Chapter VI of The Unnamed Society takes the wealth of emotions that make the football a cultural touchstone and imagines it as a desk clock with a unique juxtaposition of materials, colours, and textures – a watchmaking marvel as interior art, totally unexpected and yet long-awaited
The Unnamed Society transforms the symbol of the world’s most popular sports into the most exclusive of objects. On the outside, it brings together the highest levels of craftsmanship with the most exotic, unexpected materials for an unprecedented visual and sensorial experience. On the inside, it opens the heart to a wonder of watchmaking mastery and brings a twinkle to the eye.
The 205-component mechanical manufacture movement was imagined and designed entirely in-house – 100% Swiss. Made from idea to construction to finishing, including the mechanism and housing, Caliber One was bespoke-developed and engineered specifically for integration into the geodesic sphere created for The Champion concept.
Throughout The Champion’s development, Caliber One was continually refined in close concert with The Unnamed Society’s designers to achieve the effect of a mechanism levitating in space. Maillechort (German silver), brass and steel parts offer a stunning spectacle with their black, charcoal and nickel galvanic surface treatments, amplified with refined touches such as hand-finished bridge chamfers.
The time, told in jumping hours and trailing minutes, is read from two discs at 6 o’clock. The clockwork, self-adjusting with a play compensation system, is manually set and wound with a square key winder. The power reserve is 155 hours. The layered depth brings out the calibre’s centrepiece – the screw balance wheel framed by hand-bevelled and dynamic bridges. Caliber One was conceived as a foundation upon which to imagine and build future horological creations.
The Champion’s exterior surprises not just with the subtle interplay of shapes and colours, but also with that of materials and textures. Macassar ebony, lambskin, nubuck leather, carbon – the creativity in juxtaposing these materials is matched only by the craftsmanship in bringing out their magnificence in a shape as complex as this.
Created using state-of-the-art 3D printing technology, the polygonal plates are curved with microscopic precision so that, together, they form the geodesic sphere. They can be veneered with the noblest wood, sheathed in leather, metal-plated or paved with gemstones. Each material having different tolerances and requiring different skills and techniques, the crafting process has to be specifically calibrated. The contours of the polygon facets are finished in nickel-palladium treated brass – bolder in shiny executions and more restrained in tone-on-tone versions.
Both unexpected and yet perfectly at home on a desk, table or mantel, the base upon which The Champion rests is the product of purpose-driven thought and engineering: 3D-printed, it is sheathed in nubuck leather, with an ethereal, dynamic shape that conveys speed and weightlessness. Developing The Champion took more than a year of intense teamwork with and between the expert artisans and craftspeople – designers, engineers, watchmakers, cabinetmakers.
The mechanism for opening the sphere, a feat of engineering, was developed specifically with this object in mind. At the soft press of a button, the hinged upper hemisphere silently and smoothly rises, actioned by two gas-filled cylinders concealed in the base, to clear the way for both easy player access and a full view of the wonders within. The system preserves the aesthetic of the whole, regardless of its open or closed state; the way it is designed provides room for the clock mechanism to operate with absolute reliability.
Time is displayed with two rotating discs, one for the hours, the other for the minutes. The power reserve of seven days is sufficient to make winding a welcome excuse for playtime. Indeed, the expanse of tempered mineral glass allows a splendid view of the mechanism while affording it perfect protection; it also serves as miniature football pitch – albeit only for penalty kicks.
The goal, players and penalty kick mechanism are 3D-printed in grade 23 titanium. Depending on the materials and overall colour palette, these elements are either kept in their original finish or metal-plated. Note also the leather-clad stadium barrier surrounding the ‘pitch’ to keep the ball within bounds.
The choice not to reproduce the contrast between hexagons and pentagons that is usually associated with a football was deliberate. The idea was to impel the beholder to look beyond the ball. Cognac lambskin, Macassar ebony, lacquered carbon, for instance, offer a deep, rich visual and textural experience that impels you to see beyond the ball – and take in the complexity of the shape and its effect on its surroundings, standing out while at the same time perfectly in its element.
That being said, The Champion offers possibilities for customisation that are limited only by the imagination. The polygons can of course reflect a club’s colours or the giftee’s preferred combination; the plate in the lid is perfect for engraving a personal note; the hour and minute discs of the clock calibre can be made bespoke as well.
