The first piece from newly founded watchmaker Belier is called Reverse and it is a very original and interesting watch. It is distinguished by counter-clockwise rotations of all of its supported functions (hours, minutes and seconds) and it has an appropriate upside-down movement. Despite it not having other demanding complications except the basic time-keeping one, the watch makes up for it with innovative technical solutions and high-end finishing. Belier Reverse is made in three variants with three different noble metal housings, while each of them is restricted to 11 pieces. As for the price, it ranges from $56,800 to $77,650, depending on the choice of the case material.
Belier is the new watchmaking brand from Germany which is founded by Kim Djapri, previously employed in the Dresden-based firm Lang & Heyne. The Cologne-born Djapri has decided to open up a new brand of its own and to call it Belier which is a French term for “Aries” and which signifies his zodiac sign. The first watch by Belier is called Reverse and it was officially premiered at the Baselworld 2016. The piece was displayed at AHCI booth (which stands for Academie Horlogerie des Createurs Independants or Horological Academy of Independent Creators in English). This prestigious association rounds up all the most eminent independent watchmakers of the world and Djapri became its official candidate for the membership earlier this year.
Reversed Indications and the Movement of the Same Sort
In order to prove his worth to AHCI, Djapri created an authentic timekeeper dubbed Reverse. The name of the piece clearly refers to the fact that all three supported hands of the piece are actually moving counter-clockwise. Though it means that the wearer might have some initial problems adjusting to this type of display, it gives the watch a hefty dose of eccentricity and it also points out to the fact that the common standard of the time display is quite arbitrary.
Not only that its hour and minute hands are set in the sub-dial at the top and the pointer of the small seconds sub-counter move in the opposite direction than it is customary, but the watch also features the same kind of reversed movements where the gear trains lay on the dial side of the movement.
Moreover, there is a twist in the arrangement of the balance which is visible on the skeletonized dial. The structure is not completely reversed, though some of its segments are. Instead of having an anti-shock device from the upper side and the jewel that sets it on a min-plate on the bottom, Belier Reverse features a contrasting layout. This allows the presence of a visible large ruby in gold chaton in which the balance wheel is set, so it makes it look like a classical movement, yet it preserves the advantages and resilience of modern anti-shock systems.
The rear side of the movement is distinguished with three visible ratchet wheels with lovely solar finish which are encircled with engraved borders. The same type of decorations that is used for the wheels that wind the movement is present around openings that show the jewels, as well as around screws. The appearance of the movement is likewise substantially enhanced with gilded finish for both its main-plate and bridges.
Manufacture Caliber B-01R
The in-house caliber that drives the first watch by Belier is named Caliber B-01R and it is a hand-wound mechanical movement that beats at the lower frequency of 18,000 vph. In addition to the mentioned ruby top stone, it integrates 25 more jewels in its construction. It is important to note that it also possesses a hacking seconds feature that allows time-setting to be precise within a second. Caliber B-01R has the modest power reserve that lasts for 46 hours.
Pink Gold, White Gold or Platnium
Belier Reverse is made with a round housing which has the diameter of 46.4 mm (unfortunately there is still no information regarding its thickness). Available materials for the housing are 18K red or white gold and 950 platinum. The watch has a fixed bezel that surrounds a domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment. Sapphire is once again used on the case-back of the piece which is water resistant to 10 meters.
Underneath the sapphire there is a skeletonized movement with a white subdial for hours and minutes. It includes skeletonized gilded hands which revolve around a dial with Arabic numerals and a railroad-type minute track at the upmost periphery. This dial is like the balance on the bottom held in place with a bridge that is fixed by the means of two blued screws. Its small seconds counter which is placed at the eight o’clock position is transparent since it is made of sapphire, while its assorted pointer and its numerals in cardinal points are blue. Apart from the components of the movement, one can also notice the brand’s logo on the far right, as well as the engraving “Reverse” on the bottom.
Belier Reverse is made in the limited edition of 33 pieces, 11 in each of three supported case materials. The most affordable is the version in pink gold which costs $49,900, the red gold variant costs $5,000 more, while the platinum is the priciest with the price tag set at $77,650.
The released photos reveal that the rose gold version is coupled with a brown alligator leather strap, while the attachments (and which is more important the models itself) of other variants are still unavailable.
