Perigee Piece Unique

Details 

A very rare, unusual and attractive crystallized titanium astronomical wristwatch from the independent Chinese brand Behrens, founded in 2012 in Shenzhen, China. The present reference was launched in 2022 on the occasion of the brand's 10th anniversary. Crystallized titanium case, diameter 43 mm, 16.8 mm thick, high domed sapphire crystal, sapphire caseback. Openworked dial with dark grey texture on the background. Caliber BM01, manual winding, power reserve of up to 45 hours. Functions – display of time in hours by means of a chain, retrograde display of minutes, worldtimer with 24-hour scale and rotating sphere representing the Earth, peripheral moon phase indicator with a sphere representing the moon, power reserve indicator on the back. Black leather strap, pin buckle in crystallized titanium by Behrens. Unique piece. 

Lot essay 

Behrens is one of a new generation of Chinese watch brands that, rather than copying the successful designs of the industry's leading brands, strive to create their own unique designs. This is hard work, because the creativity and high technical know-how of the leading brands, especially the Swiss, leave them only one room to conquer - namely, special complications that are attractively priced compared to the similar products of other brands. Since noticeable compromises in technical performance, functionality and workmanship significantly reduce the interest of potential buyers, this niche is quite narrow. However, the influence of these factors doesn't prevent the emergence of interesting designs, of which this watch is undoubtedly one. 

Perigee Ref. BHR027 is based on a hand-wound caliber developed by the Behrens brand. This is the first in-house caliber. It has several features that might be attractive to collectors: skeletonized bridges, large ruby jewels, a hand-wound system with two spring-loaded clicks and a ratchet wheel, wheels that open for observation. 

The watch is a unique piece made of crystallized titanium, a rarely used and spectacular material that adds to the appeal of the present lot.

The dial side of the caliber is done in tellurium, although there is a very rough approximation of astronomical prototypes, with a large rotating sphere representing the Earth, a peripheral lunar position, and a lunar phase indicator with a sphere representing the Moon. The Earth's sphere is surrounded by a 24-hour world time scale, and a chain of ruby rollers also circles the Earth to indicate the hour. On the dial at the 3 o'clock position, there is also a retrograde minute display with an open drive, which adds to the charm of this watch. 

Perigee Ref. BHR027 is announced as a limited edition of 200 pieces in titanium. The present example is the first in a limited series. It’s offered in a unique version in crystallized titanium, which gives the case and buckle a special speckled texture, unique and unrepeatable due to the technology. 

Reasons to bid 

The Behrens Perigee Piece Unique Ref. BHR027 would definitely be an attractive buy for collectors and connoisseurs looking for a very rare complicated wristwatch from an up-and-coming Chinese haute horlogerie watch brand that stands a good chance in the modern collector market. The Perigee watch features an exhibition design of a complication on the dial, where all attention is drawn to the main components of the complex mechanism, while an unobstructed view is ensured by the openworked dial and the highly domed sapphire crystal. The watch is a unique piece made of crystallized titanium, a rarely used and spectacular material that adds to the appeal of the present lot.