New watch brands


Emerging brands: an abundance of creativity

GALLERY

Español
December 2023


Emerging brands: an abundance of creativity

Young emerging brands – as well as ‘re-emerging’ brands – bring that touch of madness and freshness that is breathing new life into the art of horology. Here, we take a look at a selection of these young up-and-comers.

T

he independent watchmaking segment continues to grow, much to the delight of collectors and fans. Young emerging brands – as well as ‘re-emerging’ brands – bring that touch of madness and freshness that is breathing new life into the art of horology.

Here, we take a look at a selection of these young up-and-comers. The hardest part is choosing which one to feature, in the abundance of creativity they display. There just doesn’t seem to be enough room...

Calling all interested parties: we’ll probably have to organise a second round!

$ < 1,000 CHF | $$ < CHF 2,500 | $$$ < 5,000 CHF | $$$$ < 20,000 CHF | $$$$$ > 20,000 CHF

XRby

The XRby concept is unique: to create watches that showcase the watchmaking arts and crafts... and put artists in the spotlight. After exploring marquetry with Rose Saneuil in 2020, miniature painting with Philippe Jacquin-Ravot in 2021, and miniature painting on grand feu enamel with Gabriel Colliard in 2022, Xavier Rousset is expressing the beauty of cloisonné enamel with Matteo Stauffacher. This model was shortlisted for the Women’s Watch Prize at the GPHG 2023. These poetic limited series are a tribute to the richness of the watchmaking arts. $$$$$


Riskers

This young brand, launched in 2018, takes its inspiration from the trench watches of the 1914-18 war. It presents itself as a tribute to those who take risks for others (hence its name) and distinguishes itself by donating a portion of profits from the sale of its models to altruistic causes (Enfants du Mékong, Douleurs Sans Frontières, Entraide Montagne...). The brand is now embarking on a new phase in its development with the creation of the Riskers Lab, a platform that involves its community in its future projects, notably the Prolog 2 and Epilog models. This is a watch brand that makes sense. $$


Commergnat Genève

A leading Swiss watchmaking expert who has worked on some of the most complicated, old and rare pieces, notably for the Phillips auction house, Nicolas Commergnat recently decided to launch his own brand. His first model, Level One, is inspired by Art Deco, with a simple, uncluttered design. Nicolas Commergnat does all the finishing and decoration himself: polished bevelling, broad Côtes de Genève. Assembly and casing are carried out in his workshop in Geneva.


Strehler

Andreas Strehler, a Swiss master watchmaker renowned for his artistic haute horlogerie pieces, has decided to launch another brand bearing his name. His first model, Sirna, features an automatic calibre, entirely created in his workshop in Sirnach in the canton of Thurgau, Switzerland, with a 60-hour power reserve and a case and dial designed by the famous watch designer Eric Giroud. The dial is made of grade 5 titanium, laser-engraved, hand-polished and anodised. The finishing of the movement is the very expression of fine, independent, original and timeless watchmaking. $$$$


Xhevdet Rexhepi

After training as a watchmaker at Patek Philippe, then with his now illustrious brother Rexhep Rexhepi, the youngest of the siblings has now decided to launch his own independent business. He has just created his first timepiece. It’s sleek and timeless, but already different because of the novel complication it reveals: the Minute Inerte. Inside the 38 mm platinum case, the small seconds hand pauses for 2 seconds when it reaches the 60-second mark, then the minute hand jumps to the next minute mark. Limited to 50 pieces. $$$$$


Elka

Originally from the Netherlands, Elka Watch appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, but fell into decline with the quartz crisis and disappeared completely in 2000. It was relaunched in 2022, through a crowdfunding campaign, by Hakim El Kadiri, a seasoned professional who has been active in the industry for over 20 years. His nickname, “Elka”, naturally drew him to this brand with its rich history. It now offers Swiss-made watches in the vintage style of the 1960s, powered by La Joux-Perret automatic movements, for under CHF 2,000. $$


Serica

To create robust, reliable and affordable tool watches: this is the primary aim of the young Serica brand, founded in 2019. After the inaugural WWW series, water-resistant to 100 metres and then 200 metres, priced at less than 600 euros, the brand introduced a GMT in 2022, followed by a COSC-certified chronometer and GMT diver’s watch at 1,890 euros. The latest addition to the collection, reference 5303, is a diver’s watch, also COSC-certified, water-resistant to 300 metres and featuring a top-of-the-range M100 movement from Soprod, a case in antimagnetic steel and a dial in black, white or blue enamel. A beautiful diver’s watch for less than 1,500 euros. $$


Yvan Monnet

The excellence of Yvan Monnet, who has worked for a number of well-known watchmaking brands including Patek Philippe, lies in the finishing of the case. In 2018, he decided to go independent and set up his own workshop in Geneva. He invented an original shape: an instantly recognisable pentagonal case. He calls on the best local expertise to produce 80% of his watches in Geneva and almost 100% in Switzerland. His latest sport-chic model, the Five, features an automatic Landeron 24 calibre and comes in four dial colours, with applied 3D Super-LumiNova hour-markers. These are three-hand watches with precise, high-quality finishes. From CHF 4,700. $$$


Akrone

Founded in 2015 in Nantes, France, by two enthusiasts, Jean-François Kerboul and Erwan Kerneur, the brand produces ‘tool watches’ and advocates reliability, robustness, as well as a meticulous aesthetic with vintage touches that will appeal to enthusiasts of the genre. The watches are designed to withstand the extreme conditions experienced by special forces. They will also appeal to all sports watch enthusiasts... without breaking the budget, since the highest price is 750 euros. Akrone uses calibres from Soprod, France Ebauches, Miyota and Seiko. A brand to watch. $


Aera Watches

The idea for Aera Watches came from a group of watch lovers looking for quality watches at affordable prices. Aera offers watches with refined designs based on the codes of the diving and aviation tool watches of the 1950s and 1960s. No superfluity, no extravagance. Just simple, solid, efficient and reliable. Launched in 2022 with its first D-1 Diver and P-1 Pilot series, Aera uses brushed 904L steel (instead of the standard 316L) for an assertive look and greater durability. The movement is a Sellita SW200-1, renowned for its robustness and reliability. A distinctive feature is the dial made from a single piece curved around the edges. A Swiss Made watch, water-resistant to 300 metres, priced at €1,400. $$


Unimatic

Two designers from Milan Polytechnic, Giovanni Moro and Simone Nunziato, founded the Unimatic brand in 2015. Unimatic offers refined designs inspired by the watches of the 1960s and 1970s. The models are functional and affordable, Italian-designed and equipped with Seiko meca-quartz movements. A different offering that has found its community. $


Awake

The watch as a vehicle for conveying messages about the beauty of our world and the need to appreciate and care for it: this is the premise that gave birth to the Awake brand – and to its name. The first two chapters of Mission to Earth are already sold out. The third chapter, Time Travelers, is a superb watch in recycled titanium (70%) with a dial featuring the oldest known meteorite on Earth, priced at 1,325 euros. It is powered by an ultra-reliable modified Miyota 9039 movement. Since its creation in 2018, Awake’s vision has been summed up in this formula: “The best way to predict the future is to build it” – one watch at a time! Awake proves that you can give meaning to watchmaking without breaking the bank. $$


Cédric Bellon

A committed watch designer, Cédric Bellon aims to create simple, robust and uncluttered tool-watches that are also as “circular and sustainable” as possible. His second model (after the CB01 launched in 2020), the CB01 GMT, features a case produced exclusively from recycled steel and a reconditioned Soprod C125 GMT movement. The watch achieves a circularity score of 87.59%, one of the highest in the industry. Available in six versions, including two COSC-certified models at CHF 1,750 and four automatic models at CHF 1,490, this is watchmaking with meaning. $$


Bausele

Founded in Sydney in 2011 by Christophe Hoppé, Bausele (“Beyond Australian Elements”) is Australia’s first premium Swiss made brand. A veteran of the industry, Hoppé has created simple, robust watches with assertive looks, such as the ‘sandwich’ dials of his limited series Endless Sunrise. The Sellita SW-200 calibre ensures the reliability and 38-hour power reserve of these divers, which are water-resistant to 200 metres. Priced at less than 1,200 euros, they are a very affordable proposition. $$


Reservoir

This brand was launched in 2015 with a unique and distinctive design inspired by the measuring instruments of the 1950s and 1960s, such as the counters, pressure gauges and dials used in the automotive, marine and aviation industries. Reservoir offers a radical reading of the time: retrograde minute, jumping hour, power reserve and other complications. One of the latest additions to the family, the GT Tour Racing, with its woven carbon fibre dial, is a tribute to motor sport. It is powered by the new RSV-240 calibre, a patented proprietary module with three complications, integrated into a manufacture movement (LJP-G100 base). $$$$


Depancel

An aficionado of both motoring and watchmaking, Clément Meynier decided to combine his two passions by creating the French brand Depancel in 2018 (a contraction of Delage, Panhard and Facel Vega, flagships of the French automotive industry). The models are inspired by this world, designed and assembled in France using Miyota movements to ensure optimum value for money. The R-80s collection draws its lines from the famous Ferrari Testarossa. Its assertive styling in a square 43 mm case made from 316L steel evokes the dials of the 1980s. $


Frédéric Jouvenot

A creative master watchmaker, Frédéric Jouvenot created his eponymous brand in 2008. He invented his own style and set himself apart again in 2011 with his Solar Deity collection, which unveils a unique complication: a poetic (and patented) interpretation of the sundial. He won the Watch Award at the Geneva Time Exhibition that same year. His latest creations for 2023 are the Helios Albedo and Helios Carbon, with a diameter of 42 mm and lugs redesigned for optimum ergonomics. They are made to order and therefore require a little patience... not much to have a mechanical, watchmaking sun on your wrist. $$$$


Furlan Marri

This new brand was born at the end of 2021 from the friendship of two watchmaking enthusiasts: Hamad Al Marri and Andrea Furlan. Their premise: to create “mecaquartz” or automatic watches with designs inspired by iconic cases from the history of watchmaking, and to offer them as directly as possible to end consumers in order to maintain impeccable value for money. Furlan Marri is also characterised by the transparency of its production: Hong Kong or Japanese components, Japanese mecaquartz movements and Swiss-made automatic movements from La Joux-Perret. Watches with meticulous finishing and details at the right price. $$


Lebois & Co.

This historic brand was founded in 1934 by Raymond Dodane, a descendant of the famous watchmaking family, and was one of the many victims of the quartz crisis. It was relaunched in 2014 (with the agreement of the family). After three crowdfunding campaigns, Lebois & Co. is back in business. The year 2022 saw the birth of its Heritage Chronograph, inspired by the iconic chronographs of the 1940s. A design that has proved very popular with enthusiasts, since the first batch sold out in just a few weeks. Powered by a hand-wound column-wheel chronograph calibre from La Joux-Perret with a 60-hour power reserve, this magnificent neo-vintage chronograph sells for CHF 2,174. $$


BA111OD

Since its creation four years ago, the young watch brand BA111OD has never ceased to surprise, both with its affordable Swiss made models and its distribution through its own customers, or ‘afluendors’. It is continuing its journey with a seventh chapter: a new collection imbued with sporty-chic classicism. Swiss automatic self-winding calibre, 42 mm, in steel, three hands and date window, available in three versions with metal bracelet or fabric strap. Always at the right price. $


Ultramarine

Founded in 2018 by Lionel Bruneau, a watchmaking enthusiast in search of authenticity and affordable prices, the brand, which is transparent about the structure of its margins (x2), offers Swiss quality divers at tight prices. It is also committed to preserving the oceans through its support for Sea Shepherd France, an ardent defender of this vital common good. Building on the success of its first models, Morse in 2019 and Albatros in 2021, Ultramarine is launching the Beluga in 2023. High-end Kenissi 5402 movement, COSC certification, 70-hour power reserve, water-resistant to 300 metres. A complete offer at 2,400 euros. $$


Time Force

Far from being a newcomer to the watchmaking scene, Time Force was born in 1991 from the vision of Christian Frommherz. The aim has always been to create affordable watches with a sporty look. Bought out in 2006 by Spanish family firm Grupo Valentin, the brand continued to develop with Japanese quartz and automatic movements (Miyota). But it collapsed in 2014 and was taken over entirely by the Swiss watchmaking family Trusendi in 2019. Today it has been relaunched with the same goal of offering quality watches at the best prices. $


Venezianico

The Italian brand founded in 2017 by two brothers, Alberto and Alessandro Morelli, aims to offer affordable automatic watches that pay tribute to the city of Venice and its culture. The new Bucintoro, inspired by the famous boats of the Doges, features a new aesthetic with two Panda and reverse Panda versions. These steel chronographs are powered by Seiko’s latest NE88 automatic chronograph calibre with column wheel and vertical clutch. The dial is complemented by a tachymeter scale on the flange. Available with an integrated bracelet in steel, Italian leather or rubber for an even sportier look. $$


Artime

Artime is a young Swiss brand founded in 2021 by six watchmaking enthusiasts who are experts in their respective fields. The team of Fabrice Deschanel, Didier Bretin, Manuel Thomas, Claude Emmenegger, Emmanuel Jutier and Stéphane Maturel operates on the principle of horizontal governance, each bringing his or her own expertise to the project. Their inaugural ART01 timepiece, a limited series of 20, is an exceptional timepiece with an innovative, contemporary architecture created by watchmaker Didier Bretin. The 42 mm case alternates between titanium and transparent sapphire. The white gold calibre, skeletonised to the extreme, features two balances and a flying tourbillon. Highly aerial watchmaking. $$$$$


Genus

Genus was born in 2019 from the combination of Catherine Henry’s entrepreneurial spirit and the renowned technical skills of watchmaker Sébastien Billières. The brand immediately stands out for its original Haute Horlogerie creations. It invented a new vision of time, a world first: a mechanical element that moves freely from one orbit to another and tells the time. Entirely designed, developed and manufactured in their Geneva workshop, the movement, complication, case middle, bridges and plates are in 18-karat gold. All the finishing is done by hand, to the delight of collectors. Haute Horlogerie that is free, independent and different. $$$$$


Purnell

The brand was born in 2020 from a meeting between an entrepreneur, Maurizio Mazzocchi, and a genius watchmaker , Eric Coudray. The timepieces feature the world’s fastest triple-axis tourbillons. The master-watchmaker’s invention, called Spherion, allows the wearer to witness the incessant ballet of the three cages, which complete a full revolution in 8, 16 and 30 seconds respectively. 100% Swiss Made hyper-watchmaking! $$$$$


Byrne

“The watch with four faces”: now that’s an innovation that doesn’t scrimp on its ambition. John Byrne, watchmaker and founder of the eponymous brand with his wife, took three years to develop the calibre 5555 in Fleurier, Switzerland. What makes it special is that every day at midday or noon, the four cardinal hour-markers (3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock) change, with the greatest fluidity, to reveal a new dial: hour-markers, Arabic numerals, Roman numerals, or any other symbol for personalised orders. The Byrne Gyro Dial is a brushed titanium watch measuring 41.7 mm in diameter and 14.8 mm thick. A totally unique and customisable watch. $$$$


Code41

Code41 is not a brand in the traditional sense of the term, but rather a community project. It was launched in 2016 by watch designer Claudio D’Amore through a crowdfunding campaign that raised more than CHF 1.2 million. The Code41 community now numbers some 500,000 people who appreciate the young brand’s policy of total transparency (origin, production, prices). Recent models include the NB54 column-wheel chronograph, with a Swiss calibre developed in-house. $$$


Bianchet

Rodolfo and Emmanuelle Festa Bianchet, passionate about aesthetics and cutting-edge technology, launched their eponymous watch brand in 2017. Their quest is for “beauty and harmony”, as Emmanuelle Bianchet puts it. They are working on a new expression of the tourbillon, the most graphic of watchmaking complications. Their new model, introduced at Geneva Watch Days, is the Tourbillon Volant Grande Date B1.618 in Grade 5 titanium, decorated and finished by hand in their Swiss workshop. $$$$$


H992

This brand from La Chaux-de-Fonds was born in 2022 at an altitude of 992 metres (the altitude of the watchmaking town itself) to offer Swiss-made excellence to as many people as possible. The second collection, the H2, is a compendium of watchmaking at less than CHF 1,000! Robust and reliable Swiss automatic SW-200 movement. COSC certification, a guarantee of precision. Water-resistant to 100 metres. A pure, timeless design with a diameter of 38 mm. Available in five elegant colours. Hard to resist. $


Minase

A Japanese brand founded in 2005 in Akita, Minase produces fewer than 500 watches a year... with Swiss mechanical movements. A blend of Japanese traditions and Swiss know-how, the brand’s collections are imbued with Japanese culture, such as the structure of their cases, inspired by Japanese 3D puzzles. Their Divido collection is available in a number of versions, including one with a dial lacquered in the traditional Japanese art of Urushi. A happy marriage of two cultures of excellence. $$$$


Mauron Musy

In 2012, Eric Mauron and Christophe Musy joined forces to create their own watch brand. In their own manufacture, they invented the nO-Ring® technology, which guarantees water-resistance without the use of the famous round gaskets. A recent model in their emblematic Armure collection, the MU03-401, debuts a bronze case aged more than 1,000 hours for an assertive and different look. A limited series of 88, 100% Swiss made, like all the company’s models. $$$$


Beaubleu

With the Ecce line, French brand Beaubleu inaugurates its first permanent collection after three initial limited editions (B01, Union, Vitruve). The highly sculptural case features the unmistakable round hands. This model, highlighted by a date at 6 o’clock and alternating brushed and polished surfaces, illustrates Beaubleu’s quest for purity, symmetry and minimalism. Three versions are available: Vesperal, Lys and Smalt $.


Typsim

The American brand Typsim collaborated with artist and designer Romaric Andre, aka seconde/seconde/, and miniature painter Philippe Jacquin-Ravot (Manufacto), on a limited, quirky 200 m dive watch. The phenomenon of “nitrogen narcosis”, a reversible alteration in consciousness that occurs while diving at depth, inspired the motifs on the timepiece: the relation of depth to narcosis is sometimes informally known as “Martini’s law”, the idea that narcosis results in the feeling of having imbibed one martini for every 10 m (33 ft) below 20 m (66 ft) depth. $$


Allemano

Founded as early as 1856 by Giuseppe Allemano in Turin, the Allemano factory was initially active in the heavy carpentry industry and in the production of steam rollers for road works. The brand was reborn a decade ago under new owners, before entering the world of watchmaking in 2019. Their first collection, 1919, was inspired by the pressure gauge of the 1919 Fiat 501 produced by Allemano itself. Last year, it introduced the 1973 collection, equipped with the Sellita SW200 automatic calibre, with a deliberately vintage design that pays homage to the technical innovation behind the Allemano depth meters of the 1980s. $$


Simon Brette

Awarded the Revelation Prize at the 2023 GPHG, Simon Brette won the hearts of the jury and the academy with his Chronomètre Artisans, a new expression of neo-classical watchmaking with complex mechanisms and finely crafted decorations. This model stands out for its intense degree of finishing and exacting standards: technical prowess, custom-made components and meticulous decorations, often made by hand. A star is born. $$$$$ Image: ©Laurent Xavier Moulin


Felipe Pikullik

The young Berlin-based watchmaker, born in 1994, explains that having failed to find a watch that matched his vision, he decided to build one himself. He founded his brand in 2017 after designing his first model. His ambition is to make individual handmade watches with a personal touch. His Moon Phase 1 model was shortlisted for the Astronomy and Calendar watch at the 2023 GPHG. The moon phase dial is partially skeletonised to reveal the complication. Decorated with hand engraving, frosting and bevelled edges, it features a variety of finishing techniques. $$$$$


Timeless

Before founding Timeless, designer Maël Oberkampf worked for some of the biggest names in the watch industry. With his brand, his aim is to offer elegant, neo-vintage architecture that is accessible to all. Naturally, he has chosen materials that are made to last: stainless steel, 4N rose gold, calfskin leather and sapphire crystal. The finishes and decoration combine traditional guilloché and contemporary bead-blasting. The HMS 003 model, a limited series of 50 pieces with a diameter of 40.5 mm, was shortlisted for the Challenge Prize at the 2023 GPHG. $$


Labails

Alexandre Labails is a young designer who has decided to make superlative timepieces. Among the models he has released this year is the unique Temerity Ciel, with a sapphire and yttrium garnet and aluminium case, featuring a low-frequency tourbillon, a high-frequency chronograph and the exclusive EMOS (energy management optimisation system) reserved for the brand’s complication watches. Power reserve up to 5 days for the primary function and up to 5 hours for measurements. The highest level of finishing is applied to the more than 600 components of the watch. With its price tag of three million francs, this watch is one for the UHNWIs. $$$$$


Petermann Bédat

The Chronograph Prize at the last edition of the GPHG went to a highly talented watchmaking duo, Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat. Their reference 2491, a monopusher split-seconds chronograph with an instantaneous minute counter (a rare complication), stands out as a monument to fine mechanics. The case, in platinum, has been completely redesigned and restructured, with lugs fitted with a redentation. The dial, too, is full of subtlety, rich in finishing materials. The model is equipped with a number of impressive mechanical features, including an additional safety feature that prevents any mistake when setting the watch to zero. $$$$$


Kauri

This Swiss brand was launched in 2019 by designer Samuel Gillioz. His first mission was to design an innovative case using a material that is rarely used in watchmaking, as its technical characteristics are more difficult to grasp than steel: wood. After the inaugural O1 series, Kauri presented the Duo models, some of which play on transparency. The brand is also announcing future developments in terms of added complications... $$$$


Berneron

Sylvain Berneron is a multi-faceted designer. Not content with being in charge of design and product at Breitling, which has undergone a major reorientation in recent years, he has also launched a watch brand with his wife Marie-Alix, under the name they share. The Mirage series, available by subscription, is “the first shaped watch to derive its asymmetry from its calibre, rather than from an external free form”. Its total lack of symmetry creates a harmony that is both imperfect and deliberate. Two versions have been created: Sienna (yellow gold) and Prussian Blue (white gold). $$$$$


Charles Zuber

The Geneva-based Charles Zuber brand, named after a historic Swiss watch designer, made its debut in 2022 with its first creation: the Perfos, a shape watch designed by Eric Giroud. This year, the brand presented the opulent Perfos Karl, set with 84 saffron orange baguette-cut sapphires totalling 2.42 carats. The model is entirely hand-skeletonised by Cédric Johner, one of the last watchmakers in Geneva to practise his art in the traditional way. A resolutely contemporary design. $$$$$


Buci Paris

“Poetising time” is the mission set by French designer Nousseïma Baraket, a lover of literature and watchmaking. The heart of Buci watches, available in a choice of dial colours and measuring 38 mm, beats to the rhythm of the automatic Soprod Newton movement manufactured in the French-Swiss Jura Arc region. Its leather straps are handmade in Besançon and engraved with an author’s quotation. The presentation case is designed as a book, which also houses a collection of works from the first “Poetry of Time Competition” organised by the brand. $$


Ikepod

This brand is already well known on the watchmaking scene, but it has been taken over and relaunched in recent years by Christian-Louis Col (who has also just taken over the independent French brand Klokers). Among the models presented this year is the limited edition Skypod Ola with a brown dial and titanium case, equipped with a La Joux-Perret automatic movement. This series of watches was designed by the Claesson Koivisto Rune interior design studio, and each model bears the first name of one of its designers. $$$$


Belchengruppe

This Swiss brand launched in 2020 is named after the five Belchen mountains located in the area where the borders of Switzerland, Germany and France meet. These mountains acted as an archaic solar calendar in the era before mechanical time measurement. The view of the sun rising over the other Belchen mountains from the top of the Alsace Belchen marks the start of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. That’s the inspiration for the creations of Belchengruppe, Visuren #22 and 120° Mitternacht, limited to 50 pieces each and equipped with a Sellita SW290-1 automatic calibre, whose case is shaped using complex faceting with clear lines to create a unique character. $$$


Beauregard

A confectionery on the wrist! Canadian designer Alexandre Beauregard is a master at creating watches with dials that are simply magical. His Lili Candy White Gold is no exception, with the splendour of its carefully selected stones: amethysts, topazes, cornalines, opals and garnets set in a circle of diamonds. The case, meanwhile, is made from a noble and precious metal in the platinum family, a combination of white gold enriched with Palladium 500 for pure, dazzling, unalterable brilliance. $$$$$


Atelier Caradant

Atelier Caradant is an original project launched last year by Julien Caradant, who turned to watchmaking after a career as a railway engineer in France. The concept is to use an unconventional watchmaking material – paper – to cover the dial and oscillating weight. The motifs are highly customisable. Among the models created are CityMaps, a representation of your city on a dial. $


Anatole Baker

Yann Perrin, owner of the well-known leather goods specialist Atelier du Bracelet Parisien, is also behind the Anatole Baker brand, with its resolutely Art Deco style from the ‘Roaring Twenties’ that brightened up the City of Light a century ago. While the inspiration is Parisian, the watches are assembled in Geneva, with a Swiss movement. And, of course, they are fitted with a special strap, made to measure for each watch sold! A rectangular timepiece that is particularly pleasant to wear. $$$


Muse

For the creation of its Ayron model, Muse has explored the culture of Polynesian tattoos. The sharks’ teeth on the dial, which represent bravery and heroism, coalesce and separate on the dial in a fascinating tableau of perpetual motion. Powered by the MU01 self-winding mechanical calibre, the Ayron is housed in a 44 mm, 100% grade 5 titanium case. Several colours are available: natural titanium, rose gold PVD and black PVD. The dials are available in onyx and aventurine. $$$


Haute-Rive

Stéphane von Gunten, a well-known figure in Swiss watchmaking for more than 20 years, is launching his own brand with Haute-Rive. The brand is named after his great-great-grandfather’s workshop, which produced exceptional timepieces. His inaugural watch, Honoris I, set a new world record for the power autonomy for a wristwatch with a single winding barrel and a tourbillon: 1,000 hours! Bezel-wound, 18-karat gold dial, grand feu enamel, hand-finished, flying tourbillon. Haute Horlogerie concentrated in a depth of under 12 mm. $$$$$


Maison Alcée

The concept of Maison Alcée, which won the Audacity Prize at the 2023 GPHG, is to offer a new experience open to everyone, based around the assembly of an “object of time”. When you order your Persée clock equipped with hour chime, you receive a kit containing 233 components, 169 of which require meticulous assembly by the apprentice watchmaker (that would be you), as well as a booklet with the steps to follow. The Persée clock has been designed to last and to be passed on, just like the assembly experience. A moment to share. $$$$


Keris

This dynamic start-up began by reinventing the traditional Neuchâtel clock, and is now offering an innovation never before seen in watchmaking: a magnification tool called WOW!, which transforms your watches into works of art. The concept is simple, but the execution is extremely meticulous: turn your timepiece into a living painting by inserting it into the Keris creation, equipped with a 4K UHD screen with automatic brightness adjustment, which will display your watch with great realism and attention to detail. A technological fusion of watchmaking and art. $$$

The Europa Star Newsletter