Description

The present watch is Ludovic Ballouard’s Upside Down, an imaginative feat of independent watchmaking whose display turns convention on its head. Twelve hour numerals are presented “upside down” until their appointed hour; then, in a crisp instantaneous jump, the current hour flips “right side up” and is discreetly marked, while the others remain inverted. The result is a dial that is serene, balanced, and quietly kinetic—an elegant stage for a complication that makes time feel alive in the present tense.

Cased in platinum, this rare edition is defined by an eye‑catching blue‑green dial fashioned from Henbury meteorite. Each dial’s Widmanstätten pattern is unique, its crystalline geometry shimmering with extraterrestrial texture; no two examples are the same. On the reverse, a caseback engraving intended to honor the meteorite bears a charming error—“Heneury” rather than “Henbury”—a human touch that further individualizes this already scarce piece. White Hindu‑Arabic numerals amplify the exotic charisma and deliver striking contrast against the meteorite’s depth.

Produced in an extremely limited series of seven watches, the present example is the first of the run, underscoring its desirability for connoisseurs of the independent scene. The movement, developed to realize Ballouard’s signature mechanism, orchestrates the instantaneous hour flip with refined reliability, while the minimalist central minutes hand preserves clarity and balance. Finishing and assembly are executed to artisanal standards, reflecting Ballouard’s formative years at the bench before launching his eponymous atelier in 2009—when the Upside Down debuted as his inaugural creation.

Beyond its technical ingenuity, the Upside Down carries a philosophical intent: the past is fixed, the future uncertain—only the present is legible. In platinum, with a Henbury meteorite dial and a rare engraving quirk, this piece distills that idea into a singular collectible—poetic, playful, and emphatically rare.

Ludovic Ballouard – bio

Ludovic Ballouard was born in 1971 in Brittany, France. He grew up close to the sea with a special interest in assembling and flying radio-controlled model aircrafts.
His first work started with three years in the after-sale services department at Franck Muller.
Then moved for 7 years at F.P.Journe and in his last three years he was responsible for assembling the outstanding and extremely complicated Sonnerie Souveraine, his work with these marvels proved that Ludovic Ballouard was and is a highly talented watchmaker.
Ludovic decided to follow his dream and in December 2009 his first timepiece, the Upside Down was born.