Results for F.P. Journe

Business News: Movado Selling Ebel To F.P. Journe And Chanel In Deal Heralding Comeback Of Once Mighty Swiss Brand

Ebel, once one of the most successful and top-selling Swiss watch brands, which has fallen into relative obscurity under the ownership of Movado Group, is being sold to a consortium of high-profile buyers, including François-Paul Journe and Chanel, who plan to revive the Ebel marque with hopes of returning it to its former glory.  Vintage Ebel chronographs. Photo courtesy of Phillips; credit: James Kong.  Movado Group, Inc. says it entered into a binding agreement to sell a 95% interest in the Ebel brand for $66.5 million to a strategic buyer group led by Geneva-based Montres Journe SA, with the participation of French luxury house Chanel and Pierre Jacques, a long-time industry executive. Jacques, who previously headed De Bethune for more than a decade, will take over as CEO of Ebel while Movado, with shares publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange, which purchased the brand from LVMH in 2004, will retain a 5% stake in the business when the deal is completed, the parties said in a statement. The agreement underscores the growing business interest in reviving faded luxury Swiss watch brands once revered by watch consumers. Breitling paid more than CHF 60 million to acquire the Universal Genève brand and archives and relaunched it as a high-end luxury marque earlier this year. Ebel was once a major player in the industry, thriving during the quartz crisis era of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s under Pierre-Alain Blum, a third-generation leader of the family-owned busi...

Chanel and F.P. Journe Just Bought 95% of Ebel for $66.5 Million, and the Industry Is Paying Attention

The cult Swiss watchmaker leaves Movado Group after decades, heading into new hands with serious horological credentials behind them.

Chanel & F.P.Journe acquire 95% stake in Ebel in US$66.5M deal

The House of Brands is looking to restore Gallet and Universal Genéve to their former glory; Kari Voutilainen and Alex Rosenfield relaunched Urban Jürgensen; and now Chanel and F.P. Journe will look to revitalise another cult classic watchmaker: Ebel.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Pierre Jacques (@pierre_jacques1) Earlier today, … Continued

Industry News - F.P. Journe and Chanel Acquire 95% of EBEL from Movado Group

In a recent announcement by the Movado Group, Ebel is set to be acquired by a strategic buyer group led by Montres Journe SA, with the participation of Chanel (partial owner of F.P. Journe) and industry veteran and ex-CEO of De Bethune, Pierre Jacques. The latter will serve as Chief Executive Officer of Ebel. The […]

Breaking News: F.P. Journe, Chanel Acquire 95% of Ebel for US$66.5 Million

In a surprise move, a consortium led by Montres Journe and comprising Chanel and Pierre Jacques, the former chief executive of De Bethune, has acquired Ebel from its longtime American owners, the Movado Group. According to the deal announcement, the consortium is buying 95% of Ebel for US$66.5 million, with the remaining shares to be retained by Movado. The three-party consortium evidently brings different skills to the table, including the financial firepower of Chanel, the watchmaking know-how of François-Paul Journe, and the operational and managerial expertise of Mr Jacques. Movado, on the other hand, might be relieved to have unloaded Ebel, which it unsuccessfully tried to revive over its two decades of ownership. From left: François-Paul Journe, Efraim Grinberg of Movado, Frédéric Grangié of Chanel, and Pierre Jacques. Image – Pierre Jacques Once a high flying brand that was one of the biggest in Switzerland during its 1980s and 1990s heyday, Ebel was famous for its Sport Classique, often nicknamed “wave”, which featured integrated bracelets resembling a wave. Launched in 1977, the model launched Ebel into the stratosphere, with its workforce growing 15 times and revenue reaching nine figures. Ebel was led during this time by Pierre-Alain Blum, grandson of its founders and a shrewd marketer. In the year just after the Quartz Crisis, Ebel was a luxury giant. Amongst the indicators of Ebel’s success and scale during this period: Cartier turned to Ebel to p...

Auctions: Previewing Marteau’s ‘Encore’ And Antiquorum’s Return To New York, Both This Month

The fall auction season is already upon us. Or, I guess you could say, it's been here since the strong showing by Sotheby's in Hong Kong—though that technically ended right before the official start of fall. The Cartier Cheich in white gold (which traded hands among dealers and collectors for a few years at far less than that) sold for $3.4 million, setting a record as the most expensive Cartier and most expensive quartz watch ever sold. Weeks later, if you asked me what this means for the market, I'd probably stare at you blankly. Ben would probably do the same, as he's said on the site that it's just hard to make sense of prices both at retail and at auction anymore. Let's chat about that all first. What The Heck Is Going On With The Market? As we head into the bulk of the auctions, I currently feel far less confident telling you where prices will land. I think most prognosticators—myself included—would say that we have to be nearing the height of the bubble for F.P. Journe and A. Lange & Söhne. But then again, over breakfast the other day, a friend asked if I knew someone who'd want a very historically important watch from a more traditional brand that went underpriced nearly 10 years ago and now was available for double that—into the seven figures. Some things (like that very vague story, probably) make sense; some can leave you scratching your head. European Watch Co. has this Tourbillon Pour le Mérite listed for $1,100,000 right now. There was an interestin...

F.P. Journe Supports Paris Brain Institute with Unique Chronomètre Furtif

Having recently unveiled a unique burgundy chronograph to benefit the Fondation Prince Albert II De Monaco, F.P. Journe is back with the unique Chronomètre Furtif ICM that will be auctioned later this month to support the work of the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinièhe (ICM), better known internationally as the Paris Brain Institute. The black enamel dial of the CF ICM. Image – F.P. Journe Initial thoughts F.P. Journe is a watchmaker at the height of its market influence, so its nice to see the brand use its considerable power to continue its longstanding practice of contributing to worthwhile causes. ICM was founded by former FIA president Jean Todt, a longtime friend of François-Paul Journe who also informed the concept behind the Centigraphe. The unique Centigraphe from 2016 featured a blue mother-of-pearl dial with the ICM logo at 12 o’clock. Image – F.P. Journe The Geneva-based watchmaker was the ICM’s first private donor, and has contributed significantly over the past two decades. The brand’s first contributions arrived in 2004 by way of a trio of unique Vagabondage watches auctioned by Antiquorum. The three lots hammered for between CHF63,250 and CHF80,500, with all proceeds going to ICM. A unique Centigraphe was produced for the charity in 2016, when it hammered for the equivalent of about US$136,000 at the time. An impressive sum for that era, but a number that highlights just how much demand for independent watchmaking — and F.P. Journe ...

F.P. Journe Supports Brain Research with Unique Chronomètre Furtif

Having recently unveiled a unique burgundy chronograph to benefit the Fondation Prince Albert II De Monaco, F.P. Journe is back with the unique Chronomètre Furtif ICM that will be auctioned later this month to support the work of the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinièhe (ICM), better known internationally as the Paris Brain Institute. The black enamel dial of the CF ICM. Image – F.P. Journe Initial thoughts F.P. Journe is a watchmaker at the height of its market influence, so its nice to see the brand use its considerable power to continue its longstanding practice of contributing to worthwhile causes. ICM was founded by former FIA president Jean Todt, a longtime friend of François-Paul Journe who also informed the concept behind the Centigraphe. The unique Centigraphe from 2016 featured a blue mother-of-pearl dial with the ICM logo at 12 o’clock. Image – F.P. Journe The Geneva-based watchmaker was the ICM’s first private donor, and has contributed significantly over the past two decades. The brand’s first contributions arrived in 2004 by way of a trio of unique Vagabondage watches auctioned by Antiquorum. The three lots hammered for between CHF63,250 and CHF80,500, with all proceeds going to ICM. A unique Centigraphe was produced for the charity in 2016, when it hammered for the equivalent of about US$136,000 at the time. An impressive sum for that era, but a number that highlights just how much demand for independent watchmaking — and F.P. Journe ...

F.P. Journe Unveils Unique Chronographe to Benefit Monaco Charity

F.P. Journe and H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco have announced the creation of the one-off Chronographe Fondation Prince Albert II De Monaco for the monarch’s upcoming charity auction. The Chronographe Fondation evolves the movement architecture of the Chronographe FB and adds the burgundy-and-bone livery that has become a calling card of the brand’s support for the Monaco-based charity. H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and François-Paul Journe. Image – F.P. Journe Initial thoughts The design is undeniably busy with a mix contrasting colours and fonts. Yet taste is almost beside the point, since rare F.P. Journe watches with striking dials are amongst the hottest watches in the world at the moment. It also arrives amid sustained demand for unique watches created for charity. While unlikely to match the expected result of the Rolex Daytona “Four Seasons” set, it combines several proven ingredients that should supercharge its value. Stylistically, the watch is consistent with F.P. Journe’s three prior creations for the Foundation: the 2018 Chronographe Rattrapante, the Chronomètre Optimum of 2022, and the Chronomètre à Résonance of 2024. The latter hammered for US$2.98 million, setting a lofty precedent. The similar Chronographe FB retailed for CHF90,000 in 2024, but this point of reference is purely academic — uniqueness and charity will determine the result, and the Resonance result suggests both can overwhelm any conventional sense of value. Burgundy...

Auctions: Auction House Phillips Walks Back Claim Early Résonance Delivered in 1999 After F.P. Journe Statement

Auction house Phillips has walked back and corrected a claim that an early, pre-production Chronmètre à Résonance watch, set to come up for sale in November, was delivered in 1999 after the watchmaker F.P. Journe said it arrived the next year and wasn't the first example of the reference sent to a customer.  "We stand corrected thanks to François-Paul Journe," Phillips said in an Instagram post.  "The "Pre-Production" Chronomètre à Résonance 022/99 to be offered by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo on November 7-8 was not delivered in 1999 as we originally believed. Thanks to F.P.Journe we now know the watch was actually delivered on 8 June, 2000," the auction house added.  The Phillips correction followed the publication of a letter signed by F.P. Journe that disputed Phillips' claim that the watch with serial number 022/99 was likely one of the first Résonance watches commercially sold and delivered. In announcing the sale of the watch, which will hit the auction block in November in Geneva, Phillips had said the consignor and original owner of the watch had taken delivery of the piece in 1999. The auction house also suggested in a press release that the watch could be one of, if not the first, commercially delivered examples of the Résonance, often heralded as the signature watch from the French watchmaker. Phillips did not say it had confirmed that the watch was the first of the reference commercially delivered.  In the letter titled "Correction," ...

The Bravest Watch in History: F.P. Journe’s Chronomètre à Résonance

The Business of Watches Podcast: Christie's Remi Guillemin On The Fundamental Shifts In The Auction Market Driving Record Prices

This week on The Business of Watches, we take stock at the halfway point of the year for watch auctions. Remi Guillemin, Christie's head of watches for the Americas, Europe and Middle East, gives us his take on what's driving the interest of the top watch collectors these days. It's a pivotal time, with the watch auction market setting record sales results at most of the top auction houses despite global economic challenges and geopolitical tensions and conflicts.  Remi Guillemin at the rostrum in Geneva.Photo courtesy Christie's  The last time the market was this hot was in the post-COVID era of 2021 and 2022. Guillemin believes this time is different, and he tells us why references from F.P. Journe and Cartier, and (surprise!) pocket watches, are driving the market these days and how that's a fundamental shift from the hype watch driven boom post-pandemic. He also shows us some of the watches in his personal collection and reveals the grail he's still chasing.  There's plenty of watch business and strategy to discuss, and we hope you enjoy the conversation. Be sure to leave any thoughts or questions in the comments section, and we'll do our best to respond. Want to subscribe so you never miss an episode? This show is being published to the original Hodinkee Podcasts feed, so you can subscribe wherever you find your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or TuneIn. Show Notes 0:36 Remi Guillemin (Christie's website - scroll for bio) 1:00 Auctions: The Five Result...

Auctions: Phillips Announces Sale Of A Pre-Production  F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance In November

Here we go again. It's been a blue ribbon auction year so far, particularly for rare examples of timepieces from independents, including F.P. Journe. During a record-setting spring auction season marked by a stunning shift in valuations and collector interest in top-notch independent watchmakers, an early Chronomètre à Résonance (no. 007) fetched a record $13.9 million, making it the most expensive F.P. Journe watch ever sold at auction and the fifth most expensive watch of all time.  Mark wrote up a great piece on the record-breaking result that dives deep into the history of the Résonance and why it's such an important achievement in haute horology, and why it is François-Paul Journe's signature watch. With the prototype produced in 1998, and with 'Souscription' commercial pieces produced and delivered beginning in 2000, Journe's Chronomètre à Résonance marks the first time that the concept of "résonance," combining two movements with separate balances into a single case and bringing them into perfect synchronization, was brought to a wristwatch. For many collectors, the model represents the ultimate expression of Journe's vision and talent as a watchmaker. Just 20 'Souscription' pieces—offered to those who bought Journe's first watch, a tourbillon—were produced, and collectors have come to covet the series, with the earliest watches fetching a premium. When it comes to the Résonance, the earlier the better, it seems. That's why it's newsworthy and worth ...

Photo Report: Watch Spotting At The Hodinkee Happy Hour [June 2026]

The third time is the charm, as we recently hosted the third edition of what's quickly becoming a regular fixture on the calendar—Hodinkee Happy Hour. Grotta, our local watering hole, was the venue this time around, and the room delivered the same energy as always. Great conversations, great company, and no shortage of great watches to look at—a few of which you'll see below. If you made it out, thank you for coming. If not, we'll be doing it again at the end of July. Follow us on Instagram to be the first to know when RSVPs open.  Blancpain Léman Perpetual Calendar Flyback Chronograph A Cartier Tank Basculante in it's natural form... ... and in motion. Alex Chou wearing his A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1. Katie Penner, of Watches of Switzerland, and Hodinkee Video Editor Max Rosen. A trio of Ressence. A look at a F.P. Journe Chronomètre Souverain (on bracelet, no less) from the front... ... and the back. Vertex M36 Desert Edition. A little two-tone love for the Zenith Chronomaster Sport... And Rolex Datejust. Rolex Submariner. Rolex Cosmograph "Alcaraz" Daytona on an Oysterflex bracelet. Vacheron Contantin 333. A Swiss "Chronographe Suisse" Chonograph... (Swiss, chronograph, Swiss, chronograph, swiss...) Omega Seamaster De Ville and a good ol' pie-pan Omega Seamaster. Panerai Luminor Marina. Right, Editor-in-Chief James Stacey is wearing his DWC Terra. Urwerk UR-120.

The Business of Watches Podcast: Q & A Episode - Your Business Questions Answered By The Hodinkee Team

This week on The Business of Watches, we take your questions on the business of timekeeping. We're joined by a swath of the Hodinkee team, including Editor-in-Chief James Stacey, Senior Editor Mark Kauzlarich, and Hodinkee Editor TanTan Wang.  We're answering your questions and marking 30 episodes of BoW. You submitted some excellent questions, including how changes in 3D printing technology will impact watch movement manufacturing, whether watch brands consider enthusiasts' preferences in their design and release schedules, and what the future of multi-brand watch boutiques looks like.  There's plenty of watch business and strategy to discuss, and we hope you enjoy the conversations. Be sure to leave any thoughts or questions in the comments section, and we'll do our best to respond. Want to subscribe so you never miss an episode? This new show is being published to the original Hodinkee Podcasts feed, so you can subscribe wherever you find your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or TuneIn. Show Notes1:18 F.P. Journe Souscription Chronomètre à Résonance Achieves $13.9 Million – Becomes Fifth Most Expensive Wristwatch Ever Sold (Hodinkee)2:35 Kari Voutilainen 2:47 Marteau: The Heat Wave4:08 The Barrelhand Monolith Has Landed (Hodinkee) 11:45 Ming Polymesh (Hodinkee) 12:40 Seiko Watch Corporation President Akio Naito (The Business of Watches) 13:10 Peanuts Watches by Citizen (collectpeanuts.com) 15:03 Timex 15:50 We Criticize The Wrong Thing When We Attack ...

Breaking News: F.P. Journe Souscription Chronomètre à Résonance Achieves $13.9 Million - Becomes Fifth Most Expensive Wristwatch Ever Sold

It felt inevitable. Just over six months after an F.P. Journe narrowly missed joining a certain historic list of wristwatches dominated by Patek Philippe and Rolex with the $10.75 million sale of Francis Ford Coppola's personal FFC at Phillips New York (a record for the brand), one finally reached that rarified air. François-Paul Journe invented it. He made it. The market made it historic. The F.P. Journe Souscription Chronomètre à Résonance no. 007 is now the fifth-most expensive wristwatch ever sold and the third-most expensive watch sold not for charity. Arguably Journe's most important and emblematic model, a confluence of details made this example—which crossed the auction block on Saturday, June 13—the one to own, at least according to bidders. To the tune of almost $14 million, no less. In some ways, it seems the perfect cap to a wild shift in the market where, in less than a year, F.P. Journe has become more closely watched than other previously preferred blue-chip brands and references. And yet, the market is so hot that there were a number of remarkable results from the New York, Geneva, and Hong Kong auctions.  Not for nothing, but a Patek Philippe 5004 is now a $5 million watch, not only blowing out the previous non-charity record ($1.5 million for Michael Ovitz's platinum example, which was sold last fall), but eclipsing the 5004T for OnlyWatch (which sold for $4 million, give or take, back in 2013). And the fresh-to-market pink gold, satin-cased Pate...

Highlights: Notable Independents at Phillips Hong Kong

Phillips’ spring auction season wraps up with The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XXII on May 30 – 31. As is now the norm, independent watchmakers have carved out a significant section of the catalogue including the usual suspects from F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour, as well as rare showings from under-the-radar makers like Oscillon and Yosuke Sekiguchi. Lot 878 – Oscillon L’instant de Vérité Despite how hot the indie segment has become, Oscillon has largely stayed under the radar, perhaps due to its intensely cerebral nature, or because the brand only produces about five watches per year. The duo behind the brand, Dominique Buser and Cyrano Devanthey, are collectors of pre-computerised watchmaking machines. Their collection is so extensive that they can produce all movement parts – save for the jewels and shock protection – under their own roof using these machines. Even putting this context aside, the watches themselves are still mechanically interesting. The most striking detail is the bowtie-shaped balance, which is harder to poise and less aerodynamic than a conventional annular balance, but looks much cooler. L’instant de Vérité uses an unusual tensator constant-force spring. To explain this, consider a tape measure. The force required to pull more length from a tape measure doesn’t noticeably increase regardless of the length already paid out. Now imagine hooking the end of the tape to a pulley, so that turning the pulley (winding) pulls tape out, and ...

Highlights: Exotic Mechanics at Christie’s Hong Kong

A menagerie of exotic movements features in Christie’s upcoming Hong Kong auction, Important Watches: Featuring “Kronos: Titans of Time”, “The Eternity” and “The Chronicle” Collections, from Double Splits and double movements to torque management and monitoring. Lot 2352 – F.P. Journe Chronomètre À Résonance (Brass Movement) While the current iteration of the Chronomètre À Résonance is far more elaborate, using a differential to split the trains — each of which contains its own constant force device — this early F.P. Journe Chronomètre À Résonance with its 18k pink gold dial was much more ambitious in its time, developed by an upstart restorationist from Paris in a market that was hostile to independent brands compared to today. Resonance timepieces, or more accurately, those using coupled oscillators, can be traced all the way back to Christiaan Huygens, also known for inventing the pendulum clock and many, many contributions to mathematics and the sciences. He described the coupling of his pendulum clocks as an “an odd kind of sympathy” and sought to exploit this dampening effect to make pendulum clocks viable at sea, though this was ultimately unsuccessful. It would take more than a hundred years for Abraham-Louis Breguet — often hailed as the greatest watchmaker — to bring this phenomena to a watch, and then almost two hundred more for arguably the greatest living watchmaker to bring it to the wrist. That was, of course, François-P...

Introducing: The Baltic x SpaceOne 'Seconde Majeure' - A Jump Hour à Paris (Live Pics)

What We Know French watchmaking is on an absolute tear lately. Even setting aside F.P. Journe (yes, he's based in Switzerland, but he is French), there's a growing list of brands pushing things forward in interesting ways. Two of the more relevant names in this case are Baltic and SpaceOne, the latter a collaboration between Théo Auffret of Auffret Paris and Guillaume Laidet, who has played a major role in reviving some major brands. Both have become important players in the more affordable end of independent watchmaking, but from very different angles. SpaceOne leans heavily futuristic, while Baltic—and Auffret more broadly—tend to stay rooted in classic design. That's what makes the new Seconde Majure from Baltic x SpaceOne so interesting. It feels like the watch someone with more traditional tastes, like me, has been waiting for. The Seconde Majeure might not come as a surprise to everyone. Baltic and SpaceOne were showing the watch around during Time to Watches in Geneva a few weeks ago, and they also sent over a prototype for me to preview ahead of launch. One quick note there: all of the photos I took were with the crown pulled out, so keep that in mind as you scroll through. For everyone else, you might need to catch up pretty quickly, especially since the watch is only available for a very limited time. But what you'll quickly see is that the watch is attractive for something affordable. And remarkably compact. Measuring 38.5mm by 12.5mm with a 47.5mm lug-to-l...

Home-Made Grande Sonnerie Wins 2026 F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition

Shin Ohno is the winner of the 12th F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition. The young Japanese watchmaker clinched the prize with the Fuyu-Geshiki, a small grande et petite sonnerie tourbillon clock inspired by the winter landscape of Nagano, a northern prefecture of Japan. Made by one man with a watchmaker’s lathe, desktop CNC mill, and not a lot of sleep, the ebony-cased timepiece is one of the most impressive works produced by the competition yet. From Nagano Mr Ohno describes Nagano as “defined by the purity of its air, by the flow of spring water, and by melting snow”. It is also the heart of Japan’s watch industry, boasting the country’s largest movement assembly plant (Citizen’s Saku plant) and is home to Mr Ohno’s employer — Seiko Epson. Specifically, Mr Ohno works as an engineer within the company’s watch division, but it should be noted that this timepiece is entirely unrelated to the (now discontinued) Credor Spring Drive Sonnerie and Credor Minute Repeater. Mr Ohno designed the movement from the ground up, citing the creative works of past winner Norifumi Seki and Masahiro Kikuno as key inspirations. A closer look at the tourbillon cage. The teeth are polished to catch the light like slick stones. While he learned how to design watch parts at his day job, it was someone else’s job to manufacture them. With the Fuyu-Geshiki, Mr Ohno had to master production as well as design. He cites his colleague, master watchmaker Ikukiyo Komatsu, as a mento...

Auctions: Previewing The Monaco Legend Spring 2026 Auction

The spring auction season is sneaking up on us quickly. Things start early with Sotheby's Hong Kong auction (with its boatload of Cartier), which slightly edges Monaco Legend Group out of the gate, as their auction starts one day earlier. But on April 25 and 26, MLG will open its spring auction, which promises to be one of the more interesting and eclectic vintage-focused auctions of the season. That's not to say it's all vintage, of course. The auction starts out with a Bamford-modified blackout GMT (that the Parmegiani family behind the auction house seems to have an affinity for), an RM35-02 Nadal, a Journe Répétition Souveraine, and more Patek 5004s than you can shake a stick at, keeping things spicy. Lot 109 – F.P. Journe Répétition Souveraine – €400,000 to €800,000. There are 288 lots, and while the top lots sometimes feel a bit obvious to call out (mostly because everyone likely peers longingly at these watches and wishes they could bid), it's incredibly important to examine what is driving the top end of the market. And if you weren't paying close enough attention, you'd potentially miss the top lot. While it might look like a Rolex Daytona, like the ref. 116509 with a Tahitian mother-of-pearl dial and different indices, this is a whole different ballgame. Lot 78 of the auction is one of the "FAB 4" Daytonas, four unique platinum Zenith Daytonas, each executed with a hardstone dial (one with turquoise, one with lapis lazuli, two mother-of-pearl) made at...

SJX Podcast: State of the Industry 2026

Episode 31 of the SJX Podcast digs into two major industry reports - one from Vontobel on the primary market and one from EveryWatch on the secondary - and what they reveal about where value is concentrating in the watch industry. SJX and Brandon discuss the K-shaped nature of the market, the dominance of F.P. Journe among independents, and Cartier’s remarkable ability to sell across every price tier. The discussion also touches on the role of emotion in driving purchase decisions, the financialisation of the hobby, and why market reports have limited utility for collectors. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.  

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Marteau & Co

After its successful indie-focused First Strike auction last October, upstart auctioneer Marteau & Co is back with The Echo, an online-only auction that opens at noon Geneva time on March 12 with a focus on independent watchmaking. Marteau & Co was founded just last year, and one of its cofounders is Arthur Touchot, an industry veteran who spent several years as a journalist followed by a stint at a prominent auction house. Now all-in with Marteau, Mr Touchot brings his insider’s to Marteau, explaining its unique position in the market. The Swiss auctioneer sets itself apart with its intriguing “Maker’s Fee” concept, which rewards the maker of the timepiece with 3% of the hammer price for each watch sold, allowing a brand to benefit from the appreciation of its products. While artists’ resale rights, or droit de suite, is far from a new concept, and has been codified into law in the European Union and United Kingdom, Marteau & Co’s approach is the first instance of its application in watchmaking. Lot 1 – Daniel Roth Chronograph Ref. 2147 When Daniel Roth launched his eponymous brand in 1988, after helping revitalize Breguet, he also created the genre of independent watchmaking we know today, preceding even Franck Muller and F.P. Journe. With his double ellipse case design Roth pioneered the idea of building a brand around a single strong design language, a contrast to the menagerie offered by other high end brands of the time, an approach later followed by ot...

Complicated Collectors: Dr Eugen Gschwind

The dinner in Basel had reached the stage where the porcelain was being cleared, but the tension at the table remained heavier than the silverware. Dr Eugen Gschwind, a man who wore his erudition as comfortably as his tailored suits, watched his guest with the predator’s patience that had defined his four decades of collecting. Across from him sat George Daniels, the English horologist and watchmaker who had single-handedly dragged the concept of the handmade watch out of the grave of history. Daniels was brilliant, notoriously opinionated, and, according to some, firmly convinced that he was the spiritual reincarnation of Abraham-Louis Breguet. François-Paul Journe´s 3/84 pocketwatch, Dr Gscwind´s first commission. Image SJX composite – F.P. Journe Gschwind liked Daniels. He championed the Englishman’s genius, yet remained too dogmatic to ever buy his work. He had famously toasted Daniels at a society dinner as the ‘greatest living watchmaker,’ only to follow it with the dry, smiling addendum: ‘But only the second-best watchmaker who ever lived.’ Tonight, however, was not about jests. It was the culmination of a long-simmering technical argument. For years, Gschwind had chided Daniels about his reliance on the 15-second remontoir d’égalité. To Daniels, this mechanism, which rewound a secondary spring every quarter-minute to smooth out the torque of the mainspring, was the ultimate solution to the problem of isochronism. Gschwind viewed it was a compro...

Ruby Resonance from Armin Strom

Independent watchmaker Armin Strom has upgraded its flagship complication with a precious stone dial. The Mirrored Force Resonance Ruby is a five-piece limited edition with a dial cut from natural ruby. Initial thoughts Armin Strom is arguably the second-most prominent watchmaker (after F.P. Journe) to successfully bring “resonance” watches to market. We extensively covered the subject of coupled oscillator watches recently, which examines Armin Strom’s unique approach to achieving this mysterious effect.  Within this narrow niche, Armin Strom’s Mirrored Force series is certainly the broadest collection of resonance watches on the market, with multiple movements and many variations exploiting the almost magic coupling between two sprung balances. This new limited edition employs the familiar in-house caliber ARF21, which connects the two hairspring by a long, swivelling blade spring - dubbed the Resonance Clutch Spring. While the movement is certainly well known, this particular iteration of the watch is quite surprising: a thin slice of natural ruby serves as the dial, with all the imperfections and liveliness of a natural mineral.  Using a ruby dial is not only aesthetically appealing but poetic for a mechanical watch. The jewels serving as bearings inside every movement are synthetic rubies - a fancy sort of industrial mineral glass. The uneven bright pink and violet shades of the Mirrored Force Resonance Ruby’s dial assure us there is nothing artificial...

In-Depth: Understanding Resonance in Watches

Resonance watches are among the most elusive machines in modern watchmaking. Creations such as F.P. Journe’s Chronomètre à Résonance perform well at auctions, commanding high prices. While their rarity and appeal are undeniable, watches that purport to harness resonance tend to be viewed with a degree of skepticism. A measure of skepticism is understandable - the concept of sprung balances becoming almost magically coupled is anything but straightforward and requires a profound understanding of oscillators in general.   This story seeks to shed some light on the concept of coupled oscillators by explaining the two models of coupling and explore the nuances of each system. Before exploring resonance, the reader is encouraged to review the basics of sprung oscillators and isochronism in order to become more familiar with the hairspring and balance wheel model.  The F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance Souscription No. 2 sold for more than CHF3 million in November 2025. A confusion of terms First, the term resonance itself requires definition. In classical physics (mechanics, electrical engineering, signal processing, etc.) resonance is a phenomenon where a system vibrates under the influence of an external driving force that matches the system’s eigenfrequency (natural frequency). This is to say that a system at rest, which includes mass and spring elements, can be excited into a state of resonance by an external force when particular conditions are met. An imp...