In the world of contemporary haute horlogerie, few names carry the weight and legacy of Dominique Renaud. Known as the legendary co founder of the Renaud and Papi manufacture, later acquired by Audemars Piguet, Renaud has spent decades shaping some of the most sophisticated mechanical movements ever created.

Today he returns with a new independent chapter, unveiling the Pulse60, the inaugural watch under his eponymous brand. Presented in preview at Time To Watches Geneva 2026, the Pulse60 represents far more than a new timepiece. It is a profound reconsideration of the very fundamentals of mechanical watchmaking.

The launch of the Dominique Renaud brand itself marks the second expression of Haute Horlogerie Dominique Renaud, or HHDR, a structure conceived both as a creative laboratory and as a platform for disruptive watchmaking ideas. For Renaud, watchmaking innovation follows a simple principle famously articulated by architect Louis Sullivan: form follows function. This philosophy is evident throughout the Pulse60, where the minimalist yet expressive design reveals the movement rather than concealing it and where the architecture of the watch becomes the visual language itself.

Exploring the Extremes of Frequency

At the heart of the Pulse60 lies an entirely new movement, the BUA2024 for Balancier Ultra Amplitude. Instead of pursuing ever higher frequencies, as many modern movements do, Dominique Renaud explores the opposite extreme. The Pulse60 operates at just 1 Hz, equivalent to sixty beats per minute. While most mechanical watches oscillate between 2.5 Hz and 5 Hz, this radically low frequency allows the movement to prioritize stability and rhythm rather than the multiplication of impulses.

The result is a watch whose tempo mirrors the resting rhythm of the human heart, transforming the measurement of time into something more organic and embodied. To fully harness this low frequency, the movement relies on a remarkable twenty millimeter balance wheel, one of the largest ever integrated into a wristwatch. Its high inertia ensures exceptional stability, naturally resisting small disturbances such as variations in torque or minor shocks.

Dominique Renaud compares this effect to a tightrope walker carrying a long balancing pole: the longer the pole, the more stable the walker becomes. In the Pulse60, the large balance acts in the same way, absorbing disturbances and stabilizing each oscillation into a slow and controlled rhythm.

A New Expression of Contemporary Haute Horlogerie

Traditional watch movements operate within strict amplitude limits, where excessive oscillation can cause the balance to strike the pallet fork in a phenomenon known as knocking. Dominique Renaud therefore completely re engineered the regulating organ to allow amplitudes exceeding three hundred and sixty degrees, with a theoretical maximum approaching seven hundred degrees. This expanded operating range means the movement functions far from its mechanical limits, much like an engine running comfortably below its redline.

By increasing the freedom of oscillation, the balance remains independent for longer intervals, reducing the influence of escapement impulses and improving overall stability. The aesthetics of the Pulse60 were conceived to make these mechanical innovations visually clear. The case features a domed sapphire crystal while the traditional bezel and lugs disappear entirely, allowing the strap to integrate seamlessly into the case and creating a fluid silhouette. The display further emphasizes the mechanical spectacle, with hours and minutes on a subdial at twelve o clock, a seconds counter at nine o clock revealing the natural half second motion created by the one hertz frequency, and a torque indicator at three o clock displaying the remaining energy in the barrel.

Through the Pulse60, Dominique Renaud presents far more than a technical experiment. By returning to the rhythm of one beat per second, he reconnects mechanical watchmaking with the natural cadence of life itself, offering a philosophical and mechanical statement about the future of haute horlogerie.

Retail pricing is set at:

• CHF 49,000 (Titanium)
• CHF 59,000 (Pink Gold & Titanium)

"I may be a little biased in this case, as I truly appreciate all the works coming from Dominique Renaud and the broader Renaud Tixier universe. Yet the Pulse60 carries a charm entirely of its own. It is a watch that does not simply introduce a new movement, but presents a completely different rhythm of time, Master Dominique always impresses the industry with his innovations & that’s what we all love about this extraordinary person."