Baselworld 2019: Hands-On With Ferdinand Berthoud's New FB 1L Lunar Watch Collection

Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, co-president of Chopard, acquired the rights to the name Ferdinand Berthoud in 2006. In 2015, he decided to revive the historical brand and built the Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud in the heart of Fleurier, a village in the area where he was born. Scheufele is known for his steadfast commitment to craftsmanship, and this is abundantly clear in the renaissance of Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud. Scheufle has a decidedly contemporary vision in watchmaking and has engineered an artistic approach into Berthoud's innovative watchmaking.
 

"With the Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud, we effectively transposed into modern terms what Ferdinand Berthoud might have conceived had he lived in our times," said Scheufele. "We based our contemporary interpretation on some of the most remarkable achievements of this 18th-century genius and gave life to a modern iteration, one that deployed some powerful features reminiscent of the iconic constructions of the past." Scheufele explained his new, creative approach for the Ferdinand Berthoud brand: "we don't aim to design nostalgically commemorative pieces, but to propose contemporary watches that are worthy of the great name they carry and of the excellence that inspired them."
 

The Chronometer FB 1L pays tribute to the pioneering scientists who pooled their talents to achieve a level of chronometric and astronomical precision that would change the course of history. Navigators would be able to sail across oceans without getting lost. The manufacture revived the use of the tourbillon-regulated fusée and chain calibre. Berthoud added mechanical elements to the manually-wound mechanical movement of chronometric quality that provides some very useful astronomical information concerning the Earth's natural satellite, the moon.
 

To pay homage to the quest for longitude, this watch has been produced in two finishes and features both a moon age and a moon phase indication. In combining these two distinct measurements, first associated almost three centuries ago to enable the accurate calculation of longitude, the manufacture celebrates the quest that inspired a great many endeavors undertaken by Ferdinand Berthoud.
 

Before broaching the subject of accuracy in this astronomical complication designed by the manufacture to deliver the big picture of the lunar cycle, we should perhaps linger a while on some of the main characteristics of a fascinating calibre that is steeped in tradition with an eye to the future. We start with the original calibre, referred to by the in-house craftsmen as FB-T. FC.L displays the hours and minutes on a dedicated dial at 12 o'clock, features a central seconds hand, a 53-hour power reserve indicator on the back and provides information on the current age and phase of the moon.
 

This manually-wound movement of chronometric quality is equipped with a unique suspended fusée and chain construction that delivers a constant force to the escapement. This system, used in the early days of watchmaking to provide smooth power transmission from the barrel spring via the gear train to the regulator group, has been coupled with a tourbillon regulator designed to correct the residual gravitational errors of the balance. Finally, combining both functions provides the guarantee of a watch of flawless precision, paired with an advanced complication designed to track the lunar cycle, to ensure astronomical precision corresponding to a one-day difference in 577 years of operation.