Ludovic Ballouard presents the HALF TIME, his second unusual manufactured creation

Feb 09, 2012,05:19 AM
 

Unique, poetical, fun : after two years of development, Ludovic Ballouard presents his new and unusual creation.

 

Geneva , January 16th 2012 . In phase with his schedule, which planned a new timepiece every two years, the independent watchmaker Ludovic Ballouard, creator in 2010 of the very remarquable and awarded Upside Down watch, introduces us to his brand new creation, the HALF TIME.

 

LUDOVIC BALLOUARD PRESENTS THE HALF TIME,

HIS SECOND UNUSUAL MANUFACTURED CREATION

 

Endowed with a unique, intricate, patented complication, it carries the same philosophy as the UPSIDE DOWN : an haute-horlogerie timepiece, unusual, vibrant and which will seduce all watch connoisseurs.

 

If Ludovic Ballouard has retained traditional knowhow enhanced by working for some of the greatest (F.P. Journe, Franck Muller, etc…), he very early on affirmed the identity of his own timepieces. Exciting, untypical, the UPSIDE DOWN already revealed a most personal creation.

 

The HALF TIME most certainly follows this approach, with the same will to present a most unusual way of reading the time. Ludovic Ballouard has endowed his new creation with a patented mecanism of rotating disks which move on the same plane as the dial.

 

The principle is simple : all the hour indexes are divided in two, therefore unreadable… all except the one showing the current hour. The rotation of two disks « reconstitutes » each index, allowing time to be read (see video). The watch therefore carries no hour hands. A retrograde hand, set on a half-circle at 6 o'clock indicates the minutes in a classical manner.

 

This makes for a double visual surprise :

 

- The disks, placed on the same plane as the dial, cannot be distinguished by the naked eye, thus giving the illusion of a unique, plane, unmoving surface… although it is really in perpetual movement.

 

- As with the UPSIDE DOWN, the rotation of these disks is intantaneous, rendering the magical moment when the movement reconstitutes each mysterious cipher into a most readable Roman figure quite stunning.

 

The HALF TIME thus has its very own, unique way of showing the time, just as the UPSIDE DOWN does. With both watches, reading the time is rendered into a magical moment, with only the current time showing itself.

« The idea came to me a year ago. I wanted an unusual complication which would also be fun says Ludovic Ballouard. It is most important for me to enhance the timepiece's movement in the eyes of its wearer. This entails more work, particularly in order to systematically cross through the platine. However, this offers intense visual pleasure , allowing more than 300 components to be visible through the sapphire glass. The heart of the HALF TIME is happy to proudly show itself, but only to its owner. This makes for a unique and very personal sensation ».

 

Technical data :

 

·        Frequency : 21,600 bph / 3 Hz.

·        Number of components : >300

·        Diameter : 35mm / 15.5 lines

·        Platinum case 950 / red gold 750

·        Dimensions / 41mm x 11mm

·        Waterproof at 30 meters / 3ATM

 

 

About Ludovic Ballouard

Ludovic Ballouard is established in Geneva since 1998. He became an independent watchmaker in 2010 and presented is first timepiece, the UPSIDE DOWN that same year. With a strong experience working for some of the greatest names in watchmaking, Ludovic Ballouard conceives, draws and produces each and every movement of his timepieces. These are manufactured at about 50 pieces a year, all numbered. Ludovic Ballouard's timepieces are sold on all continents through retailers or directly from his workshop. A first boutique has just opened in Hong Kong, together with other independent watchmakers.

 

Press information :

http://ballouard.com/ - http://www.twitter.com/Ballouard - info @ ballouard.com (remove spaces)

Press Release

 


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