Some collaborations make sense on paper. Others only truly reveal their potential once the first watch exists.

When lapidary artist Alexandre Beauregard and master watchmaker Vianney Halter came together to create Ulysse, two very different disciplines met: Beauregard’s extraordinary command of gemstones and colour, and Halter’s unmistakably unconventional approach to mechanical watchmaking.

The original Ulysse Aqua marked Beauregard’s first venture into men’s watchmaking. Now, the story continues with the Ulysse Saint-Pétersbourg - and the second chapter may be even more captivating than the first.

From the Sea to Saint Petersburg

Where the first Ulysse explored the organic beauty of the marine world through aquamarine, Saint-Pétersbourg looks towards one of the great names in decorative art: Fabergé.

The influence is not literal. There is no miniature Imperial Egg sitting on the wrist. Instead, Beauregard draws upon the richness, colour and almost obsessive craftsmanship associated with the legendary House and the splendour of Imperial Russia.

The result is a dial that feels less like a conventional watch face and more like a piece of miniature architecture.

An intricate lattice of 18-carat rose gold provides the framework for a spectacular composition of individually carved gemstones. Rock crystal, amethyst, Fanta opal, fire opal, topaz, yellow opal and peridot introduce delicate shades of violet, blue, orange, green and translucent white across the dial.

Yet colour is only part of the story.

Light From Within

Hidden beneath the gemstones is one of the Saint-Pétersbourg's most beautiful details.

Each stone sits above a delicate layer of mother-of-pearl, effectively creating a concealed source of light beneath the dial. Rather than simply reflecting light from its surface, the gemstones appear illuminated from within.

As the wrist moves, their character changes. Colours become stronger or softer; individual stones appear and disappear into the composition; reflections travel across the gold lattice.

It is precisely the kind of detail that cannot fully be understood from a photograph. The watch asks to be moved, examined and experienced.

Each gemstone is sculpted individually by hand, and the dial itself is produced in Beauregard's Montreal workshop. Behind every finished example lies an extraordinary amount of experimentation and patience - a philosophy the Maison describes simply as “luxury is patience.”

Two Creators, Two Worlds

What makes Ulysse particularly compelling, however, is that this is not simply an extraordinary jewellery dial placed over a conventional movement.

Behind it is Vianney Halter.

One of the defining figures of contemporary independent watchmaking, Halter has spent decades approaching horology less as an industry and more as a form of artistic expression. His work has consistently challenged conventional ideas of how a watch should look, function and communicate time.

That makes his partnership with Alexandre Beauregard unusually natural.

Beauregard brings colour, gemstones and lapidary artistry. Halter brings mechanics, architecture and an entirely individual conception of watchmaking. Neither discipline is asked to take a secondary role.

For Hamdan Al Hudaidi, Founder of Perpétuel Gallery, that chemistry has also been evident beyond the watches themselves:

“It has been a pleasure getting to know both Alexandre and Vianney over the years - at our gallery in Dubai, at watch events and on many other occasions. Knowing the extraordinary expertise each of them brings to his craft, I am not surprised that the result of their collaboration is stunning. I am only surprised by just how stunning it is. The Saint-Pétersbourg is a wonderful example of what can happen when two truly creative minds are given the freedom to create.”

Hamdan Al Hudaidi, Founder, Perpétuel Gallery

The Other Side of Ulysse

Turn the watch over and Saint-Pétersbourg reveals an entirely different personality.

The VH Mysterious automatic movement operates at 21,600 vibrations per hour and provides approximately 56 hours of power reserve. Its bridges and wheels are finished by hand, while 30 transparent functional rubies contribute to a movement architecture designed to be admired rather than concealed.

But look closer at the oscillating winding mass and another detail emerges.

Engraved upon it are the words:

Vulnerant omnes, ultima necat.

“All wound; the last kills.”

Traditionally found on sundials, the Latin memento mori is a reminder that every passing hour leaves its mark - and that eventually one will be our last.

It is an unexpectedly philosophical detail hidden beneath a watch whose dial initially seduces through sheer beauty. Yet it captures something fundamental about mechanical watchmaking: behind all the gemstones, precious metals and craftsmanship, watches remain objects concerned with the passage of time.

A Watch That Refuses Simplicity

The Saint-Pétersbourg is housed in a 41 mm case crafted from 18-carat rose gold, measuring just 9.35 mm in thickness and topped by a domed sapphire crystal. A stitchless chestnut alligator strap and rose-gold pin buckle complete the watch without competing with the extraordinary dial.

Only 10 individually numbered pieces will be produced, with a retail price of CHF 122,000 (excluding VAT).

But numbers explain very little about this watch.

The appeal of Saint-Pétersbourg lies in the hundreds of decisions hidden behind what we ultimately see: the shape of a single gemstone, the transition between two colours, the thickness of a gold line, the way mother-of-pearl catches light beneath a translucent stone, or the finishing of a component most owners will rarely examine closely.

It is deliberately excessive craftsmanship in pursuit of something emotionally simple: beauty.

When Haute Joaillerie Meets Haute Horlogerie

There is an increasing tendency in contemporary watchmaking to describe watches as works of art. With Ulysse Saint-Pétersbourg, the expression feels unusually appropriate.

Alexandre Beauregard has created a dial that could exist independently as a piece of jewellery. Vianney Halter has provided mechanics worthy of being appreciated independently as horology. Together, neither overwhelms the other.

That balance is what makes the Saint-Pétersbourg special.

It is not simply a Beauregard decorated by Vianney Halter, nor a Vianney Halter movement surrounded by gemstones.

It is the product of two distinct creative identities meeting somewhere in between.

And perhaps that is the real meaning behind the name Ulysse: the destination matters, but the journey - and the people encountered along the way - is what ultimately gives it meaning.