Swiss luxury watch brand RJ-Romain Jerome has unveiled a unique timepiece model on the occasion of Only Watch 2011. This time the brand has chosen to combine its DNA with that of the Principality of Monaco to create Rock the Rock-DNA Only Watch 2011.
The brand has found in the very rock on which the city is built the raw material serving as a dial for the one-of-a-kind model created for the auction on behalf of research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Philippe Mondielli, geologist and scientific director of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, accompanied by Luc Pettavino, President of the Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy, chose the western cliff of the Rock of Monaco, in the Saint-Martin gardens just a few steps away from the Cathedral and the Prince’s Palace, as the ideal site from which to extract an extremely small portion of the limestone rock.
This fragment, considered as a testimony to the evolution of species over millions of years, now serves as the dial for the Rock the Rock DNA watch – forming a time-honoured face now framed by an ultra-contemporary matt black ceramic bezel. The central hour and minute hands mark off time in their own way, while the seconds set the cadence for a disc at 9 o’clock, also carved in stone.
This mineral plate rotating on the surface of the dial evokes the earth’s crust and humankind’s difficulty in mastering its movements. Two red lines cross through the watch – one passing under the bezel and continuing along the strap in alcantara.
Each time the seconds disc moves to 0, 15, 30 and 45, these lines symbolise for a fleeting movement the latitude and longitude coordinates of Monaco, the very place where the stone was taken from the Rock.
This unique timepiece is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity guaranteeing the origin of the materials used.
Technical details
Model: Rock the Rock-DNA – unique piece for Only Watch 2011
Movement
Caliber: C22RJ51- Mechanical self-winding movement
Jewelling: 23 jewels
Rate Frequency: 28,800 vph
Power reserve: 42 hours
Case
Ø 46 mm
Bezel: Black matt ceramics
Sides: Black satin-finished PVD-coated steel
Paws: Black ceramics with titanium screws
Lugs: Black satin-finished PVD-coated steel
Lug inserts: Black PVD-coated steel
Crown: Black PVD-coated steel with black rubber
Case-back: Rock the Rock engraving – unique piece representing the Rock of Monaco
Water resistance 3 ATM
Indications
Central hours and minutes, small seconds disc at 9 o’clock
Dial
Composed of Monaco rock (west cliff) extracted on February 10th 2011 by Philippe Mondielli, geologist and scientific director of the Prince Albert II of Foundation, accompanied by Luc Pettavino, President of the Monaco Association Against Muscular Dystrophy. Two red transferred lines representing the latitude and the longitude of the exact geographical location of the principality of Monaco.
Strap
Black rolled-edge alcantara with red seam indicating the continuity of the longitude of the Principality of Monaco.
Buckle Folding clasp in black PVD-coated steel
