A year of innovation, reinvention and transformation
Speake Marin’s founding principle has remained its mantra: to take complex and unprecedented paths in watchmaking. It’s a promise that was amply fulfilled in 2024 “Our customers represent an elite niche, and it’s essential for us to constantly surprise them,” says CEO Christelle Rosnoblet. In that spirit, the brand introduced a revolutionary new movement this year. The SMA07, which represents the future of Speake Marin, is the culmination of several years of development.
Turning up the frequency
Made in-house at the brand’s movement and R&D headquarters, Le Cercle des Horlogers, the SMA07 is dedicated to chronometric excellence and ergonomics. It runs at a high frequency of 36,000 vph or 5 Hz, and as we know, the higher the frequency of the escapement, the more reliable the timekeeping. It delivers an accuracy rating of within -/+ 5 seconds per day. It also happens to be ultra-slim, thanks to its construction, including an integrated micro-rotor. All 182 components occupy a space of 35.75 mm diameter x 3.25 mm thickness, and in the case, the Ripple Skeleton – the new model in which the caliber was launched – is only 40.3 mm x 6.30 mm thick. This compares well to cases in the current collection of 9.20 mm thickness. It’s a significant reduction, resulting in a sleek option that is as robust as larger sports watches.
Sweet sounds of timekeeping
While the SMA07 marks a significant milestone for Speake Marin, it wasn’t the brand’s only big surprise in 2024. Early last year, the brand introduced its Minute Repeater Carillon watch, and it was a ‘chiming’ success. While a regular minute repeater uses two hammers that strike the hour, quarter hour and minutes on demand, a Carillon has three hammers, one for striking the hours, one for the minutes, and all three simultaneously for the quarters, creating a richer and more complex sound than the usual repeater. The manual 536-component caliber SMAHH-02, developed and assembled at Le Cercle des Horlogers, also includes a 60-second flying tourbillon.
Making waves with Ripples
The Ripples collection, which has a loyal following among collectors, was expanded this year with two new date models that emphasize the model’s signature horizontal ripple engravings on the dial. The Infinity Date’s reflective silver metallic finish emphasizes the texture of the grid, and the 60-piece Dune Date’s sand colored dial with green small-seconds creates the impression of windswept sand dunes in the desert, punctuated by an oasis. The Dual Time Terracotta takes the color up another notch with a clay-pot colored dial plate and small-seconds subdial.
Speake Marin added even more color to its catalog during Watches and Wonders last spring, launching the Openworked Tourbillon Ultra-Violet, an electrifying take on its signature open-dial aesthetic. The bridges on the movement glow purple, via an ultraviolet PVD coating. They are positioned slightly above the dial to create the impression of an elevated freeway above a cityscape.
A unique piece creates a scene
Speake Marin capped the year with a one-of-a-kind piece from its Art Series, the Promenade à New York (A Walk in New York City). The miniature painting over mother-of-pearl dial depicts a scene from Central Park, inspired by Speake Marin CEO Christelle Rosnoblet’s fond memories of a long stay in New York. Speake Marin donated the watch to a great cause: TimeForArt is an auction supporting the Swiss Institute, a non-profit organization that benefits contemporary art and artists. The dial was rendered by hand, and it took over 100 hours of work.
All Speake Marin movements are made in-house at Le Cercle des Horlogers which is now under the direction of a new CEO, Laurent Pin, who says one of his goals at the helm is “To invent something revolutionary that would be the envy of the world.” High expectations!
Commitment to creativity
Alas, those revolutionary pieces will be made in very small quantities, reflecting Speake Marin’s commitment to producing every piece according to tight quality control standards rather than to mass produce each series. “As a boutique watchmaker, our goal is to maintain an exceptional level of finishing on our movements, dials and cases, and ensure a high degree of excellence,” says Christelle Rosnoblet. “Independent houses have two major assets: creativity, and mastery of the watchmaking art. Our greatest strength lies in our agility, which allows us to control our production. We are keen to maintain our elite positioning by continuing to offer limited editions, and we have very exciting plans for 2025.”