- Aug 26, 2023
- 8 min read

BYRNE Watch introduces Next-Level Customization

Up close and personal: BYRNE Watch introduces Next-Level Customization on the occasion of Geneva Watch Days 2023, and debuts its first pink gold model just one year after the creation of the brand.

Photo credit: Igor Laski

Every day, at noon or midnight, in a flash, the 4 cardinal indices – four rotating cuboids – turn at once to reveal another face. Roman numerals, Arabic numerals – or any other character, symbol or design made to order – can be made to appear on the markers. A patented animation complication that took 3 years of R&D in Fleurier, Switzerland. The Byrne GyroDial gives its wearer the feeling of a different watch every day, or whenever they choose, in a flash. Hence, the brand's motto: “One watch, four faces.”

One watch, four faces. With this bespoke-developed movement, Byrne Watch has invented the (r)evolutionary watch: Every day at noon, or midnight, or on request, the four cardinal markers undergo a change as part of a never-ending cycle. Arabic numerals, Roman numerals, special characters or artwork – anything is possible. That is because each of the indices is in fact a cuboid – at any given moment, we see only one its four faces, absolutely flush with the dial. When the time comes, all four cuboids rotate one turn, instantaneously revealing different cardinal markers. Today, Byrne Watch is taking the idea of ‘bespoke’ for a timepiece to the next level. Byrne, whose very essence is to offer a watch that meets the wearer's deepest desire for personalization, now offers the possibility of defining the appearance of the 4 faces of each cuboid cardinal marker. The watch face now becomes a genuinely unique expression of its owner.

Give free rein to your imagination...

At a time when “bespoke” has become the new watchword, it seems only natural that an object as personal as a watch should also offer the possibility of true personalization. And yet... It wasn’t marketeering that inspired John Byrne to dream up this option for their clients, but the vast possibilities of the imagination. It all began five years ago, when attending a performance of Georges Balanchine and Igor Stravinsky's ballet “Apollo.” His eyes lit up with wonder, captivated by the changing appearance of several dancers lined up one behind the other, appearing to be one and the same ballerina but wearing different costumes. This sparked the idea of designing a watch that, in a flash, could also change its face.

Upstream engineering

One watch, four faces. The GyroDial’s intuitively lends itself to integrating any form of personalization on its cubes. In fact it was engineered into the watch from the outset. Everything had been thought out and thought through upstream. That’s the concept’s intelligence, with its singular ability for customization: the cuboid markers are designed to accept any kind of engraving, symbol or even a precious stone. Any element, essentially, can be applied to or integrated into each of the four faces of each cuboid. For Byrne Watch, it is especially gratifying to offer their clients such a breadth of possibilities. To give them the opportunity to own a unique watch, made only for them and, in a way, by them... because the client is in fact, right from the start, part of the design process. Byrne Watch founder John Byrne's primary aim is to match his clients’ desires as closely as possible. John Byrne: “The client can dream up their own watch. There really are no limits to the imagination. The Gyrodial complication has been thoroughly thought out all the way upstream, so that today we have absolutely free rein.”

Example of hyper-customisation is a pink gold piece with diamond-set indexes.

16 customizable faces

In taking ‘bespoke’ to the next level, Byrne offers a unique customization experience. With 4 different faces per cardinal index, the Byrne Gyrodial can potentially present up to 16 different marker faces – a vast canvas for the imagination. Anything is possible, from motifs inspired by the signs of the zodiac or the symbols of a country’s history, to personal family references Anything can also be kept from view, since the finesse of personalization offer also enables the face to be switched on demand - simply by rotating the crown. The wearer decides when to keep a face hidden, and when to reveal it, depending on where they are or who they’re with. This option is particularly appreciated when a secret number is involved. Every graphical motif on a Byrne watch is engraved and rhodium-plated, never painted. Each decoration or design is conceived on a nano-graphic scale and then rendered by in-house artist before it is sent to the manufacture engraving. An incredible technical feat, it represents personalization at the ‘ultra’ level.

Life Philosophy

To John Byrne, this approach to personalization has always been integral to his attitude towards life. Coming from the world of technical service, he appreciates how breathing new life into old or new parts requires agility and flexibility. He understands the importance of choice to the client. This mindset spontaneously led to the obvious realization that “a watch with four different faces means that surprise, fun and enjoyment will be at the very least quadrupled.” That’s how the adventure began. John Byrne’s connection to the artistry and craftsmanship that go into high watchmaking, such as enameling and gem-setting, runs deep. He sees himself as both guardian and guarantor of these ancestral techniques. The artistic direction the brand is taking exemplifies this stance, allowing him to express it with greater and greater deliberateness.

The ZERO Pink Gold and its Limited Edition set with diamonds. A blend of sophistication and industrial aesthetic, that’s what Byrne Watch offers with this sleekly styled watch, expressed in the softest, most elegant of materials: rose gold.

Photo credit: Igor Laski

Gyro Dial ZERO: the starting point for the creation of the Byrne Watch brand. A vision, a movement, a playfully singular animation, so simple in appearance,and yet... complicated to develop – and never before seen in watchmaking. Byrne Watch was launched just over a year ago at Geneva Watch Days 2022. Since then, major retailers in Japan, the US, Canada and France have recognized in this watch and in the brand, all the attributes of a creative, dynamic, agile and vibrant independent watchmaker. The Byrne Watch team – headed by John Byrne, the passionate creator, and Claire Byrne, the company's CEO, at his side – has a long-term vision, with their unique concept as a common thread: a watch that changes its dial every day.

Just one year after the brand’s inception, BYRNE Watch is pleased to present the ZERO model in a new, stunning version in pink gold, the precious metal’s silky sparkling effect contrasting with the watch’s industrial aesthetic. True to its unique original watch concept, the ZERO Pink Gold changes its dial every day, at midnight or noon, as the four cardinal indexes at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock pivot in a flash to reveal a different face, transforming the appearance of the whole in the spirit of the brand’s motto: One watch, Four faces. Sleek and elegant at the same time, the watch profoundly embodies the brand’s values, presenting all the essential assets of a Byrne watch, combining elegant design and singular complication, legibility, precision, reliability and craftsmanship. Beneath its deceptively simple appearance, the singularity and originality of its dial married with a pink gold case opens up a fresh perspective on creative freedom, a new and even more refined space for expression. It is not just about being ‘different’. On the contrary: it is about revealing a new angle of sophistication in a strong, distinctive concept that is already instantly recognizable. Contrasts in the service of design So much is about contrasts, levels and reliefs that play on shadows and reflections. The Gyro dial ZERO movement is exposed, becoming the dial of the watch. Here, the caliber gleams in multiple variations of gray, spotlighting certain components while offering a compelling contrast with the rose gold of the case and the pivoting cardinal indexes. With its bridges, screws, plate, pivoting cuboids treated with 5N rose gold, the Gyro Dial ZERO Pink Gold opens the ideal of beauty to interpretation and gives the wearer a full, rich view of a magnificent mechanism whose every stage of design and manufacture adheres to the strictest codes of craftsmanship. The juxtaposition of sandblasted and polished finishes; the contrast between the edgy rendering of the ‘Sport’ numerals and the silky allure of rose gold; the bezel whose hollowing represented an yet another machining challenge; the crown, as always engraved with the number 1, like the starting point of the brand’s inception.

Lightness and sophistication As the watch’s design emphasizes lightness when worn, the weight of 18K the rose gold case is compensated with a titanium case back to reduce overall heft. Weighing in at just 60 grams, the ZERO Pink Gold’s two-tone look reinforces alluring contrasts and makes the lightness of the watch seem all the more surprising. The movement’s industrial ‘openwork’ message finds itself not only perfectly complemented but also amplified with rose gold. The four cuboids, the centerpiece of the complication, are made of 5N rose gold, as are the hands. Last but not least, the watch is fitted with a black “ballistic grained” rubber strap with – a first for Byrne Watch – a folding clasp, adding to the distinctive sophistication of the whole. At the heart of Byrne Watch's approach: always and forever a focus on aesthetics, and the relentless pursuit of excellence, in a refined, resolutely contemporary style, with utmost attention to every detail. The ZERO movement Every morning, or anytime for that matter, you can choose from four different face styles on one watch. The faces of the cardinal indexes will show Roman numerals, Arabic numerals, no numerals, or, in the ‘Sport’ mode, display a favorite jersey number – all enhanced with Super-LumiNova®. With this complex movement, Byrne Watch has created an innovative watch whose dial essentially expresses a new mood every day, either automatically at midnight or noon, or whenever the wearer chooses – the Gyro Dial ZERO's four cardinal indexes are in fact pivoting cuboids whose faces change in a flash to reveal a completely different dial. Created and refined under the impetus of its creator, John Byrne, this patented animation complication is the culmination of three years of research and development in Fleurier in the Swiss Jura Mountains, the cradle of the Alpine republic’s watchmaking industry. Inside the Gyro Dial ZERO, a completely redesigned Caliber 5555. The hand-finished movement/dial presents a sleek and contemporary aesthetic. By exposing the movement, John Byrne conveys a modern message, showing that inventiveness in watchmaking doesn't exclusively call for a skeletonized movement.

Pushing boundaries with a limited edition of 10 diamond-set pieces

Taking the concept yet another step further and shining a new light on the original vision John Byrne had of his dream watch over five years ago: here we are today with the hyper-customization of the ZERO Pink Gold. The ZERO Pink Gold Diamond – a limited edition of only 10 pieces. Here, the four faces of the cardinal indices on the rose gold watch in turn show sides set with forty black diamonds in a triangular motif, with forty white diamonds in a triangular motif, with ‘Sport’ numerals, and one side with no numerals or symbols – ‘Ghost’ mode. At the core of the gem-setting mastery required for this creation we find unprecedented precision and detail. Indeed, the degree of meticulous care required in positioning each stone is difficult to imagine, a patient process towards perfection where even the slightest deviation would inevitably impact the harmony of the whole – and cause the master craftsperson to start again. Restrained ans refined by day, precious and sparkling by night... The ZERO Pink Gold "Diamonds" is a watch with multiple personalities. Pricing ZERO Pink Gold ‘Classic’: 35 000 HT Euros / CHF ZERO Pink Gold ‘Diamonds’: 55 000 HT Euros / CHF (Limited Edition of 10 pieces)