Hold onto your monocles, folks, because Vianney Halter and Massena LAB have just zapped us with a blast from the horological past, present, and – if you squint hard enough – the future, all rolled into one fantastic timepiece named Old Soul. Marrying steampunk vision with a vintage Minerva movement from the moth-eaten belfries of the 1920s, this watch is not just a wrist candy; it’s a spirited reincarnation of old-world craftsmanship.
This limited-edition creation, much like your grandma’s vintage cookie jar, holds treasures untold. The Old Soul is driven by the Minerva 17’22 caliber, a classic movement originally deployed in pocket watches, now given a new lease on life by the wizardry of Vianney Halter. Picture this: a master time-traveler movement from the 1920s, spinning at a leisurely 18,000 beats per hour, now reimagined with a mysterious minute disc that swirls effortlessly above a sumptuous multilayered dial.
The face of the Old Soul is a treat for the eyes. Three distinct dials host hours, minutes, and seconds, while the outer chapter ring gleams in rhodium plating like a silver surfer riding the waves of time. And with a design nod to the late 19th century’s railroad track style, it’s a delightful merging of steam-powered aesthetics and futuristic whimsy.
What has us positively giddy is the intricate technical sorcery employed to exhibit this watch’s innards. Imagine telescreens projecting the movements of the Minerva, visible (thanks to the sapphire case back) and as tangible as a handshake with history.
And the watch exterior? Hold onto your whiskers because it sheds its stainless-steel skin like a mechanical phoenix! The 42mm case gleams with mixed polished and brushed finishes, setting off the stepped-lug design that’s more timeless than a Swiss chalet.
Wearing the Old Soul feels rather like strapping a narrative of time-twisting alchemy onto your wrist – a narrative curated by Vianney Halter, who plucks notes from sci-fi realms and engraves them lovingly into each tick-tock of this collectible.
The Old Soul’s debut is poised to pocket-pick 47 lucky collectors at a time and place deserving of its lavishness: Geneva Watch Days 2025. In time-honored tradition, price inquiries are as forthcoming as winning lottery numbers – by request only!
Old Soul isn’t just a watch; it’s a temporal journey in stainless steel, a pocket of steampunk imagination that lets its wearer become a gatekeeper of horological history.
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