In 1816, Louis Moinet—artist, clockmaker, and scientist—completed the Compteur de Tierces, the world's first chronograph. Built to time astronomical observations with extraordinary precision, it was an instrument so ahead of its era that its design language remains startlingly modern 210 years later. Les Ateliers Louis Moinet, the contemporary manufacture bearing his name, has spent two decades translating that founding object into haute horlogerie. The 1816 Tourbillon Chronograph is the most complete expression of that mission to date. The new Louis Moinet 1816 Tourbillon Chronograph is limited to just 12 pieces.
Things to Know About the Watch
The 40.6 mm case is crafted from polished and satin-finished grade 5 titanium and assembled from 51 individual components. Every design element traces back to the Compteur de Tierces: the Directoire-style semi-bassine profile, smooth case middle with double gadroon, monopusher at two o'clock, and a crown adorned with the fleur-de-lys—the emblem of Bourges, Moinet's birthplace. The integrated grade 5 titanium bracelet features broad architectural links in alternating satin and polished finishes.
The rhodium-plated dial layers satin-brushed and bead-blasted surfaces, with Arabic numeral subdials for small seconds and a 30-minute counter. A ruby-set barrel flanked by polished screws adds a technical accent at the subdial centers. The flying tourbillon cage at six o'clock receives blue DLC coating; blued steel is used for the chronograph seconds hand, subdial hands, and four case screws—an elegant chromatic contrast against the grey dial. The monopusher chronograph is buttery smooth and one of the best watches at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026.
This watch combines two historically significant complications: a column-wheel monopusher chronograph and a flying tourbillon with an off-centered cage. The pairing is an intentional tribute as Louis Moinet invented the chronograph, and his close friend Abraham-Louis Breguet invented the tourbillon.
The Movement
Powering the Louis Moinet 1816 Tourbillon Chronograph is the in-house calibre LM114, which is a manual-wound movement with a double barrel delivering 96 hours of power reserve while beating at a frequency of 28,800 vph when fully wound. The movement is assembled at Louis Moinet's ateliers in Les Breuleux.
On the Wrist & Price
On the wrist, the 1816 Tourbillon Chronograph reads exactly as it should: clean, assured, and quietly spectacular. The silver rhodium dial gives the blue DLC tourbillon cage room to command attention without competing with anything else on the dial. At 40.6 mm in grade 5 titanium and a total weight of 113 grams, the watch wears with genuine lightness, and the integrated bracelet sits flush with an architectural confidence that matches the case. For a tourbillon chronograph, it is a remarkably composed watch.
Sticker Price USD 135,000. For more info on Louis Moinet, click here.
