The high-end watchmaking circle has never been short of controversies. While most watch brands are pursuing mass production on assembly lines and distributing their products to global dealerships, the Geneva-based independent watchmaking brand Simon Brette chose an entirely opposite path: producing only a dozen or so watches each year, without physical stores or advertising. Buyers can only make appointments online at the official website.
In the world of independent watchmaking, Simon Brette is a name that cannot be ignored. In 2023, his first work, Chronomètre Artisans, won the “Watch Inspiration Award” at GPHG and was hailed as “peak performance upon debut”. What’s even more remarkable is his approach: he doesn’t make the watches himself but rather “design + organize”, entrusting the tasks of engraving, polishing, and chamfering to over a dozen professional artisans. This model has raised a sharp question within the traditional watchmaking circle: When a brand’s core competitiveness is not “the founder’s personal craftsmanship”, but “the founder knows who to commission to do it”, can it still be considered true “craftsmanship”?
Leaving the Big Factory: The Watchmaking Philosophy Behind the Small Workshop
Simon Brette is not an amateur craftsman who entered the field halfway. Before establishing his personal brand, he had over a decade of experience in developing movements at renowned independent watchmaking teams such as MB&F and Chronode. He was deeply involved in several well-known avant-garde watch projects and was familiar with the engineering logic and hand-finishing standards of high-end watchmaking.
However, he discovered that the talents of many skilled engravers and movement polishers who worked behind the scenes were rarely seen by the public. Therefore, his original intention for establishing the brand was not to create a personal IP, but to build a platform that would gather a group of top niche artisans and condense those traditional handcrafting techniques that are on the verge of being lost into a single watch. The name “Chronomètre Artisans” in the brand name is a tribute to these behind-the-scenes artisans.
The first-generation work adopted the ancient subscription model,which was exactly the same as the sales method used by Breguet back then: collectors made reservations and paid in advance, and the brand only started production after receiving the orders. The first zirconium metal version was limited to 12 pieces, and it was sold out immediately upon release. There were no middlemen’s price hikes, no overwhelming marketing, and the brand relied solely on the work itself to impress seasoned collectors.
Process details: Visible manual sincerity
The most distinctive feature of Chronomètre Artisans is the hand-carved gold dial that enthusiasts call “dragon scales pattern“. The master carver meticulously carves layer upon layer of three-dimensional textures on the gold dial. Each texture has subtle differences, and there are no two identical dials. This texture cannot be replicated by machine production.
The movement follows the classical concept of observatory timekeeping. It features a self-made SBCA manual winding movement, with two spring barrels providing 72 hours of power reserve. The low vibration frequency of 18,000 oscillations per hour combined with a Breguet-style terminal curve hairspring is a classic design of the pocket watch era. The bridge, balance wheel plate, and all other parts are hand-ground and polished. Even the screws have a rare concave-polished finish. The “wolf teeth” details of the gears reflect the high standards of refinement. The 39mm case diameter combines classical beauty with a modern wearing feel. The semi-hollowed dial directly presents the mechanical beauty before your eyes.
Each watch requires the collaboration of multiple artisans. From carving, polishing, case processing, to dial decoration, different craftsmen work together in different fields. This is the fundamental reason why the brand cannot rapidly expand production and can only maintain an annual output of about a dozen watches.
The controversy then arose: Is scarcity equivalent to value speculation?
The controversy actually arose from this extremely low production volume.
Supporters believe that the essence of high-end watchmaking is precisely the slow process leading to meticulous work. Mass production in an industrialized setting aims for standardization and efficiency, while the value of independent microwatchmaking lies in preserving the warmth left by the “human touch” on the watch. The low production volume is not a deliberate marketing strategy of scarcity, but a natural limitation of the craftsmanship. The high prices at auctions are the heartfelt recognition from collectors of top-level craftsmanship.
However, the voices of doubt are equally sharp: Simon Brette rode the wave of independent watchmaking, with limited production, queues, celebrity endorsements, and a complete set of stories creating scarcity. In the auction market, the early titanium metal versions sold at significantly higher prices than the original official prices. The huge appreciation potential attracted a large number of investment buyers to enter the market. Many people purchased them not for wearing and appreciation, but to wait for a resale gain. In the eyes of critics, the low production volume is not a limitation of craftsmanship, but a deliberate creation of scarcity. It is a hot trend myth jointly promoted by capital and the collecting circle.
There is also a core point of contention: Unlike traditional single-person independent watchmakers, Simon Brette is more like a project planner, responsible for overall design, setting process standards, and completing a large number of intricate movement polishing and dial engraving tasks. These are carried out by the cooperative workshop and artisans. Some question whether this counts as true “independent handcrafted watchmaking”; but another group of collectors believe that high-end watchmaking has never been a solo performance by one person. From ancient times to the present, behind the masters there have always been a group of professional craftsmen collaborating, and the quality of the work is judged based on the final craftsmanship, not whether each part was hand-polished by the founder.
How should we view the value of micro-independently made watches?
It is difficult to simply define Simon Brette with a phrase like “pure craftsmanship” or “hyping a myth”. It truly possesses top-notch craftsmanship that can withstand close examination, replicating and continuing many disappearing handcrafted decorative techniques. The GPHG award is also the industry’s professional judges’ recognition of the craftsmanship of the work. It represents another possibility in watchmaking in an era of rampant mass-produced watches. This is the aspect of craftsmanship.
However, it is undeniable that the independent watchmaking trend, extremely low production volume, queuing system, auction appreciation effect, and the celebrity effect have jointly raised the brand’s popularity, attracting a large number of collectors and speculators to enter. The scarcity has amplified its financial attributes, which is the soil for the existence of the popularity myth.
For ordinary enthusiasts, the key to distinction lies in your starting point: If you are obsessed with hand-carved work and the aesthetics of classic movements, willing to pay for the long time spent by the artisans, and willing to wear and appreciate it for a long time, then it is a worthy piece of handmade timepiece to collect; If you simply hold the idea that “the low production volume will definitely increase in value” and use it as a financial product, you should be wary of the risks of poor liquidity and large fluctuations in the secondary market of independent watchmaking.
The last thing I want to say
The story of Simon Brette and Chronomètre Artisans is actually a microcosm of contemporary independent miniature watchmaking.
The industrial assembly line can produce wristwatches with stable and reliable precision, but it is difficult to replicate the unique texture on a hand-carved dial. Low production volume is both an objective result of the manual craftsmanship and precisely caters to the collectors’ pursuit of scarce items.
Skill and passion are never mutually exclusive opposites. The true value lies in each hand-carved line on the dial and every bevel and polish on the movement, rather than the length of the waiting list or the numbers on the auction floor.
