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F O C U S
F O C U S
True to its mission, Chronométrie
Ferdinand Berthoud produces only chro-
nometers — 21st-century wristwatches
inspired by the marine and pocket chro-
nometers made by Ferdinand Berthoud
in the 18th century. In 2025, the brand
celebrates its 10th anniversary with the
first platinum versions of its distinctive
FB 3SPC.
Ferdinand Berthoud, born in 1727 in the Val-de-
Travers, near Fleurier in the canton of Neuchâtel and
where the manufacture (or chronométrie to be more pre-
cise) is now based, was both ‘Horologist-Mechanic’ to the
King and to the French Navy. Chronométrie Ferdinand
Berthoud was established in 2015 at the initiative of Karl-
Friedrich Scheufele, co-president of Chopard, who first
took care to collect various writings and creations by
the Master and his workshop before embarking on the
project. That collection, now displayed in the private
L.U.CEUM museum in Fleurier, provides a rich source
of inspiration for today’s chronometers.
Today’s chronometers echo the past through case
design, movement construction — particularly the
pillar-based architecture — and precision-enhancing
devices such as the fusée-and-chain, the remontoir
d’égalité and the cylindrical hairspring. These elements
have been reinterpreted using 21st-century technological
advances, continuing the quest for precision that began
in the 18th century. All Ferdinand Berthoud chronome-
ters meet the strict criteria of modern COSC chronometer
certification, including the FB 3SPC, which was not orig-
inally designed with certification in mind. Notably, its
movement, featuring a cylindrical hairspring, is the first
of its kind to pass COSC testing successfully, a compel-
ling reason to choose it for the brand’s 10th anniversary.
Coiled energy
It was Ferdinand’s nephew, Louis Berthoud, who cre-
ated decimal watch No. 26 in 1793, the historical piece
that inspired the FB 3SPC. Having taken over his uncle’s
workshop in 1784, he often used the cylindrical hair-
spring to enhance precision. This spring offers excel-
lent isochronism and stability, expanding concentrically
with an unchanging centre of gravity. However, due to
its volume and shape, it is particularly susceptible to
positional errors caused by gravity when the watch is
upright. For this reason, the few modern examples of
cylindrical hairsprings are typically mounted in tour-
billons to compensate through constant rotation. But
Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud takes a different and
strikingly successful approach.
In the FB 3SPC, the free-sprung regulator consists of a
specially designed variable-inertia balance with four fine
adjustment screws and eight mass screws, paired with
a cylindrical hairspring also developed specifically for
this model. To achieve the COSC rate standards required
months of research, testing and refinement to determine
the number of coils and the geometry of the terminal
curves at both attachment points. The resulting bal-
ance-and-spring assembly is prominently showcased
at 9 o’clock, visible from the dial side, the caseback and
even through a side window in the case.
Prestige Edition
The FB 3SPC, launched in 2022, features a round case
design inspired by decimal watch No. 26. The overall
aesthetic calls to mind the minimalist style of early
19th-century pocket watches. The shape of the screwed
balance bridge echoes that of astronomical watch No.
3 by Ferdinand Berthoud, while the arc-shaped bar-
rel bridge takes its cue from Louis Berthoud’s quarter
repeater watch No. 2575.
To mark the 10th anniversary of the Chronométrie, the
FB 3SPC is now offered in platinum. Given the complex-
ity of the case, which comprises 57 components, more
than 30 hours of machining and finishing are required
to achieve the desired result. Polishing is particularly
demanding — platinum, though extremely dense, is also
very malleable and calls for considerable expertise and
care. The same goes for the movement finishing, pri-
marily fine sandblasting and anglage, which together
require more than 100 hours of work. As is standard at
the manufacture, all finishing and inspection is carried
out under magnification of 6.7x, more than double the
high watchmaking norm.
For the anniversary edition, movements are offered
in either salmon or black finish. They are housed in plat-
inum cases with a restrained polish, in two limited series
of 20 pieces each. Two additional series of just 5 pieces
each feature platinum cases set with diamonds, a cele-
bratory tribute in every sense. ■ Éric Dumatin
To mark its 10th anniversary, Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud
unveils the FB 3SPC chronometer, inspired by a historical piece
and housed in 42.3 mm platinum case. The COSC-certified, hand-
wound movement has a cylindrical hairspring visible on both faces
and through a caseband aperture at 9 o’clock. Two anniversary
versions differ in dial finish and gem-setting:
1. FERDINAND BERTHOUD FB 3SPC.3 – Rose-salmon movement
(4N gilded), silver small seconds subdial and hours–minutes ring.
Limited to 20 numbered pieces.
2. FERDINAND BERTHOUD FB 3SPC.3-1 – PVD-coated black
movement, black lacquered subdial and ring. Also limited to 20
numbered pieces.
Platinum Time