Purnell is proud to present a World First with AS Monaco: an innovative Rotating Crystal Football, revealing the tourbillon inside with its transparency.

Rise. Risk. Repeat. A philosophy AS Monaco abides by on the field, and one that matches with Purnell’s “More Future Than Past.” It is in this spirit that Purnell created a World Premiere for its AS Monaco collaboration: two limited editions featuring a see-through football tourbillon crafted out of tinted crystal, putting the tourbillon inside on full display.

Crystal Clear

Unveiled in two limited editions of 11 pieces—to match the number of players on the pitch—the Purnell x AS Monaco timepiece features a completely new take on the “football tourbillon” created just a year ago by Purnell on the occasion of its partnership with France Football and the Ballon d’OrTM. Instead of a tourbillon encased in an engraved football made of solid precious metal, this iteration shows a football made of 24 hexagons of tinted crystal (or cristal de roche in French)—12 in AS Monaco red and 12 that are transparent. Overall, the rotating football weighs only 1.12 grams, making a full rotation in 30 seconds. This phenomenon was achieved thanks to Purnell’s association with watchmaking extraordinaire, Eric Coudray, winner of the 2012 Prix Gaïa. With Purnell, Coudray was able to devise a titanium skeleton in the shape of a football, where the watchmaker can then place the football’s crystal “facets” one by one.

A feat of expert craftsmanship, the result is a hypnotic interpretation of a rotating football in perpetual movement—a first in the world of watchmaking. The cristal de roche also adorns the dial in the form of the hour indexes tinted in “Daring Red”, the AS Monaco pantone. The hour indexes at 12 and 6 o’clock are bicolor, featuring the football club’s legacy “La Diagonale” pattern that can also be found on the team jerseys.