Our Take

In the category of independent watchmaking, one has escaped us through the years – a timepiece from Vianney Halter. No more! Excited to present one of Halter’s first (and arguably, most well-known) timepieces – the Antiqua.

Vianney Halter is one of the oldest players in avant-garde watchmaking. He launched his own watchmaking endeavor with the Antiqua at Baselworld 1998. One of the most striking perpetual calendars in watchmaking, the timepiece’s full calendar – time, date, day, month, leap-year indication – is broken into four separate dials. Time in the top-right, date in the bottom-right, month with leap-year indicator in the bottom-left, day in the top-left – the case is extremely unusual in its shape and steampunk aesthetic. Somewhat round, somewhat square, the Antiqua is retro-futurism to the max with its portholes and white-gold rivets. While it certainly lives in the pantheon of avant-garde timepieces, this timepiece sacrifices nothing for aesthetics. The dial layout feels less cluttered and more legible than traditional perpetual calendars. The classical intention to display time accurately and easily legible is retained; only classical shape and aesthetics are overthrown.

Caliber VH198 powers the Antiqua. It is based on Lemania 8810 with significant modifications. All-new baseplate and bridges to go alongside a redesigned perpetual calendar mechanism to meet the demands of the dial layout as well as the timepiece’s “mysterious mass” automatic-winding system. One of Halter’s patents, the “mysterious mass” rotor hides its mass behind a ring along the periphery of the exhibition caseback. Without any clear connection to the central rotor, it’s easy to think that this is a manual-wind timepiece.

The details of the Antiqua extend to the timepiece’s box. Made by Halter himself, the box acts a watch winder and matches the steampunk aesthetic of the timepiece with its riveted porthole. One of the nice touches is that the winder always stops when the watch is upright – allowing for its owner to use it as a desk or mantel clock.

There are fewer than 100 Antiqua’s in circulation, all produced from 1998 through 2016. They come in a variety of different materials, dial colors, and numerals options. This example, a mint complete set, features a white gold case with silver dials. The Antiqua shook the tradition when it arrived and is certainly one of the seminal timepieces in modern independent watchmaking.

The Details

Name: ANTIQUA

Type: Perpetual Calendar

Functions: hour, minute, date, day, month, leap year cycle

Size: 40 x 40 x 11,3 mm

Material: White gold

Movement: in-house developed

Calibre VH198

Balance frequency: 28’800 v.p.h.

Components: approx. 450 including 130 for the casing only

Jewelling: 43 rubies

Winding: automatic, fitted with the patented VH „mystery mass“ winding rotor

Power Reserve: 35 hours

Total weight: approx. 100 gr