Vianney Halter

Contemporaine Moonphase
Antiqua

Benhard Lederer - BLU watches

Blu Duett- 44mm steel case and ETA 2892 movement.
Blu Majesty Tourbillon MT3

Movement Hand-wound, designed and crafted entirely in-house, BL 707 calibre, 32 rubies, 18,000 vib/h, series-coupled twin barrel, 72-hour power reserve, exclusive finishing
Functions Hours (12-hour tourbillon), minutes (1-hour tourbillon), seconds (1-minute tourbillon)
Case 18K white or red gold, 43 mm, individually-numbered
Dial Absence of dial for admiring the perfection and exclusive finishing of the movement
Bracelet/Strap Black, hand-sewn alligator leather

when Blu was started in 2000, Bernhard Lederer had been in the business watchmaking at a reputable museum repairing and reconstructing classic, vintage clocks and watches.

Antoine Preziuso

3 Volution Triple Tourbillo



Antoine Preziuso was born in Geneva in 1957 and became passionately interested in watchmaking at a very early age.

1978 Antoine Preziuso graduated from the Geneva Watchmaking school with the highest results. He was hired by the biggest and most selective watch firm, Patek Philippe.

1980 Antoine Preziuso was requested by the world’s leading auctioneer in the field of horology, Antiquorum, to open their first workshop for restoration and appraisal of collectors’ watches.

1981 As an expert watchmaker. Antoine Preziuso opened his own workshop in Geneva.

1989 Antoine Preziuso was challenged by one of the great watch firms to develop and produce a series of the most complicated wristwatches in the world, meaning minute repeater wristwatches with a perpetual calendar.
After two years of study, research and development, the first such watch, complete with a splendid presentation box, was sold at auction by Antiquorum in Geneva.

1991 The first Antoine Preziuso complication watch is a minute repeater with a perpetual calendar, patented system by the rotating bezel for releasing the bezel .This piece is honoured the prestigious seal of quality "The Hallmark of Geneva."
While continuing to create prestigious watches, Antoine Preziuso opened up the niche of complicated watches for various major brands.

1996 For the first time, Antoine Preziuso exhibited his own creations at The Basel World Watch and Jewellery Show, at the stand of the “Académie des Horlogers Créateurs Indépendants” (AHCI).

1998 Antoine Preziuso was invited to Geneva to present his latest creations at the “Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie” (SIHH)

2000 The Antoine Preziuso Geneva company pursued its development and relocated to more comfortable premises, where it began to build up a team of motivated professionals.

2001 Goldpfeil, a firm specialising in luxury leather goods, requested 7 members of the AHCI, including Antoine Preziuso, to create its very first watch collection. Antoine Preziuso developed a unique dual time-zone model, along with 150 all-leather watches in honour of Goldpfeil, which were previewed at the Basel World Watch and Jewellery Show in 2001 connecting with the 1st Private Exhibition Antoine Preziuso Geneva in his own workshop.

2002 Antoine Preziuso introduced the largest collection of tourbillon models at Baselworld, comprising 6 different Tourbillons, presented in a range of innovative material as the Meteorite. That same year, Antoine Preziuso took part in the Opus Two event orchestrated by Harry Winston at Baselworld. For the occasion, he created 12 Tourbillon models and 12 Tourbillon watches with calendar displays, some of them set with diamonds He also developed a dual time-zone model for the Bédat brand, which was also presented at Baselworld.

2004 The company opens its first Boutique Antoine Preziuso “Les Heures Précieuses” in Geneva.
In August, Antoine Preziuso is asked by the Kremlin to repair a historical clock which had not worked for 40 years.

2005 25 years of Independence celebrated by creating the revolutionary piece “The 3Volution” a tourbillon, which is a new page in the History of Watch making.

2006 Second window on Geneva, with the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues
6th Private Exhibition Antoine Preziuso Geneva based on the topic of the "Unique Pieces": About 20 unique timepieces have been presented testifying the gained experiences throughout the 26 professional business years of Antoine Preziuso, so much on the level of creation, the development of modules, of the search for new systems that aesthetic.

2007 Antoine Preziuso presented at the Fours Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva – based on the topic: Patent and First Worldwide.for which not less than 10 windows are devoted to them.
And the first two models of his collection of High Jewellery provided with an Horological Complication, which makes the fame of Antoine Preziuso.

2008 8th Private Antoine Preziuso Salon at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues on the theme of "The Face of Time". A new concept is presented at the exhibition where time becomes secondary and where the movement becomes the main actor. The B-Side is cased in a Titanium case highlighting different movements with unique finishing. The collection of mechanical jewellery introduced in 2007 is growing up, as jewellery come alive through integrated watchmaker’s mechanism.
The brand is welcomed as new member of the “Fondation de la Haute

1989 Commissioned by Breguet to develop and launch production of its minute-repeater watches with perpetual calendar.

1991 Antoine Preziuso developed his first minute-repeater watch with perpetual calendar.

1996 Exhibited for the first time at Basel, with the Horological Academy of Independent Creators (A.H.C.I.).

2000 The workshop became a full-fledged company,

2002 Presentation at Basel of the largest collection of tourbillon watches: six watches in all including one sculpted in meteorite, a world-first that would become the symbol of Antoine Preziuso Genève.

2007 April, presentation of the first two models in the Fine Jewellery collection incorporating a complication watch mechanism.

Svend Andersen

Orbita Lunae
Worldtime 1884 18k yellow gold Limited edition 120pcs

Inventor and watchmaker Svend Andersen spent his formative years at the Danish School of Watchmaking, a school integrated into the Royal Technological Institute of Copenhagen. He was then apprenticed to a watchmaker in the city of Padborg for four years. In 1963, at the age of twenty-one, he went to Switzerland to learn more about the world's finest timepieces. His first job was with Swiss luxury jeweler Gubelin in Lucerne where he worked in after-sales service. Recognizing Andersen's talent for languages, the company sent him to Geneva in 1965 to help out in the store

In 1969 when Andersen presented a clock in a bottle on television that he had constructed after working hours. This project served its purpose, and Andersen was from then on known as the "watchmaker of the impossible," earning him a job on the Mount Olympus of watchmaking - in one of Patek Philippe's complication ateliers under the orders of Max Berney, the most famous maker of complicated watches with more than 45 years of experience with Patek Philippe.

In the year 1979, Andersen founded his own workshop in Geneva, notably working on his perpetual flyback. In 1989 Andersen created his first world time watch and christened it Communication. This was followed by the subscription series Communication 24, of which Prince Consort Henrik of Denmark wears number one.

In 1989 Andersen created the world's smallest calendar watch, a timepiece that was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records. The year 1993 saw the advent of Andersen's Perpetual 2000, as he puts it, "the only readable perpetual calendar on the market." The Mundus, a series of 24 numbered pieces from 1994, still counts as the thinnest automatic watch available (4.2 mm) and displays world time, various automata (some of them erotic), and some intricate designs based on vintage pocket and wristwatch movements incorporating every complication imaginable. During the same year, Andersen developed the Hebraika, a wristwatch displaying the Jewish calendar, together with Alain Silberstein. with the solar year. Allowing precious moments to be documented discretely is the domain of a watch created in 1998 appropriately named Montre a Tact. Here the time is not indicated on the dial, but changes in increments shown in a window placed between the strap lugs.The display drum surrounding the movement made winding by crown impossible, which is why Andersen moved the winding mechanism to the back of the case. He also used this same principle for his Montre avec Date Discrete where the drum features date divisions instead of hours. Due to the absence of a manual winding mechanism, the watch is supplied with a Scatola del Tempo watch winder. The case front, where the dial would normally be located, is available upon request with individual hand engraving. The Orbita Lunae model was introduced in 2002 in a limited edition of 31 pieces. Its blued, finely guilloche 22-karat gold dial turns over the course of a month causing the gold moon in the cut-away under 12 o'clock to always show the correct moon phase as would appear in one rotation of the moon around the earth. The hours and minutes are measured by the markers located on the dial's flange.

Vincent Calabrese

On the left, The Spatiales Symboliques , Spatiale Tourbillon right.Suspended in its sapphire case the time piece seems to be afloat

Vincent Calabrese's career first took off at the International Inventor's Show in Geneva in 1977, where he won the Gold Medal.

He has created exclusive timepieces for watchmaking houses such as Corum, Blancpain, Goldpfeil and Universal Geneve.

He co-founded the AHCI Horological Academy of Independent Creators in 1985 with Svend Anderson.That year, he also created his first Tourbillon wrist watch the Espirit.In 1988, he perfected his Spatiale watchmaking style, which allows him to create unique and personalised movements in any shape, such as the wearer's initials, symbols, animals, countries, etc. In 1989, Calabrese invented the miniature clock 'Two Hands', which associates the immobility of the pendulum with the mobility of the Tourbillon. He went on to create the Baladin, which provides a unique display that combines digital and numerical displays with a wandering jumping hour.In 1990, the Commedia was created, followed by the Mona Lisa in 1991. Other horological feats include the Regulator Tourbillon in 1997 as well as the first of his famous watches, the Golden Bridge.

When Jacques Piguet, who at the time was the owner of Frédéric Piguet SA and Blancpain SA, discovered this watch, he asked Vincent Calabrese to create a Tourbillon for Blancpain. This Tourbillon is one of the most beautiful watches ever made.

23 June 2008 – Blancpain SA, a company of The Swatch Group Ltd., is announcing that it acquired the company Vica Sàrl and, with this acquisition, the Vincent Calabrese brand.

AHCI -Academie Horologere Des Createurs Independants

The Horology Academy of Independent Watchmakers. The AHCI was started by founding fathers Vincent Calabrese and Svend Andersen in 1985 with the intent of preserving and encouraging the pure art and craft of mechanical watchmaking.

Carlo Ferrera

This company from Rome uses Modified ETA 2892 movement for their unusual looking timepieces that retails from EURO 3,000

Giuliano Mazzuoli Watches

After listing Dutch watchmakers, I will now try to catalougue some interesting watch brands from Italy

Manometro

Another brand that hails from Florence,Italy.Guliano Mazzuoli watches are imspired by the pressure gauge.This company started producing watches in 2004 with ETA mechanism

Steiner watches from Netherlands

The first Steiner watches were introduced to the Dutch market in 1980. The founder has since passed away and I belive his daughter continues running it
Below the price list from their website
STM39RG // Pink Gold 39 mm [€ 10.000]

STM42RG // Pink Gold 42 mm [€ 10.500]

STM39WG // White Gold 39 mm [€ 10.500]

STM42WG // White Gold 42 mm [€ 11.000]

STM39ST // Stainless steel 39 mm [€ 4.500]

STM42ST // Stainless steel 42 mm [€ 4.750]

STM42BO // Blackout 42 mm [€ 5.950]

Van Der Gang Watches

A moonphase powered by a Valjoux 7753 movement

This company started in 1990 producing watches using ETA and Valjoux movements. In 2010 it will unveil its own in house movement

Gronefeld watches

Grönefeld GTM, a Tourbillon Minute Repeater, maybe one of the most coveted and luxurious timepieces ever built, was created by the Grönefeld brothers after four years of development and research following extensive trainings in Switzerland.
in a limited edition of only 10 gold models (325,000 €) and another 10 platinum pieces (385,000 €).

Its history began in 1912 in the town of Oldenzaal, Netherlands.The family heritage that started with Joseph Gronefeld is continued

Van Der Klaauw Watches

The Dutch contribution to the horology dates back to Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695) whomade the first pendulum clock in 1656 and developed the balance wheel and spring assembly in 1675. Since 1974 there has been a revival in the Dutch Horology scene.
Far away from the hectic life in Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the most northern province of Friesland,Christiaan van der Klaauw began creating his exceptional clocks in 1974 in a little town called Joure. A combination of timeless design, craftsmanship and a predilection for astronomy are the trademarks of his remarkable work. After becoming a member of the Swiss founded Horological Academy of Independent Creators, he presented his astronomical table clock as his masterpiece at the world’s biggest Horological Fair at Basel 1990. There he established his name among the top known clockmakers. The successor to this table clock was the "Pendule Variable", with which he won a gold medal for the most innovative design at Basel 1992. He now concentrates exclusively on the development of high quality watches. Especially his astronomical watches created quite a stir.

The Ariadne us definitely one of thre more affordable moonphase watches. Price US$5000
Features include day, date, month, moon phases and an indication of AM/PM through a 24 hour small clock at 9. Three register chronograph. The day indicator is in English.




The Christiaan van der Klaauw Planetarium in rose gold.

The watch features date and month displays, along with the heliocentric revolution of the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn! Sapphire crystals on both sides of the watch reveal the dial and movement workmanship. Christiaan himself paints the planet rings and orbits in his workshop, as well as produces all of the individual parts, gears and screws that comprise the planetary complication.

Massive 18K rose gold case. The rotor is made in solid gold, and both the rotor and the movement are completely engraved and decorated by hand by master engraver Jochen Benzinger in Germany.

Maurice Lacroix

Managed to rush down to JW watch to buy the Maurice Lacriox for Sing $1850

Dupey and Schaldenbrand

Martel

Reprising its famous Carré Cambré or "Cushion" shape so popular in the 1920's, this particular model was limited to 100 pieces only. Typical of the Art Nouveau motifs, its guilloché dial features the delicate "fritillary" (Fritillaria Meleagris), an almost extinct flower that can only be found in the Vallée des Ponts-de-Martel.
Based on the hand-wound AS Schild movement, caliber 1216, which was in production in the 1920's, the case is in .925 sterling silver with Palladium plating to avoid tarnishing. 17 jewels, sub seconds at 6 o'clock, sapphire crystal, water resistant to 30 meters.

Dupey and schaldenbrand

Carré Cambré Doctor

Long before the chronograph became synonymous with sports timing, it was primarily used for specialized industrial work, the military, and the world of medicine. Extra scales on the dial provided for precise measurements of certain periods of time.
In this particular limited edition, Dubey & Schaldenbrand present a typical mono pusher chronograph of the first generation with a pulsometer scale as used in the past by the medical profession for simplified pulse taking. Unique is the fact that the mono pusher was placed on the left of the case. The movement used in the "Doctor" is a manual wind, modified Valjoux Caliber 23 from 1916. Available in 18K Rose Gold, it is limited to 25 pieces only.



This brand was founded in 1946 and is headed by a woman watchmaker.Based in the Neuchâtel mountains and great-granddaughter of renowned watchmaker Meylan-Lecoultre, Cinette Robert presides over this brand

Independant- Armin Strom

The new in house movement ARM 09. The plan is to manufacture 1000 pieces per year
Armin by Armin Strom Regulator Earth Retail price- $18,000 ARMIN STROM calibre ASR07
hand-winding movement with out of centre indications and retrograde date. 24 jewels power reserve of 46 hours

Armin Strom

Armin Strom Blue Chip Automatic- Retail price $7,900
Movement

Calibre: ASB11, self-winding movement
Jewels: 24
Power reserve: 46 hours
Case: Polished stainless steel with guilloched cuts on side Sapphire crystal and case back with anti-reflective treatment
Dimensions: Diameter 46.5mm
Total height: 15.9mm
Water resistance: 50m


Armin Strom Blue Chip Skeleton Retail price-$38,000

Armin Strom has skeletonised watches by hand over 200 pieces over the last 30 years.Founded in 2006, Armin Strom SA is based in the watch-making center of Biel. The main investor is the well-known Burgdorf industrialist, Willy Michel.They have developed a concept that plays with the four elements: water, air, earth and fire. In 2008, the Regulator model was the first watch to be based on this concept. In 2009they moved to the new facilities and opened a real manufacture.The presentation of the own calibre, the ARM09, was in 2009.The company is split into two different brands, Armin Strom and ARMIN by Armin Strom. The first, bearing the name of the master skeletonizer, focuses on that very feat. Each movement is hand skeletonized by the company's team of expertly trained watch-makers.

Villemont -The first casualty of the financial crisis

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) Sep 25th 2007 at 4:02PM
Recently the news was abuzz with pictures of Lewis Gordon Pugh swimming at the North Pole in temperatures of - 1.8°C. To celebrate this unique accomplishment, Villemont, which acted as timekeeper for the challenge, has produced a limited edition of watches to mark the occasion. The company will be donating a proportion of the proceeds from the sale of watches to support WWF's fight against global warming, and in particular, their mission to save these polar regions. The "Arctic Explorer Limited Edition Lewis Pugh is an automatic chronograph and was the model that accompanied Lewis Gordon Pugh throughout his voyage to the North Pole. Th watch is limited to only 50 pieces and has the Solar Navigator®navigation system that allows easy orientation based on the position of the sun and shade. All 50 watches traveled to the North Pole and function well after withstanding the extreme temperatures. The watch has British racing green straps and around the dial and cost $9,900.




Les Heures du Monde® is the latest model of this collection. Limited to 88 pieces, this timepiece renovates the concept of the world timer by allowing its owner to read the time simultaneously in 24 different time zones. For Les Heures du Monde® VILLEMONT has developed its first in-house movement. The hour is read on a 12-hour scale and a day/night indication placed both next to each city and on the main bridge allows the watch wearer to know what time it is back home whilst travelling abroad.

AESTHETICAL REFINEMENT
This self-winding mechanical movement is decorated with the utmost care by the best artisans. Through their meticulous work, they embellished the movement with a modern touch, unique to VILLEMONT. The movement was developed and conceived in-house with the aim of combining the technical majesty of a complication with the aesthetical beauty of its decoration. As we all know, the movement decoration has to respect the functionality of each component in order to guarantee its performance. The VILLEMONT bridges, designed and decorated in full creative freedom, are an example of the perfect alliance between a traditional technique and an innovative design. Each component benefits from the greatest care so that the movement is not just the result of technical expertise but also a work of art visible from both sides through a sapphire dial and case-back. On the dial, we can see the plate guillochée with the « Clou de VILLEMONT®» motif. The 24-hour bridge is sand-blasted and features a local day/night indication in the shape of a V, a reminder of the brand name. The central date hand is blued so that it is easily distinguished from the hour and minute hands. On the back, the watch wearer will be fascinated by the refinement of its decoration. The bottom plate is circular-grained, the barrel-bar, the automatic-bar and the balance-cock are sand-blasted and meridians have been engraved; nothing is left to chance. The final touch is given by the personalized rotor, sand-blasted with a « globe » applique, a reminder of the travel theme of this exceptional timepiece.

VILLEMONT's case is in 18 carats red gold (5N), a sophisticated and masculine material which confers a strong and noble character to the piece. It is presented on a brown or olive green alligator strap with an 18 carat red gold triple deployant buckle.

AN INGENIOUS MOVEMENT
This new model of the Esprit des Artisans® collection presents a world-timer whose readability has been improved thanks to numerous technical innovations. VILLEMONT is proud to unveil its first in-house movement, designed and conceived by our technical department to improve the readability of the world-timer. As a matter of fact, VILLEMONT went beyond the mere introduction of yet another world-timer but sought to bring its contribution and personal touch to the comfort of the contemporary traveller. First, this timepiece is equipped with a bi-directional city disc, a premiere in the domain of world-timers. This device also allows a fast and simple correction of the time zone. Second, the movement is fitted with a date that changes automatically when moving from a time zone to another on a different date line. Thirdly, this timepiece is equipped with a main day/night indication which acts as local reference for the traveller as well as an individual day/night indication for each time zone on the city disc. This allows the watch owner to read the time in each time zone and know if it is am or pm. Indeed, it is sometimes confusing to know if it is morning or evening on the other side of the planet. Lastly, this timepiece shows the extent to which VILLEMONT has pushed precision as well as its desire to conceive useful complications for everyday life. The symbol "_s", which follows the cities observing Daylight Saving Time indicates precisely what time it is, even in the cities that do not observe this change. The fact that when it is winter in the Northern hemisphere, it is summer in the Southern hemisphere and that some countries do not use Daylight Saving Time, has been causing some confusion on most world-timers; hence VILLEMONT decided to add this feature to its Heures du Monde®.

A USER-FRIENDLY TIMEPIECE
All the above mentioned features improve the convenience of the frequent traveller who wishes to know exactly what time it is back home. This is also the ideal timepiece for all those who want to remain in touch with to the rest of the world and who find it useful to know instantly what time it is in Hong Kong, Rio, New York or Dubai. This user-friendly watch offers a number of possible operations. The push-buttons on each side of the crown move the time forwards or backwards according to the direction in which one travels. The UTC+ push-button (Universal Time Coordinated), placed over the crown is used when travelling eastward in that it moves the time forward. When travelling westward, the UTC-pushbutton underneath the crown should be used. This complex system is made user-friendly by the bidirectional city disc, developed by VILLEMONT and unique to this brand. This device also allows the automatic correction of the date. Actually, by using the UTC+ or the UTC-push-buttons, the date automatically follows the change of time zone. The co-axial crown allows setting the time when the watch has not been worn for a while and has stopped and its integrated push-button allows setting the date. With a power reserve of 100 hours, this mechanical movement shows once again VILLEMONT's desire to be within the circle of the distinguished Houses of Haute Horlogerie.

VILLEMONT offers the possibility to its clients to personalize their timepiece by allowing them to select the city of their choice for each time zone. These exclusive pieces will feature the indication "unique piece", hence transforming a work of art into a collector's piece.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Calibre: VM 100, self-winding mechanical movement with twin-barrel system. "Colimaçon"-decorated ratchets, circular graining bottom plate, on the bridge side. "Colimaçon"-decorated & sand blasted barrel-bar, balance cock with circular satin-finish (meridians). Personalized and sand blasted rotor with a polished and sand-blasted applied globe. 18K 5N red gold screws. Incabloc shock-protection device.
Functions: Hour, minute, second, date by hand, day/night indication of the local hour, city disc with the 24 cities/time zones with individual day/night indication.
Movement diameter: 17 lines, jewels: 44 rubies, frequency: 28'800 vibrations/hour, power reserve: 100 hours
Case: 18K 5N red gold, Ø 46 mm, glare proof sapphire, see-through sapphire caseback.
Dial: Central aperture in glare proof sapphire, allowing to see the bottom plate decorated with "Clou de VILLEMONT®" guilloché pattern. Satin-finished twenty-four hours bridge with day/night indication. Luminescent hours and minutes hands. Blued date hand in the centre.
Water resistance: Up to 30 m (approx. 99 feet)
Strap and buckle: Brown-toned or olive-green alligator leather strap with 18K 5N red gold triple deployant buckle.

Villemont Geneve Watches Sadly Goes Belly-Up

Watch maker Villemont Geneve recently filed for bankruptcy after the boutique brand declared it was insolvent. After closing its doors, the brand made no mention of being purchased or saved, though their website is still operational. This comes as sad news as the weakening economy is beginning to have a serious effect on watch makers, especially those with a low volume output. Villemont produced only 311 watches last year, with a volume around that amount on average each year. The company employed just over a dozen employees.

When a watch maker sells only a small amount of watches each, it relies on a good deal of profit from each watch. A large dip in sales from a company with already slim distribution can spell disaster. Larger companies with higher volume and wider distribution are not immune from the economic situation, but can hold on much better.

In stronger economic times, boutique brands with niche products offer wonderful variety to the watch industry. The current economic situation will likely spell disaster for many unique brands just like Villemont, and larger companies may be less likely to offer experimental or overly avant garde watch designs until the economy improves.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Villemont- write up from Europa Star

ASTON R ALARM
18 carat pink gold case (43 mm) equipped with a VM 105 Calibre self-winding movement, circular graining decoration, bidirectional oscillating weight decorated with Côtes de Genève pattern. Ebony-toned 18 carat gold dial with ‘Clou de Villemont®’ guilloché, hours, minutes, seconds functions, date calendar at 12 o’clock, GMT at 6 o’clock, central small seconds. 42-hour power reserve, sapphire crystal front and back, black alligator strap with gold buckle, water-resistant to 30 metres.



ASTON R
18 carat white gold case (43 mm) equipped with a VM 101 Calibre self-winding movement, circular graining decoration, bidirectional oscillating weight decorated with Côtes de Genève pattern. Ebony-toned 18 carat gold dial with ‘Clou de Villemont®’ guilloché, hours, minutes, seconds functions, date calendar at 3 o’clock, dual time at 6 o’clock, small seconds at 9 o’clock, 30-minutes sub-dial at 12 o’clock. 42-hour power reserve, sapphire crystal front and back, black alligator strap with gold buckle, water-resistant to 30 metres



May 31, 2005
By D. Malcolm Lakin

After much brainstorming, Oliver Müller, the founder and President of this very new and exciting brand decided that the Villemont name perfectly evoked what he was trying to do in watchmaking … classical looks with a contemporary interpretation, traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques and viable and functional complications that are also aesthetically pleasing. In short, Villemont is a stylish new brand that is totally coherent in both concept and appearance.

V for Villemont
The V of Villemont is a part of the brand’s logo, but it is also incorporated into design features on the crown of the watches and the buckle and shaping of the straps. However, the definitive innovation is to be found on the dial as a guilloché V-shaped pattern that has been specially created and also patented: it’s called the Clou de Villemont®.
Having worked with such leading names as Omega, Metalor and Chopard, Müller has an insider’s knowledge of the watch industry and from the outset his objective has been to create a stylish brand with its own identity that incorporates perfection in each and every component. For example, the various coloured gold cases are superbly crafted and although they have a classical feel about them, creative thought and workmanship has imbued them with contrasting finishes and refined crowns and pushbuttons. The dials, which are also in gold, have a galvanic colouring (silver, ebony, slate-grey or cognac), appliqué numerals and indices and the exquisite V-shaped Clou de Villemont guilloché – even the ladies’ watches with their mother-of-pearl dials bear an engraved version of the Clou de Villemont pattern.

The Collections
There are three basic collections: the Aston R - round watches, the Aston T - tonneau-shaped and the Lady V collection. Aston R comes in two sizes, 39 mm and 43 mm. The smaller sized watch indicates hours, minutes and seconds with a Big Date window at 3 o’clock. The standard-bearer in the larger size is the GMT Alarm that features a double time zone, a date indicator and an interesting strike mechanism. Other complications are a Dual Time with date and small seconds and a Split-Seconds Chronograph, activated by a coaxial crown, with a power reserve indicator.
Aston T is also in two sizes: 46 x 32 mm and 51 x 35.5 mm. With the exception of the GMT Alarm mechanism, the tonneau-shaped watches offer the same complications as the Aston R.
The watches in both these collections are equipped with a self-winding mechanical movement and have a sapphire crystal caseback with Côtes de Genève decoration on the oscillating weight and fine circular-graining on the bridges and bars.
The Lady V collection comes in two tonneau sizes – 33 x 25 mm and 42 x 33 mm – and are not simply scaled-down versions of the men’s models, but specially designed, refined feminine creations. Again, extensive design work was undertaken to ensure that Lady V was different from any other watch on the market. The dials are in white, pink or grey mother-of-pearl with a finely engraved V motif and the jewellery versions are set with diamonds or coloured sapphires in an original manner. The self-winding movement in this collection come with a diamond-set oscillating weight and a sapphire crystal caseback. A quartz movement is also available. Prices start at around 17,000 Swiss francs and increase to 45,000 for the gem-set watches.

Distribution
Oliver Müller has no illusions about the development of his brand. He anticipates producing between 700 and 1,000 watches a year over the first three years and his distribution objective is to have 100 to 150 quality points-of-sale around the world. Initially, his priorities will be limited to just three outlets in Switzerland and the development of the Middle East and Russia, but sees difficulty for a small independent about opening up the Asian countries.
Given the fine workmanship and the attention to detail combined with the coherent concept of producing only practical complications, Villemont watches may well have developed its own high quality niche.


Source: April-May 2005 Issue