An original idea behind the Byrne GyroDial: replacing the four cardinal indices with four parallelepipeds that rotate in unison at midnight, showing a different face each time. Arabic or Roman numerals, modern or minimalist fonts, not to mention the suggestions and customisations that customers can request, including changing the indexes at midday. The result is a watch that changes appearance every 24 hours without the need for any intervention on the part of the wearer.
The Byrne brand was founded in 2022 by John Byrne, a designer and watchmaker with over twenty years of experience working for major Swiss brands and French auction houses. The idea for the complication was born when Byrne, watching a ballet at the opera, was struck by the four dancers moving so fast that they looked like one man. Hence the decision to recreate that effect on a dial.
The GyroDial (price starting at CHF 17,000) has a 41.7 mm diameter titanium case with an oval shape (similar to the 'turtle' design), sapphire crystal and back, and is pressure-resistant to 5 atmospheres. At the heart of the design is the calibre 5555, self-winding, 28,800 vibrations per hour, 60-hour power reserve, 42 jewels, made in collaboration with the Le Temps Manufacture in Fleurier, a few kilometres from Neuchâtel.
The first versions with a traditional dial were later joined by the Zero models, which have no dial. The latter leave the movement and, above all, the four rotating indexes with the gears that drive them, in full view.
Distribution is through a small network of independent dealers in Europe, Japan, Canada and the United States. Website: www.byrnewatch.com, instagram: @byrnewatch.
