It is sometimes said that, as far as mechanical watch movements are concerned, everything, or nearly everything, has already been achieved. So is mechanical horology set in stone? Nothing could be farther from the truth. Mechanical watchmaking still has plenty of surprises in store for us, as demonstrated by Dr Ilan Vardi, senior scientist at the EPFL Patek Philippe Chair in Micromechanical and Horological Design, known more simply as: “Instant-Lab.”