This year, Revolution turns 20. Two decades of chronicling watches, people and ideas have given us a front-row seat to a remarkable story: how an age-old craft has both preserved its soul and reinvented itself for the 21st century. To celebrate, we’ve chosen over 100 names and milestones that, for us, define the era so far. From leaders to watches, you can see the whole list here.

There are few names in contemporary watchmaking that pursue the idea of a marine chronometer for the wrist with the single-mindedness of Ferdinand Berthoud. The FB 1, with which a grand name of horology was resurrected by the Chopard Group a decade ago, contains one of the most beautiful tourbillon movements of our time, so earnest in its architecture that it still feels rare today. The Caliber FB-T.FC, at its score, combines a tourbillon with a fusée-and-chain and a Maltese cross stop work, with every detail from the pillar-and-plate architecture to the cone-and-feeler power reserve device recalling the language of a bygone era.

Ferdinand Berthoud FB 1 in white gold

The fusée, in particular, is realized here as a reverse fusée, an idea first explored by Thomas Mudge in his marine timekeepers. In the traditional layout, the fusée sits to the left of the barrel and the chain runs barrel to fusée. The barrel is wound first, and in operation, the chain unwinds barrel to fusée. In this arrangement, the pull of the chain and the thrust of the fusée pinion both act in the same direction, so the pivots of the fusée arbor must withstand the sum of those forces, increasing friction and wear. In this reverse arrangement, the positions of the barrel and fusée are swapped so that the chain crosses over. The fusée is wound first, and in operation, the chain unwinds fusée to barrel. This configuration makes winding easier, while at the same time, the pull of the chain now opposes the thrust of the fusée pinion, balancing the forces at the pivots and reducing frictional losses.

The implementation of the fusée is not a historical transplant but a carefully reconsidered construction for the wrist. Traditionally, a fusée sits between two plates, supported at either end by pivots and capped with a bridge, which inevitably adds thickness to the movement. Here the fusée is built in “flying” fashion, secured only at its base and held in place by a shoulder and retainer on a single arbor. This eliminates the need for a bridge above, reducing eight while keeping the cone perfectly stable.

Equally important is the way the system manages maintaining power. Traditionally, maintaining power comes in the form of an auxiliary spring mounted between the fusée and the train, designed to keep the escapement running while the chain is rewound during winding. However, the cost of this is height, hence the FB 1 uses a compact differential planetary gear that is built into the fusée itself.

The barrel also has a flying construction, with a Maltese cross stopwork integrated into the retaining plate that holds it in place. The stopwork limits how far the chain can wrap around the fusée at full wind and also limits the mainspring from being over wound and generating overly high torque.

At the heart of the watch, held under an arrow-shaped bridge, is the finely executed one-minute flying tourbillon, one of the most beautiful in watchmaking. Though large in diameter, the cage is made up of three exceptionally slender arms, each beveled and polished. Within sits a free-sprung balance beating at 3Hz, fitted with an over coil hairspring. The entire carriage is driven by a wheel, instead of a pinion, which meshes with the fourth wheel in the going train, thus achieving a tourbillon with a central seconds.

Ferdinand Berthoud FB 1 in rose gold

In 2023, the brand announced the end of the production run of this magnificent caliber with the final limited edition, the Chronomètre FB 2T.1. But the expertise of the company and its parent is plain to see in the recent Naissance d’une Montre 3, and it is clear the story is far from over.

Tech Specs: Ferdinand Berthoud FB 1

Movement Manual winding COSC-certified Caliber FB-T.FC, with fusée-and-chain mechanism; 53-hour power reserve
Functions Hours, minutes and direct-drive center seconds; flying tourbillon
Case 44mm × 13mm; 18K white or rose gold, with sapphire porthole; water resistant to 30m
Dial Ruthenium treated brass, or hand engraved and patinated 18K rose gold
Strap Hand-sewn, rolled-edge alligator with pin buckle