For most people, watches are synonymous with Switzerland, like chocolate and private banking. For those in the know, we can add watch-manufacturing countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom to the mix. Look a little deeper, however, and there are horological talents in the most surprising of places.
Pirro, Albania
One of my most recent discoveries is Pirro from Albania. This 64-year-old mechanical engineer, jeweler, and self-taught watchmaker from Tirana fell in love with watchmaking after discovering the independent watchmakers at the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI) at BaselWorld many years ago. After five years of development, he is now unveiling his inaugural timepiece called the Primordial Passion. This one-of-a-kind timepiece features 12 miniature gold folk dancers on a mosaic dial. The dancers represent 12 different regions and dances from Albania and together they are made up of over 300 individual components. If that doesn’t blow your socks off, over 25,000 mosaic pieces need to be cut to provide the final 1,500 mosaic tiles for the dance floor! There has been no skimping on the movement either as it has been made by Agenhor…well, there is no harm in a little Swissness after all!
Ressence, Belgium
Not only is Ressence not from Switzerland, but it has also made a point of reinventing the traditional Swiss watch. Founded in Belgium in 2010 by industrial designer Benôit Mintiens, the brand’s timepieces are like nothing else on the market today. Take the TYPE 3, for example, filled with 3.57 ml of oil for an entirely new kind of dial experience. All the indications are flush with the crystal, creating maximum legibility from all angles without any refraction or distortion. The philosophy “less is more” is at the heart of all their creations as anything superfluous has been removed as you can discover in our Watchfinder.
Studio Sarapaneva, Finland
Finland is a little haven of watchmaking talent thanks to its little watch school (it only takes 15 students per year) founded in Lahti in 1944. Famous alumni include Kari Voutilainen, who now practices his craft on the top of a Swiss mountain, and Stepan Sarapaneva, who worked for a number of famous Swiss watchmakers before returning to his native Helsinki. Born into a family of artisans, Sarapaneva has a very distinctive style that is very playful with his recognizable scalloped case design, large moons, and colourful use of luminescence.
Itay Noy, Israel
I have been admiring Itay Noy’s work ever since we first connected on Instagram back in 2017. We then met at BaselWorld and I was blown away by his unique vision of watchmaking. Since then, he has gone on to create a whole range of timepieces, all offering a new take on the classic complications. Two of my favourites are the Time Tone and the Full Month. The Time Tone has replaced the hour hand with 12 different tones of a single colour which rotate every 12 hours and allow the client to decide which tone indicates which hour. The Full Month Moon gives a new way of visualizing the moon. Instead of a single window, the phases of the moon appear in a circle around the dial. Below, is his latest creation, Time Quarters.
Ming, Malaysia
Founded by Ming Thein and a group of watch enthusiasts in 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Ming watches are immediately recognizable thanks to the way they play with light, colour and form. Today, the brand’s design, engineering, and quality control takes place in Malaysia, while the production and assembly are handled in Switzerland’s La Chaux-de-Fonds. The brand has quickly established itself as a respected independent watchmaker, something that was also recognized by the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) when the jury awarded Ming’s 17.06 Copper model the prize for Horological Revelation in 2019.
This list is just a snapshot of the watchmaking talents that can be found around the world, proving that watchmakers don’t need to be nestled in the Vallée de Joux, La Chaux-de-Fonds, or Plan-les-Ouates to make their mark on the watch world. Being away from Switzerland could well be a bonus when it comes to finding one’s own unique style.
