In 1998, Vianney Halter presented a creation that caused a stir in the watchmaking world: the Antiqua, his first watch. The watch was immediately dubbed as a relic from the future and his design was widely considered avant-garde.

A watch from the future. Albeit not ours, but the future as it could have evolved from the Victorian era. A future inspired by Jules Vernes and H.G. Wells.

This piece was designed as a embodiement of the spirit of the marine chronometers, linking antique time instruments to the contemporary collector’s wrist. 

As a testimony to horological tradition, the Antiqua features a very classical complication: the perpetual calendar, with a peculiar geometry that lends this piece a quircky style. For ideal readability, the Antiqua’s complete calendar informations are split between 4 riveted portholes. Following order of decreasing diameter, one can read: hour&minutes, month/leap year, day of the week and finally the date.

Each dial is made in noble metal, embellished and hand-engraved.
The case itself is built out of nearly 130 parts (including 104 rivets), each part being refinished and decorated by hand.
These complex and very thorough aesthetics are a reflection of the exceptional mechanism they enclose.

Another nod to watchmaking tradition is the « mysterious » mass rotor conceived by Vianney Halter. There is no visible part between the peripherical rotating mass and the caliber center. This poetic invention allows a full untroubled view on the VH198 in-house calibre as if it were a simple hand-wound movement.

Read the review done by WatchTime magazine ME of our piece