Ahead of the release of Anton Suhanov's first wristwatch, the Russian independent watchmaker shared teasers on social media about the development, construction, and finishing of the components. The disclosure of a certain level of complexity, using traditional finishing techniques, led to speculation about what it could be. Would it be something very elegant and restrained? Perhaps it would be something extremely complex, in the same spirit as his table clocks? As it turned out, it would be something entirely different. The Anton Suhanov Racer Jumping Hour GMT is a wristwatch inspired by automotive themes, with several aces up its sleeve.
Anton Suhanov was not initially a watchmaker by profession, but a chance encounter in 2007 set him on a new career path. He graduated from the faculty of mechanical engineering and earned a master's degree at St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The chance encounter was with none other than the creative watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin, who invited Anton Suhanov to join his young company as a designer. Gaining experience and knowledge for over a decade, Anton Suhanov founded his own manufacture in 2019 after winning a watchmaker competition in Basel three years earlier.
In November 2019, he premiered his first creation - the PHAROS table clock. Inspired by the Pharos lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the world, they look simply incredible. Under a very large glass dome is a tri-axial tourbillon escapement. Like a lighthouse, the luminescent paint on the balance wheel glows brightly in dim light. After releasing PHAROS, Anton Suhanov introduced the LOTUS table clock. Following a similar philosophy, the LOTUS clock again features a tri-axial tourbillon and is again visible under a glass dome. It is a true mechanical flower, with metal petals that open during the day and close at night. The time is displayed at the base of the clock, while the mechanical marvel takes place atop a long, flower-like stem.
And now comes the wristwatch - the Anton Suhanov Racer Jumping Hour GMT. One of the "secrets" of this watch is revealed in its name. It is an automotive-style watch with a jumping hour mechanism and GMT indication, but there is more to it.
The rounded square-shaped case measures 39 mm by 39 mm in diameter and 12.5 mm in height. Functional screws at the corners hold the bezel. On the right side of the case is a relatively thin crown with double knurling and a small conical button to adjust the GMT function. If you flip the watch over, the case back is held in place by screws similar to those on the bezel and is decorated with a tread pattern on the polished relief edge. It also showcases another automotive-themed design element, which we will discuss shortly.
The dial of the Anton Suhanov Racer Jumping Hour GMT is perhaps its main attraction, as it should be in a watch, of course. Consisting of 27 parts, it resembles the dashboard of a retro car. Particularly striking are the two retrograde hour and minute indications on the left and right. Like a speedometer or tachometer in a car, the red hand moves along a semi-circular track and then jumps back at the full hour. The slightly domed central part is decorated with a claw guilloché pattern and covered with ruthenium.
The indication doesn't stop there, as there is an aperture for a second time zone at the top. Below it, visible through a slightly arched horizontal window, is a "retrograde" seconds indicator, which is actually marked by a white disc with three evenly spaced red lines. When one of them exits the 20-second track, the next one enters it, mimicking a retrograde indication. The final indicator - the date - is in another aperture located between the hour and minute indicators. The transition between the hour, minute, and GMT indications is synchronized, ensuring a pleasing visual experience.
While the energy comes from the automatic movement ETA 2824-2, the Anton Suhanov Racer Jumping Hour GMT primarily relies on a proprietary module located on top. The module is entirely developed, manufactured, and finished by Anton Suhanov and consists of 172 parts. The movement and module are hidden from view, but the parts are decorated with hand-applied finishing elements, including frosting, beveled edges, straight graining, and more. The case back "reveals" the winding rotor, imitating a car wheel in motion. The chosen base mechanism ETA 2824-2 provides a frequency of 28,800 per hour and a power reserve of 38 hours.
The Anton Suhanov Racer Jumping Hour GMT comes on a black calf leather strap with contrasting red stitching and a steel buckle. The watch is available directly from Anton Suhanov in a limited edition of 20 pieces. The price is set at 14,600 euros (excluding taxes).
More information on the website Anton-Suhanov.com
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS – ANTON SUHANOV RACER JUMPING HOUR GMT
Case: 39 mm x 39 mm, height 12.5 mm - square stainless steel case - sapphire crystal on top and transparent sapphire case back - crown with double knurling - conical button for GMT indication - water resistance 30 m
Dial: triple retrograde dial with ruthenium-coated central part and guilloché decoration - blue anodized titanium sub-dials with retrograde hour and minute indicators - red lacquered hands - "retrograde" seconds indicator under arched horizontal window - GMT indicator through aperture - date indicator at 6 o'clock
Movement: Caliber Su100.20 - proprietary module based on ETA 2824-2 - module consists of 172 components - 43 jewels, including 25 jewels in the base movement - synchronous retrograde hour and minute motion - automatic winding with custom full-face rotor - 28,800 per hour (4 Hz) - power reserve 38 h - hour and minute motion, seconds, GMT, date
Strap: black calf leather strap with red contrasting stitching - stainless steel buckle
Availability: limited edition of 20 pieces - available directly from Anton Suhanov
Price: 14,600 euros (excluding taxes)
