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October 8, 2013

RJ-Romain Jerome Unveils Latest Watch Collections

By Chris Boyle

rj jerome_moon orbiterLuxury watchmaker RJ-Romain Jerome creates the watches of the new horological era. The collections are far more than just astonishing watches: they define a new era in watchmaking.

Air, earth, sea: RJ-Romain Jerome offers the raw energy of imagination to those who are capable of nurturing their most secret dreams.

Whether through recovering steel from the Titanic or from the Apollo 11 space shuttle, mingling silver with moon dust or sculpting volcano lava, RJ-Romain Jerome asserts its iconoclastic spirit and electrifies tradition by celebrating contemporary legends. Its approach is characterised by a blend of raw character and elaborate refinement, drawing as much on the roar of an erupting volcano as on the writings of H.G. Wells.

Moon Orbiter, a timepiece light-years apart from conventional watchmaking

In a fresh tribute to the conquest of space, RJ-Romain Jerome presents an exceptional model equipped with a Manufacture movement: a flying tourbillon featuring a unique three-dimensional architecture.

With its generous 49mm wide, 45mm long and 20mm thick dimensions, the Moon Orbiter looks every inch a true sci-fi fantasy. Its imposing rectangular shape and its numerous special-shaped sapphire crystals create a striking effect: its bezel-free case combining watchmaking steel with elements from Apollo 11 is composed of an exclusive system of lugs mounted on pneumatic cylinders to ensure both wearer comfort and the smooth fit of the black alligator leather strap with pin buckle-fastening.

The hours and minutes are read off on an off-centred 3 o’clock counter on the right-hand side of the dial. The openworked hands are red-lacquered, while the 42-hour power reserve is displayed by a lacquered red cursor appearing on a separate subdial between the lugs at 6 o’clock. Everything is designed to highlight the flying tourbillon enthroned at 9 o’clock, on the left-hand side of the dial. The case has been literally built around the movement in such a way that no detail goes unnoticed.

Intergalactic mission with RJ-Romain Jerome and its spacecraft
rj space__RJ-Romain Jerome has unveiled its first pilot’s watch: the Spacecraft. Stemming from the joint endeavours of Manuel Emch, Eric Giroud and Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, this new timepiece features a complication with its own discreet charm, combined with a pure, restrained design. Space pilots of the world, prepare for lift-off. The Spacecraft will carry you off on an intergalactic mission to explore uncharted territories.

In taking up this challenge, Manuel Emch, CEO of RJ-Romain Jerome, chose to associate with two of the top names in the watch industry: Eric Giroud and Jean-Marc Wiederrecht. The three men pooled their ideas and their creativity to give rise to a unique timepiece they named Spacecraft. Right from the first sketches, Manuel Emch and Eric Giroud imagined a very different type of product, combining retro-futuristic aesthetics and horological complexity.

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“The design evolved in step with our discussions and our numerous exchanges. That is what makes it such a singular object,” explains Eric Giroud. An unusual trapeze-shaped model featuring a black PVD-coated titanium case, the Spacecraft both surprises and intrigues. Its rectilinear profile and its facetted surface echo the aesthetic of spacecraft. A black rotating disc with a red indicator transferred on the sapphire crystal indicates the minutes on the top of the case, while the linear hour display is read off laterally, thereby giving time a whole new dimension.

RJ-Romain Jerome Celebrates the ‘Día De Los Muertos’
rj mexico___Every year in Mexico, celebrations honouring the dead brighten up the whole country. Classified as part of UNESCO’s “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” since 2003, the ‘Día de los Muertos’ is the most important date in the Mexican calendar.

RJ-Romain Jerome has decided to take its turn celebrating the Day of the Dead with a timepiece available in two different versions, both issued in 25-piece limited editions. Calling upon its watchmaking skill, RJ’s inspiration for the dial of this watch dedicated to the ‘Día de los Muertos’ was drawn from traditional Mexican decorations. A carefully hand-crafted colourful applique adorned with a champlevé decoration, cold enamelled in different colours, emulates the look of the “calaveras” – the skulls made of sugar given away by the Mexicans as good luck tokens during the entire festival.

The seven colours on the applique are a reminder of the seven stages through which the soul of the dead must pass before being able to rest in peace. The case is made of black PVD-coated steel, associated with a bezel and “paws” in black ceramic. The mirror-polished dial features an engraving of the brand’s emblematic X shape, along with the applied RJ logo. The watch is fitted with a black Hornback alligator strap. The sombre colours of these different elements evoke those of darkness and make a striking with the bright colours of the skull-shaped applique.

This way of perceiving death, tinged with light-hearted irony, is unique to the Mexican culture to which RJ-Romain Jerome is paying tribute. With this timepiece in homage to the “Día de los Muertos”, the watchmaking Maison can also claim to have tamed death and thus made it a playmate.

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