Bonniksen
A new watch brand, Bonniksen, is being established by young watchmakers Maximin Chapuis and Jason Chevrolat, with the support of the Time Æon Foundation and Greubel Forsey. The brand aims to revive the Carrousel, a complex mechanical complication that was a rival to the tourbillon and has been largely forgotten for over a century. The first Bonniksen watch will feature the first hand-crafted Carrousel in a wristwatch under 40mm.
- The first Bonniksen watch will feature a hand-crafted Carrousel mechanism.
- The Carrousel was invented by Bahne Bonniksen in 1892.
- The watch will be under 40mm.
- The project is backed by Greubel Forsey and the Time Æon Foundation.
- The debut piece unique will be in steel and go to auction, with ten more to follow.
The Carrousel mechanism, invented by Bahne Bonniksen in 1892, was a rival to the tourbillon and has been largely forgotten.
Bonniksen is the first brand founded by the Time Æon Foundation, which typically produces models in its Naissance d’une Montre series.
The upcoming 40mm watch aims to re-establish the Carrousel as a top-tier complication.
The watch will feature the first hand-crafted Carrousel built into a wristwatch under 40mm, a scale not attempted in Bahne Bonniksen's lifetime.
The watch will have two domed crystals exposing an inverted calibre from both sides, with an atypical three-quarter plate.
Finishing details include screwed chatons, a mainspring barrel boss, six-spoke wheels, hand-polished chamfers, and black polish on many components.
The goal is to exhibit a genuinely handmade piece, not merely hand-finished.
Chapuis and Chevrolat are aiming to revive the name of Bahne Bonniksen, a Danish watchmaker who worked in Coventry, England.