The Logical One encapsulates Romain Gauthier’s raison d’être through the reinterpretation of a chain-and-fusee constant-force mechanism. Shortly after the introduction of the Logical in 2013, Romain Gauthier was awarded the prize for Best Men’s Complication Watch at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

Gauthier grew up in the Vallée de Joux, the heart of Haute Horlogerie, surprisingly this did not lead to a traditional watchmaking path. Gauthier  would best be described as an engineering maverick turned watchmaker. The Logical One builds upon the constant force mechanism through his own unique interpretation, instead of a usual fuseé it features a snail cam found at 9-10 o’clock. In order to wind the watch, the ergonomic external pusher found at 9 o’clock is activated (clicked), as the barrel winds the chain moves up vertically along the snail cam. The chain uses ruby inserts in order to minimise friction, additionally placing the barrel on the same level allows for the chain to be rather short. To further eliminate uneven friction with the mainspring barrel, Gauthier placed the steel mainspring between a transparent synthetic sapphire plate. According to Gauthier, sapphire has a low coefficient of friction with steel making it the ideal material to use.

The pinions of the hour, minute, and balance wheel all fall in line, giving the overall design a sense of symmetrical proportions. The uniquely placed crown at 2 o’clock is used to set the time. The contrast of the oven-fired Grand Feu white enamel dial and blue steel hands provides an excellent focus grab from the rest of the mechanics found on the dial, complemented by the solid gold dial. The 18K polished white-gold case ties the different dial components together. The superlative finishing associated with Romain is displayed on both sides of the Logical One. The black polished screw proprietary screw heads add an element of depth to the overall movement. 

The 18K polished white-gold case measure 43mm x 14.2mm, and the addition of downward slopping and curved lugs makes the watch wear rather well. The meticulous attention to detail on the case is nearly as impressive as the movement finishing. In contrast to classic rounded cases, this case is round although it features multiple grooves within and pockets of micro-bead blasting. 

This particular example comes with its original box and papers.