Haute Horlogerie – The Art of Watchmaking

If there is only one fashionable item that men seem to fawn over in fashion, it is a fine watch. The fascination and admiration of fine watches run in my family, where one uncle is so enamoured by fine watches that he wears a different one every day of the week, each costing well over thousands of dollars.

A couple of weeks ago, my boyfriend and I browsed through La Swiss, a fine watch store on Ste-Catherine, in search of a skeleton watch (the kind were you can see all the moving mechanism). The nice salesman showed the only model they had at time, and as nice as it was, it had a whopping $14,000 price tag. The staggering price had my head swirling with questions.

If women can drop thousands on an Hermès Birkin bag without batting an eyelash, then its equivalent for men would probably be a Jaeger LeCoultre watch.

Both luxury items revolve around the same principle though: le métier d’art.

In other words, fine watches and Hermès handbags are both handmade by their makers from start to finish. In fine watches, the art of watchmaking is a complicated process, a field that I was interested in knowing more about.

So what is it exactly that have men going delirious for moving mechanical parts that tell time?

I had the opportunity to contact Dominique Fléchon, Director of the Centre d’études et de Recherches from Fondation de Haute Horlogerie, based in Geneva, Switzerland. Haute Horlogerie focuses on bringing awareness for fine watch enthusiasts by publishing monthly online, one of the first sites dedicated to fine watches.

For those of us not very familiar with watches, what are some pointers one should look out for when judging the quality of the watch.

The number of jewels, the finish and the aesthetics of the movement and the case are all good pointers.

Is price a telling way of quality?
Not necessarily, although price often reflects quality.

What are “complications” and how does that influence the price of a watch?

A “complication” is any function in a watch other than to give the hours, minutes and seconds. Complication watches inhabit a fascinating, and prolific, world in which generations of craftsmen demonstrate the full extent of their ingenuity and creativity. — (From their website)

The more complicated a watch, the more parts it has, hence the higher the price.

Tour de L'Ile, by Vacheron Constantin in 2005, is one of the most complicated double face watches in the world, consisting of 834 parts, and worth about $1.5 million.

The recession has recently reported a drop in the jewelry and watch industry as people are scaling back on splurging on luxury items, do you think that the watch industry is shrinking?
Luxury has gone from a “look at me” attitude to something far more subtle. Brands are now concentrating on creativity and inventiveness. They respect their DNA and authentic values.

As a client, would it be wiser to buy a metal strap or a leather strap if I’m seeking a durable wrist material?

The strap is part of the overall design of the watch.  Its colour and material are therefore chosen accordingly. Of course, nothing prevents a person from wearing a different strap to the original, although this may detract from the style of the watch.

(Haute Horlogerie has a nice concise page about the different straps you can find)

Has watchmaking evolved since its inception? What are the things that have been improved upon making watches (methods, material, teaching, etc)?
The measurement of time began when a bell was rung to call monks to prayer. It has evolved considerably since then, as methods, materials and training continue to improve. You’ll find explanations of this progress in our online Encyclopaedia.

Are Swiss watches the best watches? If not, what exactly gave Switzerland this title of being the Mecca of watches?
Switzerland, Germany and Seiko in Japan produce quality mechanical watches. Watchmaking developed extensively in Switzerland with the advent of Protestantism in Geneva, in the 16th century. Jewellery, a form of ostentation, was forbidden whereas watches, because they serve a practical purpose, were not considered as adornment. This sparked growing demand for watches while watchmakers in turn perfected their art.

Which are the best watchmaking schools today, if one were to be interested in studying it?

WOSTEP (Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program) assesses schools then draws up a list of approved courses worldwide.

(This little video makes watchmakers look like refined surgeons, everything is really minuscule!)

How long does it take for a watchmaker to make a typical mechanical watch? What if it was more complicated?
From design to production, a watch takes around four years to complete. Ultra-complicated watches can take longer.

Cartier's Tank in 1919 is an enduring classic fine watch

In your opinion, are fashion designer watches truly luxury watches or are they simply trying to look the part?
Fashion designers can also produce quality watches when they work with leading movement manufacturers. However, because they are more concerned with the watch’s design, not all fashion brand watches qualify as Fine Watches.

What are some of your favorite iconic watches and are they still available for purchase today?
The Oyster, Reverso, Tank and Calatrava are all examples of iconic watches. You can read about legendary models here.

The art of watchmaking is said to be a dying artform, do you believe in this? Why?

This certainly isn’t my view. There are more outstanding watchmakers and creators today than ever before. R&D draws on sophisticated resources and new high-performance materials have been developed.

Many of those who find quartz watches accurate beyond their needs prefer a mechanical watch which combines beauty with function.

Thus my interview concludes, though the world of watch making is such a huge place that it would be impossible for me to cover in one post. I highly suggest you visit Haute Horlogerie‘s website to learn more. The cult following fine watches have earned among enthusiasts is rightfully justified. Watchmaking is indeed a true sign of luxury.

I’d like to express my thanks to Fondation de la Haute Horlorgerie for answering my questions and especially to Yannick Emery and Dominique Fléchon for taking the time to reply to my inquisitive emails.

All images are courtesy and copyrighted to Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie.