November 14, 2024 |
“We were never looking for a gap in the market. We were compelled to create our own particular design in watches and believed we could create a different future with mechanical luxury by merging the complex shapes we dreamed of and had never been able to express before,” muses Axel Leuenberger. He’s the CEO of Vanguart, an independent horology brand rising to prominence at the industry’s top end as one of the hottest names on the watchmaking block.
Vanguart Orb watch in titanium with black strap by VANGUART
The brainchild of Leuenberger and his colleagues Mehmet Koruturk, Thierry Fisher and Jeremy Frelechox, the young brand is at the forefront of an indie watch revolution in a realm full of seasoned kingpins, offering up small batches of exceptionally well-crafted and complex watches that focus on timeless design through a futuristic lens.
“The emphasis was on perfecting the finishing of each component, ensuring every detail was executed with the highest level of craftsmanship,” says Leuenberger, speaking on the founding values of Vanguart. “If you have a unique shape but can’t embellish it beautifully, it will not work.”
Founded in 2021 in La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland, Vanguart actually began five years prior with a shared passion for horology and a union of minds. Both Leuenberger and Frelechox, the brand’s chief technical officer, had gained years of experience at the Swiss movement manufacturer APRP (Audemars Piguet Renaud Papi) – also known as the training ground for watchmaking’s finest – working under the tutelage of the manufacturer’s co-founder, the renowned watchmaker Giulio Papi.
Vanguart Orb watch in rose gold with white strap by VANGUART
Koruturk, the chairman of Vanguart, discovered the watchmaking world through his work with a private equity fund that owned an F1 team. Recognising a unique opportunity, the three joined forces, completing the team with Fisher, from the Swiss design studio Etude de Style, with the goal of creating a distinctive brand that would merge technical mastery with an aesthetic appeal. This defining philosophy is what continues to set the micro brand apart from other newcomers on the market.
“Brands like Audemars Piguet, as well as Richard Mille, Urwerk and MB&F, have paved the way for contemporary design over the past 20 years. However, among new and smaller entrants, we are one of the few brands who are continuing to expand on this trajectory,” says Leuenberger. “Structurally, we are unique in that our core focus is on both the technical and aesthetic aspects of movement and case design, all of which we do in-house.”
Vanguart’s second and newest model, the Orb, has all the hallmarks of this forward-thinking vision. Available in either titanium or rose gold, it’s a conceptual interpretation of a symmetrical, round timepiece. As well as introducing an entirely new hand-finished flying tourbillon movement, the model reworks the watch’s traditional crown (the knob-like component typically located on the side of the case that’s used to wind the movement) by implementing an almost illusionary mechanism that the brand has dubbed “orbital mass”.
At the centre of the timepiece, the hands, hour markers, automatic tourbillon and winding barrel are framed by a sloped titanium track for the oscillating orbital mass, which is adorned with a single white diamond. When the user changes the mode of the watch from manual to automatic via the crown, the diamond set in the orbital mass begins revolving around its track, making it look like the gem is floating. When the Orb is changed back into manual mode, the diamond-set orbital mass is locked back into place. “By placing a diamond on the opposite side of the weight, it tricks the eye and alters the perception of movement. I love it when people are left wondering how it works and how it’s held together,” says Leuenberger with a grin.
Housed in a 41mm case, the model is also unisex, breaking away from traditional gender stereotypes and appealing to a wide clientele through a seamless blend of aesthetics and functionality. “People are increasingly wearing high-horology watches, moving away from the early-2000s trend when such timepieces were often kept in vaults. Given this shift, those who wear their watches frequently want them to be as comfortable as possible,” says Koruturk, speaking on the Orb’s versatility. “This has led to the development of more compact systems which, when utilised well, can redefine comfort. It is now up to creators to use these technologies to craft beautiful designs.
Vanguart Orb watch in rose gold with white strap by VANGUART
This merging of classic beauty with an innovative, ultra-modern approach is a running theme throughout Vanguart’s designs – a combination not easily blended. This is achieved, says Koruturk, through the care and treatment of not only each component of the watch, but also how it runs as a whole. “Merging complex shapes with hand-decoration techniques is a skill we continually refine,” he says. “By embracing future thinking and dreaming beyond traditional systems and complications, we discover new and innovative ideas.”
With global acclaim arriving a mere three years since launch, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the future of Vanguart. Horology buffs are increasingly swapping big-ticket brands for indies as they seek out watches they can actually wear rather than lock away for safekeeping, so what does the success of Vanguart say about the current state of independent watchmaking – and its future?
“It shows collectors have a real appetite for independent watchmakers while more and more people are becoming familiar with the term ‘independent’,” says Leuenberger. “The audience of watch lovers is growing among younger generations, who are increasingly well informed and curious. This indicates a bright future for the independent watchmaking scene.”
