Hands-On with the 2015 MCT Sequential One S110

This might not be the biggest novelty of the year for MCT. Indeed, the brand came at Baselworld 2015 with a brand new watch, the MCT Frequential One F110, with its more simple movement but still highly cool design. They also introduced, during the SIHH, blacken and bright coloured editions of the MCT Sequential Two S200, their round automatic timepiece that still relies on the superb rotating module with prisms for the hours. Together with these main novelties, we wanted to focus on one that is definitely the most iconic watch of the manufacture, the one that fully represents the brand and that is coming this year with an even cooler design, the MCT Sequential One S110.

The MCT Sequential One S110 is iconic and totally attractive for simple reasons. It keep the same overall design – squared case, complicated lugs – and technical solutions – rotating module with prisms for the hours, retrograde disc and hand to indicate the minutes – than the very first MCT, the Sequential One S100 but in a more modern, cleaner and more technical design approach. We have to admit, it was already quite a stunning piece when introduced in 2013. However, for Baselworld 2015, the MCT Sequential One S110 receives an apparently small update that changes a lot the face of this watch and that, once again, makes us fall in love.

Now that you know that we love the MCT Sequential One S110, let’s be a bit more precise on the reason why. What is this watch about? MCT was launched in 2008 with a watch that was, at that time and that still is today, totally unique in the industry: the Sequential One S100. This watch came with first a very strong design, with a squared case with a complicated construction – complicated sapphires, including one in the middle of the case bands and complicated but really nice lugs – but mainly an impressive movement.

The time is indicated by two separated complications: one for the hours and one for the minutes. The hours are printed by groups of 3 on prisms – sort of shutters that are composed of 5 triangles each (and then able to display 3 different hours) that rotates. There is 4 of these modules but only one is visible at a certain instant – and for one hour only. That is explained by the second complication, which indicates the minutes. On the top of the dial sits a C-shape bridge with a 60-minute scale printed on it and a short hand (blued here) on the top that points the actual time. This C-shape bridge is jumping clockwise every hour from 90° to reveal the next prism and thus, the next hour. The minute hand is a retrograde hand that runs on the C-shpae bridge over 270° – from 0 to 60 – and that jumps back to its original position at the beginning of a new hour, together with the bridge on the top.

On the watch photographed here, you can see that it is 1:10. For the next 50 minutes, only the minute hand will move. Once arrived to the end of the 60-minute track, the hand will jump back to the 0 position and the C-shape bridge will instantaneously make a 90° jump to reveal the next prism module at the bottom of the dial – and that is already indicating 2. 

This complicated movement is developed fully in-house and is exclusive to MCT. It comes with a very interesting finishing – superb polished bevelled angles, beautifully shaped bridges that are partially opened, hand finishes… It is a very nice movement to look at, together with being a technically impressive one. It features no less than 471 components, including 81 rubies. The power reserve is quite short at 40 hours – a data however understandable considering the energy required to actuate the prismes and the C-shape bridge.

For Baselworld 2015, MCT comes with a new design of the face and titanium for the case. While the previous MCT Sequential One S110 was coming with quite a loaded dial, engraved with a sort of labyrinth and stylized numerals, the 2015 edition is cleaner all the way long. The focus is made on the 4 bridges that create a cross over the dial – and that are coming with, once again, a superb hand finish – no more complicated pattern on the main plate and classical numerals for the prismes. It features blued screws and a blued hand, the only touch of colour in a very mono-chromatic scheme of grey shades. The dial is less busy and appears easier to read, even if the minute track on 270° remains not very natural to read – something that the Sequential Two S200 corrects.

The case remains a 45mm square made of grade 5 titanium, alternating polished and brushed surfaces, always with its complicated construction and the sapphire sandwich that allows light to come in the movement.

The MCT Sequential One S110 is still a large watch that can’t be seen as an usual suspect, considering its shape and the complications it features. It however has a great comfort due to the use of titanium and due to the very short lugs and fits even smaller wrists. The new edition is certainly not a big novelty and isn’t renewing the concept but it just bring even more coolness to the MCT Sequential One S110.

More details on MCT Official.