The Latest from Grail Watch is a Ludovic Ballouard Upside Down with Art by the Watchmaker’s Young Son

Ludovic Ballouard’s Upside Down, first seen in 2010, is one of independent watchmaking’s most inventive and whimsical creations. Ballouard started his own brand after stints working with big names like Franck Muller and F.P. Journe (he was handpicked by Journe to work on his most complex movement, the Sonnerie Souveraine), and his signature complication is quite unlike anything else. The Upside Down’s conceit is that it displays each hour upside down except the current hour, which is flipped right side up when the minute hand crosses 12:00. It’s an incredibly complicated design, the purpose of which, according to Ballouard, is to “treasure the time we are in.” It’s also just a very cool party trick, and the platform for the latest release from Grail Watch, Wei Koh’s ongoing series of dream collaborations. 

The new Upside Down seen here isn’t a brand to brand collaboration like previous Grail Watch releases, but a heartfelt partnership between Ballouard and his young son, Gabriel, or “Gaga” for short. Wei Koh asked Ballouard if Gabriel could be involved in the creation of this watch after hearing Ballouard’s incredible story of becoming a parent. He lost his first wife, Eveline, to cancer, some years ago, but not before she told him of her hopes that he’d remarry and have a family. This seemed impossible to Ballouard at first, but he eventually met Flavia during his daily walk in Parc Bertrand in Geneva. She changed his life, and they soon become first time parents, both a little bit older than either had anticipated that milestone might occur. 

To Wei Koh, the scrawled lines and shapes that cover the watch’s dial represent a freedom of expression that is perhaps only available to us as children, and constantly searched for by mature artists. Ballouard transposed Gabriel’s crayon drawing via contact printing onto an aventurine dial, and the new Upside Down “Series Gaga” was born. It will be available in two variants, one with Breguet numerals, the other with Chinese characters, and only 8 watches will be made in total (Ballouard’s production is about 20 watches per year). The 41mm case is made of platinum, and measures 11mm in height.  

The manually wound movement, caliber B01, features 228 components and runs in 51 jewels. It accomplishes the unique effect of flipping individual hour discs throughout the day by using a minute wheel to build up a reserve of energy in much the same way a minute repeater stores power. Once an hour, that energy is released, flipping the new hour disc right side up, and turning the old one upside down. It’s (obviously) highly complex, and from the back, the movement doesn’t resemble anything else on the market. 

Clearly not for everyone, this kind of creativity is what I personally enjoy most about the current state of independent watchmaking. Ballouard’s story is genuinely inspirational, and while the aesthetic of childlike markings across the dial are not going to please traditionalists, it somehow feels appropriate for a watch that is such a statement of individualism. It’s hard to imagine the watch meaning more to anyone than to Ballouard and members of his family, but that just makes the whole project that much more endearing. 

The Ludovic Ballouard Upside Down “Series Gaga” has a retail price of CHF 108,000, and will be available beginning August 24 through Grail Watch. Ludovic Ballouard