The patented large-date display at the “11” position under a transparent sapphire dial is probably the best-known feature of our Zeitwinkel timepieces. This beautiful watch is now available in a case under 40mm diameter. Either with a smoked sapphire dial in our model 173° Saphir Fumé or with a beautiful blue Sapphire dial in the 173° Saphir Bleu.

Just like every Zeitwinkel movement, the ZW0103 manufacture caliber used in our model 173° is unique to our watches. It is built in our workshop in Saint-Imier by our own watchmakers with precision, reliability and longevity in mind. We believe that the level of hand-finishing and its meticulous artisan decoration deserve as much attention as the exceptional design of our model 173°.

If we could highlight just one special feature of the 173° Saphir models, it would be our ZW0103 manufacture movement. The ZW0103 is an expression of our founders’ passion for traditional watchmaking and took three years of initial development. The exceptional mechanism of the ZW0103 consists of an automatic winding movement with a semi-integrated complication for the large date display.

When we constructed our movements, our focus was on precision and serviceability. This meant using very solid bridges instead of aiming for the thinnest possible caliber. It also led us to use a solid three-quarter plate which reduces flexing and unwanted play. This commitment to structural integrity requires extreme precision during assembly—performed entirely by hand by our watchmakers.

The movement has the substantial diameter of 30.4 mm, 49 bearing jewels, a total of 387 components, a frequency of 28,800 oscillations, a Glucydur balance and a very reactive, bi-directional automatic winding mechanism. The total running time of the movement is 72 hours. So much for the technical aspects.

German Silver, an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc, has a beautiful color that develops a light but very warm patina if left uncoated. It will however develop spots if touched with bare fingers and obviously, any mistakes that happen during the handling or decoration of the movement cannot be covered up.

At least 75% of the work on the ZW0103 takes place only after all the parts have been manufactured. We assemble everything, including the smallest components, by hand and then decorate even the undersides and areas the owner of a Zeitwinkel watch will never see.

The Zeitwinkel sapphire dials have often been described as “stunning” or “cool”.  Hardly anyone notices how technically complex they are and how long it takes to manufacture them.

The next major step is the metallization of the outer ring under the minute track (“minuterie”). This allows a precise reading of the time regardless of the light condition and possible reflections from the German Silver of the movement.

The hour and minute hands of the 173° Saphir are precisely matched to the indices of the sapphire dial. They are diamond-set, which means they have two straight surfaces that are set at an angle to each other over almost the entire length of the hand. As a result, one side always reflects the incident light, creating a strong contrast with the dial.

Every detail of the Zeitwinkel 173° Saphir case has been re-engineered to fit our in-house ZW0103 manufacture movement into a case with a diameter under 40mm. The result can immediately be recognized as a Zeitwinkel case, but a bit more rounded than other versions.

To achieve its signature contours, each watch case is manufactured using precision machinery. After that, the construction is completed primarily by hand. The surfaces are polished by skilled watchmakers to ensure a clear distinction between the different surface treatments.

For our leather straps, only hand-selected skins are processed and refined with the traditional full-bugg technique. The result is a supple and extremely durable strap available in various colors. For animal welfare reasons, we completely abstain from using reptile leather and replace it by high-quality hand-sewn calfskin.

As an alternative to our leather straps, the 173° Saphir can also be ordered with our durable caoutchouc watch strap. Caoutchouc has proven to be very skin-friendly and extremely durable not only for the use in warmer climates, but also during more athletic activities. It is waterproof, UV-resistant, tearproof and dimensionally stable.

The Zeitwinkel caoutchouc watch strap is closed with a high precision manufactured folding clasp made of polished stainless steel 316L that can be opened and closed with one hand. It is necessary to cut the strap to the length of the wrist, which can easily be done by the owner or a local watch specialist.