The TimeAEON Foundation has set the goal of "making watches entirely by hand." For its third project, the foundation partnered with Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud, a high-end watchmaking company beloved by enthusiasts. Why did this company, which boasts outstanding finishes, decide to go completely hand-crafted? The reason for this is clear when you look at the completed "Naissance d'Hune Montres 3."
"Naissance d'une Montre" means the birth of a watch in French. This model, celebrating Ferdinand Berthoud's 10th anniversary, aims to preserve traditional techniques and skills for future generations. It is entirely handmade and features a bimetallic balance, a rare feature in current models. Manual winding (Cal. FB-BTC.FC). 37 jewels. 21,600 vph. 18KWG case (44.3mm diameter, 13mm thick). Water resistant to 30m. Limited to 11 pieces worldwide. Price upon request.
Text by Masayuki Hirota (Chronos-Japan)
Edited by Yuzo Takeishi
Edited by Yuzo Takeishi
[Article published in the July 2026 issue of Kronos Japan]
Inheriting skills and passion
True craftsmanship for the future
Vincent Rapee, head of development at Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud, told me a few years ago, "We're creating a special watch to celebrate Berthoud's 10th anniversary. It will be completely handcrafted, without the use of CNC." Announced in September 2025, "Project Birth of a Watch 3," also known as "Naissance d'Hôtels d'Aunes Montres 3," is a collaboration with the TimeÈon Foundation, founded by Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey, and Philippe Dufour.
With the goal of preserving outstanding craftsmanship for future generations, the foundation released the Montres Ecole by watchmaker Michel Boulanger in January 2012, and the Neissons d'Hônes Montres 2 by Urwerk watchmakers Dominique Buser and Cyrano Devancy in 2020. Both watches share the common theme of crafting watches in the most traditional way, that is, entirely by hand. The Time Æon Foundation chose Ferdinand Berthoud, the ultra-high-end equivalent of Chopard, as its third partner.
The company's revival in 15 was, if we may say so, the most Chopard-esque undertaking, or at least the most Chopard-esque undertaking by its co-president, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. First, they produced the finest micro-rotor automatic watches, then transformed the soil to improve the quality of the wineries they owned. With such a philosophy, it was only natural that Chopard, or rather Scheufele, would want to honor the name of legendary chronometer maker Berthoud with a top-of-the-line product. "We wanted to truly honor his (Bertoud's) legacy," Scheufele said, and his wish was soon rewarded with the enthusiastic support of watch enthusiasts.
Six years ago, Ferdinand Berthoud began the Naissance d'Hônes Montres III project with the TimeÈon Foundation. However, the approach is quite different. While the previous two projects were developed with the support of the Foundation and outside parties, Scheufele decided to do everything in-house, meaning he chose to produce the watch without the help of Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey, or Philippe Dufour.
Incidentally, Chopard is a company that is so keen to control its products that even business cards were produced in-house not long ago. It's only natural that a company like Chopard would want to produce the high-end Berthoud in-house, but the Nessence d'Hune Montres 3 is a completely handmade watch, rare even in Switzerland. In response, Scheufele has assembled a team of over 80 craftsmen, experts, and young talent from Berthoud and Chopard. Even for a large company, this is a considerable number of people to devote to a project that will see the production of only 11 hand-crafted watches. In other words, Scheufele approached this project as an attempt to fully master the art of watchmaking of the past.
The inspiration for this piece was the Astronomical Pocket Watch No. 3, manufactured in 1806. While preserving its original structure, the movement diameter was reduced to 37.5mm and the case diameter to 44.3mm. Naturally, the manufacturing techniques remained unchanged. Chopard gathered machine tools manufactured in the 1950s and 60s at its Fleurier Manufacture and used them to manufacture the components. The most important of these was a precision lathe, the Schaublin 102, manufactured in 60. Sold in the mid-30s, this lathe supported the Swiss watch industry for many years until it was replaced by CNC. Berthoud's team used this classic lathe to produce round parts such as shafts, pinions, screws, and pins. A 60 SIP jig borer was also used to drill and grind the plates and bridges.
The finishing of the components is also done by hand. For example, the pinions of the gears take a full day to complete, including cutting the teeth and polishing them with pear wood discs. Finishing the gears takes three days. This process is carried out on all 747 movement parts. It is no surprise that Berthoud states, "It is this meticulous craftsmanship that makes Project Birth of a Watch 3 unique."
Of course, exceptional finishing is Berthoud's specialty. What makes this watch even more unique is that even the mechanism is classic. Its symbol is the bimetallic balance wheel, made of bonded invar and brass. Most modern mechanical watches are equipped with a balance wheel made of a beryllium alloy (Glucydur) and a Nivarox-type hairspring. This is suitable for mass production and is resistant to temperature changes, but in terms of temperature resistance alone, it is said to fall short of the combination of a bimetallic balance wheel and a steel hairspring used in chronometers and high-precision watches of the past. In contrast, Berthoud made his own classic bimetallic balance wheel. Moreover, this is a genuine bimetallic balance wheel, with a gold balance screw for rate adjustment and a nickel balance screw for temperature compensation. Furthermore, Berthoud even went to the trouble of ordering a steel hairspring specifically for this balance wheel. Admittedly, temperature compensation would have been difficult if a bimetallic balance wheel had been combined with a Nivarox or Precision Engineering hairspring, but I was surprised to see a manufacturer willing to custom-make a classic hairspring.
The chain-pulling fusee is also different from previous Berthoud watches. The company had previously used a stop mechanism using a Maltese cross, but this time it uses a cam and pawl mechanism modeled after a mechanism conceived by Breguet. The chain that makes up the fusee (total length 172mm, 477 parts) has also been made thinner, and a ratchet has been added to the barrel to precisely control torque. Having previously made modern modifications to the fusee, the company has now taken a complete turn, leaning more towards the classics.
Although the manufacturing method and mechanism are classic, the performance is first-rate. With a bimetallic balance and a steel hairspring, the precision of this handcrafted watch has even passed COSC chronometer certification. "There is no greater homage to a master watchmaker who dedicated his life to developing the most accurate timepieces of his time and who has worked hard to share that knowledge with future generations," says Scheufele. Hats off to the company for their achievement in not simply reviving a classic, but refining it to modern standards.
