I have always wondered how unconventionality could go hand in hand with classicism.

In the world of hands, these two things aren’t that simple to combine. The line between ‘too much’ and ‘too little’ is incredibly thin and the error is just around the corner.

When I think of an unconventional timepiece, the first reaction is amazement: seeing how the human genius finds alternatives to the classic is fascinating.

Often, however, once the ‘vision’ and the amazement are over, one finds in one’s hand an object with great technical contents, but with shapes and dimensions that are almost always difficult to live daily as well as a certain delicacy.

Yet I know a sophisticated, radical and extreme typology: jump hour!

The saltarello is undoubtedly an interesting type. Already in the last quarter of the 19th century it had a golden period with pockets. At the time it was a revolution of great depth, and it later came back into fashion in the 1930s. However, despite these two periods, it remained a complication for a few, probably due to the not always easy reading of the time (in digital form) and the large spaces left in the dial (in fact the hours and minutes were often ‘imprisoned’ in small windows. dimensions).

Personally, I believe there is a timepiece in particular that satisfies the union between the classic and the unconventional. The Star Wheel was born in the early 90s by the Maison replica Audemars Piguet.

Looking at it, one immediately realizes the potential of this saltarello at wandering hours, a real breaking point.

I would say, with due precautions, that it is the forerunner of the modern URWERK, but adopting a classic-shaped case in noble metal and developing the time reading on a flat surface.

In Audemars Piguet they took their cue from a wonderful 19th century pocket signed by Perrin Freres.

The unusual hour reading system is distributed on three sapphire crystal discs that alternate in the indication. Each record completes one revolution every three and one hours
complete rotation on its axis every four revolutions. The large central wheel is fitted with three star wheels (this is where the name Star Wheel comes from) blocked by as many springs: by turning it pushes the star wheel against the pin which, using it, exerts the necessary force to move the spring and make the star wheel. Once free from engagement, the wheel is locked again by the spring, which elastically returns to its seat so that the underlying disc integral with the star wheel can no longer move until the next engagement. The jumping change of the four digits present on the sapphire crystal discs is therefore carried out by passing over the two pins located at 3 and 9.

The reading of the minutes is indicated by the arrow under the number on the disc, and the minutes are inserted in the arc ranging from ’10’ to ‘2’.

The part of the dial not used for reading the time is worked, according to the model, by guilloché or engraved with a burin manually. In some models mother of pearl was used.

The golden-sized case is 36 millimeters, strictly in noble metal (also in this case, according to the model, yellow gold – white gold – pink gold – platinum were used).

The movement is the AP 2124/2812 (caliber derived from JLC 888/889) with 13 and a half lines, finished with côtes de Genève, 33 jewels, 48 hours of power and 21,600 alt / hour.

The price started from 14,500,000 lire (yellow gold version) up to 24,000,000 lire (platinum version) in the early 90s. Unfortunately it has not been in production for several years.

Watchmaking is a fantastic and vast world, many times we forget the past, even if in reality the future always draws inspiration from what has already been created and experienced, so did Arnold & Son with the Golden Wheel as Audemars Piguet with the Star Wheel inspired by Perrin Freres.

But I cannot deny that subjectively, Audemars Piguet with the Star Wheel produced that masterpiece I was looking for and which answers my initial question: classic and unconventional?

Simple …. Star Wheel