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The must-have Macro Loupe for all watch lovers

Savonnette pocket watches are no longer very fashionable, although Tissot still offers them in its catalog. They do, however, have the advantage of offering a different relationship with time. The watch is hidden in a pocket; only the chain is noticeable. When it's taken out, the time remains hidden; you hear the ticking of the mechanism, but only the engravings on the outer faces are visible. Here, we see a capercaillie on one side and conifer branches on the other. Presumably, this is meant to appeal to the soul of the hunter or the skier, who is then reminded of their best memories in nature. To read the time, you must take the watch in your hand, press the crown button at three o'clock, and let the cover open. The time is then very legible: two large black baton hands indicate the hour and minutes. The seconds are displayed in small print at 9 o'clock. The decorative inner cover features a rosette motif, but it's clear the engraving could be personal or contain a cherished photograph of the watch's wearer. A secret revealed only when the time is checked. Therefore, it's no longer "a watch" on display, but a "timepiece" or "timekeeper" that unveils a secret when opened. Essentially, it's a pocket watch, the antithesis of a flashy Royal Pop.
The watch can be left open on a table, or closed and slipped into a pocket. The time disappears, leaving only a faint metallic scent on the skin. It's a different experience.

The soundtrack I would associate with this watch, evoking wide-open spaces and the wilderness, is Neil Young's score for the film "Dead Man" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkG7P8i64x8

Secret and wild

The Return of Abstraction and the Four Pillars of Light

This "Spectrum" watch is conceived as a design that returns to symmetry, one might even say double symmetry (top to bottom and left to right), while the current trend is to make asymmetry fashionable. The idea is also to create a watch based on light and its spectral decomposition, but not through a direct approach that would show a white beam decomposed into a continuous spectrum (like the excellent cover of Pink Floyd's album). No, this is an abstract, discontinuous approach. The spectrum is decomposed into primary colors: red, green, blue, or magenta, yellow, and cyan, depending on the system used. And yet, the dial is not divided into thirds, but into four, due to this double symmetry imposed as a manifesto. And then there's the quarter-hour, the most common unit of time in everyday life, far more so than twenty-minute intervals (which form the basis of Raketa's Atom model but are generally quite rare). Even etymologically, the word "cadran" (dial) comes from "quart" (quarter), so it's natural to divide it into four parts. Therefore, we understand that the spectrum is not to be taken literally but figuratively. These four basic colors are the Google logo. They represent access to knowledge, to universal wisdom. But they also represent access to freedom of thought through the philosophical movement of the Enlightenment that emerged in the 18th century. At the dawn of the 21st century, many believe the Enlightenment is "outdated," that Rousseau has fallen into the mire, that D'Alembert is backwards, that Diderot is a lost cause, that Voltaire is a goner... That today, all that matters is artificial intelligence, robots, transhumanism, and the philosophical current of the "dark enlightenment," or neo-reactionary (NRx), as these oligarchs who want to impose their power call it. So let's recall these four pillars, since they occupy the quadrant.

1. Reason: Considered the primary tool for understanding the world, it replaces superstition and blind faith.

2. Liberty: Defense of individual rights, freedom of thought and expression, as well as the critique of absolutism.

3. Tolerance and Freedom of Belief: The fight against religious fanaticism and the promotion of the coexistence of beliefs, championed notably by Voltaire.

4. Equality of Rights: A challenge to the privileges of the nobility and clergy, valuing merit and natural law.

Before these four colors, this humanist declaration of faith, is a grid upon which rests a reflective metal circle. The grid rises from the center of the circle. The hands also have this metallic reflection, but in addition, they have a white center painted with luminescent material for reading the time in the dark. This creates an impression of dazzling light, as if seeing a white light that forces the wearer to squint, like a near-death experience, a luminous tunnel, an intense peace... The strap with its seven rows of rice grains is also highly reflective. Two other discreetly branded rubber straps are included, one black and one orange.

The case is also very elaborate, with lugs that extend dramatically, like four small cartoon characters walking over a precipice and suddenly plummeting. While the case is only 38mm in diameter, the lug-to-lug measurement is 47mm. The case is 11.4mm thick, including a 1.7mm crystal that sits on the watch like an eyepiece on a telescope.

The movement is a Miyota 9015 with a 4Hz frequency and a 42-hour power reserve. A reliable and robust movement. The oscillating weight is customized with the light grid already featured on the dial. This is, of course, a reinterpretation of the ancient solar symbol of the prehistoric swastika. The swastika's use is admittedly very subtle, as it is a symbol, even in its left-handed form, that has been taboo in Western design since the end of Nazism. Yet, it is a universal symbol for humanity. This mass spins like a veritable turbine as soon as it moves even slightly.

Ultimately, it's a highly successful exercise in abstract style for a very simple watch, a three-hand timepiece without any markings or logo. This design borders on the absolute; every detail is deliberate. It embodies the simplicity and absoluteness of white light, broken down into four pillars that have accompanied us since the dawn of light, but also the four arms of the swastika, which has accompanied our perception of sunlight since at least the Neolithic era. In short, it's a manifesto to wear on your wrist to say no to NRx.

The soundtrack for this watch would be Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon," not only for its cover but also for its content, its songs that explore the different elements of the spectrum of human life in a philosophical way.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=FEacDWPWfJU&list=OLAK5uy_lrCrcAdxFG4aMzMrebs7o9TU384xyF240

A daring attempt to reach the absolute

Pobeda's production during the Zim era was highly inventive in terms of design, even if the cases and movements were clearly lagging behind. This watch is reminiscent of a rotary dial telephone, with the numbers you turned to dial a number, and the handset you had to pick up to answer the call. All of this is obsolete today, now that we have smartphones that also tell us the time, but for how much longer? Smart glasses, smart rings, or bionic implants may in turn replace smartphones. Nevertheless, this little Pobeda telephone watch is wonderful for evoking memories of the bygone era of rotary dial telephones. The winding mechanism, with its comfortable grip, evokes the feel and sound of dialing numbers on the phone. The small seconds hand is perfectly integrated into the handset, although slightly off-center.

The case is made of blackened brass with a snap-on back. It measures 28.5mm in diameter and the lug width is designed for a 16mm strap. The movement is a ZIM 2602 with 15 jewels.
The music I'll be listening to with it is "Call Me" by Blondie https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=tykf2xYPNdc

Telephone nostalgia

This Molnia (lightning bolt in Russian) pocket watch from the Chelyabinsk factory, a city in the Urals that serves as a bridge between Europe and the vast Siberian wilderness, is based on an 18-jewel, type 3602 movement with a frequency of 2.5Hz. The advantage of this type of case is that it offers ample space for the dial. The chrome-plated brass case is 45mm in diameter. The dial is minimalist; there are markers for each minute, the hours are indicated by Arabic numerals, and only a double axis marks the seconds. It is admittedly a little dirty but retains a great simplicity.

The music that could be associated with this watch would be Ennio Morricone's score for the film *The Good, the Bad and the Ugly*, for its impression of space and immensity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvE1AzktGMY

The calm and the dazzling beauty of wide open spaces

Watches based on IN16 Nixie tubes aren't the most practical to make or wear, yet they possess an inimitable charm, something that evokes a deep retro-futuristic vision. These tubes represent a technology that was abandoned before becoming widespread. In 2021, I was considering a Nixoid watch, which had announced more advanced models, but unfortunately, during the winter of 2022, science fiction became reality, and the inhabitants of Kyiv experienced a true nightmare: a large-scale war engulfed Europe, impacting watchmakers as well. As the years passed without any real improvement in the Ukrainian capital, and with Ukrainians specializing in defense technologies rather than watchmaking out of necessity, I turned to a Hong Kong company that worked with Nixie tubes.

It's truly unique; there are two tubes that alternately display the two digits of the hour and minutes, or the day and month. Blue LEDs illuminate the background when the minutes are displayed, preventing confusion with the hours. A button must be pressed to display the time, as the tubes wear out when illuminated and consume a significant amount of energy, meaning the time is only displayed when needed.
Recharging is done via a standard wireless charging system.

Its main drawback is its considerable size (44x47x16mm), which may not suit all wrists. However, this isn't a daily watch meant to be worn under a shirt cuff, so this isn't necessarily a significant issue. Setting the time can be tricky. Double-clicks are required to confirm a selection, but the buttons are not very responsive, and it often interprets a double click as two clicks, forcing you to restart the time setting process. Unfortunately, as soon as the battery runs out, if you haven't remembered to recharge it, or if you switch to daylight saving time, you have to reset the time. The battery lasts relatively long, typically 1000 activations, so several weeks.

Pressing one of the buttons displays the hour and minutes, shown twice. There are other modes for the date or the stopwatch, but they're not very practical, unless you want to make your watch flash like an emergency vehicle in the middle of a traffic jam. The back shows the circuit board layout. The case itself is inspired by old televisions.

You can choose from various soundtracks for this watch. There are many science fiction works with a retro aesthetic. The soundtrack to Blade Runner by Vangelis, for example, is masterful (https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=RScZrvTebeA), as is Alice's return to the future from the famous Soviet film "The Visitor from the Future" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNH99xAWXBo), but I prefer the haunting soundtrack to "The City of Lost Children" by Angelo Badalamenti, who chose Marianne Faithfull for the film's theme song.

https://youtu.be/G7f4941xM84?si=tC3JpWFtMzd0hVBC

A retro-futuristic dream

As a lover of minimalist watches, this post-Soviet Chaika (with the inscription "Ёделано в России" in gold lettering at 6 o'clock) is obviously very appealing to me. It has only the essentials: a black dial with 12 gold hour markers, like stars in a deep sky. Like Europe, one might say, but only a dream, a dream repeated every twelve hours. The bezel divides the time into four parts with five notches at the quarter-hour marks. The rest of the case is chrome-plated, and the case back is steel with a six-pronged bezel.

What's remarkable is the sound of the 17-jewel, 3Hz Chaika 1601A movement, which chimes very softly, when it chimes at all, because it clearly has a slight delay in starting. This is actually one of the problems with a two-hand watch: you don't immediately notice starting problems. You have to listen carefully, and with a low-noise movement like this, you need good hearing.

With this watch, I'll be listening to "1000 Dreams" by FR Miss Kittin & The Hacker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mJSewIWxZc

A deep night of 10E3 dreams

Atelier Jalaper est une marque horlog&egrave;re franco-belge fond&eacute;e en 2019 par Louis Jalaber et Simon Szleper. Elle se distingue par une approche unique qui fusionne l'horlogerie traditionnelle avec l'h&eacute;ritage automobile en int&eacute;grant des &eacute;l&eacute;ments authentiques de voitures l&eacute;gendaires dans ses montres.
<h3>Origines et Fondation</h3>
Louis Jalaber et Simon Szleper se sont rencontr&eacute;s lors de leurs &eacute;tudes &agrave; l'ESCP Europe, partageant une passion commune pour l'horlogerie et l'automobile. Leur ambition &eacute;tait de cr&eacute;er une montre qui ne se contenterait pas de s'inspirer du design automobile, mais qui int&eacute;grerait v&eacute;ritablement une partie de l'histoire automobile. Cette vision les a conduits &agrave; fonder Atelier Jalaper en 2019.
<h3>Concept et Philosophie</h3>
La philosophie d'Atelier Jalaper repose sur l'id&eacute;e de donner une nouvelle vie &agrave; des voitures embl&eacute;matiques en les int&eacute;grant dans des montres de haute qualit&eacute;. Chaque garde-temps est con&ccedil;u avec des cadrans fabriqu&eacute;s &agrave; partir de pi&egrave;ces authentiques de voitures l&eacute;gendaires, offrant ainsi aux passionn&eacute;s une connexion tangible avec l'histoire automobile.
<h3>Collections et Mod&egrave;les</h3>
Collection DB5
La premi&egrave;re collection d'Atelier Jalaper rend hommage &agrave; l'Aston Martin DB5, une ic&ocirc;ne des ann&eacute;es 1960. Les cadrans de ces montres sont d&eacute;coup&eacute;s dans le capot en aluminium d'une v&eacute;ritable DB5, conf&eacute;rant &agrave; chaque pi&egrave;ce une patine unique. La collection comprend quatre mod&egrave;les :
<ul>
<li>AJ001-S : Mod&egrave;le avec affichage de la date, bo&icirc;tier en acier inoxydable</li>
<li>AJ001-B : Version avec bo&icirc;tier en PVD noir</li>
<li>AJ002-S : Mod&egrave;le avec affichage du jour et de la date, bo&icirc;tier en acier inoxydable</li>
<li>AJ002-B : Version avec bo&icirc;tier en PVD noir</li>
</ul>
Ces montres sont &eacute;quip&eacute;es de mouvements automatiques Miyota, offrant une r&eacute;serve de marche de 42 heures.
Collection Miura
La deuxi&egrave;me collection s'inspire de la Lamborghini Miura, souvent consid&eacute;r&eacute;e comme la premi&egrave;re supercar au monde. Les cadrans sont fabriqu&eacute;s &agrave; partir de pi&egrave;ces authentiques de la Miura, et la collection propose plusieurs variantes :
<ul>
<li>AJ-P400-V : Version avec r&eacute;haut vert</li>
<li>AJ-P400-N : Version avec r&eacute;haut noir</li>
<li>AJ-P400-O : Version avec r&eacute;haut orange</li>
<li>AJ-P400-B : Version avec r&eacute;haut bleu</li>
</ul>
Ces mod&egrave;les sont anim&eacute;s par des mouvements &agrave; remontage manuel Sellita SW270-1 M, offrant une r&eacute;serve de marche d'environ 45 heures.
Collection Jaguar Type E
La troisi&egrave;me collection s'inspire de la Jaguar Type E, l'une des autos les plus reconnaissables entre toutes. Les cadrans sont fabriqu&eacute;s &agrave; partir de pi&egrave;ces authentiques d'une Jaguar Type E semi-lightweight de 1962, et la collection propose deux variantes :
<ul>
<li>AJ-003-B : Version au cadran stri&eacute;</li>
<li>AJ-003-W : Version au cadran noir anodis&eacute;</li>
</ul>
Ces mod&egrave;les sont anim&eacute;s par des mouvements &agrave; remontage automatique Sellita SW300-1, offrant une r&eacute;serve de marche d'environ 42 heures.
<h3>Processus de Fabrication et Savoir-Faire</h3>
Atelier Jalaper collabore avec des artisans et des experts horlogers bas&eacute;s &agrave; La Chaux-de-Fonds, en Suisse, pour assurer une qualit&eacute; exceptionnelle. Le processus de fabrication implique une d&eacute;coupe pr&eacute;cise des pi&egrave;ces automobiles pour cr&eacute;er des cadrans uniques, suivie d'un assemblage minutieux pour garantir la fiabilit&eacute; et l'esth&eacute;tique de chaque montre.
<h3>Engagement envers l'Authenticit&eacute; et l'Innovation</h3>
La marque s'engage &agrave; pr&eacute;server l'authenticit&eacute; des mat&eacute;riaux utilis&eacute;s tout en innovant dans le design et la fonctionnalit&eacute;. Chaque montre est num&eacute;rot&eacute;e et porte en elle l'&acirc;me de la voiture dont elle est issue, offrant aux collectionneurs et aux passionn&eacute;s une pi&egrave;ce de l'histoire automobile &agrave; leur poignet.
<h3>R&eacute;ception et Perspectives d'Avenir</h3>
Depuis son lancement, Atelier Jalaper a re&ccedil;u des retours positifs pour son concept novateur et la qualit&eacute; de ses montres. La marque continue d'explorer de nouvelles collaborations avec des voitures l&eacute;gendaires, &eacute;largissant ainsi sa collection et renfor&ccedil;ant sa position unique &agrave; l'intersection de l'horlogerie et de l'automobile.
En conclusion, Atelier Jalaper se distingue par sa capacit&eacute; &agrave; fusionner l'art horloger avec l'h&eacute;ritage automobile, cr&eacute;ant des montres qui racontent une histoire unique et offrent une exp&eacute;rience &eacute;motionnelle aux passionn&eacute;s des deux univers.
Inspirez-vous des avis clients Dialicious pour choisir la montre Atelier Jalaper qui vous convient le mieux. D&eacute;couvrez &eacute;galement le <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/top/les_meilleures_marques_de_montres_de_sports_mecaniques">classement des marques de montres inspir&eacute;es du sport automobile</a>.
(Mise &agrave; jour Mars 2025)

Atelier Jalaper is a Franco-Belgian watch brand founded in 2019 by Louis Jalaber and Simon Szleper. It is distinguished by a unique approach that merges traditional watchmaking with automotive heritage by integrating authentic elements of legendary cars into its watches.
<h3 dir="ltr">Origins and Foundation</h3>
Louis Jalaber and Simon Szleper met during their studies at ESCP Europe, sharing a common passion for watchmaking and automobiles. Their ambition was to create a watch that would not only be inspired by automotive design, but would truly incorporate a part of automotive history. This vision led them to found Atelier Jalaper in 2019.
<h3 dir="ltr">Concept and Philosophy</h3>
Atelier Jalaper's philosophy is based on the idea of ​​giving new life to iconic cars by integrating them into high-quality watches. Each timepiece is designed with dials made from authentic parts from legendary cars, providing enthusiasts with a tangible connection to automotive history.
<h3 dir="ltr">Collections and Models</h3>
Collection DB5
Atelier Jalaper's first collection pays homage to the Aston Martin DB5, an icon of the 1960s. The dials of these watches are cut from the aluminum cover of a real DB5, giving each piece a unique patina. The collection includes four models:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ001-S: Model with date display, stainless steel case
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ001-B:&nbsp;Version with black PVD case
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ002-S: Model with day and date display, stainless steel case
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ002-B: Version with black PVD case
</li>
</ul>
These watches are equipped with Miyota automatic movements, offering a power reserve of 42 hours.
Collection Miura
The second collection is inspired by the Lamborghini Miura, often considered the world's first supercar. The dials are made from authentic Miura parts, and the collection offers several variations:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ-P400-V: Version with green flange
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ-P400-N: Version with black flange
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ-P400-O: Version with orange flange
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ-P400-B: Version with blue flange
</li>
</ul>
These models are powered by Sellita SW270-1 M hand-wound movements, offering a power reserve of approximately 45 hours.
Jaguar E-Type Collection
The third collection is inspired by the Jaguar E-Type, one of the most recognizable cars of all. The dials are made from genuine parts from a 1962&nbsp;Jaguar E-Type semi-lightweight, and the collection offers two variants:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ-003-B: Version with vertically brushed dial
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
AJ-003-W: Version with black anodized dial
</li>
</ul>
These models are driven by Sellita SW300-1 self-winding movements, offering a power reserve of approximately 42 hours.
<h3 dir="ltr">Manufacturing Process and Know-How</h3>
Atelier Jalaper collaborates with artisans and watchmaking experts based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, to ensure exceptional quality. The manufacturing process involves precise cutting of automotive parts to create unique dials, followed by careful assembly to ensure the reliability and aesthetics of each watch.
<h3 dir="ltr">Commitment to Authenticity and Innovation</h3>
The brand is committed to preserving the authenticity of the materials used while innovating in design and functionality. Each watch is numbered and carries within it the soul of the car from which it comes, offering collectors and enthusiasts a piece of automotive history on their wrist.
<h3 dir="ltr">Reception and Future Prospects</h3>
Since its launch, Atelier Jalaper has received positive feedback for its innovative concept and the quality of its watches. The brand continues to explore new collaborations with legendary cars, expanding its collection and strengthening its unique position at the intersection of watchmaking and automobiles.&nbsp;In conclusion, Atelier Jalaper stands out for its ability to merge the art of watchmaking with automotive heritage, creating watches that tell a unique story and offer an emotional experience to enthusiasts of both worlds.
Take inspiration from Dialicious customer reviews to choose the Atelier Jalaper watch that suits you best. Also discover the <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_brands_of_motor_sports_watches">ranking of watch brands inspired by motorsport</a>.
(Updated March 2025)

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