RENAUD TIXIER – CHAPTER 1 ‘Monday’ Rose or White Gold 40.8 mm Automatic Micro-rotor 2024
A WATCH BRAND IS BORN
Witness a meeting of two minds and generations in exceptional watchmaking as Dominique Renaud, a pioneer of contemporary horology and Julien Tixier, a prodigious young talent, forge a creative alliance.
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Key Takeaways:
- - A new watch brand: Based in Nyon, Switzerland, and dedicated to fundamental research in horology, emerges among the peaks of the Swiss independent watchmaking landscape.
- - Two inventive minds: Dominique Renaud and Julien Tixier are setting out to expand the horizons of Haute Horlogerie, leveraging the extensive skills each has acquired on the journey that led to this moment;
- - A clear objective: to re-think the fundamentals of micromechanics and apply innovative concepts to fundamental watchmaking principles that have been taken for granted and often remained unchallenged;
- - The first innovation: the micro-rotor engine, a breakthrough in the key area of energy that significantly enhances winding efficiency and overall energy-generating and transmitting performance.
- - The first creation: Renaud Tixier’s inaugural ‘Monday’ watch, a 40.8-mm three-hand model that revisits the concept of the micro-rotor with an in-depth exploration of the vital aspect of energy.
A PIVOTAL ENCOUNTER, A NATURAL PROGRESSION
Renaud Tixier epitomizes a unique alliance in the world of horology, the natural next step in the friendship of two extraordinary watchmakers, combining their expertise in watchmaking, invention, and creativity, from conception to execution: Dominique Renaud, an innovator who was instrumental in the renaissance of Haute Horlogerie in the late 1980s; and Julien Tixier, watchmaker extraordinaire and a leading figure of his generation, born in the 1990s.
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Dominique Renaud and Julien Tixier discover their deep connection at the workbench, combining their talents to create several exceptional timepieces in tandem. The ways in which the two complement each other are as uncanny as they are evident: together, they possess the combined creative power of an R&D laboratory and a manufacturing workshop.
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In 2020 and again in 2023, they collaborated to create two exceptional unique timepieces: Tempus Fugit and the simplified and modular secular perpetual calendar for Furlan Marri. The birth of a brand bearing their names was not a surprise, but rather the natural result of a genuine and unique affinity for the art of watchmaking.
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In 2023, Dominique Renaud and Julien Tixier decided to formalize their synergy by founding their brand, Renaud Tixier, supported by a production and distribution structure, the Manufacture Dominique Renaud.
CHAPTER 1: ‘MONDAY’
‘Monday’, the inaugural creation and first chapter of Renaud Tixier’s journey, delves into the most sensitive aspect of mechanical watches, energy generation, by revisiting a classic of Haute Horlogerie: the micro-rotor. Their first milestone is an invention that transforms a weakness into a strength – through the dancer, a micro-rotor engine at the heart of the winding mechanism.
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He then narrowed his focus to the micro-rotor, which represents a higher level of horological sophistication compared to the larger, mass-produced rotors that are commonly used. The micro-rotor is smaller, more elegant, and does not obscure the mechanics. There is a downside, however: it is a more delicate and less efficient winding system.
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Before starting to work on improvements, Dominique Renaud identified the key weakness: to function properly, the micro-rotor requires a large amplitude of movement. Yet, the wristwatch is constantly subjected to opposing forces: all the small jolts naturally caused or encountered by the wearer – like typing on a keyboard or gesturing during a conversation, for instance – that constantly halt the rotor’s acceleration.
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This led him to the crucial question: how to harness all the energy generated by the wearer, including restoring the energy from these constant minor shocks that a traditional micro-rotor is unable to convert?
A ‘DANCER’ IN THE SPOTLIGHT
With the goal of finding a solution within the realm of micromechanics, without relying on any external technology, Dominique Renaud envisaged a watchmaker's response. He began by searching for a space where he could operate. He found it at the heart of the rotor, where only the periphery is active and the center is, in fact, underutilized.
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Thus, it was at the center of the rotor that he decided to install the auxiliary mechanism. This mechanism had to fulfill a very simple sequence: to optimize the use of energy released by the rotor and harness even the slightest joule to power the watch. As usual, Dominique Renaud visualized the problem in his mind, and the solution emerged naturally: a central ‘engine’ for the micro-rotor. This propeller, animated by an intelligent and flexible spring, literally dances at the heart of the mechanism, aptly named the "dancer."
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Having established this basic principle, Dominique Renaud further refined his vision by focusing on another ‘trait’ for his ‘dancer’. By adding a ‘leg’ and a ‘foot’, he could make the dancer serve both as an engine and a shock absorber. The corollary is that the system acts as an active safety feature, capable of absorbing the most violent shocks and converting their energy, much like the strings of a tennis racket, which store energy and then release it like a catapult.
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The mechanical principle is elegantly simple, while the aesthetic display is as mesmerizing as an automaton – a mechanical choreography led by the ‘dancer’ and its flywheel.
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Technically, the ‘dancer’ is a high-flying athlete. It consists of several parts, with complex geometries, even though they perform elementary functions. A large spiral connects the central axis to the innovative mechanism, acting as a catapult. Another spring arm extends from the axis in the opposite direction: a kind of foot with a heel, which hits a stop in the event of a severe shock, serving as the shock absorber.
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On the axis, the spring operates like a notched clamp, with an upper jaw shaped like a hanger. This hanger acts as an active safety device: it is rigid under normal conditions and secures flywheel to the axis. In the event of a shock, the foot hits the stop and presses on the hanger, which disengages from the axis and the repositions once the shock has passed and stored energy is released.
EXECUTION
As is customary with Dominique Renaud, the experts and specialists working with him have to get used to navigating terrain that has not yet been mapped by theory. Watchmaker Julien Tixier is already well-versed in this practice. Other members of the collective, engine builder Alexandre Bugnon and prototype watchmaker Sébastien Rousseau, have come to discover this, too.
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True to form for Dominique Renaud, the invention is first tested on a large-scale model – the calculations come later. And this is where the real challenge begins, as the usual calculation methods for the micro-rotors do not apply here.
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On the model, there is no doubt that the mechanism enhances the efficiency of the micro-rotor. This improvement is expected to be confirmed by the watch prototype. By how much? It is too early to say: no existing control tool is capable of quantifying the difference it will make.
AESTHETIC CHOICES
The ‘Monday’ project goes beyond mere invention. It involves a completely new caliber that has been designed, developed and created around the ‘dancer’ micro-rotor, showcasing this innovative mechanism – and illuminating its significance. Here, mechanics are at the heart of the design, with the focal point on energy generation – from the micro-rotor to the barrel, and from the barrel to the balance wheel.
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The dial face captures the essence, in a sober and classic display to highlight the timepiece’s inventiveness and make its reading as clear as possible. At nine o’clock, the dial reveals the micro-rotor’s hidden face; a small seconds counter corresponds at four o’clock.
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‘Monday’ intertwines its technical narrative within a classical framework. The result is an elegantly simple and pure timepiece, drawing inspiration from neo-classical architecture – a harmonious blend of traditional aesthetics and cutting-edge horology.
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All of Monday's technical discourse is embedded within a classically crafted ensemble: Monday presents itself as an elegant creation, minimalist and pure, drawing inspiration from neo-classical architecture to evince the artistry and engineering behind the caliber – and the innovation.
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
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Movement
Reference: RTVI2023
Winding: Automatic, ‘Dancer’ micro-rotor
Power reserve: 60+ hours
Regulating organ: Palladium screw balance
Functions: Central hours and minutes with small seconds at 4 o’clock
Diameter: 36.8 mm
Thickness: 6.86 mm
Frequency: 2.5 Hz (18,000 vph)
Components: 315
Jewels: 30
Case
Material: 5N+ rose gold or white gold
Dimensions: 40.8 mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Crystal: Sapphire
Case back: Open, sapphire crystal
Water resistance: 3 ATM, approx. 30 m, 100 ft
Dial
Sunburst /grained
Slate gray or silver
Strap & Buckle
Calfskin or alligator
Black, chocolate or navy blue
Hand-stitched, folded edge
Tone-on-tone stitching
Buckle in 5N+ rose gold or white gold
(83,300 EUR / 89,750 USD – based on exchange rates at time of writing, not binding, prices not including VAT)
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Press Release - 2024
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International Press Contact
Marie Ansel / 289 Consulting
marie.mailto:ansel@289consulting.com /
Tel. +41 79 522 12 30
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