Who is going to buy a watch costing 280,000 Swiss francs with a depiction of an oil rig on the dial? People who measure time not in hours and minutes, but in barrels. Like the Ulysse Nardin Hourstriker Oil Pump , this piece is specifically designed for the markets of Russia, the Middle East and the USA.
Dial and case
The Derrick Gaz by Louis Moinet has a playful touch in the way that it traces the passage of gas from the derrick on the left to the storage tank on the right. At the centre of the derrick there is a drill that rotates continuously, one revolution every two-and-a-half seconds. The tourbillon bridge has been shaped like a pipe, which continues to the right and reaches the valve handle, a wheel that rotates when the crown is rotated to wind the movement. Next along the pipeline is a manometer, which is used to indicate the 72-hour power reserve. Lastly, a gas storage tank on the right-hand side of the dial is made in stainless steel. The dial is decorated with a clou de Paris texture; the hands are in dewdrop shape, with luminous paint inside the terminal drops. The case is large at 47 mm diameter, 14.1 mm thickness, and complex, with 59 components. Water resistance is 30 metres. The watch is available in two versions, rose gold with black dial, and white gold with blue dial. The alligator strap matches the dial colour, and has a folding clasp with the attractive Louis Moinet fleur-de-lys symbol.
Movement
The hand-wound movement was designed and built in-house: it is the Louis Moinet LM42 movement, with 255 components, running at 21,600 vph, 3 Hertz. Its one-minute tourbillon is in prominent view at the base of the dial, and a few movement details can be seen through the sapphire caseback.
References and prices
The Louis Moinet Derrick Gaz is made in two limited editions, each of 28 watches:
LM-42.50.50, rose gold with black dial, price 280,000 Swiss francs + VAT
LM-42.70.20, white gold with blue dial, price 280,000 Swiss francs + VAT
