features


Antoine Preziuso: Moving fast... slowly

June 2004




MOONLIGHT
18 carat white gold or pink gold case equipped with a 2892 movement with an Antoine Preziuso module – 29-day moon phase, large moon in luminova at 6 o’clock. Dial in imitation lapis lazuli, crocodile strap. Small, medium and large sizes available.


Antoine Preziuso and his wife and precious colleague Maya seem to be very happy. The 2003 annus horribilis did not affect them much. On the contrary, they crossed a new threshold. Since moving, in 2000, to their wonderful property that overlooks a small chateau, things have been happening at a rapid pace. Antoine Preziuso is now at the head of a team of 14 people, of which five are full watchmakers. The others include a development specialist, an in-house engraver, a graphic artist, three or four administrative staff, and an independent gem setter. This rise in force, which goes hand in hand with the changes in his products, has necessitated a reorganization of his production. Still for all, Antoine Preziuso maintains the artisanal qualities that have made him famous.

Time of reflection
The period from 2000 to 2003 was "the time of reflection,” explains Preziuso. During these years, the watchmaker said that he received many propositions “from investors of all kinds, both Swiss and foreign, from watchmakers and purely financial firms alike.”
“I could quite easily have succumbed to one or another offer, some of which were quite incredible, but I decided to take my time. This allowed me to see what was happening around me, and to observe some of the experiences of others that were not so pleasant. In the end, I opted for maintaining my independence and I am glad I did, even if it means knowing how to hang on in hard times. Another of my decisions was to remain financially independent, with no outside investors, as I have always been.”

The time of development
The choice to auto-finance his operations was very courageous because, during this same period, the brand itself has considerably developed and blossomed. “We are doing very well, to the point that I regularly refuse to open new markets as long as I am not sure of being able to have the best agents and of being able to deliver on time.” Thus, Preziuso affirms to have traversed 2003 “perfectly well, without feeling the least crisis. On the contrary,” he says, “this year, we even concluded an important contract for distribution covering all of Asia. It is now Desco that is in charge of all the Asian countries except Japan, where I am continuing my collaboration with Europassion, my distributor since 1996.”
The opening of the new Asian markets (Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore are already open, with others to follow gradually) has pushed the watchmaker to adopt a certain rationalization of his production. “From working by sight, I now work with instruments,” explains a smiling Antoine Preziuso. In passing, we should mention that the total number of his watches still remains relatively modest, at about 1,000 per year. An increase is planned in order to reach a maximum of 5,000 pieces annually.

A liberated watchmaking
Antoine Preziuso has always been a watchmaker who loves research and innovation. But this research applies not only to the technical aspects of his work. He also strives, perhaps above all, for beauty, which makes him unusual in the domain. “I am like a painter who has evolved,” he says, summing up his passion for colour, forms and materials.
But, Preziuso is not just a watchmaker and a designer. He is also a talented chemist, an impassioned seeker of discovery and methodology, a gemmologist and a geologist. You have only to hear him speak about meteorites, for example, to get a good idea of the passion that resides in his soul. “I am betting a lot on my new pieces made of meteorite. The stone I use has a history and is well known in the milieu. It is the Gibeon meteorite. Besides the fact that it is a metal with an extraordinary structure, this meteorite has the power of poetry. It speaks to us of outer space, of time, of infinite distances, of the cosmos...”
Preziuso dares to push the envelope even further. He has combined the meteorite with galuchat, blackened the movements with ruthenium, invented the ‘large moon’, placed an ultra-traditional tourbillon with a very delicate and ultra-modern dial with large coloured indices, chiselled flower motifs in the gold, and he has made the dials of carbon fibre as well as playing with the portrait of Che Guevara… Now, that is what we call liberated watchmaking, one full of fantasy, invention and poetry.

The first chrono
One of the new pieces is a chronograph, the first that Preziuso has ever made. Besides using a meteorite for the case, which gives it a very rough appearance, the watchmaker has endowed the counters with a very original look, less strict than the traditional chrono appearance. The minute counter is at 12 o’clock and is divided into two 15-minute sections. The power reserve indicator is at 3 o’clock, while the two-sector, dual-handed 12-hour counter is at 6 o’clock. The small seconds hand is at 9 o’clock. Everything has been developed from the base of an ETA 7750 calibre, which has become ‘skeletonized’, then blackened with ruthenium.
Preziuso’s big moon on a carbon fibre dial is stricking. The large and unique lunar body was inspired by an evening on the Persian gulf. Preziuso was impressed by an enormous moon that he saw from the balcony of his hotel. What followed was a sleepless night during which he designed the plans for a lunar phase complication that had never before been seen in watchmaking.
This is an example of the charm of Antoine Preziuso. Both modest and ambitious, both impassioned and patient, he has carved out his path with consistency and determination. We can all be sure... he will certainly be rewarded for his efforts. In fact, he already is.

preziuso

ROUND TOURBILLON
18 carat rose gold or meteorite case equipped with a manual Calibre AP/STT 04 movement - 13 lines with double going barrel, 28,800 v.p.h, 72-hour power reserve, Côtes de Genève decoration. Hours and minutes function with a 1-minute tourbillon, crocodile or galuchat strap, various dials, water-resistant to 30 metres.

CHRONO
18 carat rose gold or meteorite case equipped with a Calibre 7750RM3 automatic movement with Côtes de Genève decoration. Hours, minutes and large seconds, chronograph with two-sector and two indicator hands, 42-hour power reserve, strap in crocodile or galuchat. Different dials for this model are available.



The Gibeon meteorite
In 1838, the first written account of the Gibeon meteorite appeared in an article by Capitan J. E. Alexander. It concerned ‘masses of iron on the eastern shore of the Great Finish River’ in the Grand Namaqualand in Namibia. Alexander even succeeded in obtaining samples of these mysterious ‘rocks’. The chemical composition of the Gibeon meteorite revealed that it is made up of 90% iron, 0.4% of cobalt and 0.04% of phosphorus. It contains mainly kamacite and taenite, as well as rare compounds such as enstatite and trimidite.