Independents

So I followed up yet again saying I was disappointed he hadn’t responded. This time I got a quick response saying he had decided not to allocate me one of his watches. What a shame I’m completely turned off by this experience, never had anything like this from any brand or watchmaker

Tbh I think Berneron is one of the only independents thinking about how to run a sustainable business. I doubt most of the indies will be around 10 years from now, but Sylvain at least has a fighting chance.

I had placed a deposit on a Mirage 34 in lapis lazuli two weeks ago

Very much looking forward to seeing it, and hopefully one day IRL if you come to Paris 😉
Your choice is 👌👌 it’s a stunner; the original Mirage was beautiful but this lapis dial version will be amazing

I hope you are keeping well.

This is exactly what independent watchmaking should be. Not just beautiful finishing or bold design, but genuine technical advancement.

I sat with this for a while because I think I should love it but seeing it brought neither excitement nor disdain, not dismissal, just nothing at all. FB center seconds and offset hour minute, GF style half plate, KV style balance bridge with integrated stud, all in titanium, it checks so many boxes. All my favorite things.

Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm tired of the hype, the growing pile of shiny polished and beveled >$100k my first watch releases from unproven makers. Maybe I just haven't adjusted to the idea that $100k is the price of entry today and I should be excited that this is an incredible value compared to FB's latest release at $400k.

And after sitting with this this is where I landed. It's a beautiful watch, great construction, but to my eye it is too much inspired by other things. The yuge gold chaton and balance bridge with natural escapement just feels too KV, the cutaway plate and subdial feels too GF S1, the long center seconds and floating chapter ring feels too FB. It pulls pieces from others without adopting their philosophies. The hidden stud in the KV bridge is an aesthetic nuance on a clean symmetrical bridge which here is betrayed by the awkward offset and screwed balance assembly. A few big gold chatons only exist on the dial side, no such chatons carried over to the movement side like a GF in adherence to tradition that they implement completely. The long seconds hand from FB is a nod to their accuracy mission and chronometry certification but no such certification or accuracy goals have been stated and the natural escapement is more an efficiency feature than an accuracy complication. It's beautiful, a great value even, but I don't see a clear philosophy behind the watch or the watch maker.

Maybe that's asking too much from a first watch..maybe $100k doesn't buy philosophy anymore, maybe this is derivative in the best way possible because it is giving GF/FB/KV vibes at a fraction of the price, maybe I'm just getting old and grumpy.

Surprisingly, it seems to have everything I love on paper but I don't really feel much looking at it because I feel a lot of the new releases blend in. I have been looking at 3970s and the lange striking time ZW a lot more lately lol

…but I don’t ask myself if I want to buy it. I had a long conversation with him in W&W, the person is really talented and the result is this extremely well finished and beautiful watch imho. Is it innovative enough and is the design too much inspired by others I am not sure, everyone has his own opinion and can like it or not. In the meantime that’s my daily wearer… 😉

Sharing my own interaction with this young watchmarker. Today I PM him asking him about the YG model. In less than 3 hours, he replied me that he does not make YG version (that Hodinkee article has a few inaccuracies), and all his watches are sold except for RG and platinum. He then shared the renders with me of both RG and platinum. They are beautiful but I prefer to add a YG piece. He understands and we ended our exchange on a very cordial note despite not making a deal.
At no point was he rude or impolite to me. In fact I found him approachable and friendly. He also replied me within a few hours, which I considered light speed in the world of artisanal watchmaking.
Just sharing my own perspective and experience of Mathieu. I like this young man.