Ralf Tech Académie Manufacture "First Edition" automatic 41 mm Full Set 2024

Presentation

Founded in 1996 by professional diver Frank Huyghe, RALF TECH has established itself as a distinctive French watchmaking brand, renowned for timepieces designed for the most demanding environments. From the outset, the Maison has developed robust and high-performance watches intended for action, professional diving and extreme missions. Imagined and designed in France, developed in Switzerland and tested in real-world conditions across the globe, RALF TECH watches are manufactured in France or Switzerland, with a constant focus on reliability, durability and legibility. This rigorous approach has led the brand to equip both adventurers and specialised units, while asserting a highly recognisable technical style.

While RALF TECH’s DNA remains deeply rooted in the world of tool watches, the brand has, for several years now, explored a more classical register with the Académie collection. First introduced in 2017, this line represents a deliberate stylistic shift, drawing inspiration from watches of the 1950s and 1960s, a defining era in watch design. Conceived as an elegant and timeless city watch, the Académie pays tribute to the great military and institutional academies, while preserving the technical rigour for which the Maison is known. It thus embodies another facet of RALF TECH: more restrained, more patrimonial, yet still guided by a constant pursuit of precision and horological quality.

The model

With the Académie Manufacture “First Edition”, RALF TECH presents in 2024 one of its most accomplished watches in terms of both aesthetics and watchmaking substance. This piece does more than simply extend the Académie collection: it represents a foundational milestone, marking the brand’s entry into a more assertive expression of contemporary classical watchmaking, with the introduction of a true manufacture calibre. Designed as an elegant city watch, this First Edition is intended for enthusiasts who value both timeless design and mechanical legitimacy.

The polished steel case, measuring 41 mm in diameter, adopts deliberately contemporary proportions while drawing inspiration from traditional watches of the 1950s and 1960s. Its lines are soft, rounded and perfectly balanced, offering a comfortable and natural fit on the wrist. It is topped with a sapphire crystal of the “Glass Box” type — a strong aesthetic signature whose domed shape recalls the acrylic crystals of the period. This choice gives the dial remarkable visual depth, while ensuring optimal legibility thanks to a discreet and effective anti-reflective treatment.

The cream lacquered dial is one of the most striking elements of this Académie Manufacture. Produced through a slow and demanding process involving the successive application of lacquer layers, it reveals a surface of great visual richness, subtly playing with the light. The finely polished applied silver indices structure the dial with elegance and reinforce the neo-vintage spirit of the model, while the Dauphine-style hands add a distinctly horological touch, both classic and refined.

Another major evolution for the brand is the choice of a transparent sapphire caseback, a first in the RALF TECH catalogue. This screw-down caseback allows the movement to be admired in action and reflects the Maison’s desire to showcase its mechanical expertise, where its historic models traditionally prioritised performance and robustness. Limited to a water resistance of 50 metres, this Académie Manufacture “First Edition” fully embraces its position as an elegant watch, designed for controlled daily wear, where style and precision take precedence over extreme capability.

The calibre

At the heart of the Académie Manufacture “First Edition” beats the automatic calibre RTM001, a movement that stands as a true cornerstone of contemporary French watchmaking. Designed, developed and assembled in France, in Morteau (Doubs), by the Manufacture Pequignet, this calibre embodies a rare and committed approach: that of producing a genuinely manufacture movement, mastered locally from its initial design to final assembly.

The RTM001 stands out for its modern and high-performance architecture, conceived to combine reliability, precision and endurance. Beating at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, it features bidirectional automatic winding, optimising the efficiency of barrel winding. Its hacking seconds function allows for precise time-setting, while its construction benefits from two international patents, reflecting the in-depth work carried out by Pequignet on movement efficiency and long-term durability.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this calibre is its exceptional 77-hour power reserve, a record for an automatic watch manufactured in France. This comfortable autonomy allows the watch to be set aside for an entire weekend without stopping, while ensuring stable and consistent timekeeping over extended periods.

With 72% of its components of French origin, produced within a radius of approximately 80 kilometres around Morteau, the RTM001 asserts a resolutely local identity, complemented by rigorously selected Swiss components. Visible through the transparent sapphire caseback, this manufacture movement symbolises RALF TECH’s desire to highlight another form of horological performance: more discreet, more patrimonial, yet just as demanding. A strong statement that gives this First Edition lasting legitimacy and the true status of an already historic timepiece.

The package

This RALF TECH Académie Manufacture “First Edition” automatic 41 mm is offered as a Full Set, accompanied by its original presentation box and its warranty card dated December 2024. The example presented is in excellent condition and has been inspected within our workshop, ensuring proper operation. Still benefiting from the RALF TECH warranty until December 2026, this watch is produced in an ultra-limited edition of only 22 pieces.