Four Captivating Watches With Inverted Movements

For those with a passion for mechanics, like surely many us have, there’s something magical about seeing a watch movement run. Seeing a whole bunch of minuscule parts working in perfect harmony to tell time, and well beyond just the passing of hours, minutes and seconds, just never gets old. With the vast majority of watches, though, it means you have to take them off to witness the magic, but in some, you get treated to a mechanical splendour up front and in person. And to emphasise that, we’re going a few steps further than open-heart or skeleton watches. Instead, we’re going to be looking at proper upside-down movement constructions, a very rare feat in the industry! I’m sure images of the Glashütte Original PanoMaticInverse or PanLunarInverse, and perhaps the disruptive M.A.D.1 RED, come to mind, both fitted with an inverted movement. However cool they may be, we’ve selected four other watches that flip the script on movement construction from the ground up, though, in this week’s Buying Guide.

Ulysse Nardin Super Freak

If we talk about disruptive watchmaking, the Freak is perhaps the perfect representation. Introduced in 2001, it caused a shift in the industry unlike few other watches. It broke with traditional convention by re-engineering the crown into a winding/setting bezel, introducing silicon in watchmaking and putting all the important bits on a rotating carousel. After a quarter of a century, Ulysse Nardin upped the ante even further with the Super Freak, as it’s the very first one with a running seconds indication. It’s neatly integrated into the time-telling carousel construction, along with the double inclined flying tourbillons and so on. The 44mm wide case is in white gold, and it’s worn on a grey ballistic rubber strap with a gold deployant buckle. Limited to 50 pieces only, it has a price of EUR 348,100.

For more information, please visit UlysseNardin.com.

Quick Facts – 44mm x 16.54mm – white gold case, bezel & locker – sapphire crystal front & back – time-setting bezel & caseback winding system – 30m water-resistant – blue transparent Nanosital base ‘dial’ – rotating movement display – hours, minutes & seconds – Calibre UN-252, in-house – 511 parts – 18,000vph – approx. 72h power reserve – patented gimbal system for running seconds – double 10° flying tourbillons – grey ballistic rubber strap with deployant buckle – 50 pieces only – EUR 348,100 (excl. VAT)

Moritz Grossmann Backpage Tremblage

Coming from the German heart of mechanical watchmaking, Glashütte, is the Moritz Grossmann Backpage Tremblage. Immaculately finished front to back, with hand-applied Tremblage finishing throughout, its movement is constructed upside down. It puts the balance wheel and escapement front and centre, suspended under a hand-engraved balance cock. You get a virtually unimpeded view of the movement from both sides, with the barrel up front and the keyless works and stop-seconds mechanism around the back, which is normally sandwiched between the movement and dial. The 41mm x 11.35mm case is in platinum, it’s limited to just 12 pieces per colour (blue or violet) and retails for EUR 71,000.

For more information, please visit Grossmann-Uhren.com.

Quick Facts – 41mm x 11.35mm – platinum case, polished – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – blue or violet partial dial plate – violet-brown-annealed hands – Calibre 107.0 (reversed 100.1), in-house – fully inverted construction – manual winding – 230 parts – German Silver bridges – 18,000vph – 42h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds with stopping mechanism – alligator or kudu leather strap – platinum pin buckle – 12 pieces per colour only – EUR 71,000

Lederer Inverto Titanium 39mm

What started as a unique piece for a charity auction turned into the mesmerising Inverto Titanium 39mm instead. Bernhard Lederer already set the tone with his Central Impulse Chronometer; the Inverto turns things on its head, literally. Lederer’s brilliant double escapement movement with dual constant force remontoirs is laid bare for all to see. The wonderfully symmetrical construction draws you in to the point you almost forget it tells time too. The bridges, the wheels, the remontoir, the double escapement, it’s all impeccably finished. And it also cleverly hides the seconds indication on the back (or is the front?) of the movement. Set in a 39mm wide titanium case with high-domed sapphire crystals on both sides, it’s limited by annual production capacity, and costs CHF 152,000.

For more information, please visit LedererWatches.com.

Quick Facts – 39mm x 10.5mm – grade 5 titanium case – box-shaped high-dome sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – blued skeleton hands – Lederer Calibre 9019, in-house with inverted architecture – manual winding – twin barrels & gear trains – dual constant force remontoir – dual detent escapement – – small seconds indication on reverse side – 21,600vph – 38h power reserve – blue leather or rubber strap with titanium buckle – limited by annual production – CHF 152,000

Minerva Unveiled Chronograph Limited Edition 30

Just last week we showed you the unique Minerva The Unveiled Crownless, and that’s actually the watch that triggered this list. Or rather, one of its Unveiled siblings, as this week we have the Unveiled Chronograph L.E. 30 at hand. Executed in full yellow gold, it pulls back the covers on its mechanics quite dramatically by adding extra sapphire crystals in the caseband and completely inverting its movement. Quite something, considering it’s a monopusher chronograph! Sapphire crystal dial elements help with telling time, both running and elapsed, while leaving the movement itself uncovered. The devilishly handsome Calibre MB17.24 is made in-house, even down to the hairspring. Only 30 will be made in this configuration, for a price of EUR 84,000.

For more information, please visit Montblanc.com.

Quick Facts – 43mm x 14.78mm – 18k yellow gold case, brushed & polished – fluted bezel – crown with chronograph pusher – five sapphire crystals in caseband – domed sapphire crystal – solid gold caseback – 30m water-resistant – sapphire dial rings & scales – Calibre MB17.26, in-house monpusher chronograph – inverted construction – 291 components – 18,000vph – 50h power reserve – alligator leather strap with yellow gold folding clasp – limited to 30 pieces – EUR 84,000