1950s Gubelin Diamonds Cioccolatone Ipso-Matic: Bidynator
Gubelin Rare Cioccolatone Ipso-Matic, Diamonds & Ponti Gennari
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EmailWHY WE LOVE IT: An early and sophisticated Automatic in a platinum-case -- what's not to love? Ah, and it is the inspiration for the Santiago Calatrava-designed re-make of the 2024 Gubelin Felsa BiDynator IspoMatic -- same movement (Felsa BiDynator), same material (Platinum), similar characteristics (rounded edges).
When Rolex blocked innovation for 20 years from 1932 onwards by patenting an automatic-winding mechanism that allows the rotor to go 360° -- so until the mid '50s -- there were some circumventions: the bumper-automatic (to prevent the rotor going 360°), the Longines cal22A and the Felsa cal690 to name the most relevant. The first bi-directional automatic is exactly this Felsa cal690: Bidynator; cased in platinum by the highest class manufacturer Gubelin is probably one of its most lavish usages.
Indeed, a super-rare and important watch by the renowned Lucerne, Switzerland based jeweler Gubelin made in the 1950s (certainly 1954 for the 100th Gubelin, Lucerne Anniversary) in probably single-digit quantities: A cioccolatone-shaped watch in platinum (case made by the celebrated artisans Ponti Gennari for Gubelin, Key[26]) with an eye-catching 8 diamonds and 4 significant baguette-cuts arranged on the patinaed dial under the domed crystal. The key of this piece is not only the significant wrist-presence and its weight but also the back-then very important Felsa-based Ipso-Matic automatic movement. The Ipso-Matic is an important early automatic movement and one of the first bi-directional winding and thus more efficient rotor-movements: it circumvented Rolex Patents for the uni-directional Rotor-Automatic by improving to bi-directional winding.
The significant platinum-case is connected to a grey custom-made ostrich-strap -- monochrome.
