Hands on Monday, The Inaugural Timepiece of the New Brand, Renaud Tixier (Live Pictures)

Today marks the beginning of a new journey in the world of independent Swiss watchmaking, as two exceptional watchmakers, Dominique Renaud and Julien Tixier, combine their expertise and passion to create a laboratory dedicated to horological study and fundamental research. Different in so many ways, they share a deep connection and so it is as surprising as it is inevitable that their paths should converge,

The new brand is based in Nyon, Switzerland, and dedicated to fundamental research in horology, leveraging the extensive skills each has acquired on the journey that led to this moment.

Dominique Renaud, a luminary in the world of horology, co-founded Renaud & Papi in 1986 (2000 owned by Audemars Piguet), With a career spanning decades and marked by innovation, Renaud's expertise has left an indelible mark on the industry. Following a brief retirement of 15 years, Renaud made a triumphant return, unveiling the Dominique Renaud DR01.

Julien Tixier, the young talent, born in 1990, presented his first magnificent watch, the “Tombes Fuji”, created under the supervision of Dominique Oigno and entirely made by himself in his workshop in the Vallée de Joux. This was the beginning of the two manufacturers’ cooperation, before they collaborated again on the unique “Furlan Marri” watch that was for the Only Watch auction. Now, in their third collaboration, they have a new watch and even a completely new brand.

Their agenda includes seven fundamental principles of watchmaking that they aim to reconsider. First, there is the central issue of energy. Here, Renault and Texier will first focus on the small rotor. With the clear aim of rethinking the fundamentals of precision mechanics and applying innovative concepts to fundamental principles of watchmaking that have been taken for granted and often remained undeveloped.

The first innovation, the micro-rotor motor, is an invention that will significantly enhance the packaging efficiency and overall performance of power generation and transmission. Their first breakthrough was an invention that transformed weakness into strength through the dancer, a small-rotor motor at the heart of the winding mechanism.

This mechanism has not witnessed significant development since the 1930s and 1940s. This mechanism has a downside, which is a more sensitive and less efficient filling system. The small rotor needs a large amplitude of motion to operate effectively. However, wristwatches constantly encounter opposing forces from everyday actions such as typing or gestures, disrupting the rotor movement. This raised a pivotal question: How could all the energy generated by the watch wearer be captured and used, including those minor shocks that traditional micro-rotors cannot?

This is where the “dancer” mechanism comes into play, similar to a high-performance athlete, made up of several intricately designed parts despite its basic functions.

As the spring of this mechanism stores movement during shocks, and its spring after the shock stops, it acts as a shock absorber by stopping during severe shocks. Under normal conditions, it acts as a toothed clamp to secure the flywheel to the axle.

This timepiece features a case crafted from either 5N+ rose gold or white gold, measuring 40.8 mm in diameter and 11 mm in thickness, offering a blend of style and practicality. Its sapphire crystal front and open case back provide a view of the inner workings, while ensuring 30 meters of water resistance. The case band is brushed finished from the side, while the crown bears the logo RT.

The dial of this timepiece embodies simplicity and sophistication, presenting a classic display that emphasizes clarity and inventiveness. Set against either a sunburst or grained backdrop in slate gray or silver, the dial exudes timeless elegance. Positioned at nine o'clock, a discreet glimpse of the micro-rotor's intricacy is revealed, while a small seconds counter is placed at four o'clock. Additionally, the hour indices are made of gold and applied on the dial, and a logo is applied as well. The sub-dial counter features a different texture from the dial, with its indices and seconds track printed in white hue.

Under the crystale sapphire is the in house caliber RTVI2023, Its automatic movement, featuring a 'Dancer' micro-rotor, ensures seamless winding, while boasting a remarkable power reserve of over 60 hours. This timepiece, regulated by a palladium screw balance, offers functionality with elegance. With a diameter of 36.8mm and a slim thickness of 6.86mm, this masterpiece embodies a harmonious balance of form and function. Operating at a frequency of 2.5 Hz (18,000 vph). 

The watch comes with a calfskin or alligator strap in black, chocolate, or navy blue, hand-stitched with a folded edge and tone-on-tone stitching. It is accompanied by a buckle available in 5N+ rose gold or white gold. Priced at 79,000 CHF, which is equivalent to 328,000 AED.