Independents

Hi all. 



Antoine Martin

Likely too early, but it was the all star game of watchmakers.

Also, very few of them have had to weather storms like some of the larger brands with +100 years of history. I feel that aspect of watchmaking is severely underrated these days when everyone is falling over each other to catch the next big thing.

After listening to Hodinkee's podcast on Sylvain, I think Berneron is one of the only modern independents giving a serious thought to how to actually run a business resilient to failure.

Accidentally replied to myself instead of the thread!

To many new independent watchmakers (designers). Ofcourse there are a few that will make it but i think many will disappear again in the near future. No real history or struggle and only following the waves of some true watch artists .

Whatever happened to that brand? One came up for auction in Geneva two weeks ago, it went for CHF 60,000 when originally it cost at least 250,000

Their multiple axes tourbillions are made by Eric Coudray.

I don’t believe for a minute that the owner or anyone was forthright about the origin of their early movement in the early models. One can do a quick search online and find many of them for sale by questionable sellers claiming big discounts.
I always suspected there was a level of dishonesty with this company. I’m curious as to why no one else seemed to pick up on it.
I’m not surprised this company went out of business…
They left a stain on good independent watch brands imo.
Cheers,
Tim

... they started selling Chinese movements and then moved to Coudray, possibly one of the best watchmakers alive? As Nico wrote he's one of the Gyrotourbillon's Father (and actually I thought he was THE Gyro's Father).

Eric Coudray was hired after the initial few years to create a gyro tourbillon for them under contract. No wonder CP was able to fund his development costs for them. Essentially out of nowhere this “brand elevated itself” into the stratosphere. Easy to do if you’re selling an inexpensive Tourbillons to unwitting clients for $70-80k???
There are countless examples online of these early watches. I’ve followed this company for a number of years after I met them in Baselworld many moons ago and something didn’t seem right. The watch shown to me was the Grand Date Tourbillon.

This is my opinion and I’ve done my homework. I was offered these watches in Baselworld as something quite special, as they were ratcheting up the marketing BS and in doing my homework in the company I came across the early watches.
I passed and have had a sense of disappointment ever since. Jaded perhaps, but I’ve seen behind the curtain all too often, and I take what I’m being told by slick marketing folk with a grain of salt. I do my homework on a watchmaker prior to jumping in.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Tim

Thanks for sharing.

I guess that's a sign of what happens when the driving force behind a brand doesn't have a succession plan. 

a lot of interesting information in our archives.

LF is still chugging along but the massive drop in aftermarket has got to be hurting the brand. They've not kept up with trends/markets like sub-40mm watches etc.

Very successful as a contractor, his namesake brand had to file for bankruptcy IIRC.

His website is still open and operating? If not I am so sad.....he was another of my ultimate fav watchmakers and was the one who got me into watches with the dualtow....

tendancehorlogerie.com

Nord is probably a good example. Unfortunately Daniel Nebel passed away. Here's his Zeitmaschine. Very innovate and fresh! RIP!

Daniel was gone too soon! Love my Radial. Not too hard to service with the ETA movement inside. I cannot speak for his later, more innovative pieces, however!

Also any one of them with a small operation, doesn’t do much marketing, and self named. Even if they’re innovative. If they can’t justify a group getting ahold of them, eventually their independence will have them disappear.