SJX Watches
Hervé Schlüchter Debuts with L’Essentiel Regulator
The latest watchmaker to launch a time-only watch with a finely finished movement is Hervé Schlüchter, who makes his debut with the L’Essentiel. A watchmaker who spent most of his recent career as a movement constructor at Bovet, Mr Schlüchter’s entry into the progressively more crowded segment features a regulator-style display with a day-and-night indicator and on the reverse, a hand-finished movement. Initial thoughts Having worked at Bovet and then spent time studying with Philippe Dufour, Mr Schlüchter has the background for a fine watch. Notably, Mr Schlüchter is an actual watchmaker, having trained as a watchmaker and repairer. As a result, the L’Essentiel is arguably purer in concept since it was developed and then produced by a watch-maker, rather than being drawn by a designer or engineer and then outsourced to specialists. The L’Essentiel lives up to expectations in terms of decoration and construction. It has impressively high quality in most respects: the dial is engine turned by hand, and includes fired enamel, and aventurine. The movement shows off lots of black-polished steel, chamfered edges, and polished countersinks. At CHF78,000 before taxes, the L’Essentiel has a decent price-to-quality ratio. But while watch is titled “The Essential”, it is ironically a lot, maybe too much, both stylistically and tangibly. As is increasingly the case with independent watchmaking, the product feels contrived because it wants to be everything that is ...
