redor soars with the masterful expression of diverse urushi lacquer techniques in a new Goldfeather tourbillon.

Since its birth in 1974, Credor has embodied sophisticated craftsmanship and refined elegance. Derived from the French crête d’or, or “crest of gold,” the Credor name has long stood for the highest echelon of watchmaking artistry. The Goldfeather, first launched in 1960, was reborn in 2023 as the Credor Goldfeather, a modern dress watch that strives to embody the qualities of a feather: thin, light, smooth, elegant, and graceful.

Today, the Credor Goldfeather reaches new heights of beauty and performance through a rich combination of urushi lacquer and, for the first time in a Goldfeather watch, a tourbillon.

The dial captures the image of birds soaring into the sky, their ascent tracing a trajectory from the tourbillon carriage at the nine o’clock position to the Credor logo at 12 o’clock. The birds are brought to life through two techniques that are part of Japanese urushi craftsmanship: raden, in which mother-of-pearl in varying colors is delicately inlaid on the lacquered dial, creating a beautiful shimmer against the dark urushi backdrop; and kirikane, a decorative art that involves cutting gold plate into fine lines or shapes and applying it to surfaces.

In creating the dial, urushi artisan Isshu Tamura carefully applies each portion of mother-of-pearl and gold plate, which differ in thickness, making controlled layering essential to achieving harmony between the two. He then shaves down the surface with extraordinary precision to create an even finish and bring out the ideal color. This meticulous craftsmanship produces a smooth surface and a depth within the thin lacquer layer, creating a gradation of color that arcs across the soft curve of the dial and evokes the boundless beauty of the sky.

The gold flecks encircling the tourbillon carriage are crafted in maki-e, a technique in which gold powder is sprinkled onto the lacquer, with the tourbillon’s motion symbolizing the radiant energy of the sun. The tourbillon bridge assumes the shape of a bird in flight with outstretched wings.

The new Caliber 6850 movement, visible through the sapphire crystal case back, features a dynamic design inspired by the primary feathers that generate lift as a bird ascends into the sky. The motif is expressed through a combination of bold and delicate engraving, as well as raden and maki-e, with the design radiating outward from the tourbillon carriage, echoing the story on the dial.

Hand-applied by a dedicated team of engravers, the grooves are carved with tools of different shapes to give each feather a depth of its own, creating a three-dimensional landscape within just 0.15mm. The tempered blue screws and the greenish-blue hue of the outer feather made with raden and maki-e enhance the overall harmony and striking presence of the design. The raden used in this feather is made of yakougai, the shell of the green turban snail.

This timepiece houses the new tourbillon Caliber 6850, the successor to Caliber 6830, which was introduced in 2016. Maintaining the same compact dimensions as Caliber 6830 (25.6mm in diameter and 3.98mm in thickness), the new movement features an enlarged mainspring barrel that extends the power reserve to 60 hours.

The movement is assembled by master watchmaker Katsuo Saito, who in 2023 received the Medal with Yellow Ribbon, an honor bestowed by the Japanese government upon individuals who have become public role models through their diligence and perseverance in their professions. The movement’s thinness, combined with the extremely small components within the tourbillon carriage, demands exceptional skill at every stage of assembly, adjustment, and mounting. The adjustment of parts such as the spring and pallet fork requires a precision of one-hundredth of a millimeter. Adjusting the space between parts also requires a high level of precision.

While housing a tourbillon movement and featuring Goldfeather’s signature curved form, this creation maintains its slim profile of 8.6mm thanks to a newly developed case. With the mid-case, lugs, and the part of the back that is not sapphire crystal all formed as one part, the design offers a streamlined silhouette. The case is made of Platinum 950, a material that is difficult to polish. Sparing no effort, the case is hand-polished and finished by skilled artisans to ensure smooth surfaces and comfort on the wrist, as well as uncompromising beauty.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Credor Goldfeather Tourbillon Limited Edition: GBCF999

• Caliber 6850

Driving system: Manual-winding

Frequency: 21,600 vibrations per hour (6 beats per second)

Accuracy: ±15 to -10 seconds per day

Power reserve: 60 hours

Jewels: 22

Diameter: 25.6mm, Thickness: 3.98mm

• Specifications Platinum 950 case

Crocodile strap with three-fold clasp in Platinum 950 (partly Platinum 900) with push button release

Dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the inner surface

See-through case back

Water resistance: 3 bar

Magnetic resistance: 4.800 A/m

Diameter: 38.6mm; Thickness: 8.6mm

Recommended retail price in Europe: €190,000

Limited edition of 10