Darker and Sportier, Here’s the C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Two

For many years, Romain Gauthier’s collection has been defined by its insane attention to detail and hand-finishing a la Vallée de Joux, as well as original designs with a certain elegance. His most revered and most complicated watch, the Romain Gauthier Logical One, is a perfect example of his work and inspiration. Last year, things changed and Gauthier decided to launch the Freedom collection incarnated by the Continuum, a highly original, mechanically impressive sports watch. Following the first edition in natural titanium, it’s time for chapter two with the dark, sporty and bold new C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Two. 

The whole idea of this new collection was for Romain Gauthier to express his freedom and his independence regarding the creative process. The result, a sports watch with a complex, ultra-decorated movement, is a very personal vision of the so-called luxury sports watch category. Modern and youthful, shaped like nothing else on the market, powered by an in-house hand-wound movement, the Continuum series is geometric and bold. And it becomes even bolder with this second edition.

The specifications and overall design are identical, yet this new C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Two plays on different colours and contrasts. The grade 5 titanium case, with its 41mm diameter and 9.55mm thickness, is entirely coated with black ADLC – a surface treatment known for its robustness. What remains true is the personal shape of the watch. It combines fluid lines with geometric patterns, resulting in a watch full of contrasts. For instance, the bezel is machined into a round shape featuring a circular bevel before six straight sides are cut into it to create six facets. The flat surface is brushed, while the facets are polished. The same faceted design is replicated around the sapphire crystal on the back of the watch.

Some more features on the case of this C by Romain Gauthier Titanium are noteworthy, such as the original placement of the crown at 2 o’clock, in order to increase comfort when the watch is on the wrist. The crown is equipped with a red rubber ring, making it easier to manipulate, as well as adding a dash of colour to the watch. Lastly, the lugs are angled slightly inward to almost seamlessly integrate the rubber strap, reinforcing the sporty-chic vocation of this piece.

Alongside the new coating applied to the case, the Continuum Titanium Edition Two also reveals a new dial, playing on the same tones and contrasts as the case. The base, which is sandblasted Grade 5 titanium, is coated with black PVD and features a protective layer against UV rays. The dial retains its atypical layout and design, with the hours/minutes hands lightly off-centred on the horizontal axis, while the hour indices taper ever so slightly and are of varying lengths. In the same vein, the small seconds indicator is positioned at 7 o’clock and features tapering bright red lines of differing lengths. Overall, a dynamic, original and slightly controversial design. Adding an even bolder touch, all elements are filled with red-coloured Super-LumiNova.

Under the sapphire caseback is a movement that is typical of Romain Gauthier’s manufacture. New to this Continuum collection, the hand-wound calibre has been developed and produced in-house and features a truly modern architecture that follows that of the case and dial. Using plates and finger-like bridges (historically typical of the Vallée de Joux) made in grade 5 titanium, the movement has a horizontal construction. This stepped design provides a great sense of depth and complexity. Despite the modernity of this movement, classic RG features are found, such as the trademark gears and ratchet wheel, and the signature balance wheel using curved arms and eccentric weights. The decoration is what you expect from Gauthier, with all surfaces decorated by hand, yet in a more modern way.

The movement features an original stop-seconds mechanism. A brake is placed on the balance wheel when the crown is pulled out. But instead of using a straight or L-shaped balance stop lever to halt the balance, Gauthier has opted for a snail cam that performs a double function. It touches and stops the balance wheel when the crown is pulled out and, when the crown is pushed back in, the snail cam makes a turn, with its increasingly wide form giving the balance an impulse to help it start beating again.

Availability & Price

The new C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Two Black ADLC is released as a limited edition of 38 pieces, each individually numbered on the movement side. It is priced at CHF 38,000 excluding taxes. For more details, please visit www.romaingauthier.com.