the fantastic Rudis Sylva RS14 Titane :

We had the Rudis Sylva RS14 Titane Harmonious Oscillator available for among the best part of the month, and proper right here is our in-depth full evaluation of this glorious watch.

The Rudis Sylva RS14 Titane retails for roughly CHF 200,000 sooner than taxes, as a result of the watch may be very customisable and remaining pricing depends upon the chosen ending.

The backstory of Rudis Silva

My historic hyperlink to Rudis could be barely prolonged, though it does not go manner again to the flip of the ultimate century. Nonetheless, I consider the best way wherein I acquired to be launched to Jacky Epitaux is fascinating. It was almost definitely Baselworld 2016 or even perhaps 2015. I bumped into Philippe Dufour, as one tends to do in Basel, and he grabbed my hand, and acknowledged, “Peter! I’ve to introduce you to anyone! Unimaginable work from the Jura. Higher of among the best. You may understand the extent of craft!”. And he led me to the Rudis Sylva gross sales area, and launched me to Jacky. He spent a few minutes to make clear why the watches have been distinctive, and left me with Jacky. And thus began my friendship with Rudis Sylva and Jacky Epitaux.

I visited Les Bois on November 13, 2024, and was confirmed throughout the village tucked up throughout the Swiss Jura. Jacky is a wonderful helpful useful resource, with good passion for watchmaking and was the correct info for the world. He knew each residence, who occupied it, and what horological significance it had historically. From the early beginnings of what was to develop to be Nivarox, and the birthplace of Baume et Mercier, to specialist artisans like guilloché specialist Georges Brodbeck (in Saignelégier shut by), engraving masters Sylvian Bettex and Bertrand Degiorgi, and enameler Sophie Cattin Morales (in Les Barrières moreover shut by).

I obtained right here dwelling with an RS14 in titanium as a evaluation loaner. I acquired to know the watch pretty correctly, have spent among the best part of the month carrying, admiring and photographing this magnificent beast.

The case, dial and palms

On first encounter. The Rudis Sylva RS14 is a huge watch. The case measures some 44m in diameter with a domed crystal bringing the height to 14.3mm. There is not a hiding the presence of this watch. Nevertheless larger than mere girth, the watch is fetching. The model which we chosen, Jacky was selection enough to provide quite a lot of for me to mortgage, is in a black DLC titanium case, with vibrant purple accents.

Big as the size may counsel, as quickly as on the wrist it is immediately comfortable. The lugs wrap throughout the wrist, and for a flat 19.5cm wrist like mine, it was totally at dwelling. See the ultimate {{photograph}} of the wrist shot. And since the case is in titanium, it is also very gentle, contributing to its comfort on the wrist. Your full watch with movement, crystals, strap and buckle weighs in at 70.9g, so it is barely noticeable when worn. The bezel may very well be very skinny, and is matte accomplished within the similar mannequin as a result of the case heart. The horns are moreover equally accomplished, and have a raised edge with a textured inside. And are welded to the case heart. This provides the contrasting finish to the vertical satin finish of the case heart, blessing the case with a energetic and nuanced dimensionality. The crown is ribbed and comprises a purple ring to tie throughout the visuals with the rest of the dial.

And most spectacular is the dial, or the face of the watch. The hours and minutes are carried on a sub-dial, whose diameter is barely greater than the radius of the dial opening. It sits offset in path of the usual 12 o’clock place. And this sub-dial is matte black with purple markers. Roman numerals identify out the 12/3/6/9 positions and sticks in purple. The sub-dial is donut shaped, with a bomb (convex) flooring, and raised edges to supply some dimensionality. The purple pad-printed indices are made thick and stand barely proud of the ground they’re inked on, as soon as extra extending the impression of home. The palms are moreover pretty big in proportion to the sub-dial, and are fir shaped and hand-finished on all sides with bevelling on the flanks.

This sub-dial is suspended, above the marginally open-worked dial aspect of the movement. We are going to see the half plate, which is opened to point the twin barrels and part of the keyless works.

On the lower half of the dial, the magnificent Harmonious Oscillator is displayed. And it sits, seemingly to float over the first plate. The plate is embellished with the engaging guilloché hand work of Georges Broadbeck. In our occasion, this choices 60 tapering pyramids to kind a mesmerising motif which catches the sunshine fantastically.

The movement

The movement is the in-house conceptualised, patented Harmonious Oscillator. Your full movement is constructed by Rudis Sylva, and Jacky tells us that solely 7 parts, significantly the escapement, the stones, the springs (every mainspring and steadiness springs), the Incabloc are purchased from outside sources. On the case once more, the half plate is scalloped to point the center wheel and two barrels, with an engraving of a sun-dial on the best plate. On this plate could be engraved the phrases “Ultimata Forsan”, a  Latin phrase translating to “perhaps the ultimate”. The intention of the phrase is to evoke a way of loss or an inevitable end, nonetheless it should presumably moreover categorical a hope that shines by. Possibly commentary on the state of extreme end watchmaking this time limit. Moreover engraved on the plate is are the initials “I-P-F 1750″ and A.J-P 1942”. These engravings stand for thought-about one in all J.Jean-Pierre Froidevaux ancestors, who constructed the 1750 farmhouse from which the photograph voltaic calendar design was taken from; and for Prepared Jobin Pelissier who was a subsequent proprietor of the farmhouse and recalculated the photograph voltaic calendar in Zurich Polytechnicum in 1942. The farmhouse is at current owned by Jacky’s enterprise companion at Rudis Sylva, who could be his brother-in-law.

Movement ending on all sides – dial and case-back are distinctive. Not solely throughout the multitude of crafts chosen to be portrayed throughout the movement, however moreover throughout the extreme extreme stage of excellence it attains. The first plate, seen from the dial aspect choices the guilloché work I described above. The bridges which are seen are hand-decorated, with bevelling and spherical graining and vertical brushing. Your full gear follow choices spherical graining with diamond polished corners. Nevertheless most likely essentially the most spectacular is the titanium carriage and bridge which carries 28 inward corners and beautiful bevelling.

The Harmonious Oscillator

The RS14 choices the additional refined Harmonious Oscillator. This oscillator is initially developed by Romain Gillet and the completed by Finnish watchmaker Mika Rassinen. I understand a patent is registered beneath each Rudis Sylva or Jacky Epitaux. Two barrels are organized in parallel, one to each aspect of the second pinion, powering the one wheel follow. The movement has solely a single escapement with a single pallet positioned at 90 ranges. However the facility escapes by two coupled steadiness springs on two toothed steadiness wheels whose tooth mesh to 1 one other. The two steadiness wheels rotate in reverse directions, with each hairspring respiratory the choice methodology from each other. This provides instantaneous correction for irregularities throughout the spring’s respiratory.

And to supply even larger chronometry, the whole escapement, with the twin steadiness wheels are mounted on a platform which makes one rotation every 60 seconds. This affiliation is type of a standard one minute tourbillon, nonetheless with two steadiness wheels in its place of the classical one. The carriage may very well be very large, measuring 17.4mm in diameter and is prominently displayed on the lower half of the dial.

We do remember that in 2023, Rudis Sylva launched the RS23which carries a simplified mannequin of the oscillator. They found a way to eradicate the tourbillon carriage, and caught the escapement to the underside plate. The declare is that the effectivity is not affected the least bit, nonetheless the simplification permits the RS23 to appreciate a lower asking value of roughly CHF 80k.

Aggressive Panorama

As far as everyone knows, and Jacky tells us too, that this mannequin of movement with a single follow driving a single escapement driving two toothed, tightly coupled steadiness wheels is unique.

Concluding concepts

Having worn the watch, with good care I’ve so as to add, I consider I’ve come to develop to be pretty acquainted with it. The watch seems barely loud on preliminary methodology – large, thick, with the extraordinarily seen black and purple shade palate. However it certainly grew on me. The crystal may very well be very large, and domed, allowing amount of sunshine to reach the dial aspect. And there could also be rather a lot to admire. The donut shaped sub-dial with the extreme distinction purple accents floating over the partially skeletonised plate, the magnificent guilloché on the first plate are a feast for the eyes. And naturally, the piece of resistance: the harmonious oscillator itself, dancing beneath its magnificent bridge.

The asking value is not low, nonetheless I do not reckon this to be an expensive watch. The extent of clever watchmaking on the best ranges, and the superlative ending makes argument that the CHF 200k to look very inexpensive. In case your pockets permits the acquisition of this very distinctive timepiece, Jacky tells us that he makes no more than 20 watches in full a yr, this can be a very good consideration. For these with a a lot much less generous funds, perhaps the RS23 may very well be consideration. A full evaluation is due proper right here rapidly.

I am moreover considerably very impressed with how Rudis Sylva leverages on its fantastic, if largely lesser-known, historic roots in Swiss watchmaking. And the fantastic methodology Jacky makes use of the talents which are plentiful throughout the space to craft these distinctive watches.

Image Notes

All photos of the RS14 have been taken with the Fujifilm GFX 50S II mounted on the Sinar X by means of a specific adapter. Lens is the Nikkor SW-90mm f/4 large format lens. Profoto strobes. That is similar system used for the photographs used throughout the SEVENFRIDAY ME1/02 and the Christopher Ward Bel Canto Viola. I consider this digital digicam setup, cumbersome and complex that it may very well be, produces distinctive photos with a extremely sturdy 3D pop and fantastic colours. Though not with out its drawbacks. I will do a breakdown of the setup and concentrate on the image top quality in a future put up.