3 Indie Watchmaking Collaborations I Wish Existed & Why

Today, collaborations have gone to the next level across all industries. Everything from the absolutely impossible (McDonalds x Burger King) to the absolutely improbable (Nike x Chanel) have become smashing successes. In independent watchmaking, we too have seen recent creative collaborations like Urwerk x De Bethune at Only Watch 2019, MB&F x H. Moser & Cie, or Louis Erard x Vianney Halter become all major hits amongst enthusiasts and collectors.

Urwerk x De Bethune at Only Watch 2019 Design Drawing (Image Credits: Urwerk & De Bethune)

This general trend for more creative collaborations alongside some of our recent discussions on design with Jean-Francois Mojon has me thinking a lot about the collaborations I wish existed in independent watchmaking.

Before jumping into the three collaborations I’d love to see and why, I want to be clear that collaboration is far from a “new” thing in independent watchmaking. It’s become a bit of a modern spectacle, especially in the form of collaboration where two brands come together to produce offspring with shared design genes from each collab partner. A much more traditional and storied form of collaboration in the watch industry is component supply, and the likes of Kari Voutilainen and Habring2 continue to support fellow indies with components. That style of collaboration might not be as much of a spectacle, but it is the backbone of fine watchmaking without doubt.

So without further ado, let’s jump directly into three collaborations I’d love to see and why.

(1) Ludwig Oechslin (Ochs & Junior + MIH Watch) x Kari Voutilainen

(Image Credits: Ochs & Junior & Esperluxe)

Ludwig Oechslin is a master at distilling complexity into its simplest parts. Kari Voutilainen is a master at making complexity elegant. It would be spectacular to see if both watchmakers could figure out a way to streamline the mechanical design of a high complication while packaging it in Kari’s “look.” A decimal repeater with 20 components, now that’s what I’m talking about. After conquering the annual and perpetual calendar complications, there aren’t many high complications left for Oechslin to streamline.

And with Kari coming off his recent collaboration with Schwarz Etienne, we already know that he’s ventured into lower price points. So far though, this has been exclusively for his design touch. He’s yet to off any high complications under a ~$100,000 price point.

(2) Romain Gauthier x Akrivia

(Image Credits: Swiss Watch Gang & Esperluxe)

It might not be obvious at first glance, but both Akrivia and Romain Gauthier share a lot of the same ethos. Though they come at it from different angles. Romain, a master of high-tech, micro-mechanical engineering and production, might use methods not found in Rexhep’s workshop, but he and Rexhep are working at the intersection of the horological past and future.

Rexhep has turned to a more classical look and feel recently with the Chronometre Contemporain, but the original AK series aren’t really traditional nor conservative timepieces, much like Romain Gauthier’s work. An AK with a fusee chain, or a push-button for winding, or inversely, a Logical One with a different case and hand-hammer dial.

(3) Ludovic Ballouard x Konstantin Chaykin

(Image Credits: Ludovic Ballouard & Swiss Watch Gang)

Though Ludovic Ballouard and Konstantin Chaykin might be an unusual pairing, I’ve always had the view that both share a similar élan vital in their approach to watchmaking. That is to say, both watchmakers are creative thinkers and seem uncomfortable with the idea that there are no new complications for the future of watchmaking. The Upside-Down as well as Chaykin’s Cinema are both examples of complicated timepieces that fall well outside the scope of traditional complication design and execution. Why? Because their complications are not limited to the traditional functional thinking of complication development - the chronograph for doctors or lap-timing, the minute repeater for poor lighting conditions.

The overlap, or collaborative potential of Ludovic Ballaourd and Konstantin Chaykin, is that neither is trapped in the prison of functional, everyday thinking. The Upside-Down and the Cinema have nothing to do with everyday, functional application - they both appeal to high philosophy justification. In the case of the Upside-Down, it’s living in the present, obscuring the mind’s ability to read the time ahead in the future or behind in the past. Two genuinely philosophical thinkers in the watchmaking, I’d love to see what they could produce together. And if not, I’d at least love to hear them chat about life, business, watchmaking.

I hope these examples shed some light on the fact that successful collaborations are a function of both the material and immaterial, tangible design elements and intangible cultural linkage. Each party needs a recognizable, distinct material element, whether it’s the case shape, dial layout, movement architecture, or all of the above. Something needs to clearly communicate this is X watchmaker/brand. As is the case with Urwerk x De Bethune, the satellite hour hand and floating lug system are immediately identifiable as distinctly Urwerk and distinctly De Bethune.

Urwerk x De Bethune at Only Watch 2019 (Image Credits: Urwerk & De Bethune)

And there’s an extremely important immaterial component as well. There needs to be an almost metaphysical fit between collaborating parties, something cohesive beyond the mere material look. Urwerk x MB&F’s C3H5N3o9 project works exceptionally well because both brands are fundamentally interested in pushing the limits of horology with space-age aesthetics. It feels “genuine” because, at the very least, it is from the perspective of shared horological mission.

Now, there is a conversation to be had elsewhere about the relationship between collaborations and gimmicks. This isn’t merely a debate in watchmaking either; it crosses the full spectrum of commodities and art. Regardless though, the impact of more interesting, creative collaborations is that it reaffirms that modern independent watchmaking is in a golden age of creativity.

As more interesting collaborations continue to spring up in watchmaking, the impact on the watch community will be massive. Not only as a mere driver of rarity and hype, it will re-affirm that horology today is in a golden age for creativity.