For watch lovers, the art of watchmaking goes well beyond the purely functional aspect; it is, first and foremost, a story of magic and mechanical beauty. The Lausanne-based brand CODE41 fully understands this: with its community concept, its aim is to allow as many as possible to discover this unique expertise and to shine a light on the excellence of Swiss artisan watchmakers. As it happens, one of its flagship collections, the X41, is available for pre-order for a limited time only. Your chance to get your hands on an exceptional watch at an affordable price!

Fine Watchmaking, liberated from luxury at last

A genuine Fine Watchmaking piece at an affordable price; here are two concepts that seem quite contradictory at first glance. In fact, it is usually believed that luxury and Fine Watchmaking always go hand in hand, and that only the social elite can afford to treat themselves to the best mechanical watches on the market.

Perhaps that was the case before, but since 2016, a Swiss brand has fully committed to stirring up the hornets’ nest! It is CODE41, a brand based in Lausanne, who have given themselves the audacious mission of democratizing Swiss watchmaking expertise.

This works on the basis that the high prices of Fine Watchmaking products are linked more to their market positioning than their real value. All too often, watchmaking excellence takes a back seat behind the element of prestige (and therefore artificially inflated prices).

For the young brand, this assessment represented the opportunity to achieve the impossible: creating a genuine Fine Watchmaking movement and offering it at an affordable price, in order to allow all watch enthusiasts the chance to own some mechanical beauty of their own. That’s how in March 2019, after several months of development alongside members of the CODE41 community, the X41 finally saw the light of day. 

X41: a return to the quintessence of watchmaking

With the X41 project, therefore, CODE41 wanted to turn the spotlight on the expertise of the artisan watchmakers, technical mastery, and the high quality of the components. In other words, a return to the values that represent the very essence of a Fine Watchmaking movement.

And now it’s a done deal; the X41 is a self-winding mechanical watch worthy of the highest watchmaking standards. Its design and architecture are exclusive to CODE41. Everything, from the dial to the case, has been worked down to the smallest details; magnificent testimony to the delicacy and elegance of the skill of watchmaking.

In order to enhance the beauty of the mechanism, the X41 has also been equipped with a peripheral oscillating weight. This extremely complex feature has been developed exclusively by CODE41’s partner factory; a detail that one again shows the full extent of the expertise behind this product.

Swiss made and produced in limited series

As you might expect of a Fine Watchmaking timepiece, the X41 movement is designed and produced entirely in Switzerland, before being assembled and finished by hand. Of the 297 components that make up the movement, 90% come from Switzerland; a score that puts it far above certified “Swiss Made” watches, a label whose opacity is firmly condemned by CODE41.

In addition, the X41 is only produced in limited, numbered series; each edition thus features only a (very) limited number of watches. At this time, only 1,850 pieces have been produced, all editions combined; so it’s a far cry from large-scale mass production!

At the same time, the X41 features a number of technical characteristics that won’t fail to delight enthusiasts. We’re thinking about its 42mm case, available in two high-end materials (AeroCarbon and Grade 5 Titanium), the Grande Date display - a prestigious complication - and watertightness to 10 ATM (as opposed to the usual 3 or 5).

X41 Edition 6: pre-orders are open

So it’s a fact: the X41 is a little gem of watchmaking art. But what about the price? Even there, the brand has kept its promises: the X41 is available from 5,393 CHF, while its rivals cost more than triple that! A feat made possible thanks to intermediary-free distribution, crowdfunding (pre-orders) and mark-ups reduced to the bare minimum.

The good news is that pre-orders for the sixth edition of the X41 opened their doors for a limited time. If you want to be one of the chosen few lucky enough to own this exceptional watchmaking piece, head on over to https://code41watches.com/ !