TRILOBE: REDEFINING TIME

For as long as civilizations have existed, human beings have been fascinated by time: this vague, ethereal concept that is simultaneously  so tangible in both its effects and its passing. For millennia, we have tried to measure and understand it, creating ever more complicated mechanisms in an attempt to harness the force of the inevitable in our hands. These days it would almost seem as if we had finally achieved the impossible: to tame time, to lock its passage inside a box and hold it using gears and clock hands, forcing it to waltz for us in eternal circles.

In a world that moves faster every day, time has become scarce: the mere act of stopping to read the clock can be an exquisite, liberating luxury. It is under this premise that the French watchmaking brand Trilobe was born: to reinvent the concept of time using architecture, design and poetry. Their watches are a challenge to symmetry and traditional patterns: their faces are nothing like the conventional idea of a watch. Instead of a set of hands rotating inside a dial, Trilobe presents us with an eccentric, fantastical vision: the anti-clock. Made of three rings that rotate counterclockwise, each on its own axis, this marvellous clock is meant to be read with the guide of its three delightful gothic pointers that tell the hour, minute and second. The already fascinating face is completed by the seconds wheel, in the shape of a rose window, which evokes the radiance of stained-glass: a dash of light and architecture in the heart of movement.

Now, this year at the Only Watch, Trilobe will be presenting a unique piece for the lovers of watches and marvellous items: La Réciproque, an unusual table clock that borders on the limits of fantasy. This particular work of art was designed in collaboration with the famed artist Daniel Buren, who has contributed to making a masterpiece of chaos. The beauteous face presents a black and white stripe pattern that transforms with the passing of the hours, aligning only twice per day. On the back, the machine is protected by transparent glass, revealing the scarlet interior that beats like a heart. The engineering prowess that gives life to La Réciproque is an X-Centric Calibre, one of the marvellous machines that keep Trilobe watches ticking.

Designed in France and made in Switzerland by the Cercle des Horlogers of La Chaux de Fonds, each of Trilobe’s clocks is the result of the master watchmakers’ years of experience and centuries of ancestral technique that combine to meet the highest quality standards. If you love clockwork and have a taste for art and eccentricity, this November 6^th you cannot miss Trilobe and Daniel Buren’s La Réciproque at the Only Watch. After all, who wouldn’t want a clock that dances with the hours?

Photos: courtesy.