The Skull is the ultimate symbol of life, death and human experience – as such it has played a key role in both Horological and Art History. Through Fiona Krüger’s artistic approach to Haute Horlogerie and L’Epée’s know-how, the Skull has been re-interpreted into a mechanical Vanitas painting for the 21st Century.
Vanitas indicates the time by way of two hands which are centrally mounted on the nose. These hand-polished hands indicate the hours and minutes, hiding and revealing the skull’s eyes as if they were playing hide-and-seek.
Power reserve indicator: an indicator framed by two rows of teeth opens up as time passes, providing an intuitive view of remaining energy. When the mouth is completely opened (18.5mm a part from each other) the clock looks like it is “yawning”.
Vanitas is a luxury one-of-a-kind wall clock, featuring essentially the same mechanisms as a wristwatch, only larger: gear train, mainspring barrels (well, five in series), balance wheel, escape wheel and anchor. L’Epée’s regulator also features an Incabloc shock protection system, something generally only seen in wristwatches, which minimises the risk of damage when the clock is being transported.
Larger components, however, make finely finishing the movement much more challenging than finishing a wristwatch, because of the bigger surface areas. L’Epée 1839 CEO Arnaud Nicolas explains: “It’s not just a case of double the size of the components, double the time it takes to finish them. The complexity increases exponentially. For polishing you need to apply the same pressure as you would finishing a watch movement, but on a bigger surface, and that’s more challenging. It’s thanks to the experience and dexterity of our clockmakers that the Vanitas clock can feature such superlative fine-finishing.”
Form follows function is a principle associated with modernist architecture and industrial design in the 20th century. When it is reinterpreted by L’Epée 1839, the movement and the shape of the clock become one. The movement itself defines the shape of the clock and the design cannot be recognized without the movement. The eyes are the barrels (two of them), the mouth is the power reserve, the philtra is the differential allowing the teeth to open up.
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
Height: 306 mm, width: 220 mm, thickness : 86 mm
Weight : Approx. 5 kg
MATERIALS & FINISHING
Aluminium Skull, stainless-steel and brass movement
Mat Housing in Black Anodized Aluminum with mineral glass
Mechanism in palladium-coated brass
Vanitas Unique Piece, a collection of one of one creations
The Skull is the ultimate symbol of life, death and human experience – as such it has played a key role in both Horological and Art History. Through Fiona Krüger’s artistic approach to Haute Horlogerie and L’Epée’s know-how, the Skull has been re-interpreted into a mechanical Vanitas painting for the 21st Century.
Vanitas indicates the time by way of two hands which are centrally mounted on the nose. These hand-polished hands indicate the hours and minutes, hiding and revealing the skull’s eyes as if they were playing hide-and-seek.
Power reserve indicator: an indicator framed by two rows of teeth opens up as time passes, providing an intuitive view of remaining energy. When the mouth is completely opened (18.5mm a part from each other) the clock looks like it is “yawning”.
Vanitas is a luxury one-of-a-kind wall clock, featuring essentially the same mechanisms as a wristwatch, only larger: gear train, mainspring barrels (well, five in series), balance wheel, escape wheel and anchor. L’Epée’s regulator also features an Incabloc shock protection system, something generally only seen in wristwatches, which minimises the risk of damage when the clock is being transported.
Larger components, however, make finely finishing the movement much more challenging than finishing a wristwatch, because of the bigger surface areas. L’Epée 1839 CEO Arnaud Nicolas explains: “It’s not just a case of double the size of the components, double the time it takes to finish them. The complexity increases exponentially. For polishing you need to apply the same pressure as you would finishing a watch movement, but on a bigger surface, and that’s more challenging. It’s thanks to the experience and dexterity of our clockmakers that the Vanitas clock can feature such superlative fine-finishing.”
Form follows function is a principle associated with modernist architecture and industrial design in the 20th century. When it is reinterpreted by L’Epée 1839, the movement and the shape of the clock become one. The movement itself defines the shape of the clock and the design cannot be recognized without the movement. The eyes are the barrels (two of them), the mouth is the power reserve, the philtra is the differential allowing the teeth to open up.
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
Height: 306 mm, width: 220 mm, thickness : 86 mm
Weight : Approx. 5 kg
MATERIALS & FINISHING
Aluminium Skull, stainless-steel and brass movement
Mat Housing in Black Anodized Aluminum with mineral glass
Mechanism in palladium-coated brass
Manufacturer Reference #
50.6001/341
Movement
Manual Winding
Circa
Condition
i
The following define the various condition types:
Mint - Mint condition
Excellent - Like new – may have slight surface scratches
Very Good - May have any of the following: light scratches; slightly stretched bracelet; patina on dial, hands, or bezel
Complimentary 2–Day shipping is applicable for all online orders.
Please allow 1–2 business days (Monday–Friday) for the preparation and shipment of your order. The shipping (in-transit) time for your order will begin once a tracking number has been generated and will depend on the shipping method selected at checkout.
Delivery Method
Estimated Delivery Time
Price
2–Day
By end of day on 2nd business day
FREE
Next Day
By 10:30 am on the next business day
$9.99, or FREE for orders greater than or equal to $5,000
Same-day Shipping: For select items only, same-day shipping is offered on orders placed Monday - Friday by 2:00 pm, ET. Items eligible for same-day shipping are noted accordingly on the product page. In-transit shipping times will depend on the service level selected at checkout and may be impacted by shipping carrier delays.
For all purchases made online at Tourneau.com or Shop-at-Home, Tourneau will provide an exchange or refund within 14 days of delivery, provided merchandise has not been worn, altered, or special-ordered. All claims, returns, battery replacement, or warranty service must be accompanied by your invoice, original watch box and warranty materials. Shipping costs will not be refunded.
With over a century of purveying, maintaining and selling fine watches, Tourneau/Bucherer has an unparalleled prowess in the world of timekeeping. Our experts are here for you every step of your journey, from helping you find your perfect timepiece to providing service and repairs. When you buy your watch from Tourneau/Bucherer, you join a legacy of watch enthusiasts who keep the history of horology alive.
5-Year Warranty
Enjoy guaranteed protection from Tourneau/Bucherer. Together with the standard manufacturer’s warranty and the complimentary Tourneau warranty, this watch is guaranteed coverage for up to five years. This exclusive guarantee is reserved for new watches purchased at Tourneau/Bucherer.
