Speake-Marin Renaissance – mechanical rebirth

Łukasz Doskocz14.01.201228.05.20135 min. of reading

Peter Speake-Marin calls his new timepiece sign of rebirth of his own brand. Mechanical masterpiece with tourbillion and minute repeater for sure is a tangible proof of exquisite talent and capabilities of British-born watchmaker.

In the interview I made with Peter during last year’s BaselWorld (you can watch it HERE) he made a small but sort-of emotional statement about the novelty that he was working on. From his words came vision of the highly animated movement that will eventually “rock” when it comes out. What the Speake-Marin brand showed us just 3 month before BaselWorld gives all the reasons to understand this enthusiastic words. Speake-Marin Renaissance Tourbillon Minute Repeater is perfect bland of tradition and top-level watchmaking made by one of the very best contemporary creators of horological art.

Looking at Peter’s previous career and achievements one could expect (especially after the mentioned interview) that the new creation would include watchmaker’s favorite complication – tourbillion. Flying escapement (invented by A.L.Breguet), that was already present in Speake-Marin first ever watch (Foundation Watch – pocket piece) not only improves the rate precision by averaging the effects of positional variations caused by gravity, but at the same time is a beautiful aesthetic element – perfectly suitable for a “highly animated” conception of Haute Horlogerie. And so Renaissance by Speake-Marin combines mechanical tourbillion – for the eye – with another highly complicated complication – minute repeater – for the ear. The recent, as you might know, acoustically strikes – on request – actual hour, quarter of an hour and minutes after last full quarter. All thanks to the complicated system of precisely calibrated levers, racks, wheels and switches of microscopic dimensions.

„I wanted to have a tourbillon both because my Foundation Watch features one and because of the way it brings life to the dial. It moves, it’s animated and it’s just beautiful to behold. A tourbillon emphasises the watchmaker’s art ”, says Peter.

“I learned about minute repeaters while restoring them in London and then continued to build modern repeaters as an independent in Switzerland. The ‘London-Geneva’ engraving on Renaissance’s chiming mechanism pays homage to London, where my journey into repeaters began, and continues in Geneva, where the movement is built.” – Peter Speake-Marin.

Both complications are integrated into the manual wound caliber SMRT01 (power reserve of 100h), which was developed under project and specifications of Peter Speake-Marine by La Fabrique du Temps in Geneva. 60-seconds tourbillion with the cage in form of the topping-tool wheel, characteristic to brand’s DNA, is held by the two-arm bridge, and located at 5 o’clock. The chronometric properties are further improved by free-sprung balance and use of silicon, which was the material selected for escapement wheel and anchor.

On why the Geneva manufacture was chosen to craft the movement, Peter said: “I wanted a repetition tourbillon to launch the renaissance of my work, but to develop one from scratch costs millions and takes many years, therefore after a meeting with one of the directors of the company I was given the opportunity to develop a watch with them using their calibre as a base.

I took their base and redesigned it from an aesthetic point of view, all the bridges both on the back to be able to make the engraving and on the front side for the repeater bridge that pivots the main operating lever to the left of the tourbillon as well as the cage bridge and the tourbillon bridge. The result is a Speake-Marin watch which is representative of much of my previous work.”

Minute repetition is the complication perceived as most breathtaking and hard-to-make of them all. Mechanical repeater, that only best of the best watchmakers dare to construct (after long years of practice) here represents the very traditional approach, but in a highly complex form. Activated by the slider in the case (at 9 o’clock) chimes – according to highest standards – hours, quarters and minutes after last full quarter. Precise strike is guaranteed by “all-or-nothing” mechanism, that prevents the repeater to activate, if the slider is not pushed correctly (fully). Technically sophisticated device (which requires a separate explanation to be fully understood) is equipped with centrifugal inertia regulator (for regularity of the chimes), repeater mainspring bridge engraved with “London-Geneva” and two metal hammers striking selected gongs surrounding inside of the gold case. The epic start of the “concerto” can be eye-witnessed thanks to the transparent caseback.

Sapphire casebeck window revels another special thing about Speake-Marin Renaissance, that makes every piece unique. Purposely designed large bridges cover most of the movement playing the role of perfect canvas for future engraving. The one on the pictures shows dragon-style motif.

Exquisite movement was encased in iconic Speake-Marin Piccadilly case, made of 18k red gold. Three-part construction is 44mm wide (quite big to be honest) and 11mm high (which is quite reasonable) and equipped with large, diamond crown and massive lugs with screw-secured telescopes for the alligator strap. In order not to limit the future owner stunning view of the working, complex mechanism Peter’s design include largely open dial, very finely finished of course. It’s role was reduced to the outer ring with engraved indices and three roman numerals plus small second ring surrounding tourbillion cage. Time flow is measured by 3 heat-blued hands: central hour and minute and small second, integrated on top of the tourbillion.

Peter Speake-Marin called his watch by the Renaissance period in European culture of XV to XVI century. The timepiece combines all important stages in creator’s life, from the very beginning, study in London, restoration of time-worn-out old clocks and watches, thru the very first Speake-Marin watch, up to moving to Switzerland and starting his own, independent manufacture. I could risk the statement, that it is a complete creation, both from mechanical an aesthetic side. The route chosen by Peter is skilful and fascinating marriage of based-in-history tradition and subtle modernity (with the advantage of the first one) – values so eagerly sought by collectors and enthusiasts of watchmaking art. Those able to spend 370.000CHF are about to experience a very sensually-pleasing feast.

“This timepiece represents a fresh start in my work, which is why I named it ‘Renaissance”, elaborates Peter Speake-Marin. “I feel as though I have been on a continual journey of discovery and education that has encompassed my time in antique restoration in London, working on collaborative projects with other brands, and with my own brand in Switzerland.

I wanted to create a timepiece that is, in a sense, a reinvention of my work, that puts much of my previous work together into one watch, reflecting on and bringing back all those elements that makes Speake-Marin what it is, that makes me who I am who I am, while at the same time taking a step forward in the evolution of my craft and of the Speake-Marin brand.” – Peter Speake-Marin.