No numbers?
Hilfiker was Swiss German and designed the clock dial in an industrial Bauhaus style. The core principle: minimalist but highly legible. Seventy years later, the clock dial design still remains as fresh as ever. Actually, the clock dial is now regarded as one of the 20 most iconic watch faces of all time, on permanent display at the Museum of Modern Arts in New York.
What is the deal with red 'dot' seconds hand?
The seconds hand symbolises the red train master’s paddle. It is synonymous with punctuality and accuracy.
A clock like no other?
Indeed. The official railway clock features a unique function know as the 'stop to go'. That famous red seconds hand completes a full rotation in 58 seconds, and then pauses at the 12 o’clock mark for two seconds while the black minute hand jumps forward - starting its next rotation. Back in the 1950s the two second ‘pause’ was required to re-synchronise the network of over 3000 clocks run all over Switzerland. Today it is an iconic feature associated with what we call ‘Swissness’.
SBBCFFFFSWTF?
The letters on the dial are acronyms for 'Swiss Federal Railways' in German, French, and Italian:
SBB CFF FFS
'Schweizerische Bundesbahnen, Chemins de fer fédéraux suisses, Ferrovie Federali Svizzere'
Who is Mondaine?
In 1986, the Mondaine watch company, owned by the Bernheim family, obtained the license from the Federal Swiss Railway to make timepieces featuring the Official Swiss Railway clock design.
Mondaine makes wrist and pocket watches, as well as clocks.
Who wears Mondaine timepieces?
Watch enthusiasts who are fussed about minimalistic design, architects and graphic designers, those who have an ‘artistic flair’, or those who are simply concerned with the environment. But above all: people who value punctuality.
The challenge
The main challenge for Mondaine is to remain relevant while remaining ‘true’ to probably the most stringent design requirement: the watch dial. The fundamental premise is that dial design must remain unchanged to the last iota of shape, font, and style. This is an extremely difficult task for any watch brand. Mondaine keeps pushing the borders with technical innovations, variation of mechanisms, strap colours and environmentally friendly materials incorporated in the never-changing watch style. Actually, the very fact that the next Mondaine watch will look like the one from 1986 is the reason for the loyal support of hardcore brand followers.
Mondaine is a club. The Mondaine project is timeless, and it’s here to stay. |
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