Saint-Blaise, Switzerland

Memoris Spirit by Jean-Marie Schaller for Swiss watch manufacturer Les Ateliers Louis Moinet achieves perfection in the quest for ergonomics, beauty, and the assurance of wearer comfort and functionality.

For its elegant and cutting-edge design, Memoris Spirit has recently been awarded a 2022 Good Design Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

“How could one integrate a mechanism with over 300 components into a 40 mm case, whose mission is to be even more spectacular than its 46 mm predecessor?” asks designer Jean-Marie Schaller.

This secret dream remained hidden in the back of the designer’s mind for two long years.

Whether the efforts of designer Fabrice Gonet or those of case-making artisan Bertrand Crevoisier, nothing seemed to work – until that lightbulb moment!

The answer came from an original design, combining a strongly domed crystal with a flange dissociated from the glass notch.

Memoris Spirit stems from the interaction of numerous factors: ergonomics, the quest for beauty, and the assurance of wearer comfort and functionality.

The evolution of the Memoris aesthetic concept has favored the definition of an attractive formal appearance, but it is, above all, based on the use of stylistic elements that reflect the value of the technical solutions adopted.

The creation of a double-reading flange, skillfully integrated beneath a curved crystal, is particularly noteworthy.

It reveals the power of the chronograph mechanism in a new light.

The magic lies in the fact that even though the case is smaller, its construction enables enhanced visual appreciation of the mechanism!

Engineering was a truly technical and aesthetic challenge.

Memoris Spirit propels us into the select circles of modern, uncompromising watchmaking.

Heir to an ancestral know-how, it combines this expertise with an incisive stylistic vocabulary.

The care devoted to the aerodynamic treatment of the Memoris Spirit lines began with the integration of a new, more fluid crown support.

The sides feature an updated look notably including open-worked lugs featuring a subtly satin brush.

The magical touch of the light playing across the finishes accentuates an assertive character and presents a fusional whole composed of a powerful mechanism whose functions are magnified by a highly original exterior.

The convex two-part dial with its legible markings features a sunburst chronograph plate lighting up the chronograph mechanism, while the glare-proofed sapphire crystals are domed on either side so as to slim down the silhouette and guarantee optimal ergonomic shed curve on top that accentuates the smooth integration of the strap.

The case is made of grade 5 titanium, which is extremely light on the wrist (only 18 grams).

The strap is specially designed to be integrated into the case and to promote maximum comfort.

The slender appearance is underlined by aerodynamic counters emerging from the mechanism.

Inventor of the chronograph – true to its cultural heritage, Memoris Spirit expresses the potential that a watch mechanism is capable of deploying without compromising elegance.

The splendid magic of the chronograph is fully visible on the dial side and this major creation has now become iconic.

Entirely in keeping with the Louis Moinet tradition, the new stylistic orientation is defined by its meticulous design.

The design of this quintessentially contemporary chronograph is inspired by the world’s first chronograph produced by Louis Moinet in 1816, inventor of the chronograph and of high frequency (Guinness World Records™).

Of all horological complications, the chronograph is doubtless the most useful in the modern world.

It also offers the most interaction with its wearer.

Memoris Spirit considerably increases this pleasure, as it is 100% visual.

One gentle push on the single pusher and a unique choreography unfolds before your eyes.

The different elements – levers, clutch, hammers, column wheel, springs, and wheels – are set into motion and interact with the ultimate goal of activating the chronograph and measuring time.

The modern and spectacular design of the Memoris Spirit requires the production of 147 components for the upper part dedicated to the chronograph and 164 components for the lower part corresponding to the self-winding movement.

Project: Memoris Spirit
Designers: Les Ateliers Louis Moinet SA. 
Lead Designer: Jean-Marie Schaller
Manufacturer: Les Ateliers Louis Moinet SA.