€2,500 for a watch created by a winner of the F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition is a difficult proposition to refuse.
Independent titans SpaceOne and Baltic have unveiled a collaborative timepiece with jumping hours and hand-finished dial.
Born from a collaboration between two of affordable independent watchmaking’s most popular names, the Baltic x SpaceOne Seconde Majeure arrives in a 38.5mm steel case, paired with an Alcantara strap by renowned Singaporean strap maker Delugs.
Baltic, of course, was founded by Étienne Malec and is creatively led by Jas Rewkiewicz, producing internationally acclaimed mechanical hits like the Baltic MR (MR stands for “micro-rotor”) and Baltic Tricompax Chronograph.
The duo have teamed up with fellow French brand SpaceOne, founded by serial entrepreneur Guillaume Laidet, who is responsible for the emphatic revivals of Vulcain and Nivada Grenchen, alongside the Journe-endorsed Théo Auffret.
I could wax lyrical about Auffret’s Tourbillon à Paris and Tourbillon Grand Sport released under his eponymous brand, but those deserve their own dedicated story.
For the Seconde Majeure, Auffret chose to pair an automatic Soprod P024 movement, with a 42-hour power reserve, to sapphire discs that rotate to indicate the hours and minutes. He opted for a star wheel instead of a conventional round gear for the hour disc, enabling it to “jump” crisply at the top of every hour.
A blued second hand sweeps above crosshairs that improve the legibility of the minute disc, complementing the bronze-colored aesthetic nicely.
The dial is stamped with the words “Baltic x SpaceOne” and “Manufacture à Paris” in the same sans serif brutalism that first drew the watch world’s attention to the Baltic MR.
Machined from a maillechort (also known as German silver) monobloc, the dial is finished with unidirectional brushing in one version, which is priced at €2,500. Another receives a “Charbonné” (French for “coal”) finish, which evokes an irregular shimmer and is priced at €3,500.
Both styles of hand-brushing serve as a handsome separator between the polished surfaces of the case and the matte base beneath the transparent discs.
The closed caseback is engraved too, bearing a unique edition number alongside the address of Auffret’s workshop: 10 Place des Victoires.
The Baltic x SpaceOne Seconde Majeure will be available for pre-order from May 12 to 17, with production limited to the number of orders placed during that window.
