Independent value king Ba111od acquires BCP Tourbillons. This is quite an unexpected, yet not totally surprising move by Thomas Baillod.
Press Release with our usual commentary in italics.
NEW: Ba111od Chapter 4 Tourbillon T.V.D
The Ba111od Chapter 4 Tourbillon T.V.D will retail at CHF 8,200, before taxes. First 50 pieces to be delivered in September 2026.
Commentary
This is an interesting development for Ba111od, and for the champion of affordable Swiss made watches. We crowned Ba111od as the King of Affordable Tourbillons. The maison has been collaborating with BCP Tourbillons for a long time. Movements for the Chapter 4 and Chapter Delta have always been made by BCP’s Olivier Mory.
We are very happy to see this new acqiusition, and have been fans of both Thomas Baillod and Olivery Mory for a long time. Bravo to both of you! Thomas has always been an inspiration. When most watch companies want to charge as much as possible, but he chose a different path in the belief that a high quality product need not necessarily be expensive. The name of Chapter 4 – the T.B.V stands for The Vablen Dilemma, named after the economist and sociologist Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929). The effect to the snobbery which considers that the high price of a luxury product makes it more desirable. And conversely, that an accessible price necessarily corresponds to a lower intrinsic value. Thomas provokes this as a dilemma, and try to combine an accessible price to a high value. In this new partnership, we for see a more integrated approach from Ba111od, and hope to see this in new and more exciting watches.
The new Chapter 4 Tourbillon T.V.D is just an evolution of the original that we have reviewed and loved. This is the skeletonised model. And now it is offered in two stainless steel case sizes of 43mm and 39mm, instead of 44 and 40 in Chapter 4.1 and 4.5. The Ba111od catalog still lists the Chapter 4.1 at CHF 7.5k is in a titanium case. The new stel case is redesigned with a tantalum-grey DLC treatment, looking rather similar to the natural hue of titanium. The case profile is also evolved to a more nuanced case. The dial has also evolved to one with a more open skeletonisation and shows off the tourbillon and barrel more clearly.
The movement remains largely the same. Again, an evolution. Now the power reserve has increased from 105hr to 120hr, and the small seconds hand which was mounted on the tourbillon cage is now deleted. And now the movement is now certified as a Chronometer by the Geneva Observatory (Timelab) of chronometry as an encased watch head.
Release details
BA111OD REACHES A STRATEGIC MILESTONE WITH THE ACQUISITION OF MOVEMENT DEVELOPER BCP TOURBILLONS
Neuchâtel, April 13, 2026 – On the eve of the opening of Geneva Watch Week 2026, Neuchâtel-based watchmaker BA111OD announces the strategic acquisition of BCP Tourbillons, a recognised expert in the development of watchmaking complications and a long-standing partner, as well as a key supplier of its high value-added mechanical calibres. Conducted with full respect for the independence of the horological engineering workshop and its ecosystem, this transaction marks a pivotal step in strengthening BA111OD’s technical capabilities, while ensuring the continuity of an exceptional regional expertise. It is accompanied by the launch of the new Chapter 4 Tourbillon T.V.D., the first expression of this new momentum.
A decisive step in consolidating expertise and legitimacy This transaction is part of a long-term vision and marks a decisive milestone in building BA111OD’s watchmaking legitimacy. Backed by integrated design expertise, its own watchmaking workshop and after-sales service, complemented by a network of specialised co-contractors, the Maison is now taking a major strategic step forward. By integrating a key area of expertise, it is strengthening its technical autonomy and affirming its ability to conceive and produce mechanical complications in-house, thereby broadening its creative scope and its capacity to develop new horological expressions.
In an environment where the demand for horological credibility continues to intensify, Thomas Baillod, founder of the Maison BA111OD, sets out a clear ambition: to strengthen its technical independence, secure its supply chain and internalise essential competencies, all of which lie at the very heart of legitimacy in Swiss watchmaking.
« This acquisition marks a key moment in our development. It allows us to take an important step forward in mastering high-end complications and to expand our creative horizon, while ensuring the continuity of a partnership that has played an essential role in our evolution.
In this spirit, we are deeply committed to preserving this expertise and ensuring that it continues to serve the Swiss watch industry, in full respect of its independence and identity.»
Thomas Baillod, Founder of BA111OD and President of Baillod Horlogerie Holding
Sustaining expertise and a watchmaking legacy
This acquisition also reflects a desire to perpetuate the memory and vision of the late Boris Petitpierre, whose commitment left a lasting mark on BCP Tourbillons SA and contributed to its renown, alongside its emblematic watchmaker, Olivier Mory.
Conducted in close consultation with his wife, Christine, and his children, this transition is intended to ensure the continuity of an exceptional regional expertise, within a territory where watchmaking excellence is handed down and rooted in time.
A human, regional and industrial continuity
This alliance is grounded in a strong human and creative continuity: BCP Tourbillons will remain under the direction of Olivier Mory, its driving force, who will continue to oversee its technical direction and development, while retaining full leadership of the structure and guaranteeing its independence. A highly regarded watch designer and watchmaker based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Olivier Mory specialises in the creation of complex movements, including the tourbillon. In recent years, he has distinguished himself through his ability to make fine watchmaking more accessible, combining traditional craftsmanship with innovative industrial processes.
Established respectively in the upper and lower parts of the canton of Neuchâtel, BCP Tourbillons and BA111OD share a deep territorial anchoring at the heart of one of the world’s most emblematic watchmaking ecosystems. This common rootedness constitutes a founding value, one that this acquisition now gives tangible form to by contributing to the preservation and development of local excellence in watchmaking expertise.
« This evolution gives us a true ideas lab to push boundaries, test freely, and bring our boldest concepts to life. More than continuity, it marks a new momentum. We will continue to develop complications for all our partners, with the same uncompromising standards and independence that define our signature. »
Olivier Mory, Director of BCP Tourbillons
A natural evolution in line with BA111OD’s identity
This milestone does not signal a change in BA111OD’s positioning. Rather, it strengthens and enriches the Maison’s existing expertise. While continuing to develop its current models, including those equipped with Soprod movements, the Maison is gradually broadening its field of expression through new complications. In the spirit of the Chapter Delta and its asymmetrical reading of time, made possible by an in-house developed module paired with Soprod’s M100 movement, this momentum is designed to durably reinforce the brand’s technical mastery, innovative capacity and independence.
« In watchmaking, independence is not declared; it is built patiently, through mastery of the fundamental crafts and a deep-rooted connection to one’s territory. This acquisition reflects that philosophy: reinforcing our legitimacy by bringing in-house what lies at the heart of a watch’s value, its movement, while ensuring the continuity of key expertise within the canton.»
Thomas Baillod
A FIRST EXPRESSION TO BE DISCOVERED DURING THE SPRING WATCH SHOWS: CHAPTER 4 TOURBILLON T.V.D.
In keeping with this new momentum, BA111OD is unveiling, on the occasion of the spring watch fairs, a new creation incorporating a complication now developed within this strengthened ecosystem.Nearly five years after presenting its first tourbillon, BA111OD unveils a new generation of the emblematic Chapter 4 Tourbillon T.V.D., more assertive, more refined and more accomplished in its expression. Faithful to the Maison’s codes, this evolution stands out through a reimagined architecture, an extended 120-hour power reserve and an openworked construction inspired by skeleton aesthetics, fully showcasing the mechanics.
This new generation also marks a major milestone for BA111OD with the introduction of its first internally developed tourbillon movement, the result of the recent integration of this expertise within its ecosystem. This hand-wound mechanical calibre beats at 3 Hz and offers a 120-hour power reserve, with the watch head certified as a chronometer by Timelab, the Geneva Chronometric Observatory.
Available in 39 mm and 43 mm, the model is distinguished by a redesigned 904L stainless steel case with a tantalum-grey DLC treatment. The interplay of volumes, the alternation of polished, sandblasted and vertically satin-finished surfaces, and the restraint of its lines all enhance the watch’s visual depth and overall character. More refined in its execution, the dial opening frames the tourbillon at 7 o’clock and offers a more direct view of the barrel, the central organ of the movement.
« The intention was to refine the watch and strengthen its visual language without losing any of its technical intensity. Through the dial and the flange, I worked on bevels, level changes and the subtlety of the finishes in order to accentuate depth and relief. By lightening the centre of the composition, we were able to give greater presence to the tourbillon and the engraved barrel cover, while preserving the hypnotic dimension that is intrinsic to the piece »
Liliane Murenzi, Head of Design, BA111OD
Developed within this strengthened ecosystem, in collaboration with exclusively regional partners, this new Chapter 4 Tourbillon T.V.D. fully illustrates the Maison’s roots in Neuchâtel and its determination to foster a contemporary, independent and deeply embodied form of Swiss watchmaking.
« Beyond mechanical performance, it is the meaning carried by the object that makes the difference. This new generation brings together precision, tension and emotion in an expression faithful to BA111OD’s ambition: making the exceptional accessible.»
Thomas Baillod
