The Berneron Mirage has always been a watch that refuses the usual order of things.
Rather than designing a case and fitting a movement inside it, Sylvain Berneron lets the mechanics define the silhouette, resulting in a watch that looks drawn by motion rather than geometry.
The Mirage 38 Miroir pushes that idea further, replacing the familiar dial-side arrangement with a mirrored movement architecture that becomes both the engine and the face of the watch.
At a glance
- Berneron has introduced the Mirage 38 Miroir, a more radical evolution of its asymmetrical Mirage dress watch.
- The watch uses the new manual-winding Calibre 283, a mirrored gold movement architecture that functions as the visible display.
- First deliveries are planned for October 2027, with pricing from CHF 72,500 excluding VAT on leather.
A case shaped by the calibre
The Mirage 38 Miroir keeps the compact, fluid proportions that have made the Mirage one of the more distinctive independent watches of recent years.
Its 18k gold case measures 38mm by 34mm, with a thickness of just 7mm and a 42mm lug-to-lug length.
Those numbers matter because this isn’t a watch trying to win attention through size.
The impact comes from the uneven curves, the soft tension of the lugs and the way the entire case seems to have settled around the movement rather than contained it.
White gold and yellow gold versions are planned, both using a solid caseback and a hesalite crystal treated to improve scratch resistance.
Water resistance is rated to 30 metres, which suits the Mirage’s role as an artistic dress watch rather than a daily sports piece.
The mirrored dial is really the movement
The “Miroir” name is more than a poetic flourish.
Inside the watch is Calibre 283, a mirrored interpretation of the earlier Mirage movement concept, but not a simple reversal or a decorative skeleton treatment.
Only around one fifth of the components are carried over from Calibre 233, mainly the barrel and winding assembly.
The rest has been redesigned or newly made, allowing the calibre’s bridges, levels and split lines to act as the visual framework for reading time.
There isn’t a conventional dial in the usual sense.
Instead, the movement architecture creates the display, with sector guilloché used to mark the hours and layered gold components giving the watch its depth.
The curved gold hands follow the same sculptural logic, with the hour hand positioned above the minute hand.
Berneron has also avoided a separate running seconds sub-dial, which could have broken the flow of the composition.
The seconds wheel instead works as a running indicator, a small but telling decision that keeps the watch visually coherent.
Calibre 283 and the craft of controlled asymmetry
Calibre 283 is manually wound and notably thin, measuring 30mm by 28mm and only 2.83mm in height.
It is made from 135 components and uses 17 jewels, with a traditional Swiss lever escapement and a free-sprung balance beating at 21,600 vibrations per hour.
Two barrels provide a 72-hour power reserve, giving the watch a practical three-day autonomy despite its highly sculptural construction.
The finishing list is extensive, including guilloché, anglage, colimaçonnage, laser engraving, cerclage, traits tirés and nuagage.
What makes it persuasive is that the finishing doesn’t sit apart from the design.
The wheels, spokes, bridges and visible forms are shaped to match the language of the case, so the movement reads as one continuous object rather than a decorated mechanism placed on display.
Leather restraint or full gold presence
The Mirage 38 Miroir comes on a 20-16mm Barenia leather strap with an 18k gold buckle and gold spring bars.
On leather, the watch keeps a surprisingly discreet character, especially considering how unconventional its shape and display are.
There is also a 20mm solid-gold multi-link bracelet developed by Berneron.
That option gives the Mirage a much stronger jewellery presence, while still feeling connected to the case rather than simply attached to it.
The difference in price between the strap and bracelet versions is substantial, but the bracelet also changes the personality of the watch in a meaningful way.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | Berneron |
|---|---|
| Model | Mirage 38 Miroir |
| Case size | 38mm x 34mm |
| Thickness | 7mm |
| Lug-to-lug | 42mm |
| Case material | 18k white gold or 18k yellow gold |
| Crystal | Scratch-resistant treated hesalite |
| Caseback | Solid |
| Water resistance | 30 metres |
| Dial | Openworked mirrored movement architecture with sector guilloché hour marking |
| Movement | Berneron Calibre 283, manual-winding |
| Movement dimensions | 30mm x 28mm x 2.83mm |
| Components | 135 |
| Jewels | 17 |
| Escapement | Traditional Swiss lever escapement |
| Balance | Free-sprung balance |
| Frequency | 21,600 vibrations per hour |
| Power reserve | 72 hours |
| Finishing | Guilloché, anglage, colimaçonnage, laser engraving, cerclage, traits tirés and nuagage |
| Strap | 20-16mm Barenia leather strap with 18k gold buckle and spring bars |
| Bracelet option | 20mm solid-gold multi-link bracelet |
| Deliveries | First deliveries planned from October 2027 |
| Production | Series A limited to 36 pieces per colour per year for 10 years |
| Price on strap | CHF 72,500 excluding VAT |
| Price on gold bracelet | CHF 130,250 excluding VAT |
The Mirage 38 Miroir is not an easy watch in the best sense.
It asks the wearer to accept asymmetry, exposed mechanics and an unconventional reading of dress-watch elegance, but it does so with enough discipline that the result feels considered rather than eccentric.
For collectors drawn to independent watchmaking with a clear design philosophy, this is Berneron’s most complete expression of the Mirage idea yet.
