Mirage 38, Sienna, Yellow Gold

The Mirage 38 is a first in watchmaking, self-described as the ‘first shaped watch to draw its asymmetry from its calibre, rather than from an external free shape’. In other words, despite the appearance this is not pure art. It is function, balanced and interpreted through a rather whimsical and elegant design. Sylvain Berneron began his brand after leaving a product design career in 2020 in order to pursue his dream, selling most of his personal assets to make it happen. After a few years in development, the watch world was floored by his dedication to perfect execution and unique philosophy which bore the Mirage 38.  

The first unique concept from Berneron was this Mirage 38, announced 2023. While it is clearly inspired from the work of Andrew Grima, Gilbert Albert, Rupert Emmerson, and vintage Calatravas, Sylvain approached the problem differently. Rather than designing a shape and slotting in a generic ébauche, Sylvain designed an asymmetrical calibre aimed to maximize power reserve and chronometric efficiency, then designed the watch around it. 

Calibre 233 utilizies several unique solutions as a result, breaking out of constrained circle. Rather unusually, the case, dial, spring bars, main plate, and bridges are all solid gold here. The entire calibre is an outstanding 2.33mm thin, which is where the gracefulness of its shape stems from. Gold manufacture took FP Journe years to master, Berneron started by making the thinnest gold calibre in production. The bridges feature a wave guillochage to compliment the curved edges and wave balance bridge. There is a wealth of finishing variety on display, from the cerclage on the hour wheel to anglage on bridges and even an engraved barrel. 

The dial echoes this distinct philosophy, with a carefully designed sector track and even more carefully created typography. The font here is derived from the Fibonacci sequence, then curved. Its dial is made of solid gold, featuring a stepped center and petite seconds with radial brushing in the track. The curved handset is stacked in the reverse order of most watches, in order to help push the overall thinness down. Those hands must be finished by hand, machines are not that advanced yet. The shape of the whole case and dial has been bent around the large mainspring barrel, a function then form derivation. The overall watch is just 7mm thin, which creates one of the most graceful wrist presences you will find today. Even the crown is asymmetric, with an oval shape reminiscent of the case proportion. 

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. The Mirage 38 is sold out four years ahead at time of writing. Upon handling it, one immediately understands that this is for good reason. In his own words, Sylvain puts it this way. ‘In 100 years, a watchmaker will open my watch, and how do I want them to feel? When he realizes everything is in gold and we didn't take any shortcuts, I think that'll be a cool moment.’ We agree, and are certain it will be. 

This Mirage 38 is hardly worn. It sports no visible surface wear on its case and comes with its complete set.

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