The founder of Paul Picot, Mario Boiocchi, consciously set out to avoid manufacturing watches for mass consumption, devoting his time instead to creating carefully designed quality watches with complications for the discerning watch consumer.

In the beginning ...
“From the very beginnings of the company, Mario Boiocchi recognized the necessity of reviving the real spirit of watchmaking,” Eric Oppliger, the Managing Director of Paul Picot explained at Basel this year. “Paul Picot was one of the 18th century's watchmaking pioneers who manufactured every piece by hand and we have maintained the same concept of creating something precious. To this day, our objectives haven't changed, what has changed is they are simply more visible now.”

Paul Picot manufactures around 10,000 watches a year, including some limited editions, and although the watches are to be found in 36 different countries, Italy remains the largest importer followed by Japan, the Middle East, the USA and the rest of Europe.

Questioned as to the brand's surprising lack of recognition in Switzerland, Eric Oppliger said, “Historically, the distribution of Paul Picot watches in Switzerland was not developed because the demands of the other markets were high and were therefore given priority. However, as the brand is now well established abroad, our current priority is to develop a strategy to position the brand more strongly in Switzerland.”

Today
There are already a few much sought after Paul Picot models, such as the Firshire 1937 and the Atelier 310, however, the Technicum is the brand's emblematic masterpiece. It is the first and until today the only automatic chronograph with a dragging counter-hand, COSC certified, with analogue displays for power reserve and day/date. Created in 1991 from a base Valjoux 7750 movement, the watch has received several awards and remains a highly prized item amongst connoisseurs and collectors.

One of this year's attention-grabbing creations at BasleWorld is the Majestic Grand Tonneau. With a stainless steel case and harmonious fluid lines, the watch is available with three different movements: a chronograph with a day, date, month, moon phase and GMT, as a split-seconds chronograph or with a power reserve indicator with small seconds and calendar. All are self-winding movements and are COSC certified chronometers.

Paul Picot's other launch at Basel was the C-type sports watch. Created for the active watch aficionado, the concept was to develop a unidirectional rotating bezel to ensure easy movement on the watchcase and, at the same time, eliminate the negative effects of friction caused by steel on steel. The solution is a ring made from a special yellow material fitted between the bezel and the case. To match this colourful addition, the five-minute markers are also in yellow, as are the counter hands and the central seconds hand. Again the watch is a certified COSC chronometer and the chronograph and the C-type Date model are both water-resistant to 300 metres.

Paul Picot watches are certainly not the cheapest on the market, nevertheless they present real value for money since the form, movements and workmanship are combined with modern technology and a genuine sense of style.