FeatureWatchmaking Brands That Truly Enjoy The Feeling Of Independence

When it comes to fine timekeeping, there’s certainly more to watches than them being devices that tell time. “In today’s world, you don’t really need a watch, right?” says Guy Bove, the creative director of Breitling. “You have the time everywhere. If you’re buying a watch, you’ve decided to invest in one.” And when you invest in a high-end watch, you’re buying into the craft of watchmaking, which is, on the one hand, about engineering and technical finesse, but on the other, a work of art as well. Watchmakers and craftsmen tell stories through the products they make, beyond the time that they tell. There is an expression of creativity, which demands a certain amount of freedom. And the companies that enjoy the kind of freedom to truly express their creativity are those that are free in more ways than one. A case can be made for brands from the large watch groups that present innovation after ground-breaking innovation, such as Breguet from the Swatch Group, Vacheron Constantin from Richemont and TAG Heuer from LVMH. They do excel with their work in fine timekeeping, which moves the craft along and drives advancement in the field. However, it’s the smaller companies working independently that can truly exercise the freedom in every way they want, to do exactly what they wish to.

Resistance Against Conformity

Much like independent cinema that isn’t driven by marketability and box office success, independent watch brands are more about the art of watchmaking than they are about the bottom-line sales. These are brands that have either made the conscious decision to stay independent from groups that may have wanted to acquire them, or are family-owned enterprises who have decided to keep things in the family. Holstein-based Oris is an example of the former. “In Oris’ initial years, the brand developed up to 275 in-house calibres, and that was the key for this company to really grow,” explains Ulrich Herzog, the brand’s chairman. Oris was, however, acquired by ASUAG, which would later become the Swatch Group. The Group’s priorities, unfortunately, didn’t align with the brand’s objective to be all about mechanical timekeeping. “In 1982, we bought the company back from Swatch Group, and after a period during which we worked with ETA and Sellita movements, we eventually did get back to making our own calibres as well,” adds Herzog.

For Oris, it was more important to uphold their watchmaking ideology, and till date, they are all about mechanical timekeeping that offers practical value. The value they have for their freedom actually extends beyond that, which is best explained by their tagline, ‘Go your own way’. “It means we have definitely got our own identity, our own way of doing things. Being independent is a very important part of this. We don’t follow others; we go our own way,” declares Herzog. “Even from a financial point of view, we go our own way, in that we are not part of any group, or in debt. We are independent.”

Family First

Making products they believe in, which represent them is what many of these independent brands hold dear. Raymond Weil is among those that take great pride in displaying their technical know-how and their values through their watches. “The RW1212 Skeleton is my favourite 2018 piece because it’s all about what we are as a brand,” states the brand’s president, Olivier Bernheim, talking about the new watch that houses their in-house calibre RW1212. “Raymond Weil is a family-owned business, with 40 years in the industry, with the full ability to manufacture even watches with complications, and at affordable prices. In this watch, you see everything about us. You instantly see who we are.” Bernheim is the son-in-law of the late Raymond Weil. Bernheim’s son, Elie is currently the company’s CEO. It’s quite clear that as the company goes down generations, they seem to be determined to keep it in the family.

The same can be said even for manufacturers such as Graham. “The brand is private and it will stay private, as long as I can keep it private myself,” announces Eric Loth, Graham’s founder and CEO. “Once the kids take over, it’s their decision, but I’d like it to be in the family.” Loth, in fact even values the independence he achieved by splitting away from his business partners, with whom it was getting difficult to create products he truly believed in. “I was a minority. I was not controlling the brand myself. It was a fight between all the owners. It’s not just a brand of products that can be sold quickly to quickly make money, which is what the partners wanted. But eventually, in 2011, I could make this my brand.” The pressure to make products that sell is immense, but Loth stood his ground. “I wanted to make a real brand that would stand the test of time; maybe not for even my kids, but for my grandchildren. For this, you need to be modest and humble and be patient. It takes years to build a brand,” he explains. “No brand like Patek Philippe was built in just 10 years.”

Freedom To Create

Since Loth gained control though, there have been some good offers from groups. “Even the best brands get sold, and they lose themselves a little bit,” he opines. “The owners themselves are disappearing within the groups. Everything is becoming rational, controlled and regulated as businesses for them. We can predict what brands from big groups are going to do. They’re being very calculated and conservative.” The advantage that presents for the independent brands is the room for them to really innovate with the craft, without following trends and taking the obvious next steps. Freedom with innovation and not towing the company’s line are among the reasons why certain brands have seen great success with their offerings. Carl F. Bucherer, for instance, received tremendous acclaim for their innovation with the peripheral winding rotor that powers their Manero Peripheral collection. This year, they took that even further, with the peripheral mounting of a ‘floating’ tourbillon in the Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral. Despite this, there is a structure in the way they work. “When there’s a new concept, everybody in our brand works very openly,” says Kurt Allemann, Carl F. Bucherer’s executive vice president for product development. “Ideas are explored and we discuss whether it’s within the brand’s guidelines. We are open to new and innovative ideas, but we streamline them to stay true to the brand.”

Independent Innovation Meets Freedom Of Expression

Not without goals, the independent brands do aim towards excellence, even as they explore creativity with innovation in the craft. “We always try to invent. Our objective is to have one patent per year like we have done with our diver’s watches,” says Herzog of Oris. “We want to be innovative, but not copy others.” Exemplifying individuality that makes its mark not just with technical brilliance, but also with strong design principles is Nomos Glashütte. The independent German watchmakers have excelled with game-changing technical innovations such as their signature Swing System escapement, even as they have consistently been using only in-house movements since 2005. Additionally, they don’t source any components from outside the company, which gives them an additional edge of independence. All the while following their unique design philosophy—heavily informed by the Bauhaus school of art—they stay contemporary and relevant. “Usually we work with mood boards, and we collect pictures from different aspects of everyday life, of art, of interior design and fashion, but most important is art,” informs Judith Borowski, their chief branding officer. “I think it’s important for us to be in cafés, galleries and museums, and to watch people, in the tube even, to see what’s on the street and to get a feel of things that are emerging.”

It’s this kind of freedom that these independent brands really cherish. They enjoy the freedom to not just do what they believe in, but also to create products that offer them a chance to express themselves through their craft. And what can be more important than that? Freedom of expression is, after all, the most basic and fundamental type of freedom that everyone should have.