Credits: Article and images by Joshua Munchow @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2023/08/26/herve-schluchter-lessentiel-regulator-loss-inspiring-creation/
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Horological excellence
Having worked with both Bovet and Philippe Dufour, Schlüchter was able to become a master at the more traditional horology aesthetic since neither could be confused with a brand focusing on modern design. The caliber HS-01 is a smorgasbord of classical elements all finished to perfection to highlight the skills of the watchmaker. It was as if Schlüchter used the opportunity to create a movement as proof to himself and his father that he was, in fact, a master of his craft.
Back of the L’Essentiel Regulator by Hervé Schlüchter
Highlights include 8 internal angles on the bridges, three perfectly mirror polished barrel shaped bridges, hand polished wolf’s teeth on the ratchet and crown wheel, mirror polished guillotine-style click, eccentric fine beat adjustment, free-sprung variable inertia balance, “moustache”-style escape lever, angel wing stop lever, prodigious use of black polishing, straight and satin graining, and all bridges finished with polished, domed bevels. The details are packed in there for you to discover, and each element was finished to a level worthy of the highest levels of horology.
Technical drawing of the escapement of Hervé Schlüchter’s L’Essentiel Regulator
From a technical standpoint the HS-01 is a quality movement, exceeding almost every metric one would want for a freshman effort from a new-to-the-scene brand, matching the quality seen in pieces from the industry’s biggest names.
The aesthetic cohesiveness of the movement does suffer a bit from the exuberance of Schlüchter, but not every timepiece is intended to be the quintessential example of horology. Both the effort and variety found in the caliber HS-01 reminds me of how I tackle new passion projects, giving it 150% effort to make sure every idea is expressed in some way or another.
Giving it your all
This leads to a movement that channels all the inspiration inside Schlüchter and manifests it in something intricate and detailed. The dial reflects this reality as well, with so many different inspirations combining to make a watch that obviously pulls from every corner of the watchmaker’s passion. Schlüchter says it himself that before beginning fabricating L’Essentiel he spent countless hours designing the caliber digitally, starting over and over searching for a way to incorporate “several foundational watchmaking specialties” in a harmonious way.
Antide Janvier regulator clock circa 1800
Even before the caliber, Schlüchter started by settling on the dial (inspired by a Antide Janvier regulator clock from the year 1800) and most of its details, as well as setting the diameter and approximate thickness to focus his efforts.
Technical drawing of the movement of Hervé Schlüchter’s L’Essentiel Regulator
Once he finally made the leap from designing to fabrication, he had almost the entire history of watchmaking to realize piece by piece. From choosing materials (nickel silver, steel, aventurine, Grand Feu enamel) to the various finishes, the HS-01 and L’Essentiel became a conglomeration of horology that Schlüchter took very seriously. Remember, the impetus to finally build this watch and start his own brand came from a life-changing series of events for him.
Close up of the beautifully finished movement of the L’Essentiel Regulator by Hervé Schlüchter
Philosophy was not just a mere hobby that Schlüchter incorporated into his piece but was what helped him understand what he even hoped to accomplish. He wanted his watch to truly remind people of their existence in some kind of meditative way so, keeping it simple and straight forward, he looked to the 24-hour disk as a messenger. A 24-hour disk captures an entire day from start to finish and Schlüchter realized this could be an allegory for life in general.
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Credits: Article and images by Joshua Munchow @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2023/08/26/herve-schluchter-lessentiel-regulator-loss-inspiring-creation/
