Andreas Strehler had lived many lives as a watchmaker before he started regularly putting his name to the dials of his timepieces. His path to creating his independent brand followed one that many of his colleagues at the workshop of Renaud et Papi (later Audemars Piguet Renaut et Papi) took. After his four years working with names such as Greubel, Forsey, Grönefeld and Speake, he embarked on his own, restoring clocks and watches while also working on pieces such as the Tischkalendar and other remarkable innovations for which he holds several patents. Through his company UhrTeil AG, Strehler shaped the mechanical offerings of brands such as H. Moser & Cie. and Maurice Lacroix among others.
This example of Trans-Axial Tourbillon – the watchmaker’s most recent creations, first unveiled in 2018 – features a platinum case. The cushion-shape is 37mm long and 41mm wide and has a three-part construction. The high-polished bezel meets a similarly finished midcase, with lugs that feature an inward facet. The crown, with its serrated edge is easy to grip. The caseback, held together by four screws, is of the exhibition variety. Along the rim are engraved details such as the brand mark, country of origin, ‘tourbillon’ as well as the serial number. Worth noting here is that the watchmaker starts every year’s production from number 1 followed by the year in Roman numerals.
The dial is of the open variety putting the mechanics of the manual-wind calibre at the heart of the aesthetic front and centre. The time-telling aspect of the dial is oriented on the right-hand side of the watch face. It features a brushed chapter of printed hours and baton-style minutes. Visible through this dial are the keyless works as well as the triangle-shaped gold bridge that is a visual signature of the maker. Easy to miss are the sapphire disks that surreptitiously govern the functioning of the leaf-style hours and minutes hands, both heat-blued. This again was a design decision to aid overall visibility of the precisely machined bridges and gears that Strehler produces in-house.
Also tucked in, between 9 and 12 o’clock, is a reserve indicator that counts down the 78 hours of autonomy the calibre extracts from a twin set of barrels. Each of these barrels, that are vertically arranged, is anchored by a triangular bridge, crafted from gold. Elegantly constructed, the jewelled anchor of the barrel at the bottom also serves to house the subsidiary seconds hand. The subsidiary seconds register is fractionally offset.
To the left of the watch face is the three-armed tourbillon, the first time Strehler has included such a device in his independent brand’s offering. It is anchored by a bridge that is architectural in its robust construction. As is the watchmaker’s way, the function of the tourbillon is extended beyond its basic purpose. This is because mounted on the tourbillon cage is the remontoire device. Power is transferred, constantly and consistently, to the tourbillon through this one-second remontoire. This explains the name of the watch and when it was first revealed, such an arrangement was entirely novel. Below the tourbillon is a screwed-on plate with the brand mark and serial number etched on.
Turning over to the movement side further illustrates the path the power from the barrels takes to the tourbillon. A large gold central wheel, with inner details reminiscent of pieces such as the watchmaker’s Papillion, transfers power to the remontoire. This advance, in clear, one-second increments also governs the dead-beat seconds. Below the large golden wheel, a thin arm with a ruby pallet interacts with a small wheel that operates the subsidiary seconds with precise, one-second advances.
Aside from the functional parts, the bridge that dominates the movement view is decorated with beautiful guilloche of a pattern as if radiating from the aperture where the tourbillon is located.
The down-turned lugs, 22mm apart, wear the brand’s butterfly logo and precious metal hallmark laser-etched on the back. The watch comes with a substantial platinum pin buckle clasp.
If sold within the United Kingdom, this Andreas Strehler Trans-Axial Tourbillon will be subject to 20% VAT
