It is not often that a watch design can be called entirely unique and original, but if anyone comes close, Vianney Halter certainly deserves mention. As one of the early pioneers of the independent watchmaking movement, Vianney Halter began long before collecting independent watches became a trend. Working on a small scale and taking his time, he has become renowned for his distinctive aesthetic.
This is the Vianney Halter Classic, one of his most iconic pieces of work, next to the more complicated Antiqua. A time-only piece, it is housed within a modestly sized 36mm 18-carat rose gold case and features actual rivets on the edge of the case, along with a studded crown. Two nibs on the top and bottom of the case connect the lugs, which hold each end of the strap, rounding off this steampunk-style watch. The case is finished with a circular brushing at the top and polished sides, adding some nice depth to the overall look. Wearing and winding the watch, I found it to be a very pleasant tactile experience, from the grip of the studded crown and touching the different contrasting surfaces of the watch.
Needless to say, the dial is incredibly beautiful on this Classic, with radial stylized Arabic numerals sitting atop a circular brushed silver surface. Towards the center portion of the dial, there is an obvious visual contrast with the graining, and this is topped off with the delicately beautiful curved blued hands.
Powering this watch is a heavily modified Lemania Cal. 8810, featuring a mystery ‘sapphire’ rotor that offers an unobstructed view of the self-winding movement. If you look closer, you’ll see that there are weights on the periphery of the rotor to allow effective oscillation and the movement looks simple but is nevertheless expertly finished.
At first glance, the Vianney Halter Classic may appear to be a relatively simple and novel watch, but the more you examine it, the more you realize the incredible attention to detail in its design—from the case to the textures of the dial and the finishing of the movement. Limited to just 250 pieces and released in 2001, this is a truly rare and exclusive timepiece that stands out as completely unique in today’s market.
