Aspired to create his own mechanical masterpiece, Ludovic Ballouard established his own namesake brand in 2009 after gaining considerable experience working at Franck Muller and F.P. Journe, during which he was responsible for working on the Sonnerie Souveraine grande & petite sonnerie.

Ballouard eventually came up with his own ingenious mechanism – the Upside Down, inventing a unique way of telling time where the 12-hour indication consists of rotating discs, which are all displayed upside down except for the correct hour, and denoted by a small dot that only becomes visible when right side up. At the top of the hour, the old hour passes and returns to the upside-down position, while the new hour is rotated 180 degrees.

The dial and layout of the timepiece is at once simple and complex – at first glance one may not notice the technical complexity of the timepiece from the dial. However, the transparent caseback reveals that the cal. B01 is no ordinary caliber. Ballouard could have implemented a much easier method to achieve the rotational feature of the hours by hiding it under the dial. But he chose to proudly display it on the case back for the owner to admire the complexity and craftsmanship of the movement. Furthermore, one may not notice the subtle hand engraved “LB” on the asymmetrically positioned crown, which adds an elevated excitement when noticed.

The present example Upside Down encased in 18K pink gold with a beautiful textured matte grey dial is offered in excellent condition. The unique and elegant timepiece is further accompanied by its full set of accessories.