Thomas Prescher – haute horlogerie

Thomas Prescher is a genius of highly complicated watches, with a number of remarkable inventions to his name. Fascinated from the start by watches and their micro-mechanics, he began an apprenticeship at IWC, which offered only a single position, and finished it after three years instead of the usual four, as the year’s top student.

After IWC he worked at Audemars Piguet’s German service centre and then at Gübelin in Lucerne, where he specialised in restoring rare antique and complicated watches – by John Arnold, Abraham-Louis Breguet, Thomas Earnshaw and Ferdinand Adolph Lange – and in making custom timepieces. After an interlude at Progresswatch as assistant in research and development, and as director of production at Blancpain, he founded his own workshop. By then he was already well known to collectors, and he began with his first “normal” watch, the Tempusvivendi.

Tempusvivendi

The Tempusvivendi shows the time by a double retrograde complication. The display can be chosen to run continuously or to rest in a non-temporal position, by means of a pusher.

The symbol on the dial can be replaced by one of the customer’s choice – the versions shown here are Samurai, Falcon, Qatar, Russian Eagle, American Eagle and Geisha – and the materials of the case, dial, symbol, hands and indexes can be chosen as well. The case measures 43mm or 39mm, the power reserve is 40 hours and all engraving is done by hand.

Tempusvivendi Falcon with a rose-coloured dial and winged figure on a dark strap — Tempusvivendi Falcon

Tempusvivendi Qatar in yellow gold with a dark retrograde display and gold emblem on a red-brown strap — Tempusvivendi Qatar

Rose gold wristwatch seen from the caseback, with an open skeletonised movement on a brown strap — The Tempusvivendi from the back

Tempusvivendi Russian Eagle with a double-headed eagle on a silver-toned dial and black strap — Tempusvivendi Russian Eagle

Tempusvivendi American Eagle with a gold eagle on a blue dial and black strap — Tempusvivendi American Eagle

Tempusvivendi Geisha with a mother-of-pearl dial and gold figure on a black strap — Tempusvivendi Geisha

Double Axis Tourbillon

As a candidate member of the AHCI (Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants) at Basel, Thomas Prescher presented his Double Axis Tourbillon in a pocket watch and in a wristwatch.

It is much more than a simple double axis tourbillon: it is a flying tourbillon on both axes, with a constant force mechanism integrated in the carriage. The movement is designed and built entirely in-house. Like the Tempusvivendi, it can be personalised completely, with different materials, engravings, guilloché, indexes or hands.

Double Axis Tourbillon wristwatch in a gold cushion case with a silver dial, tourbillon window and sub-dial on a black strap — Double Axis Tourbillon wristwatch

Double Axis Tourbillon in a gold cushion case with an engraved gold dial, blue panel and tourbillon on a tan alligator strap — A personalised example with engraved dial

Steel cushion-shaped Double Axis Tourbillon with a white and blue dial, open tourbillon and sub-dial on a black strap — Another personalised example, in steel

Triple Axis Tourbillon

How do you top a double axis flying tourbillon with constant force in the carriage? With the world’s first triple axis flying tourbillon with an integrated constant force mechanism in the carriage – which is exactly what he did. The focus is on the tourbillon itself, beautifully designed.

Triple Axis flying tourbillon in steel with silver dial, open tourbillon window and small sub-dial on a black strap — Triple Axis flying tourbillon

Triple Axis flying tourbillon in steel with an engraved gold-toned dial, open tourbillon and blue hands on a tan strap — Triple Axis flying tourbillon, engraved version

A different version, the Triple Axis flying tourbillon “regulator”, shows what is possible.

Triple Axis tourbillon regulator in rose gold with a black dial, gold tourbillon window and sub-dials on a brown strap — Triple Axis flying tourbillon “regulator”

Steel Triple Axis tourbillon seen from the back, with an engraved gold-toned movement and tan strap — The regulator from the back

Mysterious Automatic Double Axis Tourbillon

After the triple axis tourbillon came the Mysterious Automatic Double Axis flying tourbillon. It is the first tourbillon to combine an automatic movement with a constant force mechanism in the carriage. It also features a calendar implemented in the oscillating weight, the first automatic movement with a horizontally rotating oscillating weight, and the first automatic movement with upright main plates on both sides of the movement. The movement is developed and made entirely in-house, and finishing one watch takes three to six months.

Sculptura Una

The Sculptura Una has the same mechanism as the Tempusvivendi, but with small seconds and a more reserved design.

Sculptura Una in yellow gold with a white dial, blue hands and day window at the top — Sculptura Una in yellow gold, white dial

Sculptura Una in steel with a blue chapter ring, white dial and Arabic numerals on a black strap — Sculptura Una in steel

Nemo

The Nemo collection includes the Nemo Sailor, with a case in copper bronze or another material of the customer’s choice, and the Nemo Captain, which carries the Triple Axis flying tourbillon: jumping hours, with the minutes indicated by the rotation of the tourbillon.

Nemo Sailor seen from the back, with its in-house designed and manufactured oscillating weight on a brown strap — Nemo Sailor – the in-house designed and manufactured oscillating weight

Nemo Captain with an open tourbillon over a dark dial in a bronze-toned case on a black strap — Nemo Captain

Nemo Captain seen from the back, with a gold engraved movement and tourbillon on a tan strap — Nemo Captain – the movement

Perpetual Calendar

A normal perpetual calendar would have been too ordinary for Thomas Prescher, so he created one with the time and the calendar indicated from the centre. The indications switch instantly, with the leap year shown at six o’clock, and the watch can be personalised to the customer’s wishes.