Mauron Musy gives the Architect a warmer and more expressive identity with two striking new Golden Editions. In doing so, the brand proves its bold architectural approach to watchmaking can evolve without losing its unconventional identity.
When Mauron Musy set out to create something truly unique, they didn’t look to traditional watchmaking designs for inspiration, but rather to the future, using computational design to reinvent what skeletonised timepieces could look like.
Mauron Musy, as a brand, was never about traditional watchmaking. When you take a quick glimpse at their timepieces, it’s quite easy to see that the watches are anything but ordinary. This stems from the vision that Eric Mauron, founder of Mauron Musy, has of moving the needle forward with innovative designs, not only to enhance the wearability of the timepiece, but also to challenge conventional watchmaking through bold architectural designs and a strong focus on mechanical engineering.
Both of these come into play through their patented nO-Ring® water-resistance system, a revolutionary design that is a first for the watchmaking industry. Instead of relying on traditional rubber gaskets, the case uses a patented mechanical direct-seal construction, eliminating the need for an O-ring found in traditional timepieces. This complex engineering system allows the watches to achieve an impressive water resistance of 300m.
Due to the nature of this nO-Ring® water-resistance system, the case takes on a unique aesthetic, with its interlocking sections clearly visible on all four corners. This gives the watch its unconventional design, one that has also transitioned to the dial. With the MU05-106 Architect, Mauron Musy’s vision of pushing boundaries is once again on full display, bringing together structural creativity and technical innovation.
If you weren’t aware, Mauron Musy worked alongside renowned algorithmic architect Arturo Tedeschi to redefine skeletonised watchmaking. Just like the brand’s nO-Ring® water-resistance system, they have developed a skeletonised dial that moves away from convention, using computational programming to create flowing geometry and the architectural structure of the movement.
We had the chance to go up close with the MU05-106 Architect and also pick Eric Mauron and Arturo Tedeschi’s mind in how the vision of this timepiece came to be. Read the full interview here!
“The idea of this timepiece started as a concept of contemporary design. Arturo Tedeschi explains that, working with Christophe, we wanted to create a piece that is reflective of contemporary time. It started with creating an AI algorithim with very specific parameters to create a skeleton pattern, which may look random, but its an order of the next level, something that you cannot immediately understand. The final design was put together with advanced pre-modelling software and then fabricated with CNC machines.”
Arturo Tedeschi On Mauron Musy’s MU05-106 Architect Design.
When Colour Meets Algorithmic Sculpture
Mauron Musy has taken the evolution of the MU05-106 Architect to the next stage, with two new additions that redefine the timepiece in colour. Previously, the MU05-106 Architect had a more ‘raw’ industrial look, with darker tones and exposed structural elements emphasising the model’s architectural design language. These new Golden Editions bring a warmer, more luxurious expression to this collection, whilst still keeping the bold mechanical identity of the Architecture intact.
The two new models presented have their own distinctive identities. Limited to just 10 timepieces, the MU05-110 Architect’s Golden Oasis brings a softer and much more colourful appearance to Mauron Musy’s architectural design. Limited to just 10 pieces, the 44mm x 13mm thick timepiece is crafted from a grade 5 titanium case, with the same innovative computational dial design of the MU05-106 Architect intact.
The difference lies in the colourway of the dial. As the name may suggest, the Golden Oasis is meant to evoke images of water and the horizon, with deep sunray blue on the outer minute track of the dial reflecting the deep ocean waters, while the light shades of blue found underneath the architectural skeletonised framework evoke images of the clear sky meeting the sea. In between all this is the 18k gold structure of Arturo Tedeschi’s masterful work. The mixture of golden and blue tones gives a striking display of colour, depth, and form, giving the Golden Oasis a more organic and landscape-inspired character.
On the other hand, we have the MU05-109 Golden Cosmos, which takes the same avant-garde approach, but in a more celestial direction. Produced in a limited run of just 27 timepieces, the Golden Cosmos offers a mixed aesthetic of industrial, luxury, and celestial. The 44mm x 13mm thick grade 5 industrial case features a microblasted finish, which is continued onto the minute track of the dial.
What makes the Golden Cosmos special is what lies beneath the 18k red gold skeletonised framework of the dial. The dial is built around a genuine 4.5-billion-year-old Muonionalusta meteorite, giving the watch a cosmic character and a naturally unique texture that no man-made material could ever truly replicate. Only have the 18k red gold structure as the coloured ‘element’ of the dial, which serves as the perfect setting to create contrast against the raw celestial surface beneath.
The Engine Behind the Architecture
The movement sitting inside these new Architect Golden editions is Mauron Musy’s MM01-SK Calibre, the brand’s first-ever self-winding manufacture movement, developed specifically for the bold architectural design of Arturo Tedeschi. This is an automatic movement with bidirectional winding capabilities, and is able to operate at a high frequency of 4Hz (28,800 VpH) with a power reserve output of a solid 55 hours.
What I love about this movement is that it feels purpose-built and designed, not just a movement that hides behind the dial. It follows the same philosophy as the case and dial construction, with the openworked layout allowing it to be seamlessly integrated into the mechanical design of the watch. Mauron Musy has also stated that the calibre was developed with Manufacture La Joux-Perret, which adds another layer of credibility to the execution.
The finishing of the movement is another area in which it matches the overall design concept of the Architect. The MM01-SK features snailed and hollowed bridges with a microblasted structure, diamond-polished angles, rhodium-plated and circular satin-brushed gear wheels, and a snailed tungsten oscillating mass. This is not just a movement that powers the timepieces, but one that also contributes to the watches’ “architectural” driven identity of the collection.
Initial Thoughts
If you, like me, were a fan of the original MU05-106 Architect, then these two new additions to the family will no doubt feel like a natural evolution to the collection. While the original timepiece leaned into the “raw” aesthetic, these two new editions present a refined and more expressive character of the Architecture collection.
There are certainly two different personalities here, with the MU05-110 Architect’s Golden Oasis bringing a more colourful beach aesthetic, while the MU05-109 Golden Cosmos ties the watch to a more celestial identity through its meteorite dial and cosmic visual character. Personally, being a fan of the colour blue, I’m more drawn to the Golden Oasis, especially with how beautifully the 18K Gold dial structure complements the surrounding blue tones.
That’s not to say that Golden Cosmos is any less impressive; in fact, quite the opposite. The Muonionalusta meteorite dial gives the watch a far more dramatic and distinctive presence on the wrist, as seen in the image above. Where the Golden Oasis feels warmer and more serene, the Golden Cosmos leans into a darker, more mysterious aesthetic, making the pair a great example of how the same architectural platform can deliver two very different personalities.
Ultimately, these two new Golden Editions prove that Mauron Musy’s unconventional approach to watchmaking still has plenty of room to evolve, now with a warmer and more refined edge!
Reference: Mauron Musy MU05-109 Architect Golden Cosmos
Specifications:
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 40mm x 13mm |
| Case | Grade 5 Titanium with microblasted finish. nO-Ring® mechanical water-tightness system. |
| Crystal | Glareproofed sapphire crystal |
| Dial | Genuine Muonionalusta meteorite with solid 18K red gold algorithmic skeletonised structure. Luminescent diamond-polished hands with luminous tips. |
| Caseback | Transparent, anti-reflective sapphire |
| Movement | Calibre MM01-SKoperating at 4Hz (28,800 VpH) |
| Functions | Time-only, with small seconds at 9 o’clock. |
| Power Reserve | 55 hours |
| Water Resistance | 300 metres (30 ATM) |
| Strap | Delivered with two rubber straps, interchangeable without tools. Grade 5 titanium folding clasp with push-buttons |
International Retail Price: CHF 32,000
Availability: Limited edition of 27 models. Available now through Mauron Musy boutiques, or enquire through Mauronmusy.com
Reference: Mauron Musy MU05-110 Architect Golden Oasis
Specifications:
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 40mm x 13mm |
| Case | Grade 5 Titanium with polished and satin finish. nO-Ring® mechanical water-tightness system. |
| Crystal | Glareproofed sapphire crystal |
| Dial | Oasis blue PVD coating (sunray finish) with solid 18K red gold algorithmic skeletonised structure. Luminescent diamond-polished hands with luminous tips. |
| Caseback | Transparent, anti-reflective sapphire |
| Movement | Calibre MM01-SKoperating at 4Hz (28,800 VpH) |
| Functions | Time-only, with small seconds at 9 o’clock. |
| Power Reserve | 55 hours |
| Water Resistance | 300 metres (30 ATM) |
| Strap | Delivered with two rubber straps, interchangeable without tools. Grade 5 titanium folding clasp with push-buttons |