It is hard to believe that it’s been eight years since Ferdinand Berthoud launched its first wristwatch featuring caliber FB-T.FC in 2015. President of the company, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, best known as CEO and Co-President of Chopard, had a vision of how a wristwatch could look as if created by the Master Watchmaker Ferdinand Berthoud himself. As watchmaker to the French King and Navy, Berthoud’s marine chronometers played an essential role in solving the longitude problem, but he also left behind a great legacy in other fields of watchmaking upon his passing in 1807.
Berthoud never witnessed the rise of the wristwatch, but with the Chronomètre FB 1.1, Scheufele and his dedicated team made what could have been. It was very well received, as it combined horological delicacies such as fusee-and-chain transmission and a tourbillon with pillar-based construction, superb finishing, and tantalizing design. It’s no wonder that within a year, the Chronomètre FB 1.1 won the ‘Aiguille d’Or,’ the price for best-in-show of the prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.
Fast forward to 2023, and it is time to say goodbye to the Caliber FB-T.FC that powered the first Ferdinand Berthoud wristwatches. The brand does so in style, with 38 movements reserved for the final edition. For the first time, it will be used in a round case instead of the octagonal one in which it debuted. This round case is not unfamiliar, as it debuted in 2020 with the FB 2RE Remontoir d’Egalité collection. The caliber itself is technically still the same, but three sapphire bridges now provide an opportunity to discover even more details inside the movement. They are beveled and engraved, and are held into place by stainless steel pillars, which are polished to perfection.
During Watches & Wonders, Ferdinand Berthoud showed three different versions of the Chronomètre FB 2T, which were merely for inspiration. As a last goodbye, the brand allows clients to customize their watch. While the shape of the case is set, the material it is made from is up to the client. Also the color and finishing of the dial can be chosen, as well as the strap. This allows clients to make a very personal version of Ferdinand Berthoud’s glorious beginning in wristwatches.
Pricing for the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 2T depends on customization and is available upon request.
For more info, visit Ferdinand Berthoud, here