DESIGN & INSPIRATION
The ultra-sleek SpaceOne Tellurium was designed by Olivier Gamiette, an engineer-designer renowned for his fluid, futuristic lines and deeply audacious dials. Gamiette is known for cultivating his secret garden alongside his professional activity in the automotive industry: he is a designer for Peugeot cars by day and a watch designer by night. More than an enthusiast, he is the acclaimed author of Soon – Timepiece Phenomena, a book published in 2015 which showcases dozens of watch designs. His flowing, technical style, uncannily connected to the shapes of things to come, naturally led him to accept a collaboration with SpaceOne.
The Tellurium is no exception to Olivier Gamiette’s signature. Its 42 mm titanium case defies established geometry. Sleek, taut, edgy yet soft, compact yet harmonious, it resembles a smooth, silver pebble, curved on both sides and topped by a domed sapphire crystal that symbolizes a protective atmosphere. The dial is made of mesmerizing aventurine.
TELLURIUM of the 18th century
Celestial Mechanics
The complication of the Tellurium is made possible through the creation of a module designed and conceptualized by Théo Auffret, manufactured in Switzerland, and assembled in Paris. The entire complication is built on an additional plate, which is connected to the Soprod P024 movement.
As the caliber's date changes, the star wheel with 31 teeth, carrying the date disc, will advance two star wheels with 12 teeth each. The first of the two wheels advances the months, and the second is dedicated to the Tellurium complication.
The planets are fixed on a sapphire, which is connected to a ring with 365 teeth, corresponding to the number of days for Earth to complete one orbit around the sun.
The moon is fixed on a pinion, which is connected to the fixed wheel. This is visible from outside the dial. Adjusting the watch, particularly the real-time position of the moon, is achievable through the quick date function. It will only require fine-tuning with the time setting, depending on the number of days in the month (30 or 31).
The spatial kinematics unfolding on the watch face are simply compelling. The dial is uncluttered, with just two hands – hours and minutes. Luminescent, evoking spaceships heading out into space, they are central but not solitary. The solar system analogy is obvious: central hours and minutes; the Sun at the heart of its aventurine galaxy. It’s as if ‘short’ human time seamlessly flows into ‘long’ star time. Time becomes relative, indicated in all simplicity by three indexes 12, 4 and 8 – far from the earthbound cliché of «3 - 6 - 9 - 12».
Telluric complication
Gravitating around the center of heliocentric horology, two polished titanium spheres: Earth, accompanied by its satellite, the Moon. The Earth orbits the sun in 1 year, and the moon orbits the Earth in 27.3 days, completing a full lunar cycle in 29.5 days, thus following their real rhythms.
The SpaceOne Tellurium’s complication incorporates a heliocentric Tellurium-type planetary wheel, simultaneously representing the Earth and Moon in their orbit around the Sun. The calendar, mechanically linked to this astronomical complication, features a jumping date and sliding month display, creating a harmonious and functional whole. A noteworthy feature: the ability, with precise watch adjustment, to anticipate astronomical events such as the date of the next full moon.
At 6 o’clock, the day/month display is revealed in a canted aperture, as are the indexes. Echoing starship portholes, these details in deep-space blue PVD-treated titanium accentuate the deep-space vibe.
The Tellurium complication is docked onto a Soprod P024 movement, the celebrated Swiss Made engine that powers SpaceOne’s first creation.