The Trilobe Une Folle Journée Diamant

Trilobe, the young French brand founded by Gautier Massonneau, proposes a novel way of indicating the time. Abandoning the traditional use of hands, Trilobe relies on three rotating discs to display the hours, minutes and seconds. What started as a flat display with Les Matinaux in 2021 gained corporeality in 2022 to become Une Folle Journée with its three raised discs floating over the mechanics exposed on the dial. One year later, Trilobe returns to its 3D display and unveils a diamond-set version of Une Folle Journée, inspired by the chandelier in the Garnier Opera house of Paris.

An architectural overhaul was necessary to accommodate the 150 baguette-cut diamonds set into the three suspended rings. Instead of titanium, an even lighter alloy composed of aluminium, silicon and magnesium was used for the rings to compensate for the weight of the diamonds. To set the stones into the alloy, Trilobe sought the collaboration of expert gem-setters from Rue de la Paix, who developed an invisible opening for the gemstones that were inserted and slid along the ring. Trilobe also commissioned a miniaturist painter to hand-paint the hour numerals on top of the diamonds.

The three concentric indications, with rotating hours on the periphery followed by the minutes and seconds, are placed on columns attached to the wheels and appear to be levitating under the pronounced 10.2mm-high domed sapphire crystal.

Presented in platinum or 18k rose gold cases, the diameter is 40.5mm, the thickness is 17.8mm (including the domed sapphire crystal), and the lug-to-lug is 48mm. The cases are decorated with satin-brushed and mirror-polished surfaces. The base plate, visible dial-side, is plated with black gold in the platinum version and 5N gold for the rose gold.

To power the display, the brand uses its base calibre X-Centric (designed with Mojon and Le Cercle des Horlogers). This automatic movement is wound by a micro-rotor, beats at a 4Hz frequency and still offers 48 hours of energy when fully wound, despite the weight of the diamonds and complex display.

Both the platinum and rose gold versions of the Trilobe Une Folle Journée Diamant are fitted with an alligator strap. The platinum edition retails for EUR 170,000 (excl. tax), and the rose gold for EUR 160,000 (excl. tax). For more information, please consult trilobe.com.