The Champion

The Champion

The story continues: The Unnamed Society imagines the symbol of the world’s most popular sport with a hidden horological surprise. 

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

The Champion – both timekeeper and keeper of a timeless spirit

The football: a perfect geodesic sphere resulting from an uncanny structure of hexagons and pentagons, adjoined to form. The Unnamed Society transforms the symbol of the world’s most popular of sports into the most exclusive of objects. On the outside, it brings together the highest levels of craftsmanship with the most exotic, unexpected materials for an unprecedented visual and sensorial experience. On the inside, it opens the heart to a wonder of watchmaking mastery and brings a twinkle to the eye.

Caliber ONE – The Unnamed Society’s first proprietary Haute Horlogerie clockwork caliber

This 205-component mechanical manufacture movement was imagined and designed entirely in-house – 100% Swiss Made from idea to construction to finishing, including the mechanism and housing, Caliber ONE was bespoke-developed and engineered specifically for integration into the geodesic sphere created for The Champion concept.

Throughout The Champion’s development, Caliber ONE has been continually refined in close concert with The Unnamed Society’s designers to achieve the effect of a mechanism levitating in space. Maillechort (German silver), brass and steel parts offer a stunning spectacle with their black, charcoal and nickel galvanic surface treatments, amplified with refined touches such as hand-finished bridge chamfers.

The time, told in jumping hours and trailing minutes, is read from two discs at 6 o’clock. The clockwork, self-adjusting with a play compensation system, is manually set and wound with a square key winder. The power reserve is 155 hours. The layered depth brings out the caliber’s centerpiece, the screw balance wheel (often a trademark of high-end vintage pocket watches) framed by elegant (hand-beveled) and dynamic bridges. As a completely new movement exclusive to The Unnamed Society, Caliber ONE was conceived as a foundation upon which to imagine and build future horological creations.

A work of interior art that shatters the offsides rule…

To the sense of sight, the life-size iconic shape is impossible to miss. Then the sense of touch comes into play and a whole new world of emotions unfolds. The Champion’s exterior surprises not just with the subtle interplay of shapes and colors, but also with that of materials and textures. Macassar ebony, nappa leather, nubuck leather, carbon – the creativity in juxtaposing these materials is matched only by the craftsmanship in bringing out their magnificence in a shape as complex as this.

...and showcases mind-blowing technique

Created using state-of-the-art 3D printing technology, the polygonal plates are curved with microscopic precision so that, together, they form the geodesic sphere. They can be veneered with the noblest wood, sheathed in leather, metal-plated or paved with gemstones. Each material having different tolerances and requiring different skills and techniques, the crafting process has to be specifically calibrated.

Calculated with scientific precision, the CNC-machined lattice and mechanical components fulfill a dual role of ensuring structural integrity and a sophisticated elegance. The contours of the polygon facets are finished in nickel-palladium treated brass – bolder in shiny executions and more restrained in tone-on-tone versions.

More than a year in the making

Both unexpected and yet perfectly at home on a desk, table or mantel, as the eyes and fingers skim its surface, this object speaks to a sense of luxury that is both classic and contemporary. Authentic, too, not least because of the emotions and associations it arouses. The base upon which The Champion rests, as well, is the product of purpose-driven thought and engineering: 3D-printed, it is sheathed in nubuck leather, with an ethereal, dynamic shape that conveys speed and weightlessness. The ball, safely held in place, seems to be on the rebound. The quality of finish is all the more superb considering the object’s dimensions.

Developing The Champion took more than a year of intense teamwork with and between the expert artisans and craftspeople – designers, engineers, watchmakers, cabinetmakers… – in each domain. Here, The Unnamed Society is particularly proud to count as its members and to salute: Emmanuel Bouchet, who together with his team at Maclef, was instrumental in developing and perfecting theHaute Horlogerie clockwork mechanism; Aurélien Bouchet and ABConcept who solved the many challenges that stood in the way of the perfection; and Cedric Vichard, Master Cabinetmaker who worked his magic with the marquetry and skin-clad elements.

An invisible engineering marvel

The mechanism for opening the sphere, a feat of engineering, was developed specifically with this object in mind. At the soft press of a button, the hinged upper hemisphere silently and smoothly rises, actioned by two gas-filled cylinders concealed in the base, to clear the way for both easy player access and a full view of the wonders within. The system preserves the aesthetic of the whole, regardless of its open or closed state; the way it is designed provides room for the clock mechanism to operate with absolute reliability.

Time to indulge the inner child – and champion

Time is displayed with two rotating discs, one for the hours, the other for the minutes. The power reserve of seven days is sufficient to make winding a welcome excuse for playtime. Indeed, the expanse of tempered mineral glass allows a splendid view of the mechanism while affording it perfect protection; it also serves as miniature football pitch – albeit only for penalty kicks. The goal, players and penalty kick mechanism are 3D-printed in grade 23 titanium, combining joyful simplicity with robustness in a high-tech execution; depending on the materials and overall color palette, these elements are either kept in their original finish or metal-plated. Note also the leather-clad stadium barrier surrounding the ‘pitch’ to keep the ball within bounds. The Champion offers a constant interplay of history and high-tech, of serious watchmaking and lighthearted wonder.

Bold choices for more choice

The choice not to reproduce the contrast between hexagons and pentagons that is usually associated with a football was deliberate. The idea was to impel the beholder to look beyond the ball. Cognac nappa leather, Macassar ebony, lacquered carbon, for instance, offer a deep, rich visual and textural experience that impels you to see beyond the ball – and take in the complexity of the shape and its effect on its surroundings, standing out while at the same time perfectly in its element.

That being said, The Champion offers possibilities for customization that are limited only by the imagination. The polygons can of course reflect a club’s colors or the giftee’s preferred combination; the plate in the lid is perfect for engraving a personal note; the hour and minute discs of the clock caliber can be made bespoke as well.

When Swiss Made means so much more…

From every angle, in every smallest detail, The Champion embodies the acme of Swiss engineering and craftmanship. Everything you perceive about this object, with all your senses, is the fruit of a single-minded pursuit of perfection that makes the ‘Swissness’ in Swiss Made. And its lubricant is the ease with which the most traditional not only cohabits with the most advanced, but the two amplify each other and give a special meaning to the “whole is more than the sum of its parts.” Mechanical ingenuity combined with an aesthetic sensibility, that too is a unique trait in the great Swiss Made tradition.

The choice of the finest, most exotic materials and daring combinations thereof, bringing micro-mechanics and 3D printing into play with centuries-old techniques and consummate artistry to create the geodesic sphere, and combining it with a vast heritage of watchmaking savoir-faire: The Champion takes the tradition of the elegant desk clock from centuries ago and catapults it into a new dimension. And the same way an art clock created long ago retains its preciousness as a witness of its age, The Champion marks its own time, for all time. Quite conceivably, a creation like The Champion could not have originated anywhere else.

A gift like no other, to oneself or an other

The Champion exists to surprise those who already have everything and inspire those who wish to surprise. Shown here is the execution in Macassar ebony and Deep Blue leather to render its visual presence and hint at the possibilities for personalization:

About The Unnamed Society

Founded in 2019, The Unnamed Society is the bespoke luxury offshoot of a Swiss consortium that has been active in the manufacturing and distribution of high-end watches for over twenty years. Based in Switzerland, this small circle of master designers and craftspeople shares an uncanny ability to look at an object and see beyond what others see. They crack open preconceived associations and, through their vision and their mastery of materials and techniques, transform the object into a work of rare artistry. Of rare desirability, too. The Unnamed Society unlocks the door to an undiscovered dimension of luxury by letting creativity challenge craftsmanship, by revealing unimagined degrees of refinement. At the highest level of quality and artistry. Be it as a gift to oneself or for a special individual, a creation by The Unnamed Society captures one’s deepest desires. The choice of materials, the juxtaposition of these materials but also of their meanings, and the associations of textures and colors – a creation by The Unnamed Society evokes unsuspected emotions, opens new vistas to the imagination.