We accept An extremely fine, very rare and attractive white gold wristwatch of Vianney Halter, the Swiss independent watchmaker of French origin, who founded his Janvier SA atelier in 1994. Production period: 2000–2010. Case in 18k white gold, numbered 47W.197.CL, diameter 36mm, case and winding crown with rose gold rivets, T-bar (Vendôme) lugs, sapphire caseback. Solid rose gold dial, two-level, central zone with frosted finish, circularly brushed chapter ring, blued steel hands. Caliber VH100, self-winding, ‘mysterious mass’ patented rotor, power reserve up to 40 hours. Functions – indication of time in hours, minutes and seconds. Black leather strap, white gold Vianney Halter pin buckle with rose gold rivets.
The ‘Classic’ is the first time-only three-hand Vianney Halter wristwatch, introduced in 2000. This watch is one of the designs created in collaboration with American designer Jeffrey Barnes. Initially, three designs which may be classed as retro-futuristic were intended for watches to be produced under the Halter Barnes brand. However, soon after the 1998 presentation of the Antiqua perpetual calendar watch, the new brand’s inaugural project, the partnership ended. Further watches were produced under the Vianney Halter brand name.
‘Classic’ watches were produced until 2010 in yellow, pink or white gold. According to Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips, in total the production was limited to 250 pieces. Some sources indicate a bigger number, noting that it was a limited production of 300 pieces in total. In any case, ‘Classic’ watches represent a substantial part out of about a thousand – and possibly fewer – timepieces bearing the Vianney Halter signature ever produced, making this an extremely rare collectible watch.
It is no coincidence that Vianney Halter names the worlds created in his imagination after the works of the writers Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, who are sources of inspiration.
Hand-set rose gold rivets decorate the intricately designed white gold case. The solid rose gold dial is embellished with hand-engraved numerals and text filled with black fire enamel, giving the watch the inimitable look of a valuable handcrafted antique, an ancient scientific instrument or a marine chronometer. It is no coincidence that Vianney Halter names the worlds created in his imagination after the works of the writers Jules Verne and Herbert George Wells, who were sources of inspiration. The use of dials made of precious metal, the shade of which differs from the colour of the metal from which the case is made, is one of the traditions of the Vianney Halter collection. This design principle has been used since the very beginning of the brand, giving Vianney Halter a special charm and raising its collectors’ status highly.
The VH100 caliber, seen through the sapphire caseback, was developed by Vianney Halter from the self-winding Nouvelle Lémania 8810 double-barrel movement-blank. Vianney Halter modified this caliber by applying the surprising ‘mysterious mass’ winding rotor patented by him in 1999 (patent No. WO9957613; patent protected since 1998). The winding rotor is almost entirely made of transparent sapphire glass, meaning the rotor leaves an open view of the movement and which, as a result, looks similar to a manual winding movement, thus revealing its beauty to the observer.
The present watch is a fine purchase for the collector thanks to its unique design, excellent and extremely elaborate hand finishing of the case, dials and movement, as well as the rare and spectacular ‘mysterious mass’ feature. The Vianney Halter Classic White Gold No. 47W.197.CL would be an excellent purchase for the collector who looks to obtain a rare and charismatic wristwatch from a world-famous independent watchmaker. The Vianney Halter Classic is one of the iconic watches of modern haute horlogerie and a symbol of the independent watchmakers’ motion. Its easily recognisable and instantly memorable and unusual retro-futuristic design is sure to move a person who strives to show independence in creating their own style.
| Case | White gold case 750/1000, 12 yellow gold dots on the bezel, crown at 3 o'clock with 24 yellow gold pins, with a sapphire caseback |
| Strap | Original dark blue Alligator leather strap, with 18k white gold pin buckle |
| Dial | Copper coloured dial with black Arabic numerals, railway track & sandblasted center, blued hands, signed "Vianney Halter" |
| Movement | Rhodium-plated automatic movement with Geneva stripes, transparent rotor |
| Cal. | 100 |
| Ref. | Classic |
| Case No. | 47W.197.CL |
| D= | 36mm |
| Case: | Good, little signs of wear |
| Strap: | Good, signs of wear |
| Dial: | Good condition, small signs of discoloration at 6 & 9 o'clock |
| Movement: | Low amplitude (service recommended) |
Known as a the "King of the complex simplicity", Vianney Halter can turn ordinary mechanical movements into paradoxical design solutions.
