A masterpiece of contemporary horology, the Manufacture Royale 1770 Micromegas Double Tourbillon with its vivid blue Nanodeco coating is a magnificent piéce unique watch which characterises the uncompromising and individual approach to watchmaking which is a signature of this remarkable independent company. Distinctive in its design and manufactured by hand to exceptional standards of finishing, it is a piece which boasts profound technical complexity in its horologic workings, and really is an outstanding wristwatch in every respect.

A brand with a very distinctive and confident style, Manufacture Royale has been creating watches which stand apart from the norms of design since the name was revived in 2010, having been originally established in 1770 by celebrated French philosopher, visionary and entrepreneur Voltaire.

Taking its name from a fictional character created by Voltaire, the 1770 Micromegas is a watch with immense presence and massive character. It is encased in titanium, which has been coated in electric blue NanoDeCo, a special clinical grade treatment of layered ultra fine, hard wearing films, designed for use in the hermetically sterile sphere of surgery. Visually striking, the case measures an impressive 45mm, and is an elaborate construction which comprises around central body that nestles securely between curving brancards on either side, which taper to form the lugs, and fixed together with the pronounced hex screws on the sides of the watch.

Beneath the sapphire crystal, the dial is pristine and minimal in royal blue lacquer. Its glossy surface features no markings or furnishings, and its serene simplicity provides a vivid contrast with the spectacular animation of two large flying tourbillons which dominates the lower dial as they rotate inside their double cavity.

Even in exotic watchmaking, paired tourbillons are rare and extremely complex, but in its pursuit of ever more refined precision, Manufacture Royale has pushed the demands of this feat to even higher levels, as both operate at different speeds, with one, at the five position rotating in a graceful sixty-second cycle, but the other almost spinning around in just six seconds. They are connected by a patented differential which ensures a constant regulated delivery of energy, and it emphasises the company’s Haute Horlogerie credentials.

The movement is the Manufacture Royale MR06 self winding calibre, which is designed and produced in house. Through the sapphire caseback the skeletonised oscillating weight spins above the plates and tourbillon bridges which are decorated with Côtes de Genève stripes across their surfaces and have highly polished anglage edges. Operating at 21’600 vph, the calibre has a power reserve of eighty hours autonomy when fully wound.