A typical watch dial tends not to have much movement, save for the steady cadence of its seconds hand. There are, of course, myriad ways to create a more dynamic scene on the wrist, such as the addition of a whirling tourbillon, or the modification of the seconds hand into a retrograde one that snaps back rhythmically. For Perrelet, the efforts to generate visual interest have created the brand’s calling card in the form of rotors, functional and/or decorative, that sit on the watches’ dials and constantly swing around with their wearers’ movements. The brand has gone with a contemporary timepiece this time; the Lab straddles the sporty Turbine and the dressy First Class collections in terms of design, with a reasonable price point to boot.

Like its siblings, the highlight of the Lab is its rotor; Perrelet has moved the oscillating weight to the front of the watch and modified it into a peripheral one that runs around the rim of the dial. This necessitated modifications to the movement, of course, but the brand has also designed the dial to accommodate and accentuate the rotor. Note the layered dial architecture, for instance – the middle portion of the inner dial is sunken vis-à-vis its rim, while the groove for the oscillating weight around it runs even deeper, before giving way to a steeply sloping flange that finally meets the bezel. Meanwhile, the appliqué hour markers are facetted and raised to further enhance the perception of depth. Although these hour markers appear cantilevered, their outer halves are actually attached to a nearly invisible sapphire crystal ring for greater robustness.

To match the atypical dial layout, the Lab’s case has been designed accordingly. It is cushion shaped, but topped with an octagonal bezel. The overall effect is a balance between angles, straight lines, and curves, both on the case and dial.

Specs

• Dimensions: 42mm
• Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
• Power Reserve: 42 hours
• Movement: Self-winding Perrelet P-411 calibre
• Materials: Steel
• Water Resistance: 50m
• Strap: Black alligator with steel deployant buckle

This story was first published in WOW.