Contemporary creation born in history
Some inventions have an aesthetic appeal that transcends the centuries and becomes the hallmark of a contemporary collection. The world’s first chronograph, created by Louis Moinet in 1816, stands out as a prime example. Even 210 years later, its DNA continues to inspire and now serves as the blueprint for a new timepiece: the 1816 TOURBILLON CHRONOGRAPH.
Roots in heritage
Louis Moinet, an artist, clockmaker, and scientist, wished to carry out astronomical observations but needed an extremely precise instrument to measure the movement of the planets and stars. Thus he designed the Compteur de Tierces, the world’s first chronograph, which he completed in 1816. The layout of the counters and the insistence on their legibility were remarkably modern for the times. Indeed, 210 years later, these defining features continue to guide the aesthetic identity of Les Ateliers Louis Moinet. Numerous details on the case and dial of the 1816 TOURBILLON CHRONOGRAPH bear witness to this creation’s resolutely contemporary expression.
Manufacture Calibre
Chronograph with a Flying Tourbillon
The 1816 TOURBILLON CHRONOGRAPH is powered by the in-house LM114 calibre, assembled by Louis Moinet watchmakers in Les Breuleux. A renowned and proven movement, it combines two major complications: a column-wheel controlled chronograph operated by a single pusher and a flying tourbillon with an off-centre cage. Its hand-wound movement with a double barrel is designed to deliver a generous power reserve of 96 hours.
The 1816 TOURBILLON CHRONOGRAPH thus pays tribute to the friendship between Louis Moinet and Abraham-Louis Breguet, inventors of the chronograph and the tourbillon respectively, and both founding fathers of modern watchmaking.
