“To my father, 85 years of watchmaking passion”

To celebrate the 85th birthday of Philippe Stern, president of the manufacture from 1993 to 2009 and current honorary president, his son Thierry Stern decided to honor his father by creating a special edition, the reference 1938P, endowed with a completely new exclusive movement and housing a minute repeater, his father’s favorite complication.

The new self-winding caliber R AL 27 PS combines a minute repeater and an alarm chiming on the same two classic gongs. The combination of these two functions represented a real technical challenge, leading to the addition of 227 components and the filing of four new patents. The sapphire crystal provides a fine view of the particularly painstaking finish lavished on this exclusive movement. The chamfered edges of the bridges and hammers are gilded. The 22K yellow-gold mini-rotor is rhodium plated with yellow-gold edges and adorned with a black-lacquered hand engraving reproducing Philippe Stern’s signature.

The tribute to Philippe Stern continues on the 18K gold dial with its portrait in Grand Feu white and gray miniature painting on enamel, on a ground of Grand Feu black enamel. A tiny picture built up in small deft touches –fruit of one of the precious rare handcrafts that the manufacture’s honorary president has taken such care to nurture.

The Officer's style case in platinum also recalls one of the creations dear to Philippe Stern, dating from 1989, when, on the occasion of the manufacture’s 150th anniversary, he launched the limited edition Reference 3960. The case is also endowed with a sapphire crystal back protected by a hinged dust cover bearing the hand-engraved inscription “A mon père, 85 ans de passion horlogère” (To my father, 85 years of watchmaking passion).

DIAL
Grand Feu black enamel, portrait of Mr. Philippe Stern in Grand Feu white and gray miniature painting on enamel, white gold applied Breguet numerals. 18K gold dial plate. White gold Breguet hands. Rose gold Breguet alarm hour hand.

CASE
Platinum. Diameter: 41 mm. Height: 14.2 mm. Humidity- and dust-protected only (not water-resistant). Sapphire crystal case back protected by a hinged dust cover hand-engraved with “À mon père, 85 ans de passion horlogère”.

STRAP
Alligator leather with square scales, hand-stitched, shiny black. Platinum fold-over clasp.

MOVEMENT
Caliber R AL 27 PS. Self-winding. Minute repeater with two classic gongs. 12-hour alarm. Chiming mode indication in aperture. Small seconds. Diameter: 30 mm. Thickness: 8.23 mm. Number of parts: 561. Winding rotor: Rhodium-plated 22K gold off-center minirotor with yellow gold edges, hand-engraved with Mr. Philippe Stern’s signature. Frequency: 21,600 semi-oscillations/hour (3 Hz). Power reserve: min. 43 hours - max. 48 hours.