Cedric Gunner tells Pervus Watch

At Charles Zoubir, the pursuit of excellence is a state of mind, striving and dynamism that drives every stage: from design to completion.

Accordingly, the brand called on the greatest craftsman: Eric Giroud for the case of the watch,

And now Cedric Jonner for the action-packed version.

After nearly five months of its global launch, the Charles Zubair brand,

Driven by an obsession with creativity and a passion for the craftsmanship of precious and rare watchmaking, a new innovation is truly at the Watches & Wonders exhibition in Geneva. With this dynamic in mind,

The Perfos watch has been transformed by Charles Zoubir, stripped of everything that is superfluous and hinders the enjoyment of its appearance, as well as its structure, and thus: Perfos KARL was born!

Color and transparency chemistry

True to the spirit of the brand, this exclusive edition is limited to 8 pieces, with a diameter of 39 mm,

In 18k rose gold – each one is unique. Each watch is full of emotion and feeling and is characterized by the uniqueness of its finishes, set with 84 baguette-cut orange (saffron-coloured) sapphires weighing a total of 2.42 carats, each movement has been transformed entirely by hand. The void pierces this hour,

Meticulously selected perforations and structures, bathed in sunshine thanks to warm-coloured gemstones. Wedged between two sapphire crystals, like two windows wide open on the movement – ​​the converted Caliber 01,

At a glance one can see the mechanical anatomy revealed by Cedric Gunner's bold and expert hands: the gear train is visible, the ballet dance of linear satin-brushed beveled components and the glossy-brushed corners. This three-hand automatic mechanical movement houses a bidirectional oscillating weight in platinum set with 39 brilliant-cut orange sapphires totaling 0.1 carat.

This movement was initially made of 164 components and 33 precious stones.

It naturally gave way to future developments, such as skeletal and perforated. Many components have been modified and opened, notably the main plate, bridges and power train wheels.

The design of Perfos KARL is utterly contemporary and ideally suited to lovers of elegance, strong design codes and exceptional watchmaking expertise. Its dial, with its intense metallic color thanks to a hand-brushed satin-brushed ruthenium galvanized inlay in a sunray pattern, reveals

The inner workings of the watch are breathtaking. surrounds the harbour,

At its centre, a halo of 36 baguette-cut orange sapphires (0.8 carats) set in a circle as a focal point contrasts with the rose gold hands. The strap is made of shiny black alligator leather, which is handcrafted.

On the front of the watch, there is another feat: on a sapphire crystal that serves as the dial, 60 small triangular pink gold-coloured blocks representing the 60 minutes of the elapsed hour are fixed,

Arranged in an arc like the sun. They are shaped one by one and assembled by hand to give the impression of soaring above the movement.

A special watch in honor of “Karl”

Zuber was born on January 29, 1932 in Crane, Lucerne, Switzerland. Zuber's first name was Karl (Charles in German). Only later, in the year 1952, after returning from the army,

Carl Zuber decided to become a goldsmith and moved from his birthplace to Geneva, whose fame for the jewelery arts extended far beyond the city limits. Soon he was given a nickname

“Swiss Master Jeweler” and dedicated himself to his passion.

He got his first job with Weber, the most talented jeweler in Geneva at the time.
There, he learns French because he wants to integrate as soon as possible, and decides to give a French tone to his first name, so the name changes from Carl Zubir to Charles Zubir.

Charles Zuber celebrates its latest innovation, stamped with the word “KARL” by its famous designer. As for the starting point for this

On the core values ​​of the name of the brand, that is, the name of its creator, in honor of him through the Pervus watch in size XXL, and the “Super” Pervus with its transcendence and transformation.

Cedric Gunner: Crop, shape, reduce, retouch

30 years of exploration in the world of watchmaking
Cedric Juner still has that glow that drives him to integrate invention and innovation into his art.

It is the keeper of the traditional work on matter. His humility would make us forget that he is one of the last masterful watchmakers to follow this literal protocol.

Less is more. Simplicity is complexity.

The perforation and casement of the watch requires a skillful mastery of watchmaking techniques and a heightened sense of aesthetics. When you realize that the pieces to be worked on can number several hundred,

You can imagine how many hours of work the framing and punching process would require. A simple watch movement sometimes required up to two months of painstaking work. In this watch, more than 60 hours of work was required on each movement.

There are two ways to handle structured traffic. The latest is to imagine the motion already structured, and the voids already present. The second, older and more traditional option - the one chosen by the Charles Zuber teams - is much more restrictive. Most of the big names in the world of watchmaking often resort to this perforation and skeletonization process: they

It involves starting with an existing movement with the holes of the holes present in it,

Hence reworking an already proven system without compromising its rigor or functionality. This great immersion in detail under constraints is a complex exercise that puts flexibility of movements to the test.

The movement is recognizable - Caliber 01, but very different from the original having Cedric Gunner's processes removing most of the metal. As for the roofs

Each and every one of them has chamfered edges with painstaking perfection to give an intimate view of the watch's mechanical landscape.

5 questions for Cedric Junner

What was the starting point for the Perfos case and perforations?

For me, the starting point is always to look closely at the original watch from every angle. I spent several hours observing the PERFOS watch, including the dial and the indices, which are patterned after the sun's emission. It is through observation that one can find coherence and harmony in the structuring and perforation project. For example, here, in imitation of the sunray indexes, I chose a linear satin finish in the same pattern on the baseplate, and a sunray satin finish radiating from the center on the oscillating weight.

Did you have carte blanche or were there any restrictions?

The PERFOS watch is unique in its form and movement, the level of finishing is unbelievable, and perfectly deserving of its affiliation with the world of fine watchmaking. I tried to put together something that would make a lasting impression, and I had carte blanche, but in reality, there were many technical limitations. Pressing a watch movement is a major technical challenge because you have to execute with ornamentation that does not detract from the function of the movement: finding the right places to open, finding the beautiful shapes to make so that all the parts are in harmony, and achieving the perfect level of finish. I always try to find shapes that haven't been done before, to great effect. We try to achieve the highest level of finishes and finishes practiced today in watchmaking: recessed angles, contrasts between linear and polished satin finishes, opening the pieces to the fullest and most precise possible degree, without compromising on the technical side. We must be attentive at every stage, opening in the right place and paying close attention so that everything is beautiful

Can you tell us about the different stages of the structuring and punching process, from concept and idea to final product?

The principle of openwork begins with tracing: the pieces are drawn and punched with a hand bit and a drill bit, then a small blade and a hand saw are used. We work with a file to mark the holes, then we go into the corners with a small chisel and increasingly fine files, then we use increasingly fine sandpaper...

Can you tell us about the man behind the inspiration, Charles Zoubir? Did you find a connection between your story and his story?

It is an honor to serve as a continuation of the great master Charles Zubeir, whom I have worked with in the past, he was an incredibly experienced and knowledgeable craftsman, and I am delighted to carry that knowledge on today. Charles Zoubir was an exceptional craftsman and genius who created a number of pieces that have won recognition and distinction all over the world. I work with the same precision and quality as possible, to follow in his footsteps, without any compromise.

Who do you think is the perfect owner of a Perfos Karl watch?

Solar person!