I tried on two new Louis Moinet watches and, whilst in many respects they share much in common with models I have reviewed before, they both now exhibit a very different character.

Louis Moinet 20-second Tempograph Deep Blue

The Louis Moinet 20-second Tempograph Deep Blue supplants the white detail on the 20-second retrograde scale and off-centre hour and minute display for a deep blue colour. Despite blue being associated with cold, the profundity of this shade bestows a sense of warmth and richness. Schaller has judged the intensity of the colour to perfection. Indeed, if the colour had been a tad more blue, it could easily have appeared purple and its regal persona could have degenerated into a rather unseemly tone.

Clous de Paris guilloché

Appraising the remaining elements of this artistic dial canvas, everything else shares the pulchritudinous allure of its older sibling, including the Clous de Paris guilloché circlet enveloping the open-worked dial surface. However, the moderate and restrained use of blue has not detracted from the appeal of the original or led to the watch appearing gauche or overwhelming the senses. Indeed, this blue variant, the Louis Moinet 20-second Tempograph Deep Blue, is in my opinion, the most attractive version of this timepiece, thanks to Schaller’s expert eye judging the display to perfection.

Côtes de Genève

Admiring the reverse of this watch, the exhibition caseback provides further insight into the mechanical manoeuvres of the micro-components within. The circular Côtes de Genève motif gracing the bridges, together with the beautifully executed anglage, appear to have been enlivened by the vivid blue colour scheme of the oscillating mass, wonderfully adorned with a guilloché motif.

The blue hand-sewn alligator leather strap perfectly matches the shades judiciously employed elsewhere on this model.

I adored the 20-second Tempograph I previously reviewed, but this limited series of 60 pieces, presented in grade 5 titanium, elicits unreserved words of my undying love. I am smitten with the Louis Moinet 20-second Tempograph Deep Blue and appreciate Schaller’s skill at honing every detail into a harmonious and handsome whole.

Louis Moinet Memoris in white gold

At Baselworld 2015, I enjoyed my horological encounter with an 18-carat rose gold version of the Memoris. This watch separates the components relating to the chronograph from those which are responsible for displaying the prevailing time. Indeed, Louis Moinet referred to the Memoris as a chronograph with ‘timekeeping’ as a complication.

I freely admit it was love at first sight when I saw the first versions of the Memoris. The model was launched in a choice of 18-carat white gold or 18-carat rose gold with the latter variant being my favourite, courtesy of its warm, temperate mien. However, Louis Moinet has now released a new white gold option, forcing me to reconsider my position and ponder whether the rose gold model remains my preferred version.

The Memoris eschews a conventional dial, employing the reverse of the mainplate as the stage set for an intriguing horological performance to take place. Indeed, this backdrop provides the perfect foil for the various wheels and levers to engage with audiences using a mixture of subtle movements and deliberate hand gestures.

On this new version of the Memoris, Côtes de Genève motif continues to adorn the reverse of the mainplate but employs a charming blue hue, rather than the rhodium-plated canvas of the white gold variant launched earlier this year. In my opinion, the blue shade proves more eye-catching, contrasting fantastically with the other forward-facing elements of the watch.

When I placed this watch upon my wrist, I rapidly shot numerous images, lost in a moment of horological enchantment. This watch is achingly gorgeous. Although my images depict the pre-production prototype, it is unlikely to change, save for the addition of overt red detailing on the chronograph hands.

On this prototype model, the oscillating mass employs a golden hue featuring a guilloché motif. Ordinarily, this would quench my thirst for refined detailing, however, Schaller has spoilt me with the sight of the rotor equipping the Louis Moinet 20-second Tempograph Deep Blue and I cannot help but wonder whether this latest version of the Memoris would benefit from the tint of an azure sky.

Louis Moinet 20-second Tempograph – closing thoughts

Seldom do I feel compelled to write about variants of new watches merely because they are offered in an alternative case or dial colour, as the opportunity cost of doing so seems too high. Indeed, I prefer to focus my efforts on writing about wholly new timepieces which proffer freshness and previously unseen charms. Nevertheless, in this instance, Louis Moinet has caused me to make an exception.

This Maison, with Jean-Marie Schaller at its helm, has taken two existing models and, by judiciously employing alternative tones, delivered a different character to each model. The sparing use of colour has not overwhelmed the purity of the existing designs, but rather heightened the appeal of these watches.

Based on this performance, I hope Jean-Marie Schaller spends more years embracing his ‘blue period’, imparting more delight with his artistic prowess and breathtaking imagination.

Technical Specifications

• Model: Louis Moinet 20-second Tempograph
• Reference: LM-39-20.20 (grade 5 titanium)
• Case: Grade 5 titanium; diameter 43.50 mm; height 15.60mm; water resistant to 5 bar (50 metres); sapphire crystal to front and caseback.
• Functions: Hours; minutes; 20-second retrograde seconds
• Movement: Calibre LM39; self-winding movement; frequency 28,800 vph (4Hz); 36 jewels; power reserve 48 hours
• Strap: Blue hand-sewn Louisiana alligator leather strap with crocdile leather lining presented on a stainless steel deployant
• Limited Edition: 60 pieces
• Price: CHF 22,000 (RRP as of 11.12.2015)

 

• https://www.louismoinet.com/