Mirage 34, Lapis Lazuli, White Gold

The Mirage 34 marks a new chapter in Sylvain Berneron’s pursuit of poetic mechanics. It carries forward the same founding principle as its predecessor — design that begins with the movement, not the case — while refining everything into a smaller, more intimate form. It is still, as Berneron describes it, “a shaped watch whose asymmetry is born from its calibre,” distilled into 34mm of restrained presence. However, the Mirage 34 utilizes uniquely beautiful, natural Lapis Lazuli stone from Afghanistan for its dial, painstakingly sculpted by hand to fit this distinct design.  

Each Mirage 34 Lapis Lazuli is hewn by hand to be 1.30mm thick overall. However, the petite seconds are then further drilled by hand using tools normally reserved for dentistry, to a thinness of just .40mm. Due to the natural fragility of the material and precision required, only two in ten dial attempts were successful. This nearly brought down the whole project, but the team pushed through that challenge. The hand-carved petite seconds has a textured effect, which contrasts the main dial area’s gloss. 

The respect for quality materials doesn’t end at the dial, as both the case, main plate, and bridges are all 18k gold. The white gold case is overall just 7mm thin with crystal, 5.3mm without. Calibre 215 is took the throne from the Mirage 38 as the thinnest full gold calibre in production (2.15mm). The efficiency of the calibre’s overall shape, however, still allows a 72 hours reserve as the overall architecture is quite similar to the 38. Berneron uses a different movement for each watch, which is difficult to accomplish but should be proudly noted. 

The Mirage 34 builds thoughtfully on the Mirage 38’s first-principles thinking. There is a symmetry to the way its organic stone dial flatters the case shape. The Lapis Lazuli adds an extra dimension of natural beauty to the Mirage platform which simply makes sense. 24 examples are to be made in each metal yearly, between Lapis Lazuli (white gold) and Tiger Eye (yellow gold). Production is sold out through 2028. Where many brands have tried to integrate stone dials into their work, Sylvain began with a concept that simply flatters it. The result is a completely natural, extremely beautiful form taken to its ultimate conclusion in materials. 

This Mirage 34 presents in excellent condition. Its case shows only very light signs of use commensurate with occasional wear. It is a complete set, with all original documents and box included.

This example is modelled on an average-sized 7-inch wrist.