FERDINAND BERTHOUD – Naissance d'une Montre 3 Chronometre FB 4BTC.1 White Gold 44.3 mm Edition - 2025NAISSANCE D’UNE MONTRE 3:
AU TEMPS QUI INSTRUIT
[DEDICATED TO TIME, THE GREAT TEACHER]
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Naissance d’une Montre 3 is a horological heritage project with
an important human dimension representing the culmination of six years’
work. The result is a timekeeper conceived for the wrist, officially
chronometer-certified by the COSC and handcrafted using traditional
tools, without digital assistance.
Constant force via a fusee-and-chain transmission system,
bimetallic balance, central seconds hand, open structure: its technical
and aesthetic characteristics are deeply rooted in the heritage of the
Master Watchmaker, Ferdinand Berthoud.
As expected, the 11 “Naissance d'une Montre 3” chronometers meet
the same quality and finishing criteria as any other contemporary
timepieces from Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud. They offer vivid proof
that what truly counts is the journey rather than the destination – and
that this journey is shaped by the passing of time, the “temps qui
instruit” [Dedicated to time, the great teacher] in the words of Louis
Berthoud, Ferdinand Berthoud’s nephew.
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Coinciding with the tenth anniversary of Chronométrie Ferdinand
Berthoud, the presentation of
Naissance d'une Montre 3 is the outcome of
an ambitious dream nurtured by its founder and President Karl-Friedrich
Scheufele. This outstanding cross-disciplinary project drew on the
expertise of more than 80 artisans and specialists from
Chronométrie
Ferdinand Berthoud and Chopard to create a contemporary watch, entirely
handcrafted and inspired by Ferdinand Berthoud's Astronomical Pocket
Watch No. 3.
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The result is a series of 11 contemporary timepieces, powered by a
unique combination of a split bimetallic temperature-compensated
Guillaume-type balance wheel and a constant-force fusee-and-chain
transmission system. Entirely visible from the dial side, this movement
is housed a new 44 mm-diameter 18-carat gold case, especially conceived
on this occasion.
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A great deal of patience and time were devoted to bringing this piece of
horological art to life. The creation of a dedicated workshop
regrouping vintage machine tools and run by a passionate team of
micro-mechanical engineers made it possible to produce the raw
components without compromising on precision criteria and quality
standards.
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In accordance with the regulations governing the
Time Æon Foundation,
each component of
Naissance d'une Montre 3 has been individually crafted
without digital assistance, entirely by hand or using traditional tools
guided by the human eye, hand and mind.
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After
11,000 hours of work and six years of dedication, the first result
of this extraordinary project is now visible. Produced exclusively for
Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo in Geneva, this
one-of-a-kind stainless steel creation will be auctioned in November
2025. Part of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to a charity
dedicated to preserving and passing on watchmaking expertise to future
generations.
Preserving and transmitting craftsmanship
Naissance d’une Montre 3 aims to harness talents past and future, to
gather their notes and sketches and to unite their knowledge in pursuit
of a common goal: not the timepiece itself, but rather the preservation
of all the expertise that brings it to life.
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It is clearly more
important than ever to safeguard and transmit the traditional
watchmaking skills required to produce mechanical timepieces. This
cross-disciplinary corporate project draws on all the Maison’s in-house
expertise and know-how: design and engineering, laboratory, foundry,
mechanics, micromechanics, jewellery, polishing, decoration and
watchmaking.
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In all, more than 80 Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud and Chopard
artisans, specialists active in different crafts and locations (Fleurier
and Meyrin) participated in the project. They worked and learned
together with a common goal: finding solutions for crafting a timepiece
entirely by hand, as well as documenting and referencing the entire
production process. A database comprising thousands of photos and videos
was patiently compiled to illustrate and explain the methods used to
create each component of the movement and the watch parts.
Naissance d'une Montre 3 is part of a tradition of learning and passing
on watchmaking expertise, both of which were extremely important to
Ferdinand Berthoud and his talented student and nephew Louis Berthoud
(1754-1813). In 1812, the latter published a book recounting the
watchmaking lessons he had given to the four students entrusted to him
by the government, entitled “Entretiens sur l'horlogerie à l'usage de la Marine” [Discussions on Horology for use by the Navy]. Louis Berthoud concluded his account with the following sentence: "[...] to achieve great precision, they (Editor’s note: his students) need only time and experience [...]" and concluded with the maxim: "AU TEMPS QUI INSTRUIT" [Dedicated to time, the great teacher].
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The Naissance d’une Montre 3 project embodies the teachings of the
master watchmakers who have left an indelible imprint on its history. In
tribute to them, this maxim from Louis Berthoud is hand-engraved on the
back of the movement.
Origins of an artwork
Highly
skilled and passionate specialists spent many months defining the
methods to be used in making these components and familiarising
themselves with these conventional production tools. This was an
essential step before ensuring that they could be produced in accordance
with the project's strict precision and quality criteria.
Among
these machine tools, a 1960 Schaublin 102 single-axis lathe was
dedicated to shaping circular components: arbors, fusees, pillars,
pinions, wheels, barrel drums, studs, winding stems, screws, etc.
A
1960 SIP jig boring machine was dedicated to reaming, milling,
drilling, grinding and tapping operations on various components: levers,
mainplates, wheel plates, bridges and springs.
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The figures speak for themselves: from the first sketch to the delivery
of the first timepiece, nearly 11,000 hours of work were required. The
747 components in each movement, including 477 in the chain alone, are
created individually.
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Just cutting and polishing the pinion leaves using
a pearwood grinding wheel involves an entire day's work. Finishing a
wheel takes three days. Despite its simple geometry, the mainplate
features 126 sinks of eight different diameters, 90 of which are
polished using roller cutters, boxwood pegs and polishing pastes.
A host of challenges
Naissance d’une Montre 3 is an 11-piece limited-edition chronometer. The
very first and only one of the series, featuring a stainless steel
case, will be auctioned by Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo
in November 2025. The next ten, made of 18-carat ethical gold, will be
produced at a rate of two per year starting in 2026.
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Their 44 mm-diameter, 13 mm-thick case features curved sides, a wide
fluted and engraved crown, a domed glass, a concave bezel and welded
lugs. Inspired by Ferdinand Berthoud's Astronomical Watch No. 3, these
unique shapes are particularly difficult to craft using hand-operated
machine tools.
To overcome these challenges, solutions were found within the Chopard
group which encompasses the skills of many different trades. Certain
processes such as lost wax casting used in jewellery making; or turning,
milling and tapping typical of micromechanics, enabled the Maison to
leverage in-house expertise in producing the most complex shapes.
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Once the raw component has been obtained, manual finishing trades take
over: reworking the rough piece, trimming and polishing. Some components
such as the lugs are then welded, before manual decoration (engraving
and hallmarking) takes place.
This is also the first timepiece from Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud
whose entire movement structure is visible on the dial side.
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Offset,
between 1 and 2 o'clock, the hours and minutes are displayed on an
openworked counter, revealing the essential components of the calibre:
the barrel and fusee connected by a chain; the split bimetallic balance;
a circular balance bridge supporting the shock absorber featuring two
diamond endstones, one on the front and one on the back of the movement,
like those of the
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Astronomical Watch No. 3; as well as a 50-hour power
reserve indicator engraved on the mainplate. Naissance d'une Montre 3 is
an open book dealing with the themes of craftsmanship, watchmaking,
history and of course precision.
Resistant to temperature variations
The balance of the Calibre FB-BTC.FC (an acronym for “Balancier Thermo-Compensé et Fusée-Chaîne",
meaning "thermo-compensated balance and fusee-and-chain mechanism”) is a
chapter in technical history in its own right. Inspired by the
Astronomical Watch No. 3, it returns to the essence of classic
regulators from a century ago. It is a bimetallic Guillaume-type
thermo-compensated split balance made of Invar and brass material. It is
equipped with four gold adjustment screws (for regulating the rate),
two nickel silver adjustment nickel silver weights on the split rim (for
regulating thermal compensation) and two fixed weights ensuring the
inertia of the balance.
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A bimetallic balance maintains the oscillation frequency by compensating
for the effects of temperature. The nickel-free steel alloy
balance-spring is particularly sensitive to temperature changes, which
affect its elasticity: when exposed to cold, the metal contracts and
stiffens. This increased resistance tends to increase the oscillation
speed of the balance and the movement gains time. When it is warm, the
metal expands, causing the reverse effect.
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However, thanks to its Invar-brass bimetallic composition with different
expansion coefficients, the balance also reacts to the effects of
temperature, but in the opposite way: when cold, the rims of the split
balance open, increasing its diameter and therefore its moment of
inertia. Its oscillation speed will tend to be slower, causing a delay
in the movement. When warm, the balance rims close, creating a gain.
Temperature affects the balance-spring on the one hand and the
bimetallic balance on the other in opposite ways: this is known as a
Guillaume-type thermo-compensated split bimetallic balance, in tribute
to the inventor of Invar alloy, Charles Edouard Guillaume (winner of the
1920 Nobel Prize for Physics).
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To fine-tune the rating of the regulating organ, each steel
balance-spring is custom-made for Naissance d'une Montre 3 before being
blued, cut, pinned up to the collet, counted and centred by hand by the
same specialist known as a “timer”. As bimetallic balances have
virtually disappeared, along with the associated expertise, the
adjustment of each movement thus equipped is a feat in itself.
Calibre FB-BTC.FC features another signature element of Chronométrie
Ferdinand Berthoud: a fusee-and-chain transmission system. Together,
they smooth the torque from the barrel to deliver the most constant
possible force to the balance. However, the construction of this
mechanism is very different from other Ferdinand Berthoud movements. The
fusee is equipped with a direct-drive stopwork system consisting of a
an extremely robust cam and fingerpiece, based on a technical drawing by
the illustrious watchmaker Breguet.
Similarly,
the chain was specifically developed for the Calibre FB-BTC.FC. It
measures 172 mm in length and comprises 477 components, including a hook
and 285 links that are thinner than those used in other contemporary
constant-force movements from Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud.
Assembling each link by hand using 191 pins with a diameter of no more
than 0.30 mm is a challenge.
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The
barrel also features an original design. It is equipped with a
traditional toothed ratchet system and a pawl required by watchmakers to
pre-tension the mainspring.
Unlike
other FB calibres with a fusee-and-chain transmission system, the
FB-BTC.FC movement does not feature a differential gear for winding. In
normal operation, the barrel pulls on the chain, turning the fusee
clockwise and providing the energy needed to power the watch. During
manual winding of the movement, the fusee rotates counterclockwise,
suspending the transmission of power to the finishing gear train. To
prevent the watch from stopping during this operation, a winding pawl
and an auxiliary spring – both integrated into the fusee – provide
torque that enables the movement to continue running for approximately
30 minutes.
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Endowed
with a 50-hour power reserve, Calibre FB-BTC.FC measuring 37.50 mm in
diameter and 8.35 mm thick is relatively compact, despite the space
occupied by the fusee and chain. It is fitted with 37 jewels and two
genuine diamonds acting as endstones for the balance-staff. Housed at
the heart of shock absorbers specially developed for this timepiece,
they protect the balance-staff from breakage in the event of accidental
impacts. These two gems are visible on the dial and caseback, recalling
the historical heritage of Naissance d'une Montre 3.
A display highlighting the mechanism
The bridges and plates are made of
sandblasted nickel silver and assembled with stylised polished steel
pillars. The sides of some of the bridges have been carefully chosen and
mirror-polished to highlight certain key elements of the movement.
The
Chronomètre Naissance d'une Montre 3 features two distinct dials,
crafted from 18-carat white gold and engraved by hand. The first
dedicated to displaying the hours and minutes is off-centre to between 1
and 2 o'clock. The other – positioned on the periphery of the watch in
the form of a raised flange supported by pillars – displays the seconds.
Like
the Astronomical Pocket Watch No. 3, the hours and minutes dial
displays the hours with Roman numerals and the minutes using Arabic
numerals. In the same spirit, their associated hands are also
differentiated: the minutes hand ends in a bevelled tip, while the hours
hand is arrow-tipped.
The
flame-blued steel seconds hand occupies the centre of the movement. Its
extreme thinness and over 25 mm length require unfailing concentration
and dexterity at every stage of its production, including its final
fitting, driving into a long, thin 18-carat gold pipe.
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It
takes nearly two days of work to make the flame-blued steel hours hand
alone, a process involving no fewer than 54 micromechanical operations,
plus 13 more devoted to decoration.
Finely crafted down to the smallest detail
Naissance d’une Montre 3 is not just
about the timepiece itself; every detail of this project has been
meticulously thought through. This approach notably applies to the
strap, including the leather used to make it, as well as the refined and
comfortable pin buckle securing it firmly to the wearer's wrist. The
entire buckle and its prong – meaning the pointed mobile part featuring
complex geometry – are handcrafted from the same material as the case.
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The
leather strap is finely fashioned in the purest tradition of leather
goods, from selecting hides to various stages of artisanal workmanship:
cutting, marking, perforating, rolled-edging, stitching, fitting the
loops, lining and finishing.
The
Naissance d’une Montre 3 presentation box is inspired by the treatises
on watchmaking written and published by Ferdinand Berthoud in the 18th
century. It consists of two large books made of wood covered in
calfskin, enhanced with lettering as well as embossed and hot-stamped
decorations. The first volume houses the watch, while the second
contains its certificates of origin, warranty and chronometry, as well
as a blue calfskin travel pouch, a USB stick, a high-quality cotton
cloth and a pair of gloves. It also accommodates a handcrafted 925
silver magnifying glass with a sapphire lens and walnut handle.
From traditional skills to contemporary tolerances
Although made by hand using traditional
methods, Naissance d'une Montre 3 meets the same standards and values of
fine workmanship established by Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud at the
time of its launch in 2015. The operating tolerances of Calibre
FB-BTC.FC must match those of its counterparts equipped with modern
regulating organs in order to pass the COSC tests and earn official
chronometer certification.
In
addition, the quality control of the decorations is carried out using a
6.7x magnifying glass, according to the same criteria as all other
Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud models.
"Naissance d’une Montre 3 is a true tribute to watchmaking expertise”, says Karl- Friedrich Scheufele, President of Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud. "For
more than six years, artisans from across the Chopard group, with
perseverance and experience, committed themselves to a mission to master
the traditional watchmaking skills required to create this
extraordinary timepiece. On the tenth anniversary of Chronométrie
Ferdinand Berthoud, we could not imagine a more fitting tribute to the
Master Watchmaker, who dedicated his career to developing the most
accurate timepieces of his time and sharing his knowledge."
About "Naissance d’une Montre"
The "Naissance d’une Montre" initiative
was launched in 2009 It is a collective watchmaking project involving
several watch Maisons and artisans nurturing the joint aim of
safeguarding traditional Haute Horlogerie skills. Unique in the
world, this legacy mission is based on extensive research and
documentation, backed by the provision of resources that will in turn
enable contemporary watchmakers to transfer this endangered heritage.
All their work is recorded in the Time Æon Foundation specifically
created for this purpose.
"Naissance
d’une Montre" is built chapter by chapter through the creation of
timepieces designed, produced and decorated using these traditional
methods. Each timepiece results from the work of a multidisciplinary
team entirely dedicated to it.
The first chapter of this project –"Naissance d’une Montre 1",
led by Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey and Philippe Dufour alongside
Michel Boulanger – called for six years of work, from 2009 to 2015. The
first timepiece in this series of ten watches was sold by Christie's in 2016 for a record price of over USD 1 million.
The
second chapter involved Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey, Felix
Baumgartner and Martin Frei, along with two young watchmakers, Dominique
Buser and Cyrano Devanthey. Six years of work, from 2015 to 2021, were
required to create a one-of-a-kind “Naissance d’une Montre 2" model that
was also auctioned.
“Naissance
d'une Montre 3” is the third chapter, based on an intense collaboration
between the artisans at Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud and Chopard.
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Model: NAISSANCE D’UNE MONTRE 3 Chronomètre FB 4BTC 18-carat White Gold Edition Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 
Reference: FB 4BTC.1
🔰Limited edition of 11 pieces
CASE
Material: Handcrafted domed round case in 18-carat white gold
Diameter: 44.30 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Lug width: 22 mm
Crown diameter: 8.80 mm
Handcrafted fluted 18-carat white gold crown with hand-engraved "FB" logo
Handcrafted exhibition back in 18-carat white gold, secured by 8 screws and fitted with a glare-proofed sapphire crystal pane
Glare-proofed, domed sapphire crystal glare-proofed on both sides
Precious material: ethical gold certified by the RJC Chain of Custody
MOVEMENT
- Mechanical hand-wound Calibre FB-BTC.FC
- Production: Handcrafted
- Outer diameter: 37.50 mm
- Case diameter: 35.80 mm
- Thickness: 8.35 mm
- Lignes: 15 ¾’’’
- Number of jewels: 37
- Diamonds: 2
- Frequency: 21'600 vph (3 Hz)
- Power reserve of 50 hours
- Limited edition of 11 movements
FUNCTIONS
- Hours and minutes between 1 and 2 o’clock, central seconds, power reserve and balance-stop function
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Movement with fusee-and-chain transmission system (constant force) and thermo-compensated bimetallic balance.
- Fusee – traditional direct-engagement stopwork system
- Barrel – traditional toothed ratchet pawl system
- Balance-stop function – traditional system consisting of a control, a lever and an arbor
- Shock absorber – original system with diamond endstones
- Guillaume-type thermo-compensated split bimetallic invar-brass
variable-inertia balance, incorporating four 18-carat gold adjustment
screws, two adjustable gold-plated nickel silver weights on the split
rim and two fixed weights.
- Traditional blued carbon steel balance-spring with Phillips terminal curve
- Swiss lever escapement
- Fusee-and-chain bridge on back of the movement bearing various hand
engravings: "AU TEMPS QUI INSTRUIT – FERDINAND BERTHOUD - CHRONOMÈTRE
VAL-DE-TRAVERS SUISSE – 39 PIERRES"
- Hand-finished exclusively using traditional tools in accordance with the highest watchmaking standards
- Time setting: crown in position 0: stem inactive, position 1: manual winding, position 2: time setting and balance-stop function
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Number of components: 747 (including chain)
Bridges and mainplate: 13 bridges + 1 mainplate in nickel silver
Bridge-securing screws: 19 in steel and 4 in heat-treated blued steel
Pillars: 11 in steel
Gears: 10 in CuBe
Chain: 477 steel components
Chain length: 172
Balance: Ø 12.56 mm
Balance components: 18 components
Officially chronometer-certified by the COSC
DIAL AND MOVEMENT FINISHING
Handcrafted in 18-carat white gold
Hours and minutes dial, circular satin-finished, indicating the hours with hand-engraved Roman numerals and the minutes using Arabic numerals
Circular satin-finished seconds ring
Power-reserve indication with "0" - "1" hand-engraved on the mainplate
HANDS
Handcrafted in steel blued by traditional heat treatment
Arrow-tipped hours hand
Bevel-tipped minutes hand
Filaire-type bevel-tipped seconds hand with steel counterweight, with 18-carat gold pipe
Arrow-tipped power-reserve hand
STRAP AND BUCKLE
Hand-stitched rolled-edge alligator leather strap (width 22/18, length 125/070) – Different lengths and colours available on request
Handcrafted 18-carat white gold pin buckle
🔰Limited edition of 11-piece limited edition (“1 DE 11” engraving)
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Press Release - 2025
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Chronométrie FERDINAND BERTHOUD SA
Rue des Moulins 20
Case postale
128
2114 Fleurier, Val-de-Travers (NE)
Switzerland
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