Emmanuel Bouchet stands apart in contemporary watchmaking for a singular reason: he genuinely believes that watches should alter how you perceive time itself. Not through flashy complications designed to impress, but through carefully considered mechanisms that challenge the very foundations of how we measure and experience the temporal world. This philosophy, born from a childhood spent in Charmauvillers, a village where watchmakers outnumbered bakers, runs through every component of the watches produced in his Les Bayards workshop in the Jura mountains.
Bouchet’s approach stems from his conviction that “life is just a moment, a passing hour, a fleeting day.” These words, heard over the radio whilst driving through the Jurassic mountains, crystallised what would become his life’s work: creating timepieces that deconstruct and expand our understanding of time whilst maintaining uncompromising precision. His watches do not merely keep time. They invite contemplation. The Source Aleph, presented at Geneva Watch Days 2025, represents the fullest expression of this philosophy to date.
The Dial: A Landscape of Time
The Source Aleph’s dial operates on two distinct visual planes, creating a composition that is neither wholly minimalist nor overtly complex. At first glance, the 39-millimetre watch presents conventional elements: hours and minutes displayed at 12 o’clock through a dial available in white or black mother-of-pearl, or ceramic, with simple metal indexes finished in rhodium or gilt. The subdial at six o’clock contains a day and night indication constructed from two superimposed 24-hour discs. One features stars and sun, the other carries day and night colours applied entirely by hand.
What transforms the dial from conventional to extraordinary occupies the lower right quadrant: three mirror-polished pillars or cones, positioned at three, four, and five o’clock. These are not mere complications. Emmanuel Bouchet describes them as mountain peaks or fir trees growing on mountainsides, symbols representing the very roots of timekeeping itself. Fashioned from platinum or 18-carat gold, each cone sits adorned with precious stones. The cone at three o’clock carries diamonds and coloured gemstones (emeralds, rubies, or sapphires) totalling 0.042 carats across fourteen stones. The four o’clock cone features diamonds for the daylight hours and coloured gemstones for night, also 0.042 carats. The five o’clock cone bears a single reversed diamond of 0.03 carats.
The mother-of-pearl backdrop provides essential visual depth. It is not merely decorative. The concave surface creates shadow and dimension, allowing the polished cones to catch light and cast shadows that vary throughout the day. When viewed from different angles, particularly in diffuse light, the dial exhibits a subtle three-dimensionality absent from traditional designs. The craft here resides in how the cones are integrated into the dial construction. They are not applied appliqués but form integral elements of the dial structure, anchored through mechanisms that allow them to rotate freely whilst maintaining absolute concentricity.
The hands themselves, executed in rhodium or gilt metal, are restrained in their design. They do not compete for attention against the primary complication. This represents a matured design sensibility: allowing the cones and their rotation to remain the visual focal point whilst ensuring traditional time indication remains legible and accessible.
The Movement: Architecture of a Double Rotor
The EB21L movement represents Bouchet’s solution to a fundamental problem in complications-driven watchmaking: how to power a complex complication without compromising the stability and accuracy of the timekeeping function itself. At 4.76 millimetres thick, the movement achieves a density of engineering that contradicts its slim profile. The movement operates at 21,600 oscillations per hour (3 Hz), a relatively conservative frequency that favours long-term reliability.
The movement comprises 201 components and incorporates 40 jewels, providing stable pivot points for high-friction components. The dial side EB10-002 complication adds a further 82 components and 16 jewels, bringing the total watch to 283 components and 56 jewels. This distribution is deliberate. By housing the complication separately, Bouchet ensures that the independent rotating cones, each requiring its own kinematic chain and escapement, operate without interference to the main timepiece.
The double micro rotor system supplies ample and stable power to both the timekeeping mechanism and the complication independently. This represents a significant engineering achievement. Traditional automatic movements employ a single rotor that winds a single mainspring, which powers all complications and timekeeping functions through a shared gear train. Should a complication require significant torque or present resistance, the main spring’s remaining power reserve is reduced. The double rotor system bifurcates this energy supply, with one rotor dedicated to the timekeeping function and another to the complication, ensuring neither compromises the other.
The finishing throughout the EB21L is executed entirely by hand. Examination of the movement through the sapphire caseback reveals a plethora of processes across the movement’s surfaces. Skeletonisation, chamfering, polishing, brushing – all well executed. It is interesting to see the row of diamonds placed on the outskirt of the rotor, which also features the embossed brand’s logo.
The crown, available in the same material as the case, connects to the winding stem through a friction clutch mechanism. This allows manual winding without risk of stripping the internal winding gear should excessive force be applied. The double rotor system rotates around the entire perimeter of the movement barrel, visible through the caseback. These rotors are weighted and calibrated to ensure balanced rotation at all wrist angles.
The Case: Restrained Elegance in Precious Metal
The Source Aleph’s case measures 39 millimetres across the diameter and 9.56 millimetres in height. These dimensions position it comfortably within the contemporary preference for moderately sized watches, with the Source Aleph fitting a wide range of sartorial needs. The case construction employs a lugged design with elegantly curved lines. Bouchet has specified that the case sides may be fitted with either diamond settings or colour gradients transitioning from diamonds to coloured gemstones.
Material choice deserves careful consideration. The watch is available in 18-carat white gold, 4N rose gold, platinum, or titanium. Each material carries distinct characteristics. White gold offers the visual purity of platinum but with enhanced durability and reduced mass. Rose gold introduces warmth and, when combined with the mother-of-pearl dial, creates a tonal harmony that white precious metals cannot achieve. Platinum, the densest of the common watch case materials, creates a substantial presence on the wrist despite the modest case size. Titanium appeals to those prioritising comfort and resistance to corrosion over the gravitas of precious metals.
The sapphire crystal is glareproofed on both sides, eliminating internal reflections that compromise legibility. The caseback also employs sapphire, allowing unobstructed viewing of the movement’s architecture and decoration. The crown, matching the case material, contains no date or quickset mechanism. Its singular function remains winding and setting, keeping the crown profile minimal and elegant.
Water resistance stands at 30 metres, consistent with the Source Aleph’s positioning as a precious metal dress watch rather than a tool watch. This specification reflects the intended purpose: daily wear in protected environments rather than water sports or diving applications. At these depths, the pressure on the case-back and crown seals remains manageable, allowing Bouchet to avoid the bulk associated with sport watch cases.
The hand-stitched leather strap, equipped with a double pin buckle in matching case material, connects directly to the case lugs. The strap represents traditional horological aesthetics, yet the hand-stitching distinguishes it from mass-produced alternatives. Each stitch is made by craftspeople working at Emmanuel Bouchet’s workshop or trusted Swiss suppliers, ensuring consistency with the watch’s overall quality standard.
The Complication: Time Deconstructed
The three cones represent Bouchet’s philosophical statement on time. Each rotates at a different velocity: the cone at five o’clock completes one full revolution in 60 seconds (matching the seconds hand), the cone at four o’clock requires 24 hours for one rotation (advancing imperceptibly through day and night), and the cone at three o’clock takes 12 hours to complete its cycle.
This design creates a visual representation of Bouchet’s core belief: that significant changes and developments occur at slow speeds. The two slowest-moving cones are almost imperceptible in their movement. Observer watches the three o’clock cone for a minute and detects no motion. Observation over hours reveals glacial progress. Yet over their full cycles, these cones trace paths through time dimensions entirely invisible to conventional watch displays.
The seconds cone rotates visibly, providing immediate proof of the watch’s operation and offering users a traditional anchor to timekeeping. The 24-hour cone serves an entirely different function: it anchors the viewer to the circadian rhythm of night and day, acknowledging that humans experience time not as a continuous stream but as repeated cycles of darkness and light.
The craftsmanship involved in these cones extends beyond their material and stone settings. Each cone must rotate with absolute precision. A variation of even 0.1 millimetres in its pivot points would produce detectable wobbling. The internal gearing that drives each cone must maintain perfect concentricity with the watch’s centre arbor. The EB10-002 complication module addresses these challenges through its 82 components, each serving either to drive the cones at their specified velocities or to secure them against radial play.
The power reserve of 45 hours—a generous supply for a complication-bearing movement—reflects the double rotor’s efficacy. This extended power reserve ensures that the Source Aleph can sustain its complications through weekend periods when left unworn, a practical advantage over movements with typical 38 to 42-hour reserves.
Conclusion: Philosophy in Motion
The Source Aleph succeeds because it does not apologise for its underlying philosophy. Emmanuel Bouchet has created a watch whose complications serve not function but contemplation. The day and night indication serves no purpose that a calendar could not better fulfil. The three spinning cones measure nothing that current timekeeping standards require. Yet in their very existence, they accomplish something sophisticated: they alter perception. This watch emerges from two decades of Bouchet’s refinement, following his work on grand complications for Jaeger-LeCoultre, Parmigiani, and Harry Winston. He has brought that expertise to bear entirely on his own vision, unfettered by commercial constraints or market pressure. The annual production of approximately 50 pieces.
Emmanuel Bouchet Source Aleph Technical Specifications
Functions
- Dial at 12 o’clock: hours & minutes
- Dial at 6 o’clock: day & night indication
- Cone at 3 o’clock: 12 hours
- Cone at 4 o’clock: 24 hours
- Cone at 5 o’clock: seconds
Movement
- In-house designed movement EB21L, including additional complication EB10-002
- Design, construction, fabrication and assembly at Emmanuel Bouchet workshop
- Hand-finishing
- Mechanical self-winding with double rotor
- 21’600 alt./hour, 3Hz
- Diameter: 33.45mm (movement EB21L: 30mm; complication EB10-002: 3.45mm)
- Total height: 6.66mm (movement EB21L, including double rotor: 4.76mm; complication EB10-002: 1.90mm)
- Power reserve: 45 hrs
- Number of components: 283 (movement EB21L: 201; complication EB10-002: 82)
- Total number of jewels: 56 (movement EB21L: 40; complication EB10-002: 16)
Case
- Size: 39mm
- Height: 9.56mm
- Materials: available in 18-carat white gold / 4N rose gold, platinum or titanium
- Available with setting on the side of the case with diamonds or colour gradient from diamonds to coloured gemstones (emeralds, rubies, or blue sapphires).
- Glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback
- Crown: available in 18-carat white gold / 4N rose gold, platinum or titanium
- Water-resistance: 30m / 3 atm / 100 ft
Dial
- Dial base available in white or black mother-of-pearl or in ceramic
- Dial at 12 o’clock: available in white or black mother-of-pearl or in ceramic
- Indexes in metal with rhodium or gilded treatment and polished
- Dial at 6 o’clock: Day & Night disc in metal with rhodium or gilded treatment, colour applied by hand
- Hours and minutes hands: metal with rhodium or gilded treatment
- Cone at 3 o’clock: in platinum or in 18-ct gold, set with a mix of diamonds and coloured gemstones (emeralds, rubies or blue sapphires). Total: 0.042 ct (14 stones)
- Cone at 4 o’clock: in platinum or in 18-ct gold, set with diamonds for the day and with coloured gemstones (emeralds, rubies or blue sapphires) for the night. Total: 0.042 ct (14 stones)
- Cone at 5 o’clock: in platinum or in 18-ct gold, reversed diamond. Total: 0.03ct
Strap and buckle
- Hand-stitched leather strap
- Double pin buckle available in 18-carat white gold / 4N rose gold, platinum, or in titanium
ABOUT Emmanuel Bouchet
Emmanuel Bouchet is a master watchmaker who started his eponymous brand in 2014. With elegantly curved watches and a new type of philosophical complications, his goal is to deconstruct and expand the concept of time while adhering to watchmakers’ holy grail of precision and haute horlogerie principles. This results in philosophical timepieces that challenge watchmaking fundamentals by having unique features such as decimal minutes or an extra escapement. All Emmanuel Bouchet watches are 100% Swiss Made in his Les Bayards workshop with the help of a handful of Swiss suppliers. It takes weeks of passionate labour to perfect every single component of an Emmanuel Bouchet watch, which is why only around 50 watches per year are delivered to selected retailers and passionate watch collectors.