 Watches
by Roger Cornet
The history of watchmaking has been the history of gifted inventors like
Breguet, Perrelet, and more recently Roger Cornet, a self-taught inventor who has created
watch mechanisms that have advanced the art of horology. Roger Cornet began his career in
radiological devices and precision mechanics, designing electro-mechanical devices for
aircraft and spacecraft. After retirement at the age of seventy-seven, Cornet began to
design table clocks, inventing the world's first on line escapement visible on a clock
dial. Variations of this innovative aligned visible movement are Roger Cornet's
watchmaking signature.
Watchmaking Achievements of Roger Cornet
In 1997, at the age of 88, Cornet created the first watch with a visible escapement
above the dial. This unique watch was named Versailles, where Cornet lives, not far from
the Sun King's palace. In 1998, he launched a second innovative model, the Trianon,
manufactured by Swiss watchmaker Frederic Piguet. The Trianon presents Roger Cornet's
signature visible movement in a slimmer, smaller case thanks to the incorporation of
Frederic Piguet's state-of-the-art slim automatic movement with 72-hour power reserve. The
design of the Tri-anon, like Versailles before it, makes the heart of the movement
visible, beating on the face of the watch. The balance wheel performs 21,600 alternations
per hour. "All my creations are inspired by the Fleur de Lis, which is the
symbol for royalty in France," Cornet explains. "The Versailles collection was
inspired by the ancient workshops of horology at the Château which have disappeared by
now. Trianon was a part of the Château of Versailles, where the king received his
guests."
Characteristics of Cornet Watches
The Trianon's mechanical movement is an double-barrel automatic with the on line
escapement visible on the dial. The Trianon is water resistant to 5 ATM. Trianon is
available in 18 karat yellow gold and pink gold as well as modern steel. To enhance the
escapement, Roger Cornet has chosen a white dial with a sapphire crystal. Straps are
handsewn crocodile or ostrich.
With its watchcase, smaller in thickness and in diameter, the Trianon watch is suitable
both for men's and women's wrists: the diameter is 36mm, and the thickness is 9.70mm. The
handmade Versailles has a unique automatic mechanical movement equipped with a platinum
microrotor and an on line escapement visible on the dial. It has a 40-hour working
autonomy and is water resistant to 3 ATM. Roger Cornet made only 25 exclusive models of
the Versailles, which are highly sought by collectors who understand this watch's role in
the history of timekeeping.
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