Ludovic Ballouard Half Time Souscription

Ludovic Ballouard is one of the most fun-loving personalities in indie watchmaking. Originally hailing from France, the master watchmaker runs his workshop right outside of Geneva. Previously having worked for Franck Muller and F.P. Journe in the late 1990s and 2000s, Ballouard launched his eponymous brand in 2009 with the Upside Down timepiece. With great pleasure, we present our third timepiece from the master watchmaker, the Half Time Souscription in platinum. 

Belonging to the first set of twelve Half Time watches, manufactured in the early 2010s, Ballouard launched this timepiece with a souscription system. Early collectors were invited to make a down payment, then leveraged to fund the creation of this timepiece. This is a notable way of financing new watches throughout the history of watchmaking – A.L. Breguet more than 200 years ago did souscription watches, as well as F.P. Journe in more contemporary times. This model commemorates the first Half Time with a red hour numeral for each of the twelve. Here, we have 05/12 from the first series. 

The Half Time is the continuation of the philosophy established with Ballouard’s first timepiece, the Upside Down. Both timepieces force their owner to live in the present. Unlike the Upside Down, the mechanics of the Half Time are totally new. Rather than an inverted hour that flips upright to show the current time, the Half Time uses a dissected hour numeral – two hour rings showcase the right hour at 12 o’clock and scramble all other 11 hour numerals on the dial.. As the timepiece’s retrograde minute at the bottom of the dial strikes the 60 minute mark, the hour rings to spin frantically in opposite directions, changing to the correct hour instantaneously. Here, the past and the future are difficult to decipher.

As is the case with the Upside Down, the mechanics driving this novel complication are nothing less than complex. In-house caliber B02 is not your “usual” mechanical movement. A central snail cam, also used as a core component of the Upside Down, accumulates the energy required for the instantaneous jump of the hour indicator. The movement’s gold-plated brass juxtaposes beautifully with other stainless steel components, all showcasing a high level of craftsmanship with the polish and beveling. With over 300 components and 53 jewels, the B02 offers 35hr power reserve and beats at 21,600vph. 

Another watch that embodies Ballouard’s mantra, “only the present moment has a meaning,” the Half Time is creative and innovative for its design and mechanics. This exceptional timepiece was recently delivered to a collector.