Akhor is an independent Geneva-based watchmaking Maison founded by Anissa Bader, whose family owns Clamax, the Geneva-based micromechanical company founded in 1988. Bader has led Clamax since 2020, bringing the company’s technical expertise into the development of Akhor’s watches.
Nour La Lumière, the latest addition to the inaugural collection Le Temps en Équilibre, adds a Day/Night complication to Akhor’s patented dual-disc architecture.
The name refers to the Arabic word “Nour”, meaning “light”, which appears discreetly hand-engraved in Arabic script on the case back.
The 24-hour display depicts the changing light of a desert landscape, with dunes, stars and a dromedary and rider gradually appearing as the disc rotates.
The Day/Night indication adds a third disc to Akhor’s patented construction. Completing one full rotation every 24 hours, the large disc depicts the transition between day and night through hand-engraved dunes, a moon and stars rendered in bas-relief.
A dromedary and rider cross the miniature landscape, hand-painted by a specialist artisan on a surface measured in millimetres. As the disc rotates, the scene changes continuously, turning the passage of the sky into a dynamic indication rather than a conventional static display.
Integrating the additional disc required the movement architecture to be recalculated to account for its mass, equilibrium and energy requirements.
Each of the three discs occupies a precisely defined position within the 12.5 mm-thick case, with tolerances measured to hundredths of a millimetre.
Much of the character of Nour La Lumière comes from the handcraft applied to the display.
The Day/Night disc is engraved entirely by hand, with the dunes, moon and stars individually sculpted in relief.
Depending on the version, the disc is made either from 5N gold or platinum, materials that respond differently to the engraving tools and to the surrounding light.
The miniature-painted dromedary and rider require the application of multiple layers of colour, with backgrounds, volumes, highlights and shadows built up sequentially using brushes made with only a few bristles.
The watch is housed in a 40 mm cushion-shaped case measuring 12.5 mm in thickness and is available in 18-carat 5N red gold or platinum.
Both versions feature a polished bezel set with 120 baguette-cut diamonds totalling 4.85 carats. The diamond setting extends to the folding clasp, which is matched to a hand-stitched blue alligator leather strap.
A sapphire crystal with internal anti-reflective coating protects the dial, while water resistance is rated to 30 metres / 100 feet.
At the heart of the watch is the AK10, a hand-wound mechanical calibre developed exclusively for Akhor and manufactured by Clamax.
Its 126 components include 12 jewels, while the variable-inertia balance operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and provides a power reserve of 60 hours. Hacking seconds is also provided for precise time-setting.
Visible through the sapphire crystal case back, the movement is decorated with anglage, fan-shaped Côtes de Genève, finished wheels and distinctive cushion-shaped screws.
The calibre and completed watch are subject to several levels of certification: the movement is COSC chronometer certified, while the components meet the requirements of the Poinçon de Genève and the finished timepiece is certified by the Observatoire Chronométrique de Genève.
The Akhor Nour La Lumière is produced in a series of 10 pieces, divided equally between the 5N gold and platinum versions. The gold model, reference AK-10-AU-JN, is priced at CHF 198,000 including VAT, while the platinum version, reference AK-10-PT-JN, is priced at CHF 208,000 including VAT. akhor.ch
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