OCULUS MINOTAURUS
INTRODUCTION
According to legend, the maze of Knossos was built by King Minos of Crete to
imprison the Minotaur, a fabulous monster with the body of a man and the head of a
bull.
Once construction had been completed, the edifice was such a tangle of
passageways, theaters and galleries, that even the king’s engineer Daedalus and his
son Icarus found themselves prisoners inside.
Each year, the city of Athens, under the rules of Minos, had to offer seven Athenian
boys and seven girls in sacrifice to the Minotaur, who ate humans.
Until the day Theseus, son of the King of Athens, killed the Minotaur and managed to
find his way out of the maze, thanks to the thread given to him by Ariadne, daughter
of Minos, which he unwound along his way.
For more information, please contact :
Olga Corsini / [email protected] / Tel.: + 41(0)21 869 75 17
Valbray, Z.I. Moulin du Choc D, 1122 Romanel sur Morges, Switzerland
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THE TIMEPIECE
First impressions of the Oculus Minotaurus are of a sophisticated, classic timepiece,
featuring a black case and black shutter system, with a beautifully brushed 18 kt gold
bezel.
But once the sixteen shutter blades have been opened, manually activated by
rotating the bezel, a three-dimensional golden labyrinth appears.
Ingeniously positioned beneath a thin sapphire crystal, a white ceramic ball moves
freely along this winding trail.
And so the game begins: roll the ball among the side paths, dead ends and wrong
turns in order to reach the goal in the center.
Every detail of the watch, including the golden parts on the side crown and golden
hours on the bezel, sublimates the technical prowess and precision of this timepiece.
To cap it all, a magnificent engraving of the Minotaur graces the back case, shielding
a Swiss automatic movement boasting 44 hours of power reserve.
At once classical and impertinent, the Minotaurus is an evocation of mythology and a
nod to a childhood game – and all the related happy memories.
Fitted with a premium black alligator strap, the oculus Minotaurus is available in a
limited edition of 77 numbered pieces.
For more information, please contact :
Olga Corsini / [email protected] / Tel.: + 41(0)21 869 75 17
Valbray, Z.I. Moulin du Choc D, 1122 Romanel sur Morges, Switzerland
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TIMEPIECE DATA SHEET
Name
Oculus Minotaurus
Reference
VR03R
Material
18 kt Red gold
316L stainless steel
Coating
PVD
Size
Bezel: 43 mm diameter
Function
Hours, minutes
Patent
Diaphragm integrated on a rotating bezel composed of 16 blades
Movement
Reference: V.CA1
Mechanical and automatic
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
25 functional jewels
44 hour power reserve
Water resistance 5 ATM
Dial
Tridimensional with a free white ceramic marble ball
Sapphire glass
Non-reflective crystal
Strap
Black alligator
Folding clasp
Limited edition
77 numbered pieces
Retail price
15’000 CHF (including VAT)
For more information, please contact :
Olga Corsini / [email protected] / Tel.: + 41(0)21 869 75 17
Valbray, Z.I. Moulin du Choc D, 1122 Romanel sur Morges, Switzerland
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KEY BRAND DATA
History
2009 The brand is founded in Switzerland by Mr de Valbray (Micromechanical
Engineer) and Mrs Corsini-de Valbray (Designer), and belongs to the de
Valbray family.
Both the creators bring to bear their previous experience in leading luxury
brands (Cartier, Bulgari, Chaumet)
10-11 The brand is launched in Geneva at the Geneva Time Exhibition watchmaking
fair and in Basel, at Baselworld. First commercial release of the Oculus
Chrono collection.
2013 Opening of the brand’s own factory in Romanel-sur-Morges, Switzerland.
Valbray creates 300-350 luxury handcrafted watches per year – all designed,
manufactured and assembled in-house, to ensure full control of skills and
product excellence. Every timepiece is part of a limited, numbered edition – from
25 to a maximum of 500 worldwide, depending on the model.
Inspiration
Analog cameras form the inspiration for the brand. The key values are: Interaction,
Ergonomics, Precision, Technique and Design – common to the worlds of
photography and watchmaking alike.
Valbray aims to offer more than a mere indicator of time, by creating a unique and
intimate mechanical instrument that is synonymous with unforgettable memories, just
as a camera is.
Innovation & Know-how
The complexity of Valbray timepieces is built around the delicate and innovative
engineering of the Oculus system. Patented in 2010, it took more than two years of
research and development to be finalized, and is an outstanding example of
contemporary micromechanics applied to watchmaking.
A number of features embody the technical prowess of the system:

Miniaturization: composed of more than 50 pieces to guide the 16 ultrathin blades,
and integrated on a bezel just 46 mm in diameter (43mm on the Big Date collection)
and 7 mm wide.

The special metal used for the blades combines three crucial characteristics:
strength, flexibility and thinness. The balance required between these three features
makes the development of the blades extremely exacting.
For more information, please contact :
Olga Corsini / [email protected] / Tel.: + 41(0)21 869 75 17
Valbray, Z.I. Moulin du Choc D, 1122 Romanel sur Morges, Switzerland
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
The strong, specific coating: the 16 moving blades constantly slide over each other,
without scratching. In addition, Valbray has developed a paint system made from
carbon and ceramic powders that is strong enough to withstand a large number of
cycles, remaining unscathed after 10,000 rotations.

The high degree of craftsmanship required to assemble the system: the 16 blades
are carefully selected to be absolutely uniform, and adjusted one by one in the bezel
with precision to within one hundredth of a millimeter. This extreme thinness cannot
be handled manually; instead, operators work on these parts using tweezers. The
assembly work is performed in a clean room with controlled atmosphere: the
presence of even the smallest specks of dust would prevent the diaphragm from
opening and closing, and eventually cause scratches.
INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM
Partnership
Premium German luxury camera brand Leica Camera AG asked Valbray to create
100 customized watches for the one hundredth anniversary of Leica Camera (2014),
to be distributed in their 50 stores worldwide.
Retailers
Today, Valbray is represented in multi-brand luxury watch stores.
In Europe:

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France (Chronopassion and Colette in Paris, Temps&Passion in Monaco)
Switzerland (Ouranos in Lausanne)


Italy (Cristilli in Rome and Luisa Via Roma in Florence)
In Northern Europe (Trends and Traditions distribution)
In Central Europe and the Middle East:

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Turkey (Adasaat group)
Doha (Albidaa House of Jewellery)
Dubai et Abu Dhabi (Inspiration Gallery)
America:

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USA (Martin Pulli in Philadelphia and Chatterley Luxuries in Arizona)
South America (Joia Latam group and Joyeria Mara in Maracaibo)
Asia:


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Japan (Noble Styling in Tokyo)
China (9Maiali in Hong Kong)
Indonesia (FF Luxury Watch in Jakarta)
Thailand (STL group in Bangkok)
For more information, please contact :
Olga Corsini / [email protected] / Tel.: + 41(0)21 869 75 17
Valbray, Z.I. Moulin du Choc D, 1122 Romanel sur Morges, Switzerland
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BIOGRAPHY OF THE CREATORS
Côme de Valbray
Born in Paris, France, in 1980. From a very early age, Côme was particularly
intrigued by mechanical objects, cars and planes. He got his first analog camera from
his grandfather when he was eight years old – the start of a keen interest in
photography.
Following his scientific baccalaureate in Paris, he moved to Switzerland to undertake
his engineering studies at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne,
from which he graduated with a major in Microtechnology.
His interest in designing high-quality timepieces stemmed from the influence and
experience he gained with his first employer, Cartier Horlogerie. During this period,
he analyzed all the processes of watch manufacturing and came up with a new way
of organizing production.
At the end of his mission, he decided to move to the United States to develop his
entrepreneurial skills at Harvard University, where he started to shape his dream:
offering his creativity and his vision of Horology through his own brand.
On his return to Switzerland, his meeting with Olga Corsini led to the beginning of a
new story: the Valbray brand.
Olga Corsini
Born in Florence, Italy, in 1979. Ever since childhood, Olga has had a bent for
creativity and design.
Following a baccalaureate in literature with a major in jewelry design at the European
Institute of Design in Milan, she focused her interest on high-end handicraft and its
industrial application.
Her keen interest in jewelry led her to join the creative department of Bulgari in
Rome, where she started her career in high-end luxury products.
After several years spent in Rome, she moved to Florence to work for Gucci within
the creative department of the jewelry division.
In 2007, she was approached by Chaumet (LVMH) to work in the luxury brand’s
exclusive Jewelry and Horology creative studio, in Paris. During this experience, she
created an array of unique pieces and worked on the majority of the brand’s bestselling items.
Her meeting with Côme de Valbray led to the start of a new story: the Valbray brand.
For more information, please contact :
Olga Corsini / [email protected] / Tel.: + 41(0)21 869 75 17
Valbray, Z.I. Moulin du Choc D, 1122 Romanel sur Morges, Switzerland
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