4N Watch - Most Innovative Time Display

The brand 4N (4N standing for "4 numbers") is a newcomer to the high-end segment of Watchmaking. It was established in 2009 by Francois Quentin, a 47-year-old independent designer captured by the spirit of innovation. Since 1986, Mr. Quentin has designed a range of contemporary timepieces for French and Swiss watchmakers.

The first timekeeping creation of the brand is named 4N-MVT01/D01/42. It was unveiled at Baselworld 2010. Francois Quentin gave birth to an innovative timepiece with a simple digital display, offering a mechanical alternative to analogue watches with moving hands.

The 4N watch is best characterized as a boldly masculine with a touch of high-tech. The patented watch stands out due to its highly-effective perfect-readability format.

The whole dial assembly shows off scattered bright orange figures, with the time clearly presented on a horizontal plane in the centre of the dial in strong, bold lettering.

Another original feature of the 4N watch is the logo designed by Eliote Shahmiri. The logo is created with help of the negative space formed by a number of vertical shapes. The name of the brand is revealed at brief intervals, with part of the mechanism passing over the logo in a swift movement.

The 4N-MVT01/D01/42 is animated by a manufacturer movement, with a hand-wound mechanism and a 12-hour digital display. It incorporates a smart configuration of discs that are rotating in discontinuous mode. Three discs sub-assemblies produced from aluminum or titanium alloys are found in carbon cage structures. Francois Quentin opted for carbon, aluminum and titanium for their light weight and remarkable mechanical performance.

The discs are activated to show the time on a display changing with each minute passing. There are 4 discs for the hour, 5 for the minutes and 1 for the tens of minutes. The constant-force jump system applied by the mechanism implies minimum energy consumption, no matter what the winding tension is.

While creating the 4N watch, Francois Quentin solved a number of technical challenges. The digits, 5.5mm in size, reflect a complex mechanical design realized with help of to a completely manual production process. The movement is based on a sophisticated setting of the disc mechanism, elaborated to solve problems of equilibrium, inertia and friction to guarantee optimal movement and require little energy.

The case of the 4N-MVT01/D01/42 is crafted from 18K white gold or platinum. It is coupled with a strap, available in a number of materials. The strap is mounted on the case by an automatic fastening system. You can easily adjust its length as necessary.

One more advantage of the 4N watch is an easy time-setting system, with the hours set independently of the minutes. The timepiece will be issued in a limited number with 16 pieces of each model.