Louis Moinet Tourbillon Derrick, a world premiere

As with any watchmaking complication, the invention of the tourbillon mechanism originally had a clear and practical mission. It was to compensate for the effects of gravityand hence bring additional precision to the timekeeper. What contemporary history has mainly retained about this complication, which was reintroduced in the 1990s, is that it required an exceptional amount of watchmaking know-how and that observing it transforms time into an endlessly fascinating spectacle. While turning in its frame, the escapement of the watch seems to fulfil an existential quest: the appreciation of time lapsing.

Mechanical soul supplement

Once again, Louis Moinet has pushed the boundaries of its micromechanical skills. For the first time, the brand introduced a second complication of sorts on the watch dial, one that has no chronometric goal, but is merely there for being playful. It is a derrick, the kind of metallic structure found wherever oil is pumped out of the ground. It moves continuously, adding to the visual pleasure of looking at the dial. In the background are smoke-blackened skies occasionally illuminated by flashes of flame. This oil-bearing universe thrives on its colossal iron structures, on the deafening racket and the mega-mechanics used to extract black gold. It is as if a steam locomotive had been planted in a land of promise, its grill open to the skies, generating the constant movement of its great driving wheel close to the ground .

Current pumping

This innovative timepiece is housed in an 18-karat white-gold, 47-mm case that is water-resistant to 30 metres. As with the others, it stems from an original design uses a mere fifty-nine components to give rise to an aesthetic look with a strong sense of identification. The movement, with a 72-hour power reserve, beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour. The tourbillon frame rotates in one minute, and the derrick comes plunging into an especially carved relief in the petrol-blue dial.

This pumpjack, a miniature of the same piece used on the wells, boasts a horse head, a walking beam, a pitman arm, and a counterweight.

Back to Texas

This model's look and its animation recall in some way the pioneering oilmen from the old days. John D. Rockefeller, the first great oil tycoon of the early 20^th century, would have undoubtedly enjoyed wearing this unique watch on his wrist, and would have most likely considered ordering a limited series bearing the Standard Oil logo. In any case, chances are that this ”oil animation“ will seduce some of the contemporary tycoons in this influential industry. The series is limited to twelve copies only…