Mickaël Gaspar Souscription
Mickaël Gaspar, a 29-year-old independent watchmaker, has unveiled his debut wristwatch, the Souscription, a project that has been a decade in the making. The watch features a hand-sandblasted, rose-gold-plated dial that reveals the movement's architecture, including the balance wheel and gear train, beneath a domed sapphire crystal. A retrograde date display arcs across the upper half of the dial, adding a dynamic element to the intricate composition.
- Retail price: CHF 69,000 before taxes
- Limited edition of 20 numbered pieces
The dial is hand-sandblasted and rose-gold plated, with the movement's architecture, including the balance, pallet lever, and gearing, visible beneath the domed sapphire crystal.
A retrograde date display arcs across the upper half of the dial, featuring instantaneous return at the end of the month.
The movement is based on a modified ETA 6497 ébauche, with only the barrel, click, and keyless works retained; the remaining architecture and components were developed and manufactured in Gaspar's atelier.
Components such as the wheel train, balance wheel, and Breguet overcoil are made and finished by hand in the atelier, with bridges featuring two-screw cock attachments for added stability.
The watch features a classical round case design with lugs that flow into the case middle, with brushed surfaces contrasted by polished sections.
The domed box sapphire crystal extends almost to the case middle, leaving minimal room for a conventional bezel.
The arrangement of bridges and exposed mechanics is reminiscent of Arnold & Son watches or Max Büsser's Legacy Machine collection.
The watch sits well on an 180mm wrist due to its 39.9mm size and relatively short lugs, feeling light and comfortable.