A new clock masterpiece for those holding dear their youth’s memories.

 

L’Epée, a Swiss manufacture whose watchmakers are seemingly capable of creating anything when it comes to open movement clocks, has unveiled its new model, Time Flies. Time is everywhere you look, whether it be your phone, a smart speaker or even your TV or fridge. To stay relevant, classic clocks have to look for a new language of communicating with present day urban dwellers.

 

L’Epée has found one by not just making clocks but helping childhood dreams come true. Dreams from an era when buyers did not spend most of their time by looking at their phones and instead preferred miniature models of real grown-up things. This is how Time Flies, an airplane-shaped clock, came into being. 

 

The airplane ready to land at a bookshelf (it comes at 35.43 x 44.2 x 13.75 and weighs 3 kg) was coauthored by Juliette Lefèvre. She worked at Chanel as a graphic designer for four years before realizing that her ideas are better suited for three-dimensional objects. To fully prepare for working with solid objects and shapes she obtained a master’s degree under the Master of Advanced Studies in Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship program at École cantonale d'art de Lausanne (ECAL).

 

Last year, Juliette opened her own studio, and in 2021 she presented to the world the results of her work with the 180-year old Swiss watchmaker. The engine was attached to the brass airplane by L’Epée’s masters who have more than once showcased their skills in both the manufacture’s own models and in collaborations with MB&F. This hasn’t been the first time L’Epée supplied parts for aviation industry as it was the manufacturer of onboard clocks for the now legendary Concorde jets.

 

Time Flies runs on a 370-part movement with eight days of power reserve built specifically for this model. The winding crown reminiscent of engine cooling radiators is located behind the propeller, and both the escapement and the constantly oscillating balance-wheel were placed in the cockpit. Time indication ended up in the nose area with disks displaying hours and minutes. Time Flies was simultaneously released in four 99-piece editions - steel, palladium or gold-plated brass, and aged bronze.