The Singular Talent Reviving The Parisian Watchmaking Scene
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The Indie Insider is our column dedicated to exploring the vast world of independent watchmaking through the eyes of Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo. Expect in-depth coverage of the latest and greatest watchmakers and releases to enter the scene, as well as detailed analysis on all your favorite familiar names.
– By Arthur Touchot; images by author unless noted
The first independent watchmaker I ever profiled was a Frenchman.
I was a young journalist working for the International New York Times in Paris, and my editor had spotted my interest in watchmaking. Thrilled, I imagined free tickets to Switzerland, factory tours, and interviews with master artisans. But reality tempered my excitement: contacting brands to arrange such trips was strictly against the INYT's ethical code.
And that's when I found Jean-Baptiste Viot.
Viot lived in Paris. After spending a few years in Switzerland, he had moved back to the French capital and in 2008, had started his own Chronometer series, based on a Peseux 260. It was one of the very few high-end watches that one could proudly say was "Made in France" by hand, and a few watch collectors had started whispering his name in my ear.
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Unfortunately for me, Viot had only timidly advanced on the production of his watches and was in between two pieces when I met him, in his home in Paris — so there wasn't much for me to see, or report on. But I learned about all the other projects that kept Viot, a restorer at heart, busy with his time, including the unsolicited repair of the Pantheon's bell - that story, including how he used the capital's underground catacombs to access the historical building,👉 is what I eventually turned in. Moral of the story : there's always a good story...!
Fast forward more than a decade, and I now live in Geneva, deeply immersed in the world of watchmaking. My days are spent meeting with creators, documenting their work through articles and videos, or simply making time for people whose craft I admire. But even after moving to Switzerland, I couldn't have predicted that Paris would call me back to discover someone new.
That someone was Théo Auffret.
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Auffret first popped onto my radar in 2018 when he won the F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition with an extraordinary, handcrafted regulator tourbillon. While many saw echoes of Journe's influence, the tourbillon's origins led back to Jean-Baptiste Viot's workshop — a connection that piqued my curiosity.
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But Auffret was.
Initially, he found work in a Parisian boutique and trained in clock restoration, but then Auffret discovered Viot's work on the cover of Horlogerie Française. Inspired, he reached out to Viot to request an apprenticeship, eventually landing in his workshop a couple of years later.
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Viot taught Auffret everything he knew about the fundamentals of traditional watchmaking, which Auffret used to develop his first Tourbillon prototype.
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In return, the young man helped Viot complete his own chronometer project by working closely together on the last three pieces that had been promised to clients.
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After winning the F.P.Journe prize with his prototype, Auffret moved to Switzerland to pursue his watch education with Luca Soprana. But just like Viot, his journey there was short, and he felt compelled to return to Paris, where he eventually established his atelier.
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What sets Auffret apart is his commitment to reviving Paris as a hub for independent watchmaking. While he could have followed the well-trodden path of French watchmakers establishing themselves in Switzerland — joining the ranks of F.P. Journe, Denis Flageollet, and Vianney Halter — he chose to return home and carve his own path.
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The Tourbillon à Paris. Credit : Theo Auffret.
His debut creation, the Tourbillon à Paris, reflects this vision. Inspired by 18th-century precision timepieces, the watch features a regulator display, with an impressive 14mm tourbillon cage positioned 7 o'clock and exposed bridges in German silver or steel.
This carriage, moving at 21,600 vibrations per hour, includes a Breguet hairspring and cylindrical weights inspired by historic marine chronometers, ensuring impeccable balance.
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The 38.5mm case can be crafted in platinum, gold, silver, or steel, with variations in dial finish, screw colour, and hand shape. Each detail, from the polished hands to the meticulously finished components, reflects Auffret's dedication to artisanal craftsmanship.
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Shortlisted for the 2022 GraGrnd Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève's Tourbillon prize, the Tourbillon à Paris raised Auffret's profile among his peers. His next creation, the Tourbillon Grand Sport, surprised many.
Not many young indepedents venture into the world of sports watches. Very few can translate their ideas from the realm of classic dress watches to that of sports watches, but Auffret took that turn immediately and did it very well.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO The Grand Sport retains the off-centre tourbillon but introduces a bold new aesthetic. Housed in a larger, 41mm titanium case with an integrated bracelet, it features a sapphire dial, monochromatic palette, and torque-based power reserve indicator. The addition of crown guards, the thicker and more aggressive lug profile, and the coupling of the central hour and minute hands complete the Tourbillon's metamorphosis.
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For collectors, choosing between the two watches presents a unique dilemma. Both represent distinct sides of Auffret's artistry, offering customizable components that reflect his desire to create bespoke pieces rather than impose his own preferences.
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Recently, I got the chance to handle a new, unique Tourbillon, which pays homage to Viot. This Tourbillon façon Viot (an unofficial name by the author) incorporates some of his mentor's signatures, with a blue-heated steel ring riveted with silver pins. You don’t have to know the backstory between these two watchmakers to appreciate the watch; on it's own, it's a breautifully crafted, and overall extremely coherant deisng. But when you do, it becomes something truly special.
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It’s not uncommon in the watchmaking industry to hear younger artisans praise those who mentored them, but it’s rare to see that admiration take form as a physical, production piece.
Through a fortunate connection with the client who commissioned it, I was able to gain insight into the watch’s production, including why a collaboration between Auffret and his mentor was not envisaged.
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But we know Théo Auffret is open to creative partnerships with fellow watchmakers. Last time I visited his atelier, he had just received a package from Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat, a mainplate made by Fleury Manufacture and finished by the independent duo, on top of which they would collectively build their stunning Chronomètre d'Observatoire Ref. 1342.
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The result was an extraordinary three-handed chronometer wristwatch with a timeless, old-school aesthetic, and the latest successful integration of a vintage Zenith 135’s wheel train and balance.
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Anecdotally, the watch also marked the first traditional dial execution for all parties involved, and I hear this experience has sparked new ideas for Théo Auffret—a potential inspiration for a future model, perhaps with a more distinct “Parisian” character.
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All this to say, the future of independent watchmaking in the French capital already looks quite bright, and Auffret is currently planning to find a space closer to its center. The move would certainly mark a pivotal step in his career and a significant boost for Paris's watchmaking renaissance.
But before placing any more pressure on this young man's shoulders, let's judge him for who he is. And that is neither a Viot regén nor the next Journe. Auffret is something entirely new — a watchmaker focused on delivering high-end, small-batch watches that reflect his mentors' influences while bearing a uniquely personal signature.
We've seen plenty of exceptional French watchmakers succeed in Switzerland. Now, hopefully, it's time to see France become successful at retaining that talent home.
About Phillips In Association With Bacs & Russo
The team of specialists at PHILLIPS Watches is dedicated to an uncompromised approach to quality, transparency, and client service. Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo holds the world record for the most successful watch auction, with its Geneva Watch Auction: XIV having realized $74.5 million in 2021. Over the course of 2021 and 2022, the company sold 100% of the watches offered, a first in the industry, resulting in the highest annual total in history across all the auction houses at $227 million.
https://www.acollectedman.com/products/jean-baptiste-viot-chronometre-a-paris-prototype
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Press release – 2024
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