Introducing The Baume & Mercier Clifton Manual 1830 With The Twinspir Silicon Balance Spring

The announcement was for a new watch: the Clifton Manual 1830, which is a hand-wound watch in a gold case, containing a new movement; the latter is the caliber BM12-1975M. The big news here is that the movement incorporates new "Twinspir" technology – that is to say, it uses a silicon balance spring, which is a first not only for Baume & Mercier, but also for the entire Richemont Group. The movement also uses a free-sprung, adjustable mass balance; this is a balance with weights on the rim to control timing (ala Rolex Microstella balances, Patek Gyromax balances, and so on). The Clifton collection is a logical place to launch such a watch for Baume & Mercier – many timepieces in the Clifton Collection are in the vein of classic styling and affordability that's Baume & Mercier's bread and butter, but the collection also includes a perpetual calendar (in gold, at $22,900) and has even, in the past, included a five-minute repeater.

The term "Twinspir" reflects the structure of the balance spring, which is consisted of two distinct layers of silicon with different crystalline orientations. As silicon expands and contracts the amount of elasticity exerted in the material varies and in order to produce a more physically consistent restoring force, you can compensate by introducing a second layer of material with a different structural alignment. This should produce a more consistent restoring force and theoretically, better isochronism. In the Twinspir balance spring the two layers are separated by a layer of silicon dioxide, which provides temperature compensation and which is the standard material used in silicon balance springs to offset the sensitivity of silicon to temperature change (often in the form of a coating). Overall the structure of the Twinspir balance spring seems proprietary to Richemont; at least, I haven't heard specifically of any other silicon balance spring using this type of technical solution.

The launch was surprisingly low-key considering the potential importance of not only the watch itself for Baume & Mercier, but also for the Richemont Group. Swatch Group as well as a number of independent brands, including Rolex and Patek Philippe, have been using silicon balance springs for many years and they're essential to the antimagnetic properties of such watches as the Master Chronometer certified watches from Omega, which boast an ability to shrug off magnetic fields in excess of 15,000 gauss. The ability to create a silicon balance spring and deploy it across other brands would offer a new competitive edge not only for Baume & Mercier, but also for the Group as a whole.

Obviously if Richemont has the ability to produce silicon balance springs in-house, this also means a greater degree of independence from Nivarox and thus the Swatch Group, and production of such balance springs at scale could significantly alter the technical landscape for Richemont brands – especially in entry to mid-level watches. 

The Clifton Manual 1830 is, oddly enough, being sold (at least for now) only in Europe, where it retails for CHF 12,000. Baume & Mercier also says it will be produced in "a very limited quantity." I'm not sure how to interpret the decision to soft-launch silicon technology in a market-specific watch, but as a watch, the Clifton Manual 1830 should offer all the usual benefits of a silicon balance spring and free-sprung balance, which is to say, better chronometry as well as a better resistance to having its rate upset by shocks (as there is no regulator to be jolted out of place). It's going to be quite interesting to see how the Twinspir silicon balance springs are used over the next couple of years, as well – for one thing it makes possible the creation of antimagnetic watches without the conventional soft-iron inner case. We'll be watching and waiting.

Update: Baume & Mercier has shared with us that the Clifton Manual 1830 will not be Europe only, but will be available in all major markets; production numbers and local pricing TBD. We'll share US market pricing as soon as it becomes available. 

The Clifton Manual 1830 Ref. M0A10359: Case, 18k red gold, 42mm x 8.9mm. Dial, domed opaline silver colored with red gold numerals and indexes. Movement, caliber MB12-1975M, with Twinspir balance spring and free sprung adjustable mass balance, adjusted to 5 positions; 90 hour power reserve, running in 18 jewels at 28,800 vph. 12 1/2 lignes in diameter; 3.5mm thick.

 See the entire Clifton Collection at Baume-et-Mercier.com.