übelin sets a new milestone with its own watch. The new Ipsomatic is designed by the world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava. His work is defined by the organic, flowing and sculptural design that also shapes the Ipsomatic watch from Gübelin. For the first time, Santiago Calatrava has applied his unique design language to a wristwatch – creating a new icon of time.

The Ipsomatic watch in platinum with its iconic, organically curved shapes is limited to 170 pieces and thus reflects the 170th anniversary of the House of Gübelin, which was founded as watchmakers. The timepiece is powered by a historical Felsa movement, paying tribute to the history of the House. With the historical yet as-new movements, Gübelin also selects existing resources that are given a new lease of life.

The Gübelin watch presents another first. With the world’s first Proof of Authenticity for watches, the Ipsomatic sets completely new standards in terms of authenticity and traceability. It combines physical tracers with digital blockchain technology. This innovative combination ensures that watches can now be invisibly marked and documented in a tamper-proof way.

Raphael Gübelin

Raphael Gübelin, President of the House, states: “The launch of our own watch with its iconic shape, designed by Santiago Calatrava, marks another milestone for our company. With its contemporary design, historical Felsa movement and Proof of Authenticity, Ipsomatic unites history, present and future.”

SANTIAGO CALATRAVA

The Spanish-Swiss architect, civil engineer and artist is one of the most important and influential architects of our time. His best-known buildings include the Oculus railway station at Ground Zero in New York, the Turning Torso skyscraper in Malmö and the City of Arts and Sciences complex in his native city of Valencia. His architecture can also be found in Switzerland, for example at Lucerne railway station, Zurich’s Stadelhofen station and the Pfalzkeller in St. Gallen.

Santiago Calatrava

©Thomas Hoeffgen

Santiago Calatrava describes his inspiration and the creation process: “Working with a company that has such a long tradition and has been led by the same family for many generations was both a pleasure and a challenge for me: to find a proposition which states the high quality of Gübelin over time. I was inspired by the idea of time. Time exists because there is change, change means movement, the eternal essence of time is the dynamic component of its shape.”

The two family-run companies, Santiago Calatrava and the House of Gübelin, share a common inspiration from nature and a deep connection to Switzerland.

HISTORICAL FELSA MOVEMENT

As a tribute to the history of the House and to breathe new life into existing resources, the Ipsomatic is powered by a historical movement from Felsa. The Swiss manufacturer developed the Bidynator, whose rotor moves in both directions to wind the mainspring. This pioneering achievement, introduced by Felsa in 1942, is considered a forerunner of the modern automatic watch. The calibre 1560 continued this innovation. Felsa was one of the most renowned manufacturers of watch movements and supplied calibres to Gübelin as early as the 20th century.

The Gübelin Ipsomatic of the 1950s and 1960s also featured a Felsa movement, and the renaissance of the new Ipsomatic carries this tradition into the present day. The historical movement was completely dismantled, cleaned, refurbished and regulated with great attention to detail and care.

The name Ipsomatic refers to the legendary Gübelin model from the 1950s and 1960s with a Felsa movement. Derived from Latin, Ipsomatic refers to the mechanical movement, with the Latin word ipso meaning self- winding movement. Gübelin presented a special Ipsomatic for its 100th anniversary, featuring a finely finished rotor engraved with the dates 1854–1954. As a nod to this model, the rotor of the new Ipsomatic is also engraved with the dates 1854–2024 and the words “Gübelin Jubilé”.

PROOF OF AUTHENTICITY

With the Ipsomatic, Gübelin is presenting another first: Proof of Authenticity. For the first time, the authenticity of watches is ensured through the combination of physical tracers and the Provenance Proof Blockchain. This creates a completely new level for verifying and documenting the authenticity of a watch. The physical tracer was specifically developed for metals and consists of nanolabels that are invisible even under a microscope and can be read at any time. The labels cannot be removed even by polishing, washing or irradiation, meaning that the watch and its parts can still be identified decades later. Recorded on the decentralised blockchain, the data becomes immutable, making it tamper-proof. This ensures that the watch is verifiably genuine and comes from Gübelin.

“Proof of Authenticity offers the entire watch industry a completely new level of authenticity and traceability. Each component of the watch can be marked using an innovative combination of physical and digital technologies. With the Ipsomatic, we are introducing this innovation to watches for the first time,” explains Raphael Gübelin.

Provenance Proof is a Gübelin start-up that was founded to provide greater transparency and traceability for the entire jewellery and gemstone industry. With the new Proof of Authenticity service, Provenance Proof is now explicitly targeting the watch industry as well.

ICONIC RUBY

The ruby is considered the king of gemstones and has symbolised love and passion for centuries. For the House of Gübelin, the ruby holds even greater significance: it embodies the Deeply Inspired philosophy. Each of the company’s creations is therefore set with the iconic Gübelin ruby. On the Ipsomatic, the ruby sparkles on the edge of the elegant clasp, which is also engraved with the Gübelin name. The clasp connects the watch with the wearer, while the iconic ruby connects the wearer with the House of Gübelin.

HOURGLASS

Another distinctive feature that identifies the Ipsomatic as a creation from Gübelin is the hourglass. This symbol, which serves as the Gübelin logo, is also part of the family coat of arms. The stylised hourglass is engraved on the onion-shaped crown, which is used to operate and set the functions of the watch.

DRAWING

A drawing by Santiago Calatrava depicting two bulls is engraved on the back of the watch. The renowned architect and artist is known for his drawings and sketches of animals. For thousands of years, bulls have symbolised strength, power and energy. To Santiago Calatrava, they are particularly symbolic creatures, serving as a leitmotif throughout his vast body of work, which includes paintings, ceramics and monumental bronze sculptures.

Santiago Calatrava explains: “The two bulls represent the positive energy, the force and the permanence in a universe which is constantly changing in time.”

The hand-drawn sketch was engraved in a complex, four-step laser process. To achieve varying shades of colour, different engraving depths were applied to the two bulls. The back of the watch also features the limited edition marking: “One of 170”.