One of the most unusual watch designs ever crafted is the Pierre DeRoche GrandCliff TNT Royal Retro (referring to Retrograde Seconds). When most watch makers say their watch has a retrograde seconds function, they refer to a circular or crescent dial around which one hand moves in orderly fashion for sixty seconds. Not the Pierre DeRoche TNT. This imaginative design includes six — yes, you read that correctly — six second hands that cover a 10-second arc each, then spring back to their start point. The second hands are in different colors for each of the TNT Royal editions. On the Royal Retro with rose gold trim the hands are yellow with red tips, while on the predominantly black all-titanium TNT Royal they are blue with red tips.

        Technologically advanced, the TNT Royal Retro’s movement is built on the self-winding 58-jewel Dubois Depraz calibre. An oscillating weight in 22-karat gold serves as the balance for this intricate mechanism. This TNT’s central bridge is a rose-gold hexagon supporting the white and gold-colored hour and minute hands, as well as all six of the second hands on their yellow gold gears, visible below the bridge. The horns that support the watch strap are also made in rose-gold, contrasting richly with the matte titanium that comprises the rest of the case. The notched titanium bezel is numbered at the 10, 20, 40 and 50 seconds/minutes positions. At the face bottom is the date window, clean and square with black numerals on white. The 6 o’clock position is identified by VI, the only Roman numeral on the dial. Upon very close scrutiny, the left side of the V and the I are revealed to be the words “Swiss Made”.

        Brilliant color highlights the face of the TNT Royal Retro in unexpected locations. Every small screw used to attach the rose-gold details to the face of the watch is vivid blue, and the minuscule rivets that secure the gears for the second hands are ruby-red. These details help to distinguish a genuine Pierre DeRoche TNT Royal Retro rose-gold edition from replicas, which have been seen with blue hour, minute and second hands and plain brushed steel screws securing the mechanisms to the face. Most replicas also have a black date window with white digits.

        The watchband on the TNT Royal Retro lives up to the high-quality standard of materials used throughout this watch. An elegant and supple black crocodile leather strap with a strong folding clasp in rose gold will keep you and your TNT Royal Retro inseparable on all your adventures.

        The TNT Royal Retro with rose-gold trim is offered in a very limited edition: just 21 were produced, as is the standard production run for most Pierre DeRoche models. If you would prefer the all-titanium model, over 200 of these were made due to high demand. Contact the Pierre DeRoche retailer nearest you to add a TNT Royal Retro to your timepiece collection today.

Pierre DeRoche TNT Royal Retro Man’s Wristwatch pictures