The genesis of a chronograph

Some objects mark a lifetime. For me, it was a chronograph I received at twenty, its movement visible through an open case back. Cogs of astonishing precision, levers engaging with each push of a button. That moment started everything. Not the desire to wear a beautiful watch, but the desire to understand what lies beneath.

Thirty years later, after twenty years spent developing timepieces for renowned houses, after eight DONE projects carried through from start to finish, it was time for me to return to that foundational moment. NINE IN TEN was born from that.

The name first

Nine projects in ten years. A decade of independent mechanics, project after project, without ever deviating from the same conviction: mechanics are not hidden, they are revealed. NINE IN TEN carries this progression in its name. It is the ninth, and it is perhaps my most personal project.

Design choices

From the first sketches, my approach was clear: to recapture the balanced proportions of vintage chronographs without making a copy. A 40mm case, an ideal size to house a chronograph movement without overpowering the wrist. A bi-compax configuration with two counters at 3 and 9 o'clock, legible, classic, timeless.

The main challenge with this type of movement is its height. Rather than accentuating the case back to compensate, I opted for two box-type sapphire crystals, domed on the front and back. A choice that pays homage to the aesthetics of vintage watches, while elegantly solving the volume issue.

What you see, and why

NINE IN TEN offers itself entirely to the gaze. The sapphire dial reveals the semi-skeletonized movement with calculated restraint; nothing is exposed by chance, everything is visible with intent. Turning the watch over, the crystal follows the curve of the oscillating weight and reveals the movement in its entirety. At the center of this view, the column wheel, the centerpiece of the chronograph system, the silent architect of each trigger.

It is this transparency that has defined DONE since its first project. With NINE IN TEN, it reaches an additional level of demanding standards.

A turning point

Each DONE project has answered a question that the previous one had raised. NINE IN TEN is no exception, but it also marks a change of direction. It's no longer just about showing the mechanics, it's about addressing those who already know how to read them. A more informed, more demanding clientele. A product that lives up to that demand.

Ten years. Nine projects. An intact conviction.