Close Up: Peter Speake-Marin’s Magister Tourbillon
The Magister Tourbillon, presented during BaselWorld 2014, brings together all of Peter Speake-Marin’s winning choices in one watch: the eye catching tourbillon, heat-blued hands, and iconic Piccadilly case with fluted crown. But this very dynamic design remains classically elegant through the use of clever framing. Here’s your close-up look:
In many ways, the watch pays tribute to Peter Speake-Marin’s first timepiece, a hand-made pocket watch called the Foundation Watch, also equipped with a tourbillon escapement.
“The tourbillon is one of the things that I love most about watchmaking,” said Mr. Speake-Marin. “It’s something which, for me, is extremely profound.”
The British watchmaker says he wanted his latest design to highlight the beauty of the tourbillon, and he did so by featuring it on an otherwise pristine white-lacquered dial.
Mr. Speake-Marin brings balance to the watch by framing the rotating tourbillon with a stainless steel guard at 6 o’clock. Inside the tourbillon cage, Speake-Marin’s topping tool wheel motif also makes a subtle appearance.
“The topping tool motif is very much at the root of everything I do: It is the tool which gives me the means to realise my dream,” said Mr. Speake-Marin.
Flip the watch over and the SM3 automatic winding movement can also be appreciated through the display back of the grade 5 titanium case.
All of this takes place in the comfort of the familiar titanium Piccadilly case, which also features Speake-Marin’s signature fluted crown. The polished bezel framing the dial echoes the polished guard framing the tourbillon.
The Magister Tourbillon’s blued steel hands – including a heart-shaped hour hand – is also an hommage to the Foundation Watch . The sides of the highly legible Roman numerals taper towards the centre and follow the line of the hands, which brings more dynamism to the dial.
The Speake-Marin Magister Tourbillon is available with a polished Grade 5 titanium case, retailing at 65,000 Swiss francs. It becomes the flagship piece in the new “J Class” collection, named for the sleek, single-masted racing yachts that originated during the 1930s.
