Clocks and Memories
COVID-19 has had many negative impacts, but there are also many silver linings if we choose to look for them. For me, COVID has provided the time to reflect on many watches, both those I have owned and those I have only encountered through various media. Today, I challenged myself to think about watches that are rare. I chose to think about rarity from the perspective of hidden meanings or philosophies that watchmakers want to convey through their timepieces, and this watch popped into my mind: the Borgeaud Septagraph. Is anyone familiar with it or does anyone recognize it?
The Borgeaud Septagraph is a watch with a unique, one-of-a-kind mechanism in the world; this movement has not been found in any other watch or brand. It is a mechanism that incorporates the "Rahu Kaal" period into this highly special complication. So, what is "Rahu Kaal"? Let's get to know it.
"Rahu Kaal" is a fixed 90-minute period each day based on the movement of the Rahu planet according to the ancient Indian Hindu calendar known as the Panchang. One cycle of this calendar equals 60 years, subdivided into months, weeks, days, and times. The period from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM is considered the most important part of daily life. Therefore, this 90-minute window—which, according to belief, is an inauspicious time for any undertaking—is used as a time for us to be with ourselves, such as reflecting on various matters, planning, and observing the world around us each day, so that we do not forget to look after ourselves instead of just living our lives chasing the ticking of the clock.
Borgeaud designed this mechanism as a sub-dial between 7 and 8 o'clock, with the days of the week surrounded by the start times of the Rahu Kaal for each day, using a retrograde hand. For example, on Monday, the Rahu Kaal begins at 7:30. When the hand points to this time, the mechanism located around 1-5 o'clock, which has an "SP" symbol and a curved indicator, fills with color and gradually disappears like an hourglass until only an empty space remains, signifying the end of this special daily period. And if the owner wishes to adjust this 90-minute interval, it can be done.
The Borgeaud Septagraph is therefore a watch that holds more meaning for one's life than just telling the 24-hour time each day, through a design of mechanisms and aesthetics that do justice to the value of time. It is made in various materials, including Rose Gold, White Gold, Steel, and versions exquisitely set with gemstones, available in manual-wind, automatic, or quartz movements, each with its own distinct beauty.
References:
-https://www.swisstime.ch/en-watches-BORGEAUD-The-SEPTAGRAPH-%28TM%29-n1553.html
-https://masterhorologer.com/2010/06/01/borgeaud-septagraph-perpetuel-swiss-made-automatic-mechanical-watch-indicating-rahu-kaal-indian-panchang-calendar/
-https://www.mongkut.com/hindu-calendar/
-https://www.facebook.com/1731128037135131/posts/2698441137070478/
