Louis Moinet’s 1816 chronograph marks the rebirth of a significant icon:
the very first chronograph in history
This timepiece has been nominated in the Chronograph category of the 2025 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, known as the “Oscars” of the watch world.
The 1816 will thus be displayed to the public in Shanghai from October 1 to 8, at The Hantang Villa, Bund 33 / 33 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road. This exhibition is part of the annual traveling exhibition that showcases all pre-selected watches.
Indeed, 1816 was a milestone in horological history. In that year, the great watchmaker, Louis Moinet, completed his now famous Compteur de tierces, which was in fact the world’s first chronograph.
The 1816, launched over two centuries later, is a resolutely contemporary interpretation of the original timepiece, with many aesthetic elements inspired from the pioneering invention.
The unusual layout of the original dial, with two counters in the upper half, demanded the making of an exclusive in-house calibre. It comprises 330 components and combines an instantaneous minute counter, column wheel control of chronograph functions, and a swan-neck regulator, a veritable manifesto of haute horlogerie. On the back, the movement reveals a mechanical landscape evocative of the finest creations from the famed Vallée de Joux in Switzerland.
The grade 5 titanium case with double gadroon retains the Directoire silhouette of the original, while the titanium bracelet, completes the visual ensemble with its fluid ergonomics. It is the first bracelet ever designed by Les Ateliers Louis Moinet and was named “Bridge Project” after the bridge-shaped links.
This exhibition offers watch enthusiasts a special occasion to be first to admire the 1816 and to see how a pioneering design can continue to be written across centuries.
October 1 TO 8 2025
The Hantang Villa
Bund 33 / 33 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road
