Laurent Ferrier and Urwerk - Arpal One for Only Watch 2017

Laurent Ferrier and Urwerk joined forces to create the Arpal One, a piece-unique (one-of-a-kind) watch that will be on sale at the Only Watch 2017 charity auction in order to help finance research on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

The hand of Laurent Ferrier is recognizable in the lines of the case which suggest the love of the master watchmaker for classic cars.

The case was shaped from an exclusive alloy called ARPAL+, specifically developed for this unique watch. ARPAL+ consists of 75% precious metals and resists wear and scratches better than white gold or steel. Its colour never fades, nor does it oxidise. This alloy was first developed for the electronics industry where it is much appreciated for its strength and because it is easily worked.

While the case is perfectly polished, the Urwerk’s movement is almost colourless. The four hours satellites are in a matt pearly grey with diamond-polished outlines while the hours and minutes markers are painted in white Super-LumiNova.

The time is shown by four satellites, each bearing three hours numerals, which successively sweep past the track of minutes. This original and intuitive way of telling the time is aided by a cover in polyetheretherketone, a thermoplastic known as PEEK, which hides the satellites that are not engaged in indicating the time.

The satellites turn on a hidden carousel, at the heart of the successive passage of the hours. Engineering the smooth and silent revolutions of a module that weighs 500 times as much as a conventional set of hands is one of the many challenges involved in the manufacturing of this movement.

Beating at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vph), the self winding UR5.03 is governed by a double turbine and offers a power reserve of 48 hours.

The cabochon winding crown recalls the stripes of the satellite hours. The Arpal one is completed by a nice sand-coloured leather strap. 

Estimate CHF 50,000 - CHF 70,000. Price realised CHF 100,000. More information at onlywatch.com