Chronomètre FB 1L.1

• Limited Edition: 10 pieces
• Case: 18-karat white gold
• Size: 44mm
• Movement: hand-wound manufacture caliber FB-T.L
• Function: moon phase, age of the moon, power reserve
• Power Reserve: approximately 53 hours
• Water Resistance: 30m
• Dial: rhodium-plated brass, sandblasted
• Caseback: sapphire crystal
• Strap/Bracelet: hand-sewn alligator leather
• Factory Warranty: three years

See the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1L.1 at the Cellini boutique at 430 Park Avenue, NYC

Imbued with the scientific spirit of the Enlightenment, Ferdinand Berthoud unveils a new experimental collection, combining the in-house tourbillon movement with a new display of the age and phases of the moon: the Chronomètre FB 1L.

Available in two 10-piece limited editions – with a case in 18-karat white gold and black ceramic lugs, or in anthracite ceramised titanium & sandblasted 18-karat white gold, this new collection displays the hours and minutes on a dedicated subdial at 12 o’clock, seconds in the center and the 53-hour power reserve on the back of the movement. A large hand at 6 o’clock indicates the age and phases of the moon in a continuous back and forth movement. This patent-pending complication, combined with the constant force of the FB-T.FC.L caliber, ensures astronomical precision corresponding to a one-day difference in 577 years of operation.

Truly at the crossroads between astronomy and chronometry, the Chronomètre FB 1L pays tribute to Ferdinand Berthoud’s work on chronometric precision and the calculation of longitude. It was to this end that the master watchmaker designed his famous Marine Chronometers, which inspired the creation of the FB 1L collection.

The FB 1L Chronometer is a model displaying the age and phases of the moon. Combining chronometric precision and astronomical measurement, it associates these two previously dissociated values which jointly made it possible – almost three centuries ago – to achieve more accurate longitude calculations, a quest at the heart of a large number of Ferdinand Berthoud’s works.

The age and phases of the moon are two separate measurements. The moon phase is the most common in watchmaking. This is the complication that visually indicates the different lunar cycles. The moon phase is divided into four phases: new moon, first quarter, full moon and last quarter. A lunation or lunar cycle is the time interval between two new moons. A symbolic and aesthetic complication, the moon phase does not, however, offer the accuracy necessary for astronomical use.

The age of the moon is a more accurate indicator which counts the number of days since the last new moon. This veritable scientific measuring instrument, coupled with the chronometric measurement of time, made it possible to determine longitude at sea with unparalleled accuracy nearly 270 years ago. For the first time, the FB 1L collection combines these two instruments: a chronometer and an indicator of the age and phases of the moon within the same model.