Discovery
Up close on the
tourbillon inside
Caliber 360 by
Karsten Frasdorf
BY MICHAEL THOMPSON
A TOUGH TOURBILLON
Karsten Frasdorf secures his
slow-beat Spirograph with extra
protection. And, its standard
warranty is for five years with an
optional five-year extension.
ASTER WATCHMAKER KARSTEN FRASDORF’S
LIFELONG Focus on classical watchmaking is
quite evident in his Spirograph collection, a
line of 45mm watches that feature a very large slow-beat
tourbillon at the bottom of the dial.
Frasdorf, known by aficionados of independent
watchmaking for his work at Heritage Watch
Manufactory, Leroy, Laurent Ferrier and others, opened
his eponymous watch company, Montres KF, almost
three years ago in La Chaux-de-Fonds. But he credits his
work restoring vintage clocks at Gübelin for his love of
large-dialed, ultra-precise, shock-resistant movements.
The Spirograph Tourbillon, his company’s premiere
collection, translates these features to the wrist, while
adding an unusual tourbillon. His designs, all of which
are customizable to a wide range of client requests, echo
robust marine chronometer designs with a Swiss anchor
escapement and an unusual two-axis balance with large
weights. One axis features a weight on either side to
enhance inertia; the other features two sets of screws for
precise adjustments. Frasdorf’s one-minute tourbillon
vibrates at 18,000 vph, allowing the wearer to enjoy its
slowly beating rotations.
Frasdorf calls the Spirograph Tourbillon an everyday
tourbillon, meaning there’s no need to treat the watch
with kid gloves. Their chronometry is protected by extra
security on the dial, main plate and winding stem. All
watches are thus able to withstand shocks of up to 5000
Gs and are anti-magnetic up to 1,000 Gauss. To
underscore the robust nature of the Spirograph
Tourbillon, Frasdorf includes a five-year warranty,
extendable for a further five years, with every purchase.
Prices begin at $90,000.
The super protected, large tourbillon Caliber 360 movement, showing
extra large slow-beat tourbillon and opening.
M
116 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | SPRING 2019
The Spirograph
Tourbillon Orange