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Aug 18, 2015
Bausele Australia founder Christophe Hoppe, right, discusses the new Bauselite watch with Flinders University nanomaterials and polymers expert Dr Jonathan Campbell at the University's Tonsley facility.

Bausele Australia founder Christophe Hoppe, right, discusses the new Bauselite watch with Flinders University nanomaterials and polymers expert Dr Jonathan Campbell at the University's Tonsley facility.

Bausele Terra Australis, a new range of high-end luxury Swiss-made men’s wrist watches, is giving the men’s fashion timepiece market a new twist.

The limited-edition Australian-designed watches will make a fashion statement with an eye-catching watch case made from a new advanced material developed by Flinders University researchers in South Australia.

The latest range of watches, designed by Bausele Australia, features a lightweight yet durable high-tech material, called Bauselite, developed by the Centre for NanoScale Science and Technology at Flinders University.

Bausele founder and design director Christophe Hoppe said the new range, available online (RRP $4,400), followed a one-year collaboration with Flinders.

Prototypes of the Terra Australis range, with the proprietary Bauselite nanomaterial components, were unveiled at the premier international watch and jewellery fare Baselworld in Basel, Switzerland in March.

“Along with our precision Swiss watch engineering, the latest 2015 collection of four models, now coming on to the market in limited numbers, will incorporate this Bauselite design innovation and five-pronged diamond clasp,” Mr Hoppe says.

“The distinctive watch case features the specially made Bauselite material that is similar to ceramic but is lightweight and durable,” he says.

“This range will also feature our signature piece of Australia, such as a small sample inset of red earth or opal rock from the Outback or white beach sand, so the wearer can always have a piece of Australia with them.”

Professor David Lewis, director of the Flinders Nano Centre, says the collaboration with Bausele was a great opportunity for the University’s specialists to “have some fun” and add value to new product development in the “real-world”.

“Nanotechnology has many applications in the real world, and this is just one example of how it can impact our daily lives,” Professor Lewis says.

“It is terrific that we can support an Australian company like Bausele to compete on the world stage and it’s a great opportunity to showcase the value of such industry collaborations.”

Professor Lewis said the Bausele project, supported by the State Government through the NanoConnect program, has led to the establishment of a new Flinders advanced manufacturing spinout company to manage production of the watch cases and components from this unique nanomaterial.

Anthony Francis, chief executive of Flinders University’s commercialisation arm Flinders Partners, says the joint venture with Bausele Australia provided an ideal springboard for the creation of the new South Australian advanced manufacturing spinout company.

“Flinders University, through its commercial arm Flinders Partners, has identified that there are many small innovative manufacturers competing in a world market (like Bausele).

“To develop what could be a world-leading suite of technologies, we’ve established a joint venture company with Bausele as our first shareholder,” Mr Francis says.

“We are looking for similar, like-minded companies with access or potential to international markets to join us in this new venture.

“It’s a real example of Universities working with new industries to grow our economy in a field identified by the State as a priority.”

Mr Francis says such Flinders initiatives support local companies on the world stage by giving them a technology advantage.

“We believe it’s both our obligation and an opportunity to continue to help these companies develop through clever partnering with our experts,” he says.

Flinders NanoConnect is working with a wide range of companies across a variety of industries to understand how nanotechnology may be applied to improve their products and increase their customer base. Many may not have in-house knowledge or resources to incorporate nano materials or techniques.

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