ONCE UPON A TIME…

Béthincourt, the Lorraine Front, 1916. The Logbook of an alpine soldier called Albert:

All is calm in the trenches. The canons have been quiet now for 24 hours. Everyone is keeping as busy as they can.

Henri struggles with his pocket watch… in the cold and with all his kit, it isn’t easy getting it out. He would like to attach it to his wrist… after all, why not? He asks Eugene the mechanic, for his help. Eugene shrugs, but he likes challenges… He once made a cup for himself out of a 75 mm shell-casing…

In no time, Eugene has fixed handles to either side of the watch and attached a water bottle strap to it. “Here’s your watch. I had to turn it around, which means the 12 is no longer where it should be. I have painted it red so you can see it!”

They hurry to show the “masterpiece” to the others. They always share everything! No more glass shards injuries if it breaks and when one needs to be sure of not to miss a deadline, no more time wasted searching for it at the bottom of a jacket pocket…

The Section adopts the invention immediately. A new fashion is underway !

THE CASE

The Riskers watch invites you to travel back in time, but also and above all to the heart of man. In revisiting the First World War watch, Riskers proposes a transposition rather than a nostalgic commemoration.

The artistic work began with the relooking of the pocket watch… the very DNA of fine watchmaking.

First came the sensuality of a pebble, as in Proust’s madeleine. We chose this shape, while at the same time reducing the bezel, to magnify the glass and dial, thus giving the piece a modern sobriety. In the same vein, we chose a generous 43mm diameter, encased in the same high-shine and polish as the original.

Another distinctive element we sought to keep was the bow. What visual signature could better connect this contemporary watch to its origins?

Finally, we needed to find a way to fasten this creation to the wrist. Malo chose to surround the pebble with a continuous metal band attaching the fasteners to the belly strap. With a satin finish and bevelled angles, it gives the case a strong identity and high-end finish.

This is both pure and full of symbolism:

Circles are everywhere: at the centre, on the unbalance of the seconds’ hand and around the date. They symbolize Community.

Faithful to the red 12 of First World War watches, Riskers’ watch stands out from the start. Like the K in the logo, it speaks of the person who breaks his circle of comfort and takes risks for the community.

The depth of the dial, with its bevelled edges, is accentuated by the curved tip of the second hand.

The openwork and blued hands, the light satin finish of the automatic models, are all a tribute to the watchmaking tradition. On the quartz models, the Superluminova hands and indexes, and the sandblasted dial treatment offer a more informal style.