The Violet Virtuoso: A Sit Down with Eric Giroud to Discuss Speake Marin’s Latest Masterpiece

Eric Giroud has been an established watch designer since 1998 and has worked with some of the most recognizable watch brands in the industry. For his latest project with Speake Marin, however, his work goes beyond poetic aesthetics and ventures into mechanical magnificence (thanks to the help of some master craftsmen and talented watchmakers).

The Speake Marin Tourbillon Ultra-Violet has been manufactured using the brand’s largely recognizable Piccadilly case, which Giroud made relevant again with his redesign in 2017. Now, for the Tourbillon Ultra-Violet, the Grade 5 titanium case is available in 38mm and 42mm, not just in a single size.
 

As it is an Openworked Tourbillon (which is not unfamiliar to the brand), the mechanics of the watch are easily visible through its anti-reflective sapphire crystal, with the flying tourbillon positioned roughly between one and two o-clock markers and a tungsten micro-rotor at the five o’clock spot.

Of course, a major difference with this edition is the vibrantly hued ultra-violet PVD coating on the watch’s fully viewable grid, which adds both depth and modernity to an already fantastical-looking timepiece. (Purple is the color of royalty, after all.)
 

The Speake Marin Tourbillon Ultra-Violet is equipped with the in-house manufacture self-winding movement (calibre SMA05) that has a fully integrated micro-rotor and 60-second flying tourbillon. When fully wound, it has a 72-hour power reserve, and it is water resistant to approximately thirty meters.
 

(Video by Johan Corminboeuf)