Fiona Krüger is a Scottish artist and designer known for her vivid interest in horology and off-the-wall approach to watch design. Her watches tend to be quirky and unusual, hence the collection being known as Chaos. One of her latest projects has been a collaboration with Perpétual Gallery, a Dubai based brand specialising in artisanal horology and vintage collectibles. The watch in question is the Fiona Krüger Perpétual Entropy 1 “Fracture”, which I’ve had on my wrist for the past few days.
Starting with the case, it measures 48mm in length and 40mm in width with a tonneau shape made from entirely recycled titanium. That titanium construction means it wears very light on the wrist and despite its length, it’s very comfortable. It also sits under a cuff very easily with its height of approximately 8mm. In terms of that chaotic nature of Fiona’s designs, that expresses itself via the crown positioning at 12 o’clock rather than the conventional 3.
A side effect of the crown positioning is that it also impacts the lugs. If you look at the side on profile of the case you can see that there are three layers, distinguished by their alternating finishes. At 12 o’clock below the crown you can see that the strap connects to the lugs on the lowest level of the case closest to the wrist. Then, at 6 o’clock the strap connects to the lugs in the middle level of the case. The impact of this is that the strap wants to project horizontally from the bottom edge of the case while it drops immediately down from the top side – which over the course of a day pushes the watch upwards on the wrist, sitting off-centre.
That’s not necessarily a complaint because it fits the kind of punk attitude of the design, but it does take some getting used to and I find myself twisting the watch back into a centred position on my wrist fairly often. But then, that just means I find myself looking at the watch far more often and taking in the dial.
The dial of the Fiona Krüger Perpétual Entropy 1 “Fracture” is intentionally provocative and unusual. The hands are offset towards 10/11 o’clock and have a split dauphine design where, by design, the sharp edges don’t quite align properly, giving them a jagged kind of appearance noticeable on the counterweight end. The hour markers are then floating, created through a process of metallicizing parts of the sapphire crystal above. They also cast soft shadows on the copper dial below. Speaking of, we should probably address the elephant in the room, which is that titular fracture running through the dial from 2 o’clock to 6.
It’s a jagged line that reveals part of the movement below. The copper dial on both sides of the fracture has a continuous sunray brushing and the lip of the fracture is polished. It’s inspired by the mountainous landscape of Switzerland, the home of watchmaking, where time and weather fracture rocks with the chaos of entropy. Both of which are key themes of the collection. It’s certainly a conversation starter too when people spot you with a great big gash across your watch.
Unbuckling the green ostrich leather strap (it also comes on green apple leather) and turning it over reveals the exhibition caseback that lets you see the inner working of the movement. If anything, the back is even more striking than the front with an intense green colouration with copper accents. You’ll probably have noticed that green and copper are the signature colours of the Fiona Krüger Perpétual Entropy 1 “Fracture” and that’s because they’re the signature colours of Perpétual as well as a stylisation of the red and green on the UAE flag where Perpétual is based.
The movement itself is the manual wind CHAOS I, a custom movement designed by Fiona and produced by Agenhor – the same manufacture who supply brands like Singer Reimagined and Fabergé. It features a 50-hour power reserve and has a barrel cover that features an explosion pattern. That explosion theme is driving concept behind the movement, expressed through the fact that the gear train has been exploded outward to create a line across the length of the movement. It’s this gear train that’s visible through the dial’s fracture.
The Fiona Krüger Perpétual Entropy 1 “Fracture” is limited to just seven pieces available from Perpétual at AED 138,000 (approx. £29,600). It a prime example of the worlds of artistic expression and horology meeting. It’s about the chaotic, punk-like attitude of the design being in opposition of the orderly, scientific discipline of horology. I think it succeeds in challenging the norm very successfully.
Price and Specs:
More details at Fiona Krüger.
