Last week I was invited by Luxury Concepts to a presentation by Laurent Lecamp, Managing Director of Cyrus Watches. The preview session, held at the Khronos Boutique – Starhill Gallery, was very enlightening with an artful presentation by Laurent and his passion and enthusiasm for the brand is simply infectious, to say the least.
Cyrus Watches is jointly founded by Laurent and Julien Lecamp, and currently is one of the youngest and most exciting Swiss luxury watch brand. And seemingly to prove this point, a few days after the chat with Laurent, I received news that Cyrus has won the “Best Independent Brand” at the Nuit de l’Horlogerie Monaco 2011 held at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco.
When Laurent and Julien founded the company, they chose the name Cyrus in honor of Cyrus the Great who ruled the Persian Empire 2500 years ago. To serve as a link to Cyrus the Great’s illustrious history, Laurent always carries with him an authentic ancient gold coin minted during that era.
Cyrus’s ancient Gold Coin depicting the Lion and the Bull locked in eternal battle.
There are currently two watch collections being offered by Cyrus, namely the Kuros and the Klepcys. I had the privilege to play around with watches from both collections and below is a brief description of these wonderful Cyrus timepieces and some pictures taken during the preview session.
The Kuros collection consists of 6 different models in a limited production run of 188 pieces per model. The Kuros timepiece is a chronograph watch based on ETA 2094 movement. The three sub-dials located at the 3-6-9 position indicates the running second, 30 minute totalizer and 12 hour totalizer. The A.R. coated sapphire crystal is beautifully curved in double angle (from 6-12 and 3-9 directions).
Picture of Kuros Ref 598.001A
The watch case is made of Titanium Grade 2 and is beautifully sculpted in 3 Dimensions to hug the wrist. The Titanium case finishing consists of satin, polished edges and sand blasted surface. The large knurled crown is signed with the Cyrus insignia.
The sculpted Kuros watch case designed to hug the wrist.
The Kuros timepieces are equipped with solid casebacks locked in place by 8 specially designed screws. The caseback has a small display window allowing a glimpse of the ticking heart, the movement’s balance wheel. Embedded in the caseback of each two tone model (Ref 598.201A, 202A and 301A) is the gold medallion fashioned after the Cyrus’s ancient gold coin.
Two tone models of the Kuros Collection have a replica of the Cyrus’s Ancient Gold Coin embedded in the caseback.
Kuros timepieces are available with sport rubber straps and double deployant clasp signed with the Cyrus insignia.
The Klepcys collection currently consists of 2 models, Ref 593.001A in 18K red gold and 593.002A in a combination of 18K white gold and Grade 5 Titanium. The former is available in a limited production run of 33 pieces and the latter in 88 pieces. Each Klepcys timepiece contains Cyrus’s exclusive CYR598 automatic movement developed in collaboration with Swiss master watchmaker Jean Francois Mojon.
The Klepcys is Cyrus’s entry into the world of Haute Horlogerie. There are 2 international patents pending for the watch. As you can see from the pictures below it is a complication timepiece and is best described in Cyrus’s own terms as follows:
Description: Automatic movement with a unique display of the time on a movable axis, with a retrograde hour function, day/night indication, large date calendar with retrograde rotating three-dimensional tens, spherical moon with moon phase indication by gradual rise of a patch.
Time Function: Three-dimensional retrograde display mechanism Reading of hours, minutes and seconds on a movable axis with a day/night indication Precise guidance of the retrograde height of the hour hand with a ruby bearing.
Calendar: Large date, retrograde three-dimensional tens, pivoting Precise guidance of the height of the tens hand with a ruby bearing.
Phases of the Moon: Three-dimensional moon Progressive rising of the patch to indicate the various moon phases In case of a fully covered moon: appearance of the CYRUS logo
There is also a presentation video available on Cyrus Watches website showing clearly how the Klepcys timepiece functions.
Ref 593.002A with the exquisite 3 Dimensional moon phase indicator showing the full moon.
Ref 593.002A with the exquisite 3 Dimensional moon phase indicator showing the new moon.
Ref 593.002A caseback is DLC coated and has the embedded replica of the Cyrus Ancient Gold Coin.
I had the opportunity to try on the Klepcys for this picture with Cyrus’s MD Laurent Lecamp.
Despite my best efforts the pictures above simply do not do justice to the quality and fine workmanship found in each Cyrus timepiece. Professional quality pictures from Cyrus have been included below to enable better appreciation of the best that Cyrus has to offer.
Kuros Ref 598.001A:
View of the watch dial.
Close up view of the watch dial.
Close up view of 30 minute counter chronograph sub-dial.
Close up view of the winding crown.
Side view of the watch case showing the wrist hugging profile.
Close up view of the double deployment strap buckle.
Klepcys Ref 539.002A:
View of the watch dial.
Close up view of the retrograde hour indicator with day-night indication.
Close up view of the retrograde date display.
Close up view of the seconds disc bearing the Cyrus insignia.
Close up view of the double deployment strap buckle.
Close up view of the 3 Dimensional moon phase indicator.
View of the caseback.
The attention given to the double deployant clasp is trully outstanding for such a young brand !
Really amazing ! Want to know more about this !
I totally agree. You can visit the Cyrus website to find out more about the Cyrus timepieces.