enri Grandjean (1803–1879) was a great Swiss chronometer-maker, a key figure in the development of marine chronometry, a pioneer of Swiss observatories and a driving force behind the scientific and industrial expansion of watchmaking in Neuchâtel, not least as an advocate for the creation of the Ecole d’Horlogerie du Locle.

Having established itself in Latin America, in 1860 the eponymous company he founded alongside his father turned to India where its watches, distinguished by complicated movements and refined finishing, became the undisputed reference among Indian sovereigns and dignitaries.

A spectacular perpetual calendar pocket watch, set with 1,150 diamonds, produced for the Indian market by Henri Grandjean and acquired by Mahbub Ali Khan, of the Nizam dynasty of Hyderabad. Sold in 2005 by Antiquorum in Geneva.

A true revival

As the entrepreneur and collector Sohail Aziz told us, after commissioning the major names for watches that were made exclusively for him, his ambitions grew. “It dawned on me that I wanted to do something different, take on a real challenge by creating elitist watches that would be grounded in Swiss craftsmanship but very much future-facing. When I rediscovered Henri Grandjean, and how he approached watchmaking through scientific precision combined with the highest standards of finishing and decoration, I knew I’d found the inspiration I needed to embark on this adventure.”

Technical performance meets tradition

Recently revealed after several years in development, the debut collection from the new Henri Grandjean & Cie brand is the Magician, named after a remarkable watch built by David-Henri Grandjean (1772–1846), Henri Grandjean’s father, a master watchmaker and inventor who was celebrated for his complicated timepieces and automata. The original watch is conserved at the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva.

This twenty-first-century Magician is characteristic of Sohail Aziz’s wish to perpetuate Swiss excellence through the lens of contemporary watchmaking. Reflecting this, the front side is divided into two, with an elegant dial on the right and, on the left, an exceptional and unprecedented mysterious triple-axis tourbillon.

Entirely developed and assembled at the brand’s manufacture in Noiraigue, in Val de Travers in the canton of Neuchâtel, the Magician’s exclusive movement incorporates a mysterious tourbillon which appears to float in space. An authentic and complex kinetic sculpture, this regulating organ’s three interlocking cages rotate simultaneously along three separate axes, completing one rotation in 10 seconds, one rotation in 18 seconds and one rotation in 60 seconds respectively. This combination of speeds and positions has been scientifically calculated to serve the kinetic harmony and mechanical coherence of the whole.

The tourbillon’s fascinating choreography is powered by a specially developed, hand-wound mechanical movement, comprising 218 components and running at 21,600 vibrations/hour or 3Hz. Equipped with two barrels that store 42 hours of power reserve, it features a traditional Swiss lever escapement, a flat balance spring and a variable inertia balance.

Measuring 38.5mm in diameter and 12.1mm thick, the movement is finished and decorated to the highest standards, with Geneva stripes on the bridges and plates, hand-executed bevels, straight-grained flanks, mirror-polished chamfers, and hand-chamfered, circular-grained wheels, displayed through the sapphire crystal caseback.

On the dial side, architectural balance is evidenced by the tourbillon on one side and by indications of hours and minutes on the other, surrounding a central date and, above, a 24-hour wheel with distinct day/night displays.

An already remarkably complete collection

This unprecedented and spectacular architecture is housed inside a 45mm case, crafted from 18k 5N rose gold, 18k white gold or grade 5 titanium. A box-shaped sapphire crystal, with anti-reflective treatment, offers a clear view of the mysterious triple-axis tourbillon and the dial.

The latter is executed in black onyx, aventurine or 5N rose gold, while the cages for the triple-axis tourbillon present several finishes, some flame-blued.

Among the six existing iterations in the Magician collection are an entirely hand-engraved variation in rose gold and a version whose case, clasp and dial are set with baguette diamonds and sapphires.

Each case is individually engraved by a specialist artisan in a pattern of interlacing motifs, in honour of the decorations executed by Henri Grandjean’s workshop in the nineteenth century. The typography for the “Henri Grandjean” signature, as well as the design of the case, the crown and certain movement components discreetly reflect this aesthetic and stylistic lineage. To be unveiled during Watches and Wonders in Geneva are two new interpretations within the Magician collection: the Magician Patiala and four Magician Atrivm variations featuring coloured sapphire cases.

Grand ambitions

Each watch in the Magician collection is mounted and assembled in-house, meaning production is necessarily limited. Such rarity is reflected in their price, from CHF 380,000 to CHF 950,000. Sohail Aziz has grand designs. With a view to the long term, he intends to propose a vast collection of unique pieces. However, as he confides, his “real ambition” is also to “establish a watchmaking academy”.