October 7, 2025

|   7:11 am

Museum debut and intent

Unveiled at the Louvre for the brand’s 270th anniversary, La Quête du Temps is a monumental, non-commercial floor clock built to showcase high watchmaking as mechanical art. Pricing is not disclosed and likely immeasurable. 

Architecture and materials

Size and build

The clock stands roughly 1 m tall and weighs about 250 kg. The structure uses cast bronze, crystal and glass, plus 18-karat gold and a setting of 122 diamonds. The mechanism contains 2,370 components and 128 jewels, with another 1,020 auxiliary parts for operation. 

Movement and patents

The movement beats at 18,000 vph and centers on a unique Maltese-cross tourbillon 18.8 mm in diameter. Fifteen patent filings cover the technical solutions inside. 

Timekeeping functions

Core indications

The clock integrates 23 functional displays, including a moon-phase accurate for the next 110 years and a perpetual calendar that shows leap years, weekdays and months.

Astronomical readouts

It also presents sidereal time, a 24-hour day-to-night display, sunrise and sunset times, power-reserve indicators and pointers for celestial bodies.

Musical module

A mechanical musical device plays three bespoke melodies. 

The crystal-domed automaton

What the astronomer does

Beneath a crystal dome sits a gilded-bronze automaton of an astronomer with its own winding train. Using 144 distinct gestures, the figure points to a globe to mark months, seasons, equinoxes and zodiac signs. 

Independent controls

The automaton’s music can be adjusted separately from the main movement.