Ludovic Ballouard

Ludovic Ballouard is one of the most enigmatic figures of the new wave of independent watchmakers. He has earned a reputation as a master and inventor of exotic time display methods. Born in France, he has worked in Switzerland since 1998, first at Franck Muller, then three years later at F.P. Journe, where he worked for seven years and was most recently responsible for the assembly of Sonnerie Souveraine watches. In 2009, he decided to leave F.P. Journe to set up his own brand and realize his own creative ideas.
After setting up his own business in May 2009, he was soon able to present his first watch, the Upside Down, in December. With this watch, he created an unusual graphic version of the classic jumping hour complication, adding mystery and symbolism to the idea. Each new hour is marked by a complex process involving two double switches built into the caliber he developed – a double rotation of the new hour digit to its normal position and a return of the completed hour digit to its reverse position (also a double 90-degree rotation). All digits are displayed upside down, with the exception of the current hour, which is displayed right side up along with a dot which appears to remove any doubt as to which hour is on the right side up position. In the original Upside Down version, the dial also has a minute hand and a small seconds hand.
in 2012, he presented his next creation, the Half Time, another version of the jumping hour complication he had developed, this time with a retrograde minute and hour display in which the numerals on two disks rotating in opposite directions are split in half so that the numerals are no longer legible except for the current hour. A year later, he designed the Opus XIII for Harry Winston, his most complicated version of the jumping hour to date, with a complex positional system for displaying the minutes - the movement consisted of 660 parts. It was an impressive technical achievement by an independent watchmaker that was unfortunately marred by a dispute with the management of the Swatch Group, which had recently acquired the Harry Winston brand. It is very likely that the Opus XIII series, apart from a few prototypes, was never produced and sold.
As with most independent watchmakers, Ludovic Ballouard’s production is very limited. He produces different versions of his basic Upside Down and Half Time models, including unlimited designs, limited editions and one-off pieces in 18k rose gold or 950 platinum. The annual production of the Upside Down is around 20–25 pieces and the final assembly and testing of each piece is carried out by himself.

In our opinion, this Upside Down Gibeon Piece Unique is a very attractive example of the creative approach to watchmaking that characterizes the work of independent watchmakers. Ludovic Ballouard, who is a member of the prestigious AHCI Academy of Independent Watchmakers, is a notable figure in the community who has found his own niche offering watches with unique complications invented by him. In the Upside Down watch, we find his upside down version of the jumping hour complication with which he began his career as an independent watchmaker. The collector will appreciate this watch as one of Ludovic Ballouard's rarest timepieces in a unique combination of an upside-down caliber with an unusual design, a platinum case and a genuine meteorite dial.