The Cyrus Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon Sapphire

Among the young and creative independent watchmakers making modernly designed watches, Cyrus is one to be taken into account. With its bold designs and complex movements overseen by JF Mojon, the brand has made a name for itself recently. Founded in 2010, Cyrus planned on celebrating its 10th anniversary last year with the launch of a new and impressive watch… but, of course, the situation in 2020 was slightly more difficult than expected. So, following a year’s delay, here’s the Cyrus Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon Sapphire. But as they say, better late than never.

Cyrus was created in 2010 by a Swiss entrepreneurial family with a background in the luxury industry. When founding this watchmaking atelier, they decided to trust one of the most renowned watchmakers, Jean-François Mojon, the brilliant creative mind behind all Cyrus creations. While the brand claims that the production is done in-house, it means that Chronode (the company owned by Mojon) is responsible for the creation of these proprietary movements – which doesn’t change anything regarding the boldness and creativity behind Cyrus watches.

For its (belated) 10th-anniversary celebration piece, the brand has launched a striking edition of its Klepcys Vertical Tourbillon, a watch that was first launched in 2018 and followed in 2019 by the Skeleton model we’ve already covered here. And the main update concerns the case, which is now made entirely of sapphire crystal and paired with white and gold-coloured accents.

The overall design remains the same as the previous editions of the Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon, and as most of the watches created by Cyrus – such as the Double Independent Chronograph. It means the signature cushion-shaped case with short lugs and domed surfaces, measuring 44mm in diameter and 19.9mm in height (yes, that vertical tourbillon needs some space…) It comes with crowns that are made of 18k rose gold with white rubber inserts, and a white rubber strap with a gold folding clasp. Note that the right crown is used to wind the movement and adjust the time. The crown at 9 o’clock is used to correct the jumping hour in one-hour increments.

The pièce de résistance in this Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon Sapphire is, as expected, its movement with a rather unique architecture. Placed right in the centre is a one-minute tourbillon regulator, which is set on a vertical axis at a 90° angle – this angle ensures the tourbillon cage is almost always in a vertical position when on the wrist, thereby optimising its performance in precision. The display of the time has been dictated by this central position of the tourbillon and has been separated into two distinct indications: sweeping retrograde seconds on the right and jumping retrograde hours on the left. There’s also a sphere-shaped power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock and the entire movement has been opened to reveal its technicalities, which is further amplified by the sapphire case. The seconds are shown by the tourbillon cage with a 5- second interval scale.

Powering the Cyrus Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon and its bold display is the calibre CYR62 developed by Mojon. This hand-wound engine comes with two barrels in parallel, offering a solid 100-hour power reserve. The tourbillon beats at a classic 3Hz frequency. The decoration is, like the rest of the watch, modern and creative, with grey-coloured bridges, thanks to a NAC galvanic treatment, that are decorated with an embossed sunray pattern and have a micro-beaded satin finish that contrasts with the polished finish of the edges. The two parallel barrels have black lacquered ratchet-wheels.

So, even though it took one extra year for Cyrus to celebrate its 10th anniversary, they’ve done it in style. The Cyrus Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon Sapphire will be a limited edition of 10 pieces, priced at CHF 245,000. For more details, please visit www.cyrus-watches.ch.