In a few weeks at Baselworld 2014, independent watchmaker MCT Watches is expected to launch its first truly new watch in years. Undoubtedly, this is a highly anticipated event for brand fans, especially considering the popularity of its first series; Sequential One and last year’s follow-up S-110. However, many people have never even heard of MCT watches or S1 series watches, which is why today we review their relatively short history so that you can fully understand the wonderful debut next month.
It is a long and difficult road for MCT watches to reach today. However, their story is not unique. In fact, it records what many independent watchmakers have experienced as they struggle to establish their reputation in the highly competitive world of luxury watches. However, through the ups and downs, the brand has been striving to produce unique, high-quality products, which, more than anything else, helps to ensure its survival.
MCT watches-a brief history
MCT entered the field of watchmaking in 2009, although in fact the development of its concept has been years before its official release. This young fashion brand was founded by Denis Giguet with the help of an unknown financial backer. Its goal is to design unique and distinctive watches that enable customers to quickly and easily Tell the time accurately.
Maybe this is not entirely a revolutionary concept, but you must remember that this happens when the full impact of the global financial crisis is beginning to be felt on a global scale. Avoid those luxury men watches, but usually unrealistic designs have occupied the six-figure price range of luxury watches, and in order to reduce the wear and tear of the wrist, this design was abandoned. This kind of watch still looks good and does not cause A lot of unnecessary attention. Having said that, this is always a challenging market.
However, Giguet is ready to complete the arduous task before him. After all, this is not his first attempt in the watchmaking industry. At the age of 39, this unparalleled French engineer has achieved a very successful career in the company’s work, first at Rolex and then as production supervisor at Harry Winston Watches. He is closely involved in the acclaimed Opus series ( From 1 to 6). .
Later, he found his own consulting company in Geneva. During this time, he helped leading brands achieve their own technical goals while developing their own ideas. Here, he conceived the original intention of MCT and shared his grand plan for the future in an early interview:
“My goal is to “change the face of time” by using a novel and very unique movement and a visual display, and always be equipped with a large and unique hour indicator. Many expensive watches appear with weird and wonderful designs , But they usually have very little functionality. Our customers tell us that they now want to buy “real” watches, not pure fantasy items.”
However, he knew they needed an amazing first clock to really attract people’s attention, and went on to say:
“The risk of launching a new brand is very high. In the current climate, this risk is greatly exaggerated. If the new watch cannot excel in its own way, it will be difficult for the brand to survive in the long term. For me, design and It is very important to produce a first-of-its-kind watch with our own movement. I must ask others to judge whether this is really an exception.”
MCT watch-sequence table
His answer is Sequential One (S1), MCT’s first watch. S1 uniquely embodies the complexity of jumping time, presenting an unprecedented dial configuration. Together with the watch designer Eric Giroud and a group of watchmakers, each function is based on a combination of elements rotating on a three-dimensional axis and performed at different speeds and time points. The oversized hour numerals on the 12 prisms are combined with a beating sapphire crystal dial, which can indicate the minutes with one hand. It is difficult to explain exactly what it looks like, so it is easier to show you in this video provided by industry veteran Ian Skellern:
However, what really impresses fans is the complexity of the movement. It is completely internally developed and consists of 471 components. Not only is it more complicated to build than a tourbillon, but it also took a few days to assemble at MCT’s Geneva Atelier. The sapphire exhibit back cover allows peeking into its internal functions.
Although the square case of Sequential One is slightly unusual, it is extremely comfortable on the wrist. In more discrete situations, it can easily slide under the sleeve, and thanks to the highly intuitive and clear time display, it can be seen clearly at a glance. What I really like is that you can easily wear this fake watch online with a suit and tie. People won’t look at it twice, but at the same time, it still has enough amazing factors. If you wear it, you can immediately cause People’s attention goes out of its hiding place.