Sincere Haute Horlogerie is a staple within Asia’s high-end watch scene, and to celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2024, the luxury retailer created a series of twelve limited-edition timepieces in collaboration with some of the industry’s top brands. The previous eleven models from the Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition series were released throughout this past year and spanned a diverse assortment of brands ranging from household names like Chopard to more enthusiast-driven marquees, such as Laurent Ferrier and Moritz Grossmann. For the 12th and final timepiece from the Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition series, Sincere Haute Horlogerie has partnered with Ferdinand Berthoud to create a platinum version of its Chronomètre FB RES wristwatch, and the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1RES.3 Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition will be produced as an ultra-exclusive limited edition of just three examples.

Crafted from 950 platinum, the 44mm case of the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1RES.3 Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition (ref. 161313-9001) features an octagonal profile, and along with having sapphire crystals fitted to both its bezel and caseback, the middle case includes two sapphire portholes on its sides, which are located at 2 and 11 o’clock. Water resistance for the model comes in at the same 30 meters as other Chronomètre FB RES watches, and fitted to its lugs is a brown alligator leather strap with a folding clasp made from 18k white gold and 950 platinum. Although Ferdinand Berthoud’s Chronomètre FB RES models are available in a variety of alloys, the use of platinum is exclusive to the Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition, and while the platinum crown on the 3 o’clock side of the case is set with a black ceramic medallion, the 9 o’clock side of the case is engraved with Sincere’s logo, which is a graphical allegory based on the symbol for infinity.

The dial fitted to the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1RES.3 Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition features a vertical brushed surface with a salmon-colored 4N rose gold finish, while the hour markers and minute track are printed along a separate ring that surrounds the display. A small aperture appears within the arch-shaped power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock, while the entire lower right side of the dial is open-worked to showcase the finely finished components of the movement. The skeletonized hour and minute hands on the Chronomètre FB 1RES.3 Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition are both crafted from polished 18k white gold, while the seconds hand is made from bronze with a blue CVD treatment and since the movement is equipped with a deadbeat seconds mechanism, the blue hand precisely ticks once per second, despite being a fully mechanical timepiece.

Powering the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1RES.3 Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition is the brand’s Caliber FB-RES.FC manual-wind movement, which is a COSC-certified chronometer that is equipped with both a fusee-and-chain transmission and a one-second remontoire d’égalité device. Ferdinand Berthoud has created other watches with these two high-horology complications, such as the Chronomètre FB 2RE, and the whole point of this pairing of mechanisms is to achieve superior timekeeping performance. Running at a frequency of 18,000vph (2.5 Hz) with a power reserve of 50 hours, the Ferdinand Berthoud Cal. FB-RES.FC is a highly impressive creation from both a visual and mechanical standpoint, and its hand-beveled angles account for a total combined length of two meters, with over 250 hours of work required to polish and finish its components.

The inclusion of both a fusee-and-chain transmission and a one-second remontoire d’égalité in the Ferdinand Berthoud Caliber FB-RES.FC is intended to improve the movement’s timekeeping performance by completely regulating the power transfer from the barrel to the escapement. The fusee-and-chain mechanism delivers a constant force from the barrel at the start of the gear train, while the remontoir d’égalité is positioned at the opposite end to smooth out any irregularities by temporarily storing the energy before passing it to the escapement in equal increments every second. The once-per-second impulse of the remontoir d’égalité also makes it possible for the Cal. FB-RES.FC movement to have a deadbeat seconds display, which precisely ticks every second like a quartz watch, despite being a highly intricate mechanical creation that consists of 1,200 individual components.

With an official retail price of S$452,800 SGD (approximately $336,500 USD, at the time of writing) and production limited to just three individually-numbered examples, the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1RES.3 Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition (ref. 161313-9001) is the definition of an exclusive timepiece. However, while most highly complicated models offer multiple functions or displays, the Chronomètre FB 1RES.3 Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition is an ultra-complex expression of a time-only watch with a power reserve indicator, and that is exactly why it is special. Aside from being something to admire through the caseback, a fusee-and-chain transmission and remontoire d’égalité are not complications that can be fully appreciated without at least some understanding of how a mechanical movement works, and they make for a properly nerd-level timepiece that perfectly represents the industry’s affinity for creating highly complex solutions in the pursuit of superior performance. For more information on the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1RES.3 Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition, please visit the brand’s website.