Hello, today I would like to introduce you to a rather niche watch brand. This is the Swiss brand Vault, created by Mark Schwarz. Before I tell you about one of its creations, let me take you into the world of the Vault brand and its founder.
Before creating his watch brand, Mark worked in several professions. He began his career as an electrician, then changed careers and joined the police force for 6 years. At the same time, he founded his first company. With a friend and business partner, he developed the first Swiss police app for personal inquiries directly on a smartphone. Software development led him a few months later into the financial sector, where he had the opportunity to further his education and earn his Master’s degree in Business Administration.
In 2012, Mark decided to fully pursue his passion for creation by creating his own universe within a watch. Mark began sketching the first designs. Wanting something different, not just another watch, it was during a trip to Munich that he came up with the idea of the rotating dial and a stemless movement. Together with Philippe Schmid, a close friend, they embarked on this adventure to realize his dream of creating a watch brand with bespoke timepieces.
This brand is ambitious. The team behind it is made up of expert partners in their respective fields, such as Andreas Strehler, who joined to design and build the movement. In 2014 and 2015, the team worked intensively on sketches and design trials, culminating in the first prototype in 2016. The final design was eventually established in 2017.
Inspired by the time-lock mechanism of a bank vault, the watch’s innovative concept is a time display based on a planetary gear system. Each hour index is a functional gear that rotates around the dial while the gears are in motion. Thanks to it, the entire movement below shifts, as it is actually mounted floating by six steel rollers and three springs. The gear system orbits every time the watch is set. Now, let’s take a closer look at the beautiful Vault V2+ CC White.
What are the features of the Vault V2+ White CC?
Case
The Vault V2+ White CC features a rectangular case made from a composite of carbon and white ceramic weighing only 70 grams. The case combines the properties of its two materials: the lightness and strength of carbon and the hardness of ceramic. The ceramic is layered between sheets of carbon, which are then immersed in polymer and baked in an autoclave to create the composite material block. It should be noted that this material is unique to Vault and produced by Fatcarbon and machined by René Gschwend and his company RG X-Tech. Due to the unique blend of materials, machining the case can take up to 40 hours with a five-axis CNC machine.
Dial
The Vault V2+ White CC does not have a dial, giving way to a completely disruptive movement architecture with a sandwich structure featuring the movement, hour transmission, hour discs, and minute hand. It should be noted that several achievements have been made to apply Super-LumiNova to the various parts of the watch components to provide excellent readability in the dark.
Movement
The Vault V2+ White CC houses the unique V01+ movement designed and produced by Andreas Strehler and his company UhrTeil AG. It uses a skeletonized central plate, black rhodium plated, and bead-blasted. The central plate is not screwed to the mono-cage but held in place by six steel rollers and three springs, allowing the entire movement to rotate unidirectionally 360° when setting the time. The fact that the entire caliber is mounted floating also protects it from shocks. The movement has a frequency of 3 Hz and is equipped with a free-sprung balance. The grade 2 titanium hour disc is lighter than the sapphire disc previously used on the V1 models, increasing the power reserve to around 55 hours. The finishing of the V2+ White CC components is noteworthy. The minute hand is polished and brushed by hand, the hour disc is frosted, the gear train, bridges, and rotor are finished by hand.
Strap
The Vault V2+ White CC is delivered with a Swiss-made nylon strap. The strap-changing system is based on a screwed design instead of traditional spring bars, allowing for better wearability and true continuity between the watch case and the strap.
How much does the Vault V2+ White CC?
The price of the Vault V2+ White CC is CHF 48,500 (excluding VAT). It should be noted that each model is unique, and this price may fluctuate depending on the materials and finishes chosen by the client.
Vault V2+ White CC: A Custom-Made Watch
The Vault V2+ White CC was an amazing discovery for me. The brand’s commitment to creating the most personal watches in the world is highly commendable. Taking collectors on an unforgettable journey, during which they experience every step of the creation of their watch from start to finish, is an exceptional experience in my view. These watches are intended for those who have the audacity to leave the beaten path and join in swimming against the current. Indeed, the majority of the brand’s customers are very experienced collectors, people who have seen it all and have a clear idea of what they like and want. Beyond the watch, which is very futuristic, I would like to thank Mark, whom I had the opportunity to meet near Zurich. A sincere exchange between enthusiasts and a person with an inspiring life journey.
Vault V2+ White CC – Watch Specifications
- Brand: Vault
- Model: V2+
- Case Material: Carbon-Ceramic Composite
- Dial: Skeletonized
- Functions: Hours, Minutes
- Movement: V01+, Self-Winding Mechanical, 21’600vph frequency (3 Hz)
- Power Reserve: 55 hours
- Water Resistance: 3 ATM
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Case Back: Sapphire
- Case Dimension: 39 mm (Width) × 46.7 mm (Length) x 15 mm (Thickness)
- Strap: Nylon with Grade 5 Titanium Pin Buckle
- Availability : Bespoke, Direct from Vault
- Retail Price: CHF 48’500 (Excluding VAT)
Do you know this brand? What do you think of this initiative to create custom-made watches that reflect their clients? Share your opinion with me in the comment section.
For more information about Vault, click here.
