In November 2016, at the Salon des Grandes Complications in Dubai, KERBEDANZ revealed for the first time the results of its adventure into the magical realm of the "dark art," with an "all black" look shot through with somber flashes and nuances. Now, with the grand watchmaking theater of Baselworld 2017 as its global amplifier, the brand has done it again, and true to its identifying values, it is unveiling its latest work of art, the Squama Tourbillon. A dial-maker's dream with fish scale decoration.

Allegories galore and journeys of initiation

KERBEDANZ, a company reflecting the epitome of excellence in watchmaking, recalls its core mis- sion, namely to "give sense to beauty." It is the only brand making high-end mechanical watches with complication to have staked a claim in the realm of symbols and allegories, while producing unique pieces or ultra-limited series. It does so by inserting as many allusions to the secret life of the watch's buyer, combined with explicit ref- erences to historical periods and specific cultures. The work is done by CDO (chief designer officer) Aram Petrosyan as well as his team of designers. With their many subtle details and well-crafted, elegant elements, these timepieces are in fact journeys of initiation filled with fantastical references, stylistic touches and compendia of civilizations.

New techniques on a traditional canvas

The Swiss brand, KERBEDANZ, is a full-fledged master of the delightful blending of quintessential Swiss watchmaking traditions and the know-how inherited from a long family tradition of jewelry work. As such, it has full command of the core com- plications of unadulterated chronometry, like the tourbillon and the minute repeater, as well as more subtle techniques such as enameling, hand engraving and miniature painting. Now, through its all-black collection, it is adding a complete line of the most avant-garde techniques with regards to the treatment of gold.

Full gold with a layer of 100 shades of black

In watchmaking, DLC stands for diamond-like carbon. It consists mainly of a treat- ment using graphite and hydrogen. To affix it onto any surface, be that a caliber's mechanical parts or the nooks and crannies of a watch case, goes well beyond the framework of the esthetic requirements of the timepiece's "100 shades of black." In addition to the sheer technical feat, this treatment is indeed the fulfillment of a fun- damental horological quest dating back 200 years, namely to protect valuable watches by increasing their hardness and making them more resistant to friction. Master watchmakers from all periods always strived to make sure that their works of precious materials, such as gold, could resist the ravages of time.

Collectors and MIP

KERBEDANZ is much appre- ciated by MIPs – most im- portant personalities, a term that designates those who have a genuine influence on their times. And so the brand creates timepieces that are either unique, or tailor-made, or in ultra- limited series, wristwatches that also meet the expecta- tions of the most eager col- lectors. The introduction of absolute black into its col- lections adds modernism to its successful approach. It sublimates the architecture and the contours, highlights the care given to the bev- eled and polished parts, it transcends the meticulously furrowed lines of the engrav- ing made by expert human hands.