Luxury, The Issue

Louis Moinet: Everlasting Memoris

LOUIS MOINET DEBUTS A NEW CLASSIC IN TIMELESS BEAUTY By Gina Samarotto Composed of fifty-two pieces crafted in either 18kt rose or 18kt white gold, framed in a two-part bezel with bespoke, polished screws and functioning with an impossibly high level of elevated precision that can only be Swiss; the Memoris by Louis Moinet veritably purrs with exquisite richness. Created by the impeccably skilled craftsmen at Louis Moinet, the Memoris took Baselworld 2015 by storm when the timepiece made its luxury market debut earlier this year. Released in three limited editions of just sixty exquisite timepieces each, the Memoris is a stunning collaboration of form and function reserved for a very select few. So exclusive and brilliant is this timepiece that the debut of the Memoris has been referred to as “…probably the most important launch we’ve ever done” by company CEO and Creative Director, Jean-Marie Schaller. In addition to its hauntingly elegant good looks, what sets the Memoris apart from other luxury watches lies within its finely honed, visible and mesmerizing workings. Featuring inspired mechanical elements including a yoke that swivels along the same axis as the second wheel to improve the engagement and ‘Energie Plus,’ an automatic winding system relying on a spring and ‘crab claw’ design. In the case of the latter, the advantage of the ‘Energie Plus’ is the notable ability to allow the watch to be wound in multiple directions, minimizing the travel and optimizing each movement of the rotor so that the movements are wound more effectively over time. In a true pièce de résistance style, the chronograph feature of the Memoris was created to be held entirely within the dial – an industry first permitting the movements to be seen and swooned over at the gentle push of a button. Reigning in – as described by the watchmaker – “splendid isolation” the chronograph function on the dial shows each movement; assuring all that this is neither a skeleton nor superfluous component. “We couldn’t draw inspiration from what had gone before; everyone else worked from the premise that the chronograph was an additional complication on top of the time function,” explains Schaller. “Our starting point was the opposite: sweeping away the past and making the chronograph the heart of our design; the central component to which we then added a time function, rather than the other way round.” Indeed, the movement is for the chronograph element alone and to watch it work is to watch a finely choreographed display of graceful elegance. Named after the man who invented the chronograph, or ‘compteur de tierces’ as it were; the Switzerland-based Louis Moinet is a luxury creator of fine watches headquartered in Saint-Blaise, where the heart of Swiss watchmaking still beats in rhythmic staccato. Committed to innovate designs executed with impeccable artistry and using luxuriously exotic materials, Louis Moinet is the creator of distinctive timepieces showcasing the centuries old art of watchmaking. For further information on the limited edition Memoris, including availability and pricing, please visit www.louismoinet.com Click here to view this post in the September/October 2015 digital issue Click here to view the online issue