Emmanuel, known as quattro on WatchProSite, offers an exclusive look into the creation of Florent Lecomte's N4 Voyager. This article delves into the intricate journey of a unique timepiece, from a collector's initial vision to the independent watchmaker's technical execution. quattro's detailed post highlights the collaborative spirit and horological challenges overcome in bringing such a personalized watch to life.
Florent Lecomte, founder of
Lecomte Watches, is a former
industrial product designer who turned
watchmaking teacher at the Lycée Edgar Faure in
Morteau, France, before becoming an
independent watchmaker.
Below: Florent Lecomte (left) with Philippe Dufour (right)
During the last five years, he has been working on a piece unique, the N4 Voyager, created for a passionate collector, Franck Le Bousse, aka @lebousse29.
The dial was designed by the collector himself, who explored numerous avenues and carried out meticulous research to create the dial design that perfectly reflects his universe and aspirations.
The
first projected design looked like this.
It was the result of numerous
sketches, based on long
reflection and extensive
research.
Florent Lecomte took charge of the technical side and development, ensuring that the soul of the design was flawlessly embodied by precision mechanics.
And it led to a
first prototype.
This first version featured a fully instant-jump display, which consumed too much energy, compromising accuracy.
So another version was created with a trailing display preserving the balance wheel’s amplitude, thus ensuring better timekeeping consistency and optimal regulation.
The
complications comprise:
- Dual Time (Washington & Paris)
- Retrograde minutes
- Day and night indicator
- Day of the week
- Small seconds
The
day/night disc was designed by the collector, Franck Le Bousse, and
painted by
Amandine Lori Soudan, aka @minyaturastudio.
And here's the
final result,
front and
back.
The
steel case measures
41 mm.
credit to all photos: Franck Le Bousse (@lebousse29) & Florent Lecomte (@montres_lecomte)
What do you
think?
Do you like this timepiece and would you like designing your own watch in collaboration with a watchmaker?
Thanks for reading.
Best, Emmanuel
