Since its founding, Speake-Marin has drawn inspiration from architecture and modern design. In the One & Two collection, the Geneva-based watchmakers of "Belle Horlogerie" employ the architectural style of deconstructivism, a design philosophy that challenges traditional harmony and symmetry. In the latest Speake-Marin One & Two Openworked HMS V3 model, this design philosophy permeates all aspects of the watch, from the dial to the movement. By rethinking the placement of the second hands, the brand has managed to create a striking yet unconventional mechanism that is showcased on an openworked dial.
The deconstructivist movement began in the 1980s as a reaction to the structured and orderly styles of modernism and postmodernism prevalent at the time. This movement gave rise to architectural marvels by Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, and Daniel Libeskind, who eschewed straight lines and conventional angles in favor of sweeping, organic shapes and surreal forms that defy architectural norms. In many ways, the disruption of conventions and norms is at the heart of deconstructivism, and it is in this spirit that the One & Two Openworked was born.
Starting with the idea of placing a strong element in a spot almost invisible on the dial - at the 1:30 position - Speake-Marin was compelled to rethink not only the dial's aesthetics but the entire architecture of the movement. To position a prominent sub-dial at the 1:30 position, Speake-Marin had to design and develop the movement from scratch at its Haute Horlogerie workshop near Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The result was the caliber SMA01, an in-house skeletonized movement with an integrated micro-rotor. Indeed, Speake-Marin is the only watch company to place sub-seconds at the 1:30 mark, mainly due to the constraints such placement imposes on movement design. However, this is precisely why in 2015, Speake-Marin decided to fully develop and assemble its own movements in its atelier. By challenging tradition, Speake-Marin was able to create a mechanism never before seen in the watch industry.
Embracing the ethos of deconstructivism and altering the seconds hand placement, Speake-Marin was able to create a new movement design with rounded bridges, apertures in the main plate, and a new wheel layout. Although the placement of the micro-rotor at 6:00 should create dial asymmetry, the movement maintains a visual balance between the barrel, oscillating mass, and small seconds hand, each interacting to form a triangular shape.
The eye is quickly drawn to the seconds hand at the 1:30 mark not only because of the bold black sub-dial but also because the seconds hand serves as the convergence point of the Geneva stripes on the dial. In typical Speake-Marin fashion, extraneous elements are stripped away. Indices are excluded in favor of subtle markings on the chapter ring, and branding remains minimal: the "Speake-Marin" name is placed at 7:30, and the model name is integrated into the ratchet wheel. Together, these elements create a subtle yet striking dial, with forms and finishes that interact remarkably with light.
The One & Two Openworked HMS V3 model uses the brand's Picadilly case, the latest generation of which has been redesigned to bring the straps closer to the case and move the crown further into the case. As a result, the case has acquired a softer aesthetic while retaining the original DNA of the Picadilly case. The case clearly reflects Speake-Marin's aesthetic perception; the bezel and case back overlap the central part of the case, altering the traditional case shape. Additionally, Speake-Marin chose to use sapphire crystal to reduce case thickness and highlight the technical lines of the watch.
The Speake-Marin Openworked model is available in two color options, both featuring an openworked dial with Geneva stripes made in a sunburst pattern. These two versions differ in the case material (Grade 5 titanium or 5N red gold) and handset. The titanium case has heart-shaped blued steel hands and is available in two case diameters, both limited to 19 pieces: 38 mm priced at 17,825 CHF excluding tax or 42 mm priced at 18,400 CHF excluding tax. The gold case model is complemented by gold steel heart-shaped hands. This model is limited to just 10 pieces in both the 38 mm version priced at 31,625 Swiss francs excluding tax and the 42 mm version priced at 33,925 Swiss francs excluding tax. To learn more about the Speake-Marin One & Two Openworked V3 model, be sure to visit the brand's website.