Memoris 200th closeup hd

Louis Moinet celebrates bicentenary of the first chronograph

Swiss watch brand Louis Moinet is marking the bicentenary of the invention of the chronograph with an anniversary edition of its Memoris model.

The brand, formed in Neuchâtel in 2004 and named after the inventor of the chronograph, has produced a limited run of 20 pieces named the Memoris Anniversaire with an 18ct rose gold case.

Until as recently as 2012, Nicolas Rieussec was considered the father of the chronograph, having unveiled his ‘time writer’ in 1821. But modern Louis Moinet chief executive Jean-Marie Schaller rediscovered a lost Louis Moinet device, the Compteur de Tierces, at a Christie’s auction in Geneva. It has since been confirmed that Moinet’s device preceded Rieussec’s by five years.

“We were keen to have a highly exclusive new edition to celebrate the bicentenary of the chronograph,” explains Schaller. “Following on from the first Memoris watches, unveiled in 2015 to celebrate our tenth anniversary, this bicentennial edition opens up a whole new chapter of celebrations – and the next decade of Louis Moinet creations.”

The Memoris design features an open dial, allowing a clear view of the levers and column wheel in action.

James Buttery

Editor of WatchPro, the WatchPro Hot 100 and The Luxury Report.

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