The ONEWATCH team is deeply rooted in a passion for watches. This passion grows even more when it comes to independent watchmakers. Unbound by ordinary laws such as scalability, robotic production processes, or simply having an accountant limiting creativity for profitability, we applaud the courage shown by these watchmakers. An example is Ludovic Ballouard and his unconventional and highly complex watches, produced under his own name since 2009. We take a closer look at one of his watches, the Upside Down Carbon, and tell you about this intriguing character.
Ludovic Ballouard is the creative genius behind the eponymous independent watch brand. Getting to know Ludovic Ballouard and his watches proves that his creations are a true reflection of his personality. His interest in watchmaking followed his interest in flying, building, and dismantling model airplanes at a young age. A turning point in his life came when a teacher advised him to enroll in a watchmaking school and apply all his engineering knowledge and skills acquired from creating miniature airplane models.
Being a native Breton, son of a French father and a Dutch mother, opportunities were limited, and after completing his education, he continued to work in aviation. After working for about six years as an aircraft control technician, he eventually found his passion and moved to Geneva. The start of his watchmaking career was a three-year job in the after-sales service department of Franck Muller. What followed was nothing short of perfect timing. A conversation with a friend working at F.P. Journe and information about a vacancy that opened that very morning led to a six-month job with a legend in the watch industry. These six months turned into seven years, during which he significantly developed his skills. By the end of his work at F.P. Journe, Mr. Ballouard was working on the most complex watches, showcasing his craftsmanship in pieces like the Sonnerie Souveraine.
But, as is often the case, everything ends and leads to new beginnings. Overflowing with ideas for new complications, Ludovic embarked on his boldest adventure to establish himself as an independent watchmaker. While his career in other watch companies was very timely, his independent venture coincided with the severe global financial crisis. Despite all the difficulties, Ludovic Ballouard presented his first wristwatch under his own name in 2009, featuring an in-house movement - the Upside Down model.
The Upside Down model perfectly reflects Ludovic's philosophy - to create very complex watches with a great deal of eccentricity while staying true to traditional techniques and craftsmanship. In his watches, the dial does not always hint at the complexity hidden on the reverse side. In 2014, I had the pleasure of spending quite some time with the Upside Down watch. As expected, most people I showed the watch to enjoyed the quirky dial but had no idea about the complexity hidden beneath it.
Ludovic Ballouard created a display where only the correct hour was right-side up, and all others were upside down, hence the name. This inventive yet simple display is a delight to wear on the wrist. Contrary to what you might think, telling the time remains very easy and intuitive. A small dot of contrasting color aids in quickly identifying the correct hour. The hour discs are joined by a centrally located minute hand and a small seconds indication, classically placed at the “6 o'clock” position.
But where the dial is fun and eccentric, the other side of the watch is all business. The reverse side of the Upside Down watch showcases the incredibly complex movement that brings the dial's show to life. The Ludovic Ballouard Upside Down is equipped with the in-house developed B01 caliber, a hand-wound movement based on gear transmission and the Peseux 7001 barrel. At the heart of the movement, at least visually, is a snail cam attached to the minute wheel, which essentially “triggers” the mechanism for the simultaneous operation of two hour discs. As the snail cam rotates, a lever is pulled back and moves along a large gear on the outer edge of the movement's central opening. When the lever travels far enough along the gear, it locks in position until the snail cam completes a full rotation.
At this point, all accumulated tension is released and transmitted through the mechanism to the discs. One disc jumps back upside down, hiding its indicator dot under the bezel edge, while the other jumps to the right side up, showing the current hour. The jump happens instantly, and while you can see the snail cam release the lever and the lever push forward the large outer gear, the jump of 12 Maltese crosses under each hour disc occurs so quickly that you don't even notice it.
For twelve years now, the Upside Down model has been part of Ludovic Ballouard's collection and has seen many custom-made iterations and limited series. Production capacity is very limited due to the complexity of the watches and the fact that he offers another model; of course, only so much can be done in 12 months.
In 2013, that is, eight years ago, Ballouard introduced a follow-up to his watches - Half Time. If the Upside Down watch literally lives up to its name, so does Half Time. The concept is similar and again revolves around hour indication. This time, the hour indices are split into two separate discs. The outer disc houses the top half of the hour numeral, and the inner disc - the bottom half, but in reverse order. Upon closer inspection, you can notice that only the top hour aligns, while the others do not. The outer disc jumps counterclockwise, and the inner one - in the opposite direction. A floating window at the top of the dial indicates the correct hour. Additional complexity is added to the movement by the minutes being indicated by a retrograde hand set at the lower edge of the dial.
In the same spirit as the Upside Down watch, the Half Time reveals its complexity only from the reverse side. Again based on gear transmission and the Peseux 7001 barrel, the in-house developed B02 caliber is equipped with Ludovic's second patented mechanism. You can notice the similarity of these two mechanisms, as the B02 also uses a central snail cam to store the energy needed for the instant transition of two halved hour discs to the full hour. Although visually this mechanism may not be as powerful as the B01, with its 12 Maltese crosses distributed throughout the mechanism, there is still plenty to discover here. When comparing them only by the number of components, you may be surprised to learn that the Half Time mechanism has over 300 components compared to 228 in the Upside Down.
Special watches like these require an appropriate case, and neither model disappoints. The Upside Down and Half Time models are available exclusively in gold or platinum cases with an optional diamond setting. The watch size is a very modest 41 mm in diameter and 11 mm in height, making them almost perfect for any person. The style and shape of the case make the watches suitable for formal events, but the playful dial and patented jumping hour complications also suit more casual situations.
The discreet crown is placed between two crown guards at the “2 o'clock” position. The case shape is subtly emphasized by concave sections on the rim and a pleasant curve of the lugs. The concave bezel is slightly wider than one might expect, but it partially covers the dial and hour discs or the area where the retrograde minute hand attaches, depending on which one you're looking at.
As mentioned earlier in this detailed account of Ludovic Ballouard, personalization is an integral part of the brand. Offering custom or very limited series watches allows clients to create their unique image. The dial, for instance, can be made in elegant black or blue, as well as with mother-of-pearl marquetry or even carbon fiber. In the Half Time watch, the freedom of creativity is somewhat less, as it uses two rotating discs, and consequently, the options are limited to color, finish, and possibly hour markers. This article presents the platinum Ludovic Ballouard Upside Down model with a carbon fiber dial, which is relatively new to the collection.
Naturally, these are true Haute Horlogerie watches at Haute Horlogerie prices. The price of the Upside Down model starts at 75,000 Swiss francs in red gold and 82,000 Swiss francs in platinum. The price for the Half Time watch is 85,000 Swiss francs in red gold and 92,000 Swiss francs in platinum. Custom options are likely to push this price into six figures. These prices do not include tax.
Overall, Ludovic Ballouard is an amazing person creating equally amazing watches under his name. Creative approach, original mechanism, and the ability to play with design and materials lead to the creation of unique watches. That's why we love watches so deeply, especially the creations of independent watchmakers not bound by the laws of common sense.
More information at Ballouard.com
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS - LUDOVIC BALLOUARD UPSIDE DOWN CARBON
Case: diameter 41 mm x height 11 mm - gold or platinum case - concave bezel - crown with crown guard - sapphire crystal on both sides - concave sections on strap - water resistance 30 m
Dial: titanium base dial in black, white, or blue - colors and materials can be customized (as in this carbon fiber model) - 12 hour discs: 11 upside down and 1 correct - indicator hour dot on each disc, hidden under the bezel in the upside down position - central minute hand - small seconds hand indication
Movement: caliber B01, in-house movement - manual winding - patented "jumping hour" complication with 12 Maltese crosses - gear transmission and Peseux 7001 barrel - 228 components - 51 jewels - 21,600 vph - 36-hour power reserve
Strap: hand-made alligator leather strap - custom options available - B-shaped clasp matching the case
Price: 75,000 Swiss francs in red gold - 82,000 Swiss francs in platinum - custom options for an additional fee