Description

The present watch is “Liberty,” a 38 mm x 9.5 mm creation that celebrates Franco‑American friendship and the ideals of liberty and independence through symbolic design and advanced craft. Its case is rendered in lightweight titanium accented by 18K white‑gold rivets, a purposeful industrial detail that frames a dial and handset cut entirely from sapphire crystal—both filled with luminescent porcelain to radiate day and night.

At the center of the dial lies the outline of Liberty Island’s eleven‑pointed star fortification. Around it, Liberty’s crown is echoed in the chapter motif, while the numerals are styled after 18th‑century U.S. dollar notes, all colored to evoke the “greenback,” a deliberate nod to freedom as symbol and instrument. The seconds hand embodies Liberty’s pure golden radiance, counterpoised by her torch burning in the wind, animating the scene with poetic motion.

Power is provided by the automatic caliber VH122, beating at 21,600 vph with 30 jewels and a power reserve of approximately 56 hours. The movement is equipped with the patented VH “mysterious” winding mass—an invisible‑style rotor whose inscription, “La Liberté Éclairant le Monde,” honors the statue’s original French name. Hours, minutes, and seconds are displayed with crystalline clarity thanks to the luminous sapphire architecture, fulfilling Édouard René de Laboulaye’s intent that Liberty’s light should shine across land and sea.

In substance and symbolism, “Liberty” is a contemporary ode to the American Dream—technically inventive, aesthetically resonant, and resolutely independent—crafted to keep the ideals of freedom visible at all times.

Vianney Halter – bio

Graduated from the Watchmaking School of Paris in 1981, Vianney Halter spent the first ten years of his professional life restorating antique clocks, pocket watches and wristwatches. Independent since 1994, he has been designing and making various timepieces for other manufactures, in 2003 for Harry Winston, 2006 for Cabestan.

Since 1998 he has also developed his own collection and launched a new trend in watchmaking, using his unique style, his own technical patents and trademarked designs. His first model, the Antiqua Perpetual Calendar, was immediately regarded as a « relic of the future », thus asserting his creativity.
Altogether, 10 different wristwatch models were created by Vianney Halter. Nevertheless, the production remains very limited, as less than 500 watches bearing his signature were produced. The yearly production is of a few dozen pieces, lucky fews have to be patient before wearing their masterpieces.