The Vianney Halter x Massena Lab Old Soul is powered by a new yet 100-year-old Minerva movement
Borna Bošnjak- The high-end independent is teaming up with Massena Lab for a limited edition of 47 pieces, using NOS Minerva pocket watch movements.
- Sized at 42mm, it sports a regulator dial with mystery minutes in Halter’s signature steampunk style.
- The movement is displayed in all its glory via the caseback, and pricing is on request.
What would you do if you came across a stash of vintage pocket watch movements from the 1920s? Well, if you’re William Massena and/or Vianney Halter, you’d surely make a batch of limited, hand-finished watches that blend the two house styles. I’d envision the origin story of the Old Soul sounds something like that. At first, the watch appears more complicated than it actually is, owing to Halter’s complex steampunk aesthetic with numerous overlapping features, exposed screws, and brushed metal. While it might not have the immediate what-the-f-is-going-on-here-effect that Halter’s other pieces like Deep Space Resonance do, the Old Soul has exactly that – a character worth exploring.
The reality is a lot more simple, the complexity achieved through clever design and the use of a mystery dial. The Old Soul features a regulator display, which means that the hours, minutes, and seconds are all on separate axes. You’ll find the hours on a sub-dial at 3 o’clock, while the seconds sit diametrically opposed at 9.
The rest of the dial is mostly just composed of sculptural design elements. The next layer up is the sapphire disc of the mystery minutes, indicated by a blue rhombus that points to an outer railroad track. To finish it all off, the central shield-like shape actually sits atop the flat sapphire crystal, shaped to fit around the sub-dials and with cut-outs through which you can read the Halter and Massena branding.
Owing to its pocket watch movement origins, the case is expectedly large, measuring in at 42mm across and 12mm thick. Halter and Massena remedy this somewhat with a subtly concave bezel and stepped lugs, finishing in a co-branded crown stippled with the former’s signature stud design. From this angle, you can also see the shield that sits on the sapphire crystal with those rivet-like protrusions. To go with the monochrome look, the Old Soul is mounted on a midnight blue leather strap to match the dial accents, finished in a Massena Lab-branded pin buckle.
Other than the design of the dial, the most interesting aspect of the Old Soul is undoubtedly the movement. While the historic Minerva manufacture has now been absorbed into the Montblanc brand (and yet to reach its full potential under Richemont), it still remains well-loved by ardent fans. The Minerva 17’22 was a high-end pocket watch movement, its name representing its 17-ligne diameter and denoting it being the 22nd movement of that size produced by the manufacture. This isn’t the first time this movement has been used in a watch, however, as Minerva themselves have adapted it in their 1998 140th Anniversary release, though with some upgrades like a screwed chaton for the centre wheel jewel.
With those origins in mind, it should be no surprise to see it featuring a large, slow-beating balance (2.5Hz), and a 9 o’clock-positioned seconds, which would correspond to 6 o’clock in a pocket watch with the crown at 12. One notable change is the fact that the movement has been completely dressed up by Halter, with hand-made striping, bevelling, and black polishing.
Vianney Halter x Massena Lab Old Soul pricing and availability
The Vianney Halter x Massena Lab Old Soul is a limited edition of 47 pieces, and will be available starting August 26th 2025 for enquiries. Price: on request
| Brand | Vianney Halter x Massena Lab |
| Model | Old School |
| Case Dimensions | 42mm (D) x 12mm (T) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Regulator-style sapphire disc on brushed steel |
| Strap | Blue leather, steel pin buckle |
| Movement | Minerva 17’22, manual winding |
| Power Reserve | 36 hours |
| Functions | Regulator hours, mystery minutes, small seconds |
| Availability | Limited to 47 pieces |
| Price | On request |