Introducing: The Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Limited Edition For Hodinkee
For our latest limited edition collaboration, we’ve joined forces with Trilobe, an exciting and innovative French watchmaker that has challenged conventions by reimagining the very essence of displaying time on a watch. It was at Watches and Wonders a couple of years ago that this remarkable brand landed on our radar. Recognizing its visionary approach, we eagerly embarked on a special collaboration, fusing horological heritage with its contemporary perspective. A true testament to Trilobe’s ingenuity and style, today, we proudly unveil the Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Limited Edition for Hodinkee in a truly limited collection of just 30 watches.
Introducing the Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Limited Edition For Hodinkee
New Kids On The Block
Trilobe’s founder, Gautier Massonneau, defied traditional expectations as his upbringing was rooted in architecture and design rather than the realm of watchmaking. The profound impact of these two worlds is unmistakable in Trilobe’s case shapes, fonts, dial layouts, and technological eccentricities. Massonneau’s personal quest for distinction, sparked by his unfruitful search for a unique timepiece at a reasonable price point, served as the catalyst for his venture into the world of avant-garde watchmaking.
A young Massonneau envisioned a visionary three-part system for timekeeping, ingeniously dividing hours, minutes, and seconds into distinct eccentric geared discs, all in perpetual motion. From initial inspiration to final production, this imaginative concept took some five years to evolve as it informed Trilobe’s core lineup. Another three years passed before the highly anticipated flagship Nuit Fantastique collection was unveiled in 2021. Since the brand was launched, Trilobe’s innovative timepieces have earned considerable acclaim, garnering four nominations at the prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève awards and one prize with an overall win in 2022, when the Nuit Fantastique took home the coveted Petite Aiguille award.
This collaboration explores the ideals of Trilobe and the brand’s unique and characterful execution of time on your wrist, and despite its decidedly untraditional layout, reading the time on this watch is surprisingly straightforward. Always moving on the dial – the time is indicated by a hand that doesn’t even move. Rather, the discs are constantly rotating to reveal each passing moment.
Working with Massoneau, we wanted to expand on the minimalist aesthetic of the Nuit Fantastique collection and create something that felt familiar but also distinctive and endlessly entertaining, and we are honored to be part of the brand’s history with the Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Limited Edition For Hodinkee.
The Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Limited Edition For Hodinkee
The Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Limited Edition For Hodinkee
Using the Trilobe “trefoil” logo as an hour pointer, the hours are indicated on a rotating ring surrounding the outside of the dial, so the active hour is always shown at the 12 o’clock position. Minutes are shown in a small digital aperture that is set atop a larger circular subdial that functions as the seconds display. All three elements are in constant motion and offer an abstracted time display that is as useful as it is charming.
The hour ring features a fresh twist on the traditional use of Roman numerals.
Focusing on the hours ring, gone are the Arabic numerals of the familiar production model, replaced by the timeless elegance of Roman numerals – a humble way to pay tribute to the history of time telling. A slight slant to the numerals accentuates the movement of the outer disk, emphasizing the passing of time.
The Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Limited Edition for Hodinkee boasts a truly noteworthy evolution – the guilloche dial that is adorned with not one but two distinct patterns. Guilloche represents a harmonious blend of tradition and complexity, serving as one of the most challenging techniques for crafting a dial. Trilobe has previously ventured into this type of finishing only once before, further underscoring the significance of this design element.
The base of the dial shows an exquisite Grain d’Orge patterning, meticulously carved into the surface using a hand-operated rose engine machine. This time-honored apparatus, largely unchanged over the course of several centuries, demands the skillful expertise of an artisan to intricately shape the dial’s motifs. Within the seconds disk, a Clous de Paris pattern takes form—an elegant arrangement of straight-line engravings that starkly contrast with the dial’s rounded etchings. The juxtaposition of these contrasting elements generates a captivating visual tension, enhancing the allure of both designs.
A mesmerizing Grain d’Orge pattern radiates from the minute aperture.
The seconds disk features a beautiful Clous de Paris pattern.
In order to accentuate the prominence of the captivating guilloche patterns on the dial, a deliberate decision was made to omit the Trilobe name while retaining the logo, which serves a dual purpose as the hour marker. This thoughtful approach ensures that the guilloche designs take center stage, allowing their intricate beauty to command attention and become the focal point of the watch.
Both subtle and incredibly detailed, the Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Limited Edition For Hodinkee showcases everything we love about the brand.
The titanium Nuit Fantastique case is lightweight and finished to perfection.
The Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Limited Edition For Hodinkee measures just 38.5mm in diameter and 9.2mm thick, offering a perfect balance between presence on the wrist and comfort. The case is made from lightweight Grade 5 titanium, lending its greyish hue to the satin-brushed mid-case. The polished lugs measure in at 20mm wide and flow to a slightly domed bezel that houses a sapphire crystal with multi-layered anti-reflective treatment (ARDUR), ensuring an optimal view from any angle.
The guilloche designs take center stage, allowing their intricate beauty to command attention and become the focal point of the watch.
At 38.5mm in diameter and only 9.2mm thick, the watch sits comfortably on the wrist.
The watch is accompanied by a beautiful black leather strap to match the dial.
The Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Limited Edition for Hodinkee shops in Trilobe’s iconic egg-shaped packaging.
Powering this watch is a remarkable self-winding mechanical movement with a micro-rotor, called the X-Centric Calibre. The X-Centric Calibre is designed and created by Trilobe and manufactured by hand in Switzerland’s storied La Chaux-de-Fonds by Le Cercle des Horlogers. With a 48-hour power reserve and an operating frequency of 28.800 vibrations per hour (4Hz), the X-Centric Calibre represents a marvel of engineering composed of 33 functional rubies and a total of 215 components. Turning the watch over will reward you with a view of the movement that features micro-blasted bridges and plates, which are frosted to achieve a fine-grain effect in the brass and then electroplated for a striking black-gold surface.
The caseback of the Nuit Fantastique Limited Edition For Hodinkee shows off the X-Centric Caliber, as well as custom engravings for this collaboration.
A Limited Edition of 30 Pieces
Along the edge of the caseback, the individual number of each watch is engraved X/30, a reminder that the Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Limited Edition For Hodinkee is part of a very exclusive production run of just 30 pieces. Rare, thoughtfully designed, and endlessly entertaining, the Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Limited Edition For Hodinkee highlights a special partnership with an exciting and unconventional darling of the independent watchmaking scene. The Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Limited Edition For Hodinkee is available exclusively in the Hodinkee Shop.
Hodinkee
