Ferdinand Berthoud’s Chronomètre FB 2TV brings the manufacture’s marine-chronometer language into a far more open, architectural direction, placing key mechanical organs in visible suspension across the dial side.
The watch is built around the new hand-wound FB-TV.FC calibre, a 3Hz movement combining a flying tourbillon, constant-force regulation and a fusee-and-chain transmission.
A Dial Built Around Empty Space
Rather than hiding its complexity beneath a traditional dial, the Chronomètre FB 2TV cuts deep recesses into the mainplate so the movement can become the face of the watch.
A small white-varnished hours-and-minutes dial sits at 12 o’clock, leaving the rest of the display to the suspended mechanisms and a slim blued titanium central seconds hand.
The result is not skeletonization for its own sake, but a deliberate reordering of the watch’s mechanical hierarchy: time indication is compact, while regulation, energy and transmission take visual command.
The FB-TV.FC Calibre and Its Suspended Mechanics
The FB-TV.FC calibre is the technical centrepiece here, using a flying tourbillon with constant force to stabilize delivery of energy to the escapement.
Ferdinand Berthoud also integrates a fusee-and-chain system, a barrel and a power-reserve mechanism that are presented as suspended components, with the construction protected by patents.
Power reserve is approximately 60 hours, a useful figure given the amount of energy management involved in the tourbillon, constant-force device and chain transmission.
A 44mm White Gold Case With Chronometer Intent
The case measures 44mm across and 15.46mm thick, giving the watch the scale needed to frame the movement’s depth and negative space.
It is crafted from ethically sourced white gold, with a slightly fluted bezel and a domed sapphire crystal emphasizing the height and mechanical staging beneath.
One of the most practical details is hidden in the crown: a pusher allows the wearer to stop the balance and reset the seconds hand to zero while setting the time.
That function reinforces the Ferdinand Berthoud character, where spectacle is expected to serve precision rather than distract from it.
A Rare Annual Production Piece
The Chronomètre FB 2TV is positioned firmly in the manufacture’s upper tier, with annual production limited to roughly 10 to 12 pieces.
It will appeal to collectors who want a modern interpretation of historical chronometry, but who prefer open mechanical architecture over conservative heritage design.
For Ferdinand Berthoud, the FB 2TV is a statement of direction: technical, theatrical and still rooted in the discipline of marine timekeeping.
