People are tied together, not brands.
There is seemingly no reason for entities like Baltic and SpaceOne to collaborate.
The two philosophies are at odds.
Baltic makes vintage-inspired watches, playing with traditional watchmaking’s codes and modern construction.
In contrast, SpaceOne offers spaceship-looking watches with a deconstructed approach to time reading.
One blends heritage with precision. The other redesigns tomorrow for fun.
Yet, the two are tied together by friendship with a foundation dating back to 2021 in Baltic’s headquarters.
French watchmakers were invited to discover the brand’s new office and share a moment together.
Théo Auffret and Guillaume Laidet met on that occasion, marking the start of their friendship and what would become SpaceOne.
Five years later, that bond gave life to a watch – the Seconde Majeure.
The timepiece takes a kinematic approach to time reading.
Time is decentralised, traditional hands make way for sapphire discs...all in favor of an exclusive complication module.
Hours are read at 12 o’clock and minutes at 6 o’clock, guided by an arrow ending crosshair.
The forward-looking typography stamped on the discs brings contrast to the otherwise classic assembly.
A large seconds hand glides above, bringing motion to the seemingly still composition and giving its name to the watch: Seconde Majeure.
Offering an ingenious architecture, the timepiece is designed around its complication.
The jumping-hour module − developed by Auffret − relies on three visible components.
A central control wheel lies beneath the minute disc.
It makes a full rotation in 60 minutes.
When it completes a full rotation, it engages with the star wheel.
The latter has 12 teeth, corresponding to the 12 hours displayed on the disc attached above.
The jumper spring, visible to the left, maintains pressure on the star wheel, keeping it centred.
It is also responsible for the “jump” of the hour disc.
Pressure builds when the star wheel begins its rotation.
The hour jumps when the spring settles back between the next teeth.
The dial ties the face together.
Cut from a single piece of maillechort, it is both decorative and essential.
The plate supports the module and allows the watch to function.
The watch is made with two different dial finishes: Vertical brushed or “Charbonné”.
This signature technique is performed by expert watchmakers in Auffret’s atelier.
Done exclusively by hand, it requires up to three hours of work, giving each watch a truly unique character.
Housing a SpaceOne module in a Baltic case would have been too predictable.
Instead, the aim was to go for something new. The result was an entirely new design.
Inspired by independent watchmaking, the Seconde Majeure is fitted with a 38.5mm case.
The mid-case, lugs and caseback are brushed with contrast provided by a polished concave bezel.
This shape and finish are mirrored on the lugs.
Arched and low-hanging, the lugs help the watch to sit naturally on the wrist.
The feeling is complemented by a strap crafted by Delugs.
Made from beige Alcantara and featuring curved spring bars, it hugs both the wrist and the case.
Each watch is individually numbered on the caseback, limited to pre-sale order that closed on May 17.
Etienne Malec: Watch enthusiast and collector with an eye for photography and product design.
He understands and respects history, but does not live in the past.
Jas Rewkiewicz: Creative director and cultural shapeshifter, he is the custodian of Baltic’s identity.
His art direction translates vintage subtlety into modern design.
Theo Auffret: Watchmaker and constructor, he is the master of mechanical engineering.
Guillaume Laidet: Serial watch entrepreneur, he is a catalyst for disruptive concepts.
He anticipates the watchmaking of tomorrow and provides a structural framework for an audacious approach to reading time.
The Seconde Majeure. — Photos: SpaceOne and Baltic Watches
Théo Auffret
Etienne Malec
Guillaume Laidet — Photos: Baltic Watches
The Seconde Majeure. — Photos: SpaceOne and Baltic Watches
Some of the components of the Seconde Majeure. — Photo: Remy Salito
Jas Rewkiewicz
