news


The next generation of luxury watchmaking

Español Pусский
March 2015


The century-old heritage of some watch brands doesn’t happen by accident. Part of what it takes to stand the test of time for a brand is innovation. And while the world of luxury watchmaking is sometimes synonymous with mass production and replication in design, the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (Watch Academy of Independent Creators), or AHCI for short, has supported innovation by outstanding craftsmen since 1985.

The AHCI also supports apprentices and young watchmakers to independently reinvent the future of watchmaking. Every year through the AHCI Young Talent Competition, the young guns of watch industry showcase their talents. Praised for their technical achievement, complexity, and design aesthetics, the 2015 winners were:

  • Alexandre Götze (Switzerland), for his Retrograde Minute Indicator
  • Kristian Myren (Denmark), for his “Monsters from the Id”
  • Sebastian Schlette & Pontus Köhler (Sweden), for their Tourbillon Model

The winners received a diploma and a CHF 3,000 grant from Bergeon SA, which allows them to purchase watchmaking tools and further develop their craft.

The next generation of luxury watchmaking

Young Talent Competition Winners 2015