Discussion
Bruno.M1's post on the Berneron Quantième Annuel sparks a vital discussion about the evolving landscape of independent watchmaking, particularly concerning pricing and design philosophy. His initial reaction to the watch's cost, despite its aesthetic appeal, resonates with a growing sentiment among collectors. This article delves into the community's nuanced perspectives on value, innovation, and the future trajectory of emerging independent brands.
Case
Measuring 38mm in diameter and 10mm in thickness, the case is crafted from platinum with an integrated steel layer. It offers a lug-to-lug span of 45mm and is water-resistant to 30 meters.
Dial & Hands
The dial is finished in lacquered 18k gold, paired with hands forged from 18k white gold, offering a refined and luxurious aesthetic.
Movement
At the heart of the watch is the manual-winding Calibre 595, made entirely of 18k gold. It beats at a frequency of 3Hz (21,600 vph) and delivers an impressive 100-hour power reserve.
Functions
This timepiece features jumping hours, a minute display, and small seconds. It also integrates a full annual calendar with retrograde date indication, as well as instantaneously changing displays for the day, month, and a day-night indicator.
Strap
Fitted with a supple Barenia leather strap for both comfort and elegance.
Availability
480 pce ( will take up to 10 years )
Pricing
The watch is priced at CHF 120,000 for 2026, and will increase year after year.
It’s refreshing seeing something that is not just a really well finished time only piece. His first model with the shaped case was awesome too. Like you though, I think I’d struggle to justify that much for this. There’s a lot of very interesting pieces in this price range.
My thread on the Mirage at the other forum was locked without any reason. Bizarre but nice to see one here 🙏🏻
Both on it being a great piece and on the price being a bit wacko for what you get 🤷🏻♂️ But as long as there are a sufficient number of buyers at the price point, great for them 😊👍🏻
is production runs. If you think of the cost of design (both case,dial and movement) as a fixed cost, then it almost makes sense. Price would go down sharply with volume, but that takes marketing and distribution. If the brand does take off (Journe) and it becomes a status piece (RM) then you just keep the price up there because you can. The big houses started as bespoke for royalty and then with machining, production for the masses. So they “start” from a different place than the independents.
But no go for me at that price too.
This is a true work of hand-crafted horology art. 🤩 At 150k, bet you get more watchmaker hours-per-CHF than certain Big Box Store retail brands.
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