Incredible “double-sided” luxury watch made by Sarcar with a duplex 18KT yellow and white gold case, double dial and dual mechanical and quartz movements, from the late 1980s.
SPECIFICHE
Octagonal case measuring 24mm x 26mm
Cristalli originali
Original sapphire cabochon crowns
Reversible leather strap
Fibbia originale
Ultra-thin Frederic Piguet manual skeleton movement n.21
ETA 210.001 quartz movement
ANALISI
Sarcar Genève was officially founded in Geneva in 1948, in an environment deeply intertwined with the post-war city’s fine watchmaking scene. The name derives from the contraction of the surname and first name of its founder, Carlo Sarzano (also referred to in documents as Charles). He was not a manufacturing technician in the traditional sense, but rather an entrepreneur and designer with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a complex and refined aesthetic. Sarzano -who long worked as a sales intermediary for major watchmakers, especially in Spain and Italy – established his own production company under the Sarcar name after acquiring the historic Niton watchmaker in 1948. Sarzano – who officially registered the name “Sarcar Genève” on May 16, 1950, with registration number 133580 – transformed Niton into a platform for producing high-end, complex-design cases with unconventional configurations for the 1950s.
But it was in the vibrant 1970s that the still-classic lines of his watches began to evolve toward complex, asymmetrical geometries; dials gradually lost their centrality in favor of a purely aesthetic meaning within a “decorative” function. Sarcar thus anticipated the trends that were later pursued by watchmakers such as Piagert and Corum, demonstrating an unexpectedly futuristic vision.
This innovative and revolutionary spirit became even more extreme between the 1980s and 1990s. Following the death of its founder (1974), the company passed into the hands of his wife, Paulette Sarzano, and his son, Jean-Charles, and they are responsible for the most vibrant aesthetic research, in which high-quality craftsmanship blends and adapts to quartz movements. The Maison’s philosophy is to respond to market demands with pure aesthetics. And it is in this field that, in addition to complicated watches such as perpetual calendars and moon phases with mechanical movements, skeletonized jewelry watches of great manufacturing complexity and rare intrinsic value due to the use of precious metals and gemstones were born. Sarcar transformed the mechanical movement into a jewel, with rich and complex hand-inlays and a specialization in gem-setting, paving the plates and bridges with diamonds, sapphires, and other rare and precious stones. The goal was to convert watchmaking “classic” towards pure jewelry. A mission that emerged fully and definitively in the 20 years between the late 1970s and the 1990s.
This marvelous “reversible” watch with two faces epitomizes the philosophy of this important and “subversive” Genevan Maison. On a case designed in an octagonal shape with a thin bezel secured with visible screws for a striking aesthetic, two watches are created in one.
The first side is structured on the 18kt yellow gold subcase and features the stunning skeletonization of the manually wound mechanical movement Frederic Pieguet No. 21, dubbed cal. 524 by Sarcar. The ultra-thin caliber, measuring just 1.75mm, was manipulated and reworked by removing material from the mainplate, retaining only the supporting framework for the gear train: a traditional artisanal technique known as “à jour”. The movement thus conceived was further embellished with ornamental plant-style motifs handcrafted with a burin and a rich pavé of brilliant-cut diamonds that envelop the circumference of the caliber and fill the spaces left by the octagonal case. Against this aesthetic and manufacturing backdrop, the sight of the hour and minute hands reminds us that we are in the presence of a timepiece miraculously transformed into an object of the highest jewelry.
The opposite side is supported by the 18K white gold sub-case, and its dial is a blend of minimalism and pure design. It is entirely milky white and features a pair of intense blue sapphires positioned to indicate the quarter hours. At the top, at 12 o’clock, is the Sarca Genève signature, while at 6 o’clock, the letter “Q” in a beautiful hexagonal font (reflecting the geometry of the case), identifying the quartz movement that powers the gold Dauphine hour and minute hands. The quartz caliber is the precise and durable ETA 210.001.
Two additional, significant details highlight the sense of luxury. The two crowns, each with a sapphire cabochon, stand out, one on the right and one on the left side of the case, lending geometric balance to the overall design.
The second, splendid detail is the reversible strap attachment, which features a minimal two-bracket attachment, allowing for elegant semi-integration with the case.
