Speake-Marin One & Two Openworked Dual Time: Ready For Takeoff!

The new timepiece is an invitation to journey through time, to a point between past and future. Complete with a curved, sapphire crystal, the timepiece incorporates a genuine vintage touch. The recognizable Piccadilly case enhances this impression. If we take a closer look, however, we are immediately struck by some subtle changes and improvements.

The lugs have been redesigned in a bid to be shorter, more ergonomic, and to narrow the gap between the strap and the 42mm case. The stepped bezel is now more elegant, thereby lending grace and refinement. The brushed finished sides are gently hollowed out to cradle the grooved crown nestling into the watch’s profile.
 

Every detail has been designed to bring great finesse and power of expression. The highly structured architecture is discernible at first glance. The two broad multi-level skeletonized bridges lend balance and modernity to the face of the piece. Together they create tremendous depth, leaving even the tiniest detail open to view.

The bevelling is apparent, and the alternating brushed matte finishes and polished angles intensify the optical illusion. The overriding impression is one of total harmony between the animated in-house 24-hour scale displaying the home time at Nine o'clock and the barrel visible at Five o'clock. Both elements are counter-balanced by the retrograde date display cradled by small seconds counter at 1:30, to lend a distinctive Art Deco touch.
 

The result is ingenious, at once classic and unique. The result is the new Speake-Marin.

Without wishing to detract from its British origins, at the heart of this timepiece, there beats a heart of pure Swiss engineering. Since 2015, Speake-Marin has developed no less than six proprietary mechanical calibres, all entirely in-house. The Openworked Dual Time sports the new SMA02 micro-rotor calibre with automatic winding. Delivering 52 hours of power reserve and offering unparalleled user comfort, this timepiece is an unabashed tribute to fine watchmaking. It also displays near-flawless precision, recording a minimal 20-second loss for the entire week which I had the honor of wearing this timepiece.
 

The finishing of both movement and dial is a point of interest remarked upon by all the watch enthusiasts I have met. Côtes de Genève, polished angles, brushed surfaces, micro-rotor beneath the 24-hour counter, ruthenium-treated bottom-plates: Speake-Marin continues to travel the path from tradition to modernity in a way that cannot be easily ignored.
 

And there's good news indeed to conclude: Making its first appearance at the SIHH this year, the dual time zone version has finally arrived on the market and is available at Watches of Switzerland SoHo! I am reliably informed that it will also very soon be available in titanium and that the collection will be graced with an in-house crafted tourbillon. We can't wait.
 

Prices are still exceptionally well positioned at CHF 39,100.- for the rose gold version, CHF 25,300.- for the titanium and CHF 76,475 for the Tourbillon, which also comes in a rose gold case.

(Photography by Pierre Vogel)