Marteau: The Echo
Thursday, 12 - Thursday, 19 March 2026

Delaloye Genève, Le Garde Temps “Prototype” No. 00

For this particular lot, the Maker’s Fee promised by Marteau & Co. will be allocated to Delaloye

Lot Details

The first prototype of Le Garde Temps, created by Nicolas Delaloye in 2005 and presented at Baselworld that same year. Numbered 00/50, this watch represents the earliest expression of Delaloye’s vision for the model. The present example is preserved in remarkable condition and housed in an 18k pink gold case. As the prototype for the series, it holds a particularly special place within the production of this independent watchmaker. In their own words : "After working alongside some of the greatest watchmakers — F.P. Journe and Roger Dubuis, to name just a few — and later at Patek Philippe, where I was involved in the production of chronographs as well as in the restoration of pieces from the Museum collection, I decided in 2003 to create my own watch equipped with my ND01 calibre. This particular piece is the prototype (00/50) presented with the AHCI at Baselworld 2005, and it holds a very special place in my heart. My philosophy has always been to respect the codes of traditional watchmaking, with particular attention paid to detail and aesthetics. The gear train is hand-circled and beveled, all components are decorated by hand, and each half-domed ruby is set in a three-screw chaton. All steel components are finished and decorated by hand according to traditional techniques. I also execute the anglage of the bridges and main plate by hand. The main plate features several finishes, including perlage beneath the balance and circular graining on the dial side. All screw slots are chamfered and then mirror-polished. Each movement bears an individual number engraved on the gear train bridge corresponding to the number on the case. Finally, the movement is signed with my maker’s mark, applied to the barrel bridge, guaranteeing a level of execution that is uncompromising both technically and aesthetically." - by Nicolas Delaloye, founder and watchmaker.