At Col&MacArthur, each creation carries a story. A key moment in history, the sacrifice of a soldier, the brilliance of human genius, the power of an artistic stroke, or the power of music to unite: so many stories come to life on the wrist.
To go beyond design and symbolism, we've chosen to incorporate tangible fragments of the past into several of our collections. From Johnny Hallyday's leather jacket to meteorite dust from space, these rare materials embody a direct link to the legends they evoke.
In this article, discover how these signature elements take shape in our timepieces and the story of their provenance.
LUNAR 1969: FROM METEORITE TO FRAGMENT SET AT 12 O'CLOCK
Conceived as a tribute to space exploration and more specifically to the Apollo XI mission, this emblematic piece is full of symbolism: the numbers of the Apollo missions engraved on the dial, the 1969 moon landing point marked with precision... and many other details that tell the story.
To transcend this tribute, we made the bold choice to incorporate a meteorite fragment, positioned at 12 o'clock like a celestial jewel. A rare approach: whereas meteorites are usually used as material for dials, we chose to give it an almost sacred status, that of a precious stone from space.
This fragment comes from meteorite NWA 11515, supplied by the specialist British company MSG METEORITES. Mass spectrometry analyses identified its composition, confirming its origin: the Moon.
Discovered in 2017 in Morocco, this meteorite is officially listed by The Meteoritical Society. All technical information is available through this source or within our certificate of authenticity.
HALLYDAY 2017: FROM HIS LEATHER JACKET TO OUR COLLECTION
A second significant chapter in our history was written with the “Hallyday 2017” collection.
The result of a special collaboration with the Hallyday family, this creation goes far beyond design: it embodies the unbreakable bond between Johnny and those who loved him.
To make this tribute unforgettable, we wanted to incorporate a true symbol of the artist. An icon: his legendary leather jacket, a true second skin for the rocker.
Signed by Gérard Senée, this piece was presented by his family themselves. It was worn by Johnny during the presentation of one of his many gold records.
An authentic fragment of this legendary leather is encapsulated at 9 o'clock on each watch: a discreet but powerful presence.
Each copy, numbered and accompanied by its certificate of authenticity, carries with it this certainty: with Hallyday 2017, Johnny is never far away.
DUNKIRK 1940: FROM BEACH SAND TO CRYSTALS ON THE DIAL
For the Dunkirk 1940 collection, we opted for a clean, essential design. Every detail, however discreet, carries within it the memory of a decisive moment in our history. The hands, delicately tinted blue and red, pay homage to those who fought. But it is at the heart of the dial that the most symbolic element lies.
Several crystals are subtly encrusted there, fashioned from a very particular sand: that of the beaches of Dunkirk.
These same beaches where, in 1940, thousands of soldiers fought and sometimes sacrificed themselves to enable the largest military evacuation operation in history and change the course of the Second World War.
This sand was transformed into crystal in partnership with the prestigious Val Saint Lambert crystal factory in Belgium, a nod to our own origins.
PEARL 1941: THE ENCAPSULATED WATER OF PEARL HARBOR
Encapsulating water in the heart of a watch.
A bold, almost paradoxical choice, given that the watchmaking world has always been wary of aqueous elements. And yet... we wanted to cross this boundary to make water a silent witness to History.
Distilled with precision by us, this water is perfectly purified, without the slightest residue. It is encapsulated between two sapphire crystals, guaranteeing total separation from the movement and preserving the mechanical integrity of the piece.
But beyond the technical feat, it's the water's origin that gives it its symbolic power. It comes from the bay on the island of Oahu, the site of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the largest offensive ever perpetrated on American soil.
This fragment of the ocean completes the DNA of the watch, whose design is inspired by the sonars on board ships of the time, between memory and technology, between silence and resonance.
To discover more about our products and the elements that define them, visit our different universes.
