Ferdinand Berthoud Finds The Right Balance Between Rarity And Choice With The New Régulateur Squelette FB RS

It has been nearly six years since Chopard Group and its co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele revived the distinguished Ferdinand Berthoud name with the launch of the FB1 in 2015.

In that time, Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud has steadily wowed connoisseurs as well as picking up two GPHG awards, including the aiguille d'or top prize. And this thanks to its ultra-high-end, complicated, finely-finished timepieces that pay tribute to the work of the acclaimed 18th-century Swiss watch and clockmaker after whom the company is named.

With those consumer dynamics in mind, Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud decided to use its latest release – the Régulateur Squelette FB RS – to introduce a new business model. That is to say: with the Régulateur Squelette FB RS, the brand manages, from the outset, to incorporate the necessary rarity to generate desirability while, at the same time, giving collectors ample scope for customization.
 

The Régulateur Squelette FB RS will be limited, but not in regards to its case material and dial color combinations: It will be restricted simply in terms of the number of movements that will be produced – just 20.

Customers can pick the 44mm case of their choice – be it an octagonal case in carburized steel or 18k red gold or a round case in 18k red gold one – and even discuss dial colors and finishings that may deviate from the default combinations proposed by the company. Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud says it will study all requests.
 

Scheufele, who combines his role at Chopard with being president of Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud, says of the new approach: “Our primary objective is to safeguard collectors’ interests. By explicitly specifying a pre-determined number of movements, we engage in a fully transparent procedure.”

He continues: “Collectors are as sensitive to the rarity of their timepiece as they are to that of the caliber powering it. By communicating about both, we are placing watch movements and customers firmly front and center, thus preserving the integrity of their collection.”
 

New to the dial side is the spectacular skeletonization of the “regulator” dial plate as well as the movement mainplate and bridges, all in German silver and treated with black PVD for the first time. The plates and bridges alone stand out for their contrasting finishes – polished, matte, vertical satin-brushed, and sandblasted – which required almost a year of trials to achieve.

The pared-down bridges are especially noteworthy, for they now boast complex, eye-catching shapes that feature no fewer than 124 sharp, internal angles that have been beveled and gentian-polished by hand.
 

Thanks to this new openworked architecture, we are treated to unprecedented views of the mechanics. And taking center stage is the tourbillon, with its immense 16.55mm titanium cage, large 12mm beryllium-copper balance wheel, and gilded gears driving the sweep seconds. The V-shaped tourbillon bridge is a mini work of art on its own, featuring mirror-polished and chamfered surfaces, polished flanks, and sandblasted underside.

Also on show are the spiral spring and levers of the power reserve indicator and gears for the minute display and time-setting mechanism, plus we can even see most of the sapphire hour disc.
 

On the reverse side, the inverted fusée and mainspring barrel plus stopwork form a visual triumvirate with the tourbillon. The latter is supported by an elegant, arrow-headed balance bridge that is just as well-finished as the dial-side tourbillon bridge.

Finally, to the right of the tourbillon, as viewed from the back, we get a glimpse of a suspended, truncated cone and mobile arm that help to transmit the state-of-wind information to the dial-side power reserve indicator.