1871
A WORKSHOP IN L’ABBAYE
The house opens on the shore of the Lac de Joux, cutting dials for the valley’s watchmakers.
La lumière, gravée.
I · LA VALLÉE
In 1871, a guillocheur cut his first dial in L’Abbaye.
Aurèle Vauclair engraved light for the makers of the Vallée de Joux. A century later, his dials still catch the morning sun.
Time radiates from the seconds.
Every Clairière dial is engraved by hand, from the small seconds outward, then fired under translucent enamel. One artisan. One full day.
II · LA MAIN
One artisan. One lathe built in 1904. One full day.
The rays are cut on a rose-engine lathe that has turned in L’Abbaye since 1904. The artisan sets each groove by hand, starting at the small seconds and working out to the edge of the dial. The work takes one day. It cannot be hurried.
- FOUNDED IN L’ABBAYE
- 1871
- OF SILENCE
- 44 years
- PER DIAL
- 1 day
III · LE GESTE
Le geste: how a dial is made
- 01 LE TOUR
The blank is turned.
A disc of metal is turned flat on the lathe and polished until it holds no mark at all.
- 02 LA GRAVURE
One hundred and twenty rays.
Each ray is cut from the small seconds outward, one pass of the graver, set by hand on the rose engine.
- 03 LE GRAND FEU
Fired at 800 °C.
Translucent blue enamel is laid over the cuts and fired, layer by layer, until the rays shine through.
- 04 L’ASSEMBLAGE
Then, the hands.
Applied indices and dauphine hands, finished by hand and set at ten past ten.
IV · LA CLAIRIÈRE
Clairière
Time radiates from the seconds.
The Rayon begins at the small seconds and runs to the edge of the dial, cut by hand under translucent grand feu enamel.
- CASE
- 38.5 × 9.2 mm, Or Clair or platinum
- MOVEMENT
- Manual-wind calibre AV-1871
- PRICE
- From €48,000, by appointment
V · L’OBJET
Turn it in your hand.
DRAG TO TURN · MOVE TO LIGHT
38.5 mm across, 9.2 mm thin.
CASE
LA LUMIÈRE, GRAVÉE
VI · CHRONIQUE
One lathe, five dates.
1904
THE LATHE ARRIVES
A rose-engine lathe is installed under the north window. It still cuts every dial.
1978
SILENCE
The quartz years. The workshop closes; the lathe is oiled, covered and left to wait.
2022
THE LATHE TURNS AGAIN
The cover comes off. The first rays in forty-four years are cut by hand.
2026
CLAIRIÈRE
The first watch of the new house. Time radiates from the seconds.
VII · LES SALONS
Two rooms, one light.
IN THE VALLÉE DE JOUX
—
SALON
Geneva
ATELIER
L’Abbaye
VIII · RENDEZ-VOUS
See it in the light it was made for.
An hour with the watch, under one light, in Geneva or at the atelier in L’Abbaye.