Jumping with joy

I recently acquired a 1970s TV-screened Buler “saltarello” jumping hour with a two-tone blue dial and “digital display” driven by a manual-winding, shock-resistant movement. A lovely little (re) trending vintage design with cushion-shaped case (39mm x 35mm) and integrated steel bracelet. In perfect nick. I love its space-agey forms and its uniqueness, but to most people it would probably be nothing particularly special.

It didn’t cost very much at all, now or then, which highlights that there is a Swiss-made mechanical watch out there for everyone. And, on this Workers’ Day weekend it is interesting to note that Montres Buler SA was established in 1945 to make accessibly priced watches for labourers, using inexpensive movements with Roskopf “pin-lever” escapements. Buler was also a pioneer brand for LCD watches in the 70s and made some pretty out-there pieces like the Stratos by Nuccio Bertone. While there is no current information on Buler or its current Hong Kong-based owners, it was associated with a guild of watchmakers who would later amalgamate with ASUAG (Allgemeine Schweizerischen Uhrenindustrie AG/Société Générale de l'Horlogerie Suisse), today known as the Swatch Group.

In my search for wonder and stories, watches like this Buler present unique aesthetics and alternative ways of reading time, highlighting milestones, challenges and the ingenuity at the heart of the industry.

The first patent for a jumping hour movement was filed in 1883 by Austrian Josef Pallweber but was used in a pocket watch. In 2018, IWC released the elegant Tribute to Pallweber Edition 150 Years. Still seen as a revolutionary idea decades later, it appealed to watch designers influenced by “le style moderne”, who translated the strong geometries and appreciation for materials of the Art Deco movement into the “iron mask” dials of jumping hour wristwatches, the first being introduced by Audemars Piguet in 1921. AP’s reference featured two digital display windows punctuating its solid rectangular brushed metal case.

The second generation introduced last year has a new refined calibre L043.6 with power reserve of 72 hours thanks to its patented barrel design with two mainsprings. The dial has some visual refinements and the addition of a pusher at 4 o’clock facilitates the rapid adjustment of the hour display. Minutes are still adjusted at the crown.

This year Van Cleef & Arpels delights us as usual through the Lady Féerie Or Rose with its shimmering dial and case. Using her magic wand, a winged fairy points out the retrograde minutes while the sun window reveals the jumping hours. Among those pushing boundaries, the Hautlence Linear Series 2 with its black PVD TV-shaped case features a linear retrograde jumping hour powered by a new in-house calibre D50 self-winding movement. The dial is partially open revealing the flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock and the workings of the minute cam.