esigners agree on one crucial point: much of a new watch’s success hinges on its dial. Or as Benoît Mintiens, designer and founder of Ressence, puts it: “The purpose of a watch is to display information and for this reason the dial is its heart.” So much so that Barth Nussbaumer – the man behind the Golf for TAG Heuer, the Grande Seconde for Jaquet Droz, the Escale for Louis Vuitton and the Chronographe Rattrapante for Petermann Bédat – used to show clients initial sketches of the case without dial: “They would be so focused on the dial they almost forgot about the case. Also, time constraints meant it was impossible to properly study both the case and the dial.”

Éric Giroud

Geometry by Schwarz Etienne

And there you have it. Forget the romantic image of the artist following their creative instinct; a watch designer must work within strict constraints, as Éric Giroud confirms: “A dial is a multitude of events which you have to ‘befriend’ in order to create something that will stand out.”

Balancing act

Project managers frequently present designers with a set of specifications. They might ask for a design based on a rival watch or one that’s inspired by a personal favourite. The designer must then steer a fine course to achieve a subtle balance between delivering what the client has asked for and creating something unique, all while respecting “the brand’s visual style,” as Éric Giroud notes.

Matthieu Allègre

Heritage Chronograph 324.478 by Lebois & Co.

“A brand needs to establish a visual language and stick to it. It’s what François-Paul Journe has done,” concurs Barth Nussbaumer, adding that “a Cartier with Arabic numerals instead of the traditional Roman numerals wouldn’t be as recognisable.”

In conversation

As Éric Giroud reminds us, “the design must take into account the watch’s functions and the different dial elements. You don’t go about a three-hander in the same way as you would a perpetual calendar.” An important dialogue takes place upstream between the designer, who can be in-house or freelance, and the product development team. The technical complexities of a mechanical movement, and the care afforded to the finishing of certain parts, can incite the watchmaker to request several openings in a dial as windows on an otherwise hidden world. The designer must then find a way to accommodate this request.

Alain Silberstein

Marine Tourbillon by Alain Silberstein

Watch designers can also make suggestions, such as replacing central hands with subdials. Says Matthieu Allègre: “Starting with a base movement automatically imposes certain rules. Designing a watch that doesn’t yet have its movement is more stimulating, as you are free to work on the overall balance and legibility of the display.”

Every designer brings their personal style and influences to the finished aesthetic. Benoît Mintiens is a pioneer in the field. He describes his approach as creating a “mechanical screen”, using discs that rotate on the same plane to show the time in a way that combines visual innovation with a familiar format.

Nicolas Barth Nussbaumer ©Joël von Allmen

K,P–n°01 (Kollokium Projekt 01) “friends & family” by Kollokium projects

Matthieu Allègre draws his inspiration from a range of artistic currents that includes “Streamline, Art Deco, Space Age and Futurism,” together with extra-horological fields such as “cars, sailing, diving or simply looking at thousands of photos of vintage watches” – never losing sight of the primary objective which is to “invent, not imitate.”

Informed by his love of Bauhaus architecture, Alain Silberstein’s dials are distinguished by his unique palette of yellow, red and blue. This fusion of a Bauhaus aesthetic and primary colours produces instantly recognisable watches, illustrated by collaborations with MB&F, Angelus, Bell & Ross and Louis Erard.

Benoît Mintiens

Type 1 Round by Ressence

While they may have different backgrounds, aesthetic convictions and stylistic references, the five designers we spoke to have at least one thing in common. They all work freelance: a major advantage when it comes to exploring new territories and providing clients with the perfect design.