Creativity from (apparent) chaos
Creativity from (apparent) chaos
From Jackson Pollock’s action painting to the cover of The Stone Roses’s first album, spattered paint has added beauty and anarchy to whatever it touches.
At first glance the Twelve Xander seems to follow this apparently random pattern. But its execution comes down to something more prosaic: an obsession with perfection and placement. Based on The Twelve X (Ti), Christopher Ward’s iconic skeletonised titanium watch, the project sees Chris Alexander – The Dial Artist – hand-paint eight visible components on 150 individual watches.
Layering and painting eight components doesn’t sound that much, but the result is a genuinely unique timepiece that combines haute horlogerie with the rule-breaking attitude of the most iconic pop art.
“It’s meant to look chaotic,” says Chris. “It’s meant to look fast. It’s meant to look as if I’ve just taken a paintbrush and splattered paint,” says Chris. “I wish it were that easy. Every single part goes through a multi-stage process of priming, airbrushing, hand-painting and hand-finishing.”
Working from his studio in Perth, Scotland, Chris spent 50 days and 900 hours bringing the Xander to life. Across the edition, he hand-painted more than 1,200 individual movement parts (eight per watch), with different elements requiring varying levels of preparation, painting and finishing.
The complexity extends beyond aesthetics. Because the artwork is applied directly to movement components every painted surface had to remain fully compatible with the operation of the watch.
“This was as much a technical project as an artistic one,” says product director Jörg Bader. “When you’re working with a skeletonised movement, every component has a functional role and every tolerance matters. Paint thickness, surface preparation, masking and finishing all had to be carefully controlled to ensure the artwork enhances the watch without affecting performance.”
Visible from both sides of the case, the hand-painted chronometer-regulated CW-001 features twin-barrel architecture and 120 hour/five-day of power reserve. The movement is housed within The Twelve X’s 41mm titanium case, combining Grade 2 and Grade 5 titanium in its construction – which is both ultra-light and super tough. The watch is available on an integrated titanium bracelet or a white rubber strap.
The Twelve X (Ti) brought the highest levels of finishing to skeletonised watches. Now the Twelve Xander adds to this the anarchic beauty of pop art – and delivers a timekeeping experience worthy of a place on the walls of the most esteemed modern art gallery.
Calibre CW-001
Calibre CW-001
The hand-painted, chronometer regulated CW-001 movement delivers a remarkable 120-hour power reserve achieved through twin mainspring barrels. It's as handsome as it is high performance. Over a decade old, the CW-001 continues to be a reliable and much-loved calibre and proof that strength and beauty aren't mutually exclusive.
Thirteen colours were used in all: seven base shades, and a further six for top-layer splatters and dots.
The clear case back provides a viewing gallery to the hand-painted rotor.
Chris painted 1,200 individual parts – something which took 900 hours.
Painted on the outside. Swiss precision on the inside.
The titanium case is both incredibly light and super-strong.
