Watchmaking stories from the bench, as told by…
In our second episode, we're delighted to welcome, from his atelier in Zurich, longtime friend Marc Jenni; one of the most talented, innovative and creative people in the age of contemporary independent watchmaking.
Refining his already profound abilities at the side of Paul Gerber, and with a track record which includes Tiffany & Co, Carl Suchy & Söhne, and today behind the scenes at Vault, Marc Jenni has also enjoyed well deserved acclaim with his own fabulous creations.
Visit Marc at https://www.nobletime.com
Classically trained and an expert in grand complications, Stephen McGonigle is recognised as one of the world's finest watchmakers, and his journey to owner of the internationally renowned McGonigle Watch brand, which he co-founded with his brother John, has included periods at Christophe Claret, Frank Muller and Breguet, where his work on horologic masterpieces or on his own magnificent creations has spanned the watchmaking spectrum from tourbillons to minute repeaters, including the grande sonnerie, as well as automata.
A profoundly gifted craftsman, the Athlone-born Irishman is today located in Neuchâtel, where he continues to work on his own highly exclusive masterpieces, as well as providing his technical expertise to some of the world's most well known high end watch companies.
Visit Stephen at https://www.mcgonigle.ch
In this episode, we are joined by German-born Eva Leube, an insanely talented master watchmaker who has a penchant for bending the rules.
Outstanding in her field, Eva has taken herself around the world to work for some of the biggest names in the watch industry, but by far her most impressive and significant work is as an independent watchmaker in her own right, and as creator of the astonishing curved Ari watch, which is all set to make a long-awaited return to the spotlight.
Visit Eva at https://evaleube.com
We are joined by living legend and genius Master Watchmaker Vianney Halter. One of the most inventive creators of contemporary horologic art, ever since his extraordinary Antiqua perpetual calendar was unveiled in 1998, to the astonishment of a highly reserved watch industry, Vianney is rightly regarded as being one of the forerunners of what we know today as modern independent watchmaking.
As no single artist can define all of art, so it is with independent watchmaking too, as it is comprised of all kinds of styles, invention and personalities. But if one man can define a genre of the niche, it is surely this Picasso of watchmaking, whose futuristic and abstract creations have inspired many of today's young watchmakers.
Visit Vianney at https://www.vianney-halter.com
In this episode we welcome back a great personal friend and AHCI member John McGonigle, to take a look at the world of restorations, and at one or two recent projects which John has undertaken on truly magnificent historic pieces.
It might be a complication, it might be the dark art of black polishing or guillochage techniques, or cutting the tiny gears and wheels for those extraordinary mechanisms.
It could be enamelling, engraving or escapements or anything. There are literally dozens of skills required to create one masterpiece, and we are going in deep to find out about them.
Visit John at https://www.oilean.watch
In this episode of In The Metal Johnny and Dan are joined by two watchmakers who have taken it upon themselves to rekindle awareness of early English watchmaking and a time when London was the epicentre of the watchmaking world. Earning herself the very first ever PhD doctorate in horology, Dr Rebecca Struthers is a historian, a master watchmaker, a restorer of historical mechanisms and author, among other things.
Together with her husband Craig, also a master watchmaker who works side by side with her in their atelier, they form a dynamic force, and we find out about life at the bench, and the joys and challenges of being unique in their field.
We also learn a little about their tantalisingly titled Project 248 and see if we can discover any secrets of their objective of developing a contemporary in house movement based on the English lever escapement which was once found in the finest pocket watches of the eighteenth century.
Visit Rebecca at https://www.strutherswatchmakers.co.uk
In this episode of In The Metal, Johnny and Dan are joined in conversation by Romain Gauthier.
A native of the haute horlogerie heartland of la Vallée de Joux, where his eponymous company is based, Romain is an engineer, an innovator and a perfectionist with an eye for aesthetic and mechanical balance, and his timepieces are extraordinary works of mechanical art.
As the exquisite, GPHG Aiguille winning Logical One goes into a final limited production, to mark its tenth anniversary, and close that chapter in the Romain Gauthier story, we say farewell to an iconic piece of contemporary independent watchmaking with its creator.
In this episode of In The Metal, Johnny and Dan welcome Schwarz Etienne CEO Mauro Egermini to take a look at the this unique Swiss manufacturer, whose in-house mechanisms have been powering not only its own collections, but those of many other well known marques as well over the years.
Established in 1902 in the horological heartland of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Schwarz Etienne is renowned for its technical innovations and fully in-house movement production, including the dark and elusive art of hairspring manufacturing, as well as for its haute horlogerie finishing.
As one of the very few companies which has been in continuous production ever since its inception, Schwarz Etienne carries its 120 years of tradition into the current age with its own contemporary collections, as well as providing its technical expertise to many established and aspiring watch companies, as the brand continues to expand and look towards the future.
In this episode of In The Metal, Johnny and Dan connect the time zones between Moscow, Ireland and Texas, when they are joined in conversation by Russia's pre-eminent master of contemporary watchmaking Konstantin Chaykin.
A watchmaker, an inventor and holder of more than eighty patents for his extraordinary horological innovations, Konstantin is a truly profound talent, and a creator of clocks and wristwatches which actually defy conventional thinking.
It would be no exaggeration to state as fact that Konstantin's perspective on watchmaking has resulted in functions and technical solutions quite literally not seen before, and the manner in which they are presented blurs the line which separates the worlds of haute horology and fine art.
In this episode of In The Metal, Johnny and Dan travel to the beating heart of Switzerland's watchmaking industry and the municipality of Saint-Imier, from where Albert Edelmann of independent brand Zeitwinkel joins us for a chat.
Surrounded by centuries of Swiss watchmaking tradition, Zeitwinkel is a brand which takes this historic legacy as an honour to uphold, and so each of its wristwatches are manufactured in its own workshops, using locally sourced materials and components, and producing its own movements.
A brand which gets on with business in its own way, Zeitwinkel has built a loyal base of customers and enthusiasts around the world, and in Albert's company we take a look into what makes yet another great, young, twenty-first century watch manufacturer tick.
In this episode of In The Metal, Johnny and Dan take you to Paris to meet French watchmaker Armand Billard for a chat about his cool independent company Sartory Billard, which has been quietly building momentum since its inception in 2015.
On the week when he has just launched its latest model - the SB05 - the demand for which has seen his order books flooded for the foreseeable future, Armand knows as well as anyone about survival and indeed prospering in the bizarre times of the pandemic age.
Sartory Billard is one of a new breed of independent watch brands to emerge over the past decade, often working with other specialised artisans and manufacturing companies to create small numbers of bespoke hand finished pieces each year, lowering the bar in terms of accessibility to independent watchmaking, while in return offering exceptional value and the exclusivity of having a watch detailed to the owner's specifications.
In this episode of In The Metal, Johnny and Dan take a look at the world of one of contemporary watchmaking's most innovative creators of mechanical watch movements, when they are joined by Nicolas Wiederrecht of Agenhor.
Established in 1996, Agenhor is an award winning, family-owned and run independent Manufacture and developer of conceptual horologic mechanisms, through which prestigious marques such as Harry Winston, Van Cleef and Arpels, Fabergé, Hermes and most recently Singer Reimagined and H. Moser & Cie have been able to see their previously unprecedented visions brought to life, and go on to win numerous industry awards, including eight prized GPHG Aiguilles, as well as Best Watchmaker and the distinguished Gaïa Award for Nicolas' father and founder of the company Jean-Marc Wiederrecht.
Nicolas takes us through the story of his family business, and we look at some of the astonishing feats of technical invention, which are renowned for their beautifully conceived engineering, profound complexity and disruptive ingenuity. Join us on another journey of discovery as we once again go behind the scenes of a hugely significant player in the world of independent watchmaking, for a discussion about Agenhor's past, present and beyond into the future.
To mark the occasion of Earth Day 2021, Johnny and Dan are joined by a man whose legacy and influence permeates into practically every corner of the modern day watch industry.
In a career punctuated with milestones upon which the fortunes of traditional Swiss watchmaking pivoted, it is worth pausing for a moment to consider what the watchmaking landscape might look like today, were it not for the unfaltering belief, dogged determination and relentless energy of Jean-Claude Biver.
It was after all he, who in the 1980s, when the very future of the three hundred year history of the mechanical timepiece teetered on the precipice between complete extinction or a sweeping revival, he acquired the dormant Blancpain brand, declaring that it would never create a quartz watch.
A true pioneer, a visionary, a traditionalist (yet a real-world modernist), a mentor and an inspiration, and a serial entrepreneur, his drive and infectious personality elevated the many brands he breathed on from stuffy complacency into a glittering star studded galaxy of internationally known superstars of screen, music and the arts and sport, with groundbreaking watches which became instant must-have classics.
From Audemars Piguet in the early 1970s, through Blancpain, Omega, Hublot, Zenith, TAG Heuer and all the way to a tenure as President of the LVMH Watch Division, his has been a truly a remarkable career, and it's a pretty safe bet to say that there is no-one working in the watch industry who does not immediately recognise the name and the face of Jean-Claude Biver.
On Earth Day 2021 we get his thoughts on sustainability in the watch industry, as well as on the future of independent watchmaking, which has grown from an almost underground, peripheral niche in the overall scheme of things, and edged increasingly into the spotlight over the past twenty years.
In this episode of In The Metal, Johnny and Dan are joined by Jørn Werdelin, the driving force behind one of independent watchmaking's coolest brands, Linde Werdelin.
A pioneer of contemporary watch design over the past fifteen years or so, Jørn's brand evolved from a passion for the extremes of rock climbing, off-piste skiing and diving, creating watches designed to endure the unforgiving environments for which they were created.
With distinctive, edgy styling which made each Linde Werdelin model absolutely unmistakable from a hundred paces, the brand was one of the very first to recognise and leverage the powerful reach of the internet, to establish an almost cult following among collectors who demanded individuality, and robust, durable and reliable wristwatches, upon which life could quite literally depend on, while at the extreme limits of outdoor pursuits.
Join us as we take the plunge for an insight into the world of this convention-defying independent brand.
In this episode of In The Metal, Johnny and Dan are joined by the force of nature that is Paris-based indie watch specialist, President and founder of Chronopassion, Laurent Picciotto.
A pioneering figurehead of contemporary independent watchmaking, Laurent has been a mentor, a supporter, a collector, an enabler and a man whose sixth sense for identifying future classics has made him a champion for so many brands which are solidly established today, but at the end of the 1990s and into the early 2000s needed someone with the vision and cojones to provide a window to these emerging watchmakers.
Established in 1988, his Chronopassion boutique on Rue Saint-Honoré has become so much more than a watch store. It is a gallery of horlogic eclectica and home to the most prestigious marques in the independent sector.
Laurent also has a passion for guitars, and his growing collection of legendary models is becoming almost as comprehensive as his watch collection.
Add to all of that an involvement in the Wild Customs Guitar company, creators of the game changing Gyrock concept and the immaculate Sauvage series, sprinkle with a soupçon of Dan Spitz, and you have the perfect recipe for a hard rock and watches themed extravaganza.
In Episode 35 of In The Metal, Johnny and Dan cross over to the beautiful city of Dresden in Germany, to call on the wonderful Marco Lang for a chat about his new wristwatch, the spectacular Zweigesicht, and to learn a little about his world.
A fifth generation watchmaker, Marco's career began long before the renaissance of independent haute horlogerie, and as a young apprentice he absorbed the historic local influences of Saxony's famed watchmaking legacy, and refined his own natural talent into an art form.
Co-founding his own company Lang und Heyne in 2001, his creations which are individually manufactured are acclaimed around the world by the most discerning collectors for their combination of uncompromising beauty and technical complexity.
A full and longstanding member of independent watchmaking's elite association, the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI), Marco is a true master of his craft, and renowned for his obsessive attention to detail and immaculate finishing, creating individual masterpieces in time honoured tradition.
In Episode 34 of In The Metal, Johnny and Dan link up with the beautiful city of Odense, Denmark for a chat with independent watchmaker and restorer Christian Lass.
Having spent eight years as Master Watchmaker at the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, and before that working with indie legends Vianney Halter and Philippe Dufour, Christian has honed his skills working with the very best in the business, as well as many of the finest examples of historical haute horlogerie.
Now set up in his home town, at the time of our conversation, Christian has just recently unveiled his first solo piece, the 30CP, a superb classically-inspired three-hand watch which he has produced almost entirely in house, and which we will be looking at in detail during our conversation.
Our journey into the seldom seen world of behind the scenes independent watchmaking on In The Metal continues in conversation with the creative mind behind some of the most spectacular contemporary timepieces of our time.
As co-founder of movement design and development company Les Ateliers 7H38, Luca Soprana's portfolio of mind-blowing mechanical creations include the extraordinary Astronomia collection for Jacob & Co, which followed the brand's Epic SF24 with 24 timezones and shutter-style name plates for cities around the world.
Luca is a man who continually emphasises his philosophy of the importance of having a great team around him, and in this episode he takes us into his world, and talks us through the genesis, development and realisation of his profoundly beautiful horological masterpieces.
His name might not appear on any dial, nor be engraved into a movement plate, but few if any have been so influential on the shape and form of contemporary watch design as Eric Giroud.
Taking us back to the very conception of the watch, to that stage in the process when it actually first takes its shape, and which often precedes the ceremonious unveiling by years, Eric Giroud is a creative visionary who literally can see into the future, and truly a legend of modern watch design.
From MB&F to Manufacture Royale, from Harry Winston to Rudis Sylva, from Vacheron Constantin to Van Cleef and Arpels, the list goes on and on and on. Eric's extraordinary output ranges from immaculate minimalism to spectacular and elaborate expressions of mechanical art.
On this episode of In The Metal, Johnny and Dan are joined by the Barcelona-based Atelier de Chronométrie team to take a closer look at this unique indie watch company.
With a shared love for vintage watches and collectors themselves, Santiago Martínez, Eduard Mercadé and Montse Gimeno open the door of their watchmaking world to tell us about their uncompromisingly traditional approach to the art of hand crafted haute horlogerie.
For Atelier de Chronométrie, each individual watch is a project in its own right, with its unique designation, such as the 2020 GPHG finalist AdC #88 split-second chronograph, and each one is painstakingly created as a bespoke piece.
Once again on In The Metal we depart the world of mainstream brands, and discover yet another small artisanal company where a passion for authentic old-school watchmaking burns with a Catalonian fervour.
In this episode of In The Metal, Johnny and Dan are joined by founding partner of Swiss independent watch brand Lundis Bleus, and master of the art of grand feu enamel, Bastien Vuilliomenet.
We get an exclusive perspective of Bastien's work as he tells us about the techniques, dedication and commitment involved in perpetuating this truly ancient art form, which quite literally transcends the millennia, with early examples dating back to c. 1300 BC.
Through the mediums of rare stones, engravings and his enamels, Bastien's breathtakingly beautiful dials are varied, colourful and individually hand crafted, so each Lundis Bleus is a unique piece of art in its own right.
In this episode of In The Metal, we welcome a true a force of nature who literally emits strange and colourful fire out of his fingertips, and whose work lights up contemporary independent watchmaking.
A sorcerer, an alchemist and a master of the mysterious art of illumination, James Thompson is the creative energy behind the Black Badger Advanced Composites lab in Göteborg, where rumour has it, if you happen to be passing by on these dark winter evenings, strange glowing colours can be seen trying to burst free through the cracks in the doors and between the roof tiles.
With collaborations which range from MB&F, Sarpaneva, Schofield, TAG Heuer, Zenith, MW&Co, De Bethune and just this week the insane Linde Werdelin x Black Badger Oktopus Blue Sea, James has seen a few things over the last ten years, and we go behind the scenes at the Badger's Den to see if we can discover the source of his glowing Super-LumiNova spark.
Find more about James and Black Badger at blackbadger.se
Fresh off the back of a triumphant success at the 2020 GPHG watchmaking 'Oscars' ceremony in Geneva, bagging not one but two cherished GPHG Aiguille awards for Best Chronograph, with the Streamliner Flyback Chronograph, and the Audacity award for the outrageous Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon, we are joined by the suave and charming CEO of H. Moser & Cie, Edouard Meylan.
Renowned for its immaculate minimalist styling, the H. Moser timepiece is defined by a classic and refined profile, beautiful fumé dials, and of course a level of technical innovation which continues to push the parameters of uncompromising in-house Haute Horlogerie to new levels.
Little wonder then that this master of the marketing coup has seen this historic brand rise from the ashes in under ten years, to establish itself as one of the very coolest and non-conformist names in contemporary independent horology, picking up the baton and taking with it the prestige and pride of 100% Swiss Made traditional watchmaking.
Discover the wonders of Edouard’s incredible company at h-moser.com
In this episode In The Metal whisks you off to the magnificent city of Budapest, capital of Hungary, and into the atelier of one of the world's finest independent master watchmakers where we find Aaron Becsei who joins us for an exclusive look into his world of invention and creativity.
A long standing member of independent watchmaking's revered, invitation-only institution, the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI), Aaron is a watchmaker who does things in his own unique way, creating pieces of profound beauty, intricacy and complexity, for which he is renowned and respected around the world.
One of the few who keep alive the traditional techniques and disciplines which have been passed down through three centuries of watchmaking, as well as from his own father and grandfather before him, each one of Aaron's watches are spectacular and individually unique, as befits a hand crafted masterpiece of one of the rarest and most complex forms of art.
Visit Aaron at http://www.bexei.hu/en
A truly dynamic ball of energy and charisma, whose personal philosophical mantra reminds us that 'a creative adult is a child who survived', Max Büsser is a cool-headed visionary who has never permitted the perceived limitations of conventional design or technical possibilities to stand in the way of his extraordinary MB&F horologic creations; time machines which have become defining icons of contemporary independent watchmaking.
The coolest gang in Watchville, MB&F has evolved as a collective of watchmaking's finest innovators and problem solvers, who have thrived in an environment of unfiltered creativity, and worked with an uncompromising eye for aesthetic detail within a uniquely structured design and manufacturing concept which exists to defy convention.
Visit Max and MB&F at mbanf.com
In this fascinating episode we take another journey behind the atelier door, and a look at hidden world and a life less ordinary, when Johnny and Dan are joined by the Vallée de Joux born and raised, third generation maestro David Candaux.
A full member of independent watchmaking's elite AHCI, the invitation-only Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants, David is a master of hand crafted haute horlogerie, and a watchmaker in the most traditional sense of the art, using age-old techniques and tools in his home atelier, an eighteenth century farmhouse surrounded by the magnificent Jura mountains, to create his breathtakingly beautiful masterpieces.
Inspired by the history and the natural beauty of this heartland of Swiss watchmaking David's creations are exceptions of uncompromising attention to every minute detail, refined mechanical innovation and astonishing technical complexity.
Visit David at https://www.dcandaux.watch
In this episode of In The Metal, Johnny and Dan are joined by a Dutch watchmaker who epitomises the spirit of independent watchmaking. Armed only with the experience of a couple of part time foundation courses in watch school, Machiel Hulsman decided to turn his back on a successful career in banking and IT and embark on a new life, with a single minded objective of creating his own watch.
This romantic idea soon turned into a voyage of discovery, but what he has achieved and continues to improve upon is nothing short of remarkable. His commitment to creating as much of his watch as is physically possible, in house and on his own, and including the daunting challenge of designing and manufacturing his own proprietary escapement, means he has already surpassed the point which would satisfy any connoisseur collector of independent haute horlogerie, and beyond too where most watchmakers would dare to venture.
To quantify the significance of this true artisan watchmaker, when no less an authority than Frank Geelen, founder and Editor in Chief of Monochrome wrote about Machiel Hulsman, he compared him to the living legend Roger W Smith.
Compliments do not come higher than that, and we are delighted to bring another master of independent watchmaking into the spotlight for a conversation.
Visit Machiel at hulsman-timepieces.com
Andreas Strehler is unquestionably one of the greats of contemporary independent haute horlogerie. A Guinness World Record holder for a moon indication which is accurate to one single day in 2,060,000 (yes, more than two million) years, his resumé as a scientist, a mathematician, a problem solver, innovator, inventor and all round human dynamo is truly without equal.
On his own, Andreas is a creator of exquisite horologic masterpieces of uncompromising detail, beauty and technical complexity.
Through his specialist movements lab Uhrteil AG he has also had a direct involvement in the design, concept development and ultimate realisation of many of the most astonishing timepieces of our time, and without his genius mind, few would ever have seen the light of day.
Visit Andreas at https://www.astrehler.ch
While Stephen McDonnell's name is known to collectors and MB&F fans all around the world, thanks to his jawdropping reinvention of the perpetual calendar, or the breathtaking beauty of his split escapement, the man himself is much more of a creature of the shadows, and not one for the spotlight.
A bone-fide genius watchmaker, and MB&F’s secret weapon, Belfast man Stephen allowed us unique access to his world, and let us see in bewildering detail what goes into creating the spectacular, ground-breaking Legacy Machine Perpetual Calendar, and the already sold-out LMP EVO which was revealed only last week.
This man truly gives his all. He lives and breathes these projects, and this episode is a very rare and absolutely fascinating conversation with one of the lesser seen, but hugely influential figures in contemporary independent watchmaking.
Visit mbandf.com to see Stephen’s creations.
In this episode of In The Metal Johnny and Dan are joined by young Dutch indie watchmaker Stefan Ketelaars, for a chat about life at the bench and how a new generation of talent is pushing through as independent watchmaking becomes ever more popular and accessible.
Stefan's specialty is in creating hand crafted watches which combine traditional values and aesthetics with a thoroughly contemporary twist, featuring spectacular 3D displays and cool, toned-down finishing, which makes each piece a unique work of artisanal watchmaking.
Visit Stefan at ketelaarswatches.com
