Independent watchmaking thrives on experimentation, and few collaborations capture that spirit as well as the new Massena LAB x Vianney Halter Old Soul. Limited to just 47 pieces, this steampunk-inspired monopusher chronograph combines avant-garde design with a movement that carries nearly a century of history. At its core is a vintage Minerva 17’22 caliber, originally developed in the 1920s for pocket watches. Its presence inside a modern 42mm stainless steel case bridges eras, making this timepiece both a tribute to the past and a meditation on the future of horology.
The Old Soul marks the second entry in Massena LAB’s Old Masters series, which explores conceptual themes with independent watchmakers. Where the first collaboration reflected beginnings, this one symbolizes endings, persistence, and immortality through mechanical craft. Its design delivers both spectacle and substance: stepped lugs, a concave polished bezel, and a Vianney Halter–signature crown exude steampunk sensibilities. On the dial, a regulator layout separates hours, minutes, and seconds into distinct subdials, with a sapphire-disc minute hand floating ghostlike above the surface.
The multiphase “Iris” dial effect shimmers between purple, turquoise, and green, depending on the light, while lume-filled indices and diamond-cut hands ensure legibility even in the dark. Turn the watch over, and the Minerva movement’s traditional Côtes de Genève and anglage finishing shine through the sapphire caseback.
Paired with a midnight-blue leather strap or steel bracelet, the Massena LAB x Vianney Halter Old Soul offers bold artistry backed by mechanical pedigree. Available by inquiry, it will be showcased at Geneva Watch Days 2025.
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