Louis Moinet didn’t start as a watchmaker. His passion lay in sculpture, painting and architecture, three areas which he went on to study at the age of 20 when he left Paris in 1788. When he returned to Paris after his studies, he became a Professor at the Academy of Arts in the Louvre but, looking back to his childhood, there was an avenue that he had not yet explored. Having spent lots of his spare time as a child with a watchmaker, Louis Moinet resumed his studies once more to explore this deep seated passion. Ten years of training with his master and Moinet became president of the Chronometry Society of Paris and became friends with Breguet in 1811. Together the pair worked on watchmaking concepts, sharing their expertise and innate passion for timepieces, which subsequently devoured hours and hours of their time until in 1816 Louis Moinet’s first "compteur de tierces" was created. The world’s first chronograph.
The next two decades after this chronograph innovation were dedicated towards refining and perfecting the art of watchmaking. Louis Moinet published his first magnum opus, ‘Le Traité d'Horlogerie' in 1948 which took a total of 20 years to write and also invented an astronomical watch. Louis Moinet watches were loved and collected by Royalty and members of high society, Tsar of Russia, Napoleon, Thomas Jefferson and King George IV of England to name just a few who admired his work.
Jean-Marie Schaller revived the Louis Monet company 155 years later. He founded the ‘Les Ateliers Louis Moinet' watchmaking facilities in St Blaise, Switzerland and adopted a new, exciting and creative approach to watchmaking. That said, every collection and timepiece that followed remained faithful to Louis Moinet’s story and the heritage of the brand. Patented mechanisms for every Louis Moinet watch are unique and authentic. The special edition timepieces from the Louis Moinet catalogue tend to be limited to 12 or 60 timepieces, and pay tribute to the founder of the company and his watchmaking legacy
Some of the most popular Louis Moinet watch collections include the Memoris line, crafted from 18ct gold. Their skeletonised dials offer a clear view into their engines, while at 6 o’clock main timekeeping is presented in a sub-dial. The collection pays homage to the world’s first chronograph developed by the company. Another popular collection is the Louis Moinet Ultravox, which boasts a rare complication made visible from the dial side. A gathering pallet located at 6 o’clock releases the strike hammer precisely on the hour when the flirt becomes engaged at 6 o’clock. The inertia braking flywheel then regulates the rhythm of the strike as the entire timepiece comes to life both visually and sensually.
The Tempograph Chrome from Louis Moinet features bridges, a dial flange and surround finished in a striking blue, black or green colour. Its distinct dew drop hands are paired with an entirely new case design inspired by the construction of the Memoris. The watch’s 20-Seconds' Tempograph retrograde movement has been fully reworked to offer a timepiece that looks and feels unique on the wrist.
