Louis Moinet has generated horological adrenaline by matching revolutionary mechanics with high-end materials. The result: a series of masterpieces that are both innovative and very expressive, like the ASTRONEF TECHNO. This timepiece pairs a silicon wafer engraved with microelectronic circuits with an ingenious double satellite tourbillon, thus producing a never-seen visual spectacle.
As the namesake of the brand did in his time, Louis Moinet is paving the way to the future of watchmaking with this outstanding creation.
When it comes to watchmaking, the Louis Moinet mantra is “to produce an outstanding and engaging effect.” As such, the ASTRONEF TECHNO positions itself as a daring explorer of new horological frontiers. It’s a quest that Louis Moinet himself would be proud of, since he also sought to push the limits of watchmaking in his day, notably, in 1816, by conceiving and building the world’s first chronograph.
The ASTRONEF TECHNO features two satellite tourbillons that revolve around the dial and create a harmonious ballet in the process. They are inside cages each rotating at a different rate, the one in ten minutes, the other in five. Every three minutes and twenty seconds, the two tourbillons align perfectly, which demands perfect synchronization and accuracy, the ASTRONEF’s superpower, as it were.
These tourbillons, with their delicate and crisp lines, barely weigh 0.25 grams each. The counterweight is a real exploit in terms of design and engineering. It adds to the spectacle, creating a kind of intimate pas de trois, merging art, engineering, and motion, thanks to a central differential. Needless to say, it increases the watch’s precision.
The movement side of the Louis Moinet ASTRONEF TECHNO is just as impressive. The open case back reveals two barrel springs, one for each tourbillon, delivering a 48-hour power reserve. The LM 105 calibre, which includes sixteen ceramic ball bearings, runs this mechanical show. It took three intense years to make.
And there are other innovations. The crown, for instance, has been entirely reinvented and no longer needs to be pulled. Instead, a selector, cleverly integrated into the case back, is used to control two key functions, time-setting and winding.
The ASTRONEF TECHNO has taken an edgy material and turned it into a work of animated art. The timepiece’s double satellite tourbillon travels over a canvas carefully cut from a silicon wafer, an exacting material upon which the engraved microelectronic circuits appear as a kind of complex technological decoration. The modern dial catches the light with every move of the wrist, turning it into a kaleidoscope of sparkling reflections and transforming this masterpiece of mechanical watchmaking into a mesmerising visual experience.
The case for the Louis Moinet ASTRONEF TECHNO’s exceptional mechanism is the product of imaginative engineering: It is made up of a bold ensemble of sapphire band, flange and top resting on a grade-5 titanium frame.
The lugs have been carefully openworked, which enhances the feeling of lightness. It’s a unique concept for a casing and it gives the timepiece its resolutely avant-garde look.
The Louis Moinet ASTRONEF TECHNO weaves together time and space on a canvas that appears to be constantly in motion. This fusion of the visually compelling microelectronic wafer with the dance of the tourbillons above it creates a unique artistic event that opens a new era in horology.
Ref. LM-105.20.01 – Unique piece
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ABOUT LOUIS MOINET
Louis Moinet devoted his entire life to his art without consideration for his legacy. He was a genius, a man possessed by his craft. As it happened, his humility almost denied him the plaudits he deserved for his enormous contributions to the history of horology. The inventor of both the world’s first chronograph and the first high-frequency watch, Moinet would not receive widespread acclaim for either for more than one hundred years after his death. Jean-Marie Schaller sensed he was responding to a call of destiny when he took on the mission to preserve Louis Moinet’s exceptional heritage and share it with the rest of the world.
In 2012, at an auction, he discovered and acquired Louis Moinet’s famous “compteur de tierces”. This instrument, identified as the world’s first chronograph, was introduced to the general public on 21 March 2013, a date that rewrote the history of watchmaking. Thus, Louis Moinet was officially awarded the prestigious title of «First Chronograph» by the Guinness World Records™ organisation.
Ever since, Les Ateliers Louis Moinet in St-Blaise has worked tirelessly to protect and promote the legacy of Louis Moinet (1768–1853), harnessing the same creative spirit that propelled Moinet himself to greatness. Under the watchful eye of Jean-Marie Schaller, Les Ateliers Louis Moinet produces exclusively mechanical timepieces that fall into one of two categories, either “Cosmic Art” or “Mechanical Wonders”.
Every Louis Moinet timepiece is produced as either a one-of-a-kind piece or as part of a strictly limited series. Continuing the inventive and eccentric legacy of the man behind the name, Louis Moinet’s creations often make use of unusual and rare components, such as extraterrestrial meteorites or prehistorical materials. The brand’s core values are creativity, exclusivity, and art and design.
This unique creative approach within the world of mechanical horology has enabled Louis Moinet to win over fifty of the world’s most prestigious awards, including a UNESCO Award of Merit, seven Red Dot Design Awards, eighteen Good Design Awards, gold and bronze medals in the International Chronometry Competition, and many more.
Jean-Marie Schaller also personally received two illustrious distinctions: He was awarded the high-ranking title of “Darjah Seri Sirajuddin Perlis”, corresponding to a knighthood, and was also honoured with the Prize for Horological Creativity Contribution Award for his “overall contribution to watchmaking”.