Berneron Mirage 38 Prussian Blue

The second Mirage ever to trade hands is at auction this week, this time in Prussian Blue. Independent auction debuts are always interesting battles, but particularly when the watch in question is so in demand that it’s sold out for six years. That’s down to the watch itself, the first watch that is designed after the natural flow of its calibre, not the other way around. While Crash comparisons are rampant, it’s in fact the opposite philosophy. The design stems from an oversized mainspring, which the case wraps around. All typography is Berneron's own careful design, inspired by the Fibonacci sequence. The Mirage 38 is a confluence of very clever first-principles thinking, smart inspiration, and dedication to details. Because of this, Sylvain Berneron has captivated the watch world’s creative admiration in greater degree than anyone could’ve predicted. And now the whole world gets to watch one hammer.

The Berneron is not just a movement-forward exercise though, it’s made in the details. The calibre is gold, the thinnest time-only gold movement in production today (taking that crown from FPJ at just 7mm). But then the spring bars are gold. The case shape’s fluidity is mirrored everywhere like the clasp, crown shape (not easily seen in photos), handset, and, above all, font. The font of this solid gold dial is highly considered and derived from the Fibonacci sequence, then curved. The liquidity is rhythmic but also quite mathematically perfect.

The Mirage 38 is a confluence of very clever first-principles thinking, smart inspiration, and dedication to details. The philosophy is clear: mechanics matter, but in service of creating lasting beautiful objects. It is both a serious watch and seriously playful. Because of this, Sylvain has captivated the watch world’s creative admiration in greater degree than anyone could’ve predicted. 24 examples are made yearly, 12 in this ‘Sienna’ yellow gold and 12 in ‘Prussian Blue’ white gold. And they’re all sold for now. So good luck and godspeed to all pursuing.

This example is lovely. I have no condition notes as usual on watches that are in essence new watch. It's the full set, and lovely.