The C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Four

Two years ago, Romain Gauthier, an accomplished independent watchmaker you certainly have heard of, unveiled Continuum, a sporty-looking, modern time-only watch which differed from Gauthier’s previous creations, like the Logical One, Prestige HMS or Insight Micro-Rotor, for it was simpler (wrong word), but still packed with Romain Gauthier’s trademark features. The name Continuum hinted at the constant development Gauthier and his eponymous brand pursued, the model was later renamed C by Romain Gauthier, but the series retained the essential idea and continued to evolve aesthetically. The brand has just revealed the new edition of the C by Romain Gauthier Titanium in a Grade 5 titanium case coated with black ALDC.

If you follow the work of Romain Gauthier, the new C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Four will look very familiar to you, for the watch sports the same 41mm x 9.55mm, 50m water-resistant case crafted from Grade 5 titanium, with a black amorphous diamond-like carbon coating – extremely hard and extraordinarily smooth, as the Edition Two from last year. The new reference is distinguished mainly by coloured elements. The crown at 2 o’clock features a blue rubber ring, making it easier to operate, and it also adds character to the watch’s appearance and plays to the tapering blue lines on the dial, marking 5-second intervals for the small seconds display at 7 o’clock. The main dial plate in black Grade 5 titanium received a straight-graining finish; the off-centred (slightly) hours and minutes are indicated with the white Super-LumiNova-filled 18k white gold hands and applied numerals and hour markers. 

The uplifting spirits originating from the dynamic design of the case and the dial, as well as the superb, Gauthier-style execution of the new C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Four, will overwhelm you further once you turn the watch over to admire the contemporary in-house calibre, manually wound, with exceptional decoration and finishes. The movement with signature Gauthier-reinterpreted historically typical finger-style bridges in natural titanium and rhodium-treated gears is the same as in the previous Continuum editions; it was well described here and here. Built with 24 jewels, it comprises 154 components and the materials used were titanium, steel, stainless steel and German silver. It beats to a frequency of 28,800vph and has a power reserve of 60 hours.

The C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Four is offered as a limited edition of 38, on a black textured rubber strap with satin-finished and polished Grade 5 titanium pin buckle coated with black ADLC. The total weight of the watch, strap and buckle included, is 55 grams, with the retail price CHF 38,000 (taxes excluded), which translates to CHF 690,91 per gram. The C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Bracelet (85g) is only CHF 494,18 per gram… Jokes apart, the latter misses the black coating and isn’t a limited edition.