L＆MR RAINHILL TRIALS SILVER

From Hvilina

With the L&MR Rainhill Trials collection, the HVILINA team continues its exploration of the Industrial Revolution era of the 18th–19th centuries, drawing inspiration from a milestone event that marked the dawn of railway transport — a triumph of engineering ingenuity and a symbol of progress of its time: the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR) in the United Kingdom. The L&MR Rainhill Trials new collection takes its inspiration from a remarkable competition the world had never seen before – the Rainhill Trials, the first and only locomotive race in history. The trials took place in 1829, a year before the Liverpool and Manchester Railway officially opened. Their purpose was to determine the best locomotive to be used on the pioneering railway line. Distinctive features of the L&MR Rainhill Trials timepieces include meticulously crafted three-dimensional locomotive-shaped hands made of metal. These stylized miniature trains are powered by a Sellita SW200 customized Swiss automatic movement , visible through the intricate skeletonized dial . The first part of the limited-edition collection has already sold out. Due to the manufactory nature of the production process, the watches are produced in stages. Further pieces will be available in November. Specifications: Movement – Sellita SW200-1, 26 jewels, 41-hour power reserve, accuracy – 12/+30 seconds per day; Three-dimensional locomotive-shaped hands in metal with coating; dimensions: Rocket – 3.9 × 2.1 × 2 mm, Novelty – 3.9 × 2.1 × 1.6 mm Customized movement with modified plates, bridges, and rotor; Multi-layer skeletonized dial; Sapphire crystal on both front and case back; front crystal with double-sided anti-reflective coating; Case material – stainless steel; Quick-release genuine leather strap; Water resistance – 50 m; Case diameter – 41.2 mm; Total case height – 12.8 mm; Strap width – 22 mm; Limited edition – 500 pieces; Warranty – 48 months; Service life – 10+ years. The outcome of the Rainhill Trials became a turning point in the history of industrialization – an event comparable in its impact to the invention of the internet or the first airplane. Within just two decades, railways would connect major cities across Europe and America, revolutionizing the transportation of goods and communication. The L&MR Rainhill Trials collection is an ode to human boldness and creativity, to the engineering genius that changed the world. The models feature an entirely new industrial-style case that reinforces the conceptual essence of the collection. The form, combining polished and satin-finished surfaces, together with a textured crown, evokes the mechanical aesthetics of the Industrial Revolution while enhancing the dynamic visual rhythm of the dial. The dial is compositionally divided into three indication rings connected by stylized “depots,” between which the volumetric locomotive hands move. The central axis hosts the seconds hand. The train moving along the outer track indicates the hours, while the one running along the inner track marks the minutes. Time is read when the front of the locomotive crosses the corresponding indication mark. For convenience, when the hour locomotive is concealed within one of the four depots, a contrasting auxiliary hour hand runs parallel to it, located on the same radius as the minute locomotive but positioned slightly lower in the mechanism. Each miniature locomotive – no longer than 4 mm and no higher than 2 mm – features an extraordinary level of detail and individual design. This remarkable precision was achieved through extensive experimentation with manufacturing technologies and materials. The hour locomotive draws inspiration from the legendary Rocket locomotive designed by Robert Stephenson, the winner of the Rainhill Trials. The minute locomotive’s design pays homage to the Novelty, engineered by John Ericsson and John Braithwaite, which captured public admiration and took second place in the competition. The indicat