Of all the projects I've been involved with, Simon Brette's Chronomètre artisan project is undoubtedly the most successful.

Winning the GPHG (Grand Prix de l'Horlogerie) in 2023 in the "Newcomer of the Year" category, the excitement was palpable from the moment it was released. Simon Brette is undoubtedly a rising star in independent watchmaking.

When Simon came to meet me in 2021, he had already created and designed his movement. Beyond his experience at Chronode (Jean François Mojon) and MB&F (Maximilan Busser and Friends), I immediately understood the potential of his project. All that remained was to design a case, animate the dial, and find the approach to help him assert his personality through this first model.

Starting with the dovetail, a symbol that often came up in our discussions and which seemed to me to be a good way to both pay homage to his cabinetmaker father and affirm the importance of craftsmanship in his product.

The case was designed based on the shapes found in the tools and machines of the early industrial era, adding just one of the ingredients of modernity: simplicity. The result is this shape characterized by a concave angle that outlines the contours of the watch and echoes the polished concave screws in the movement.

On the dial side, the challenge was to achieve a graphic balance within the constraints of positioning the small seconds hand and the visible gear wheels. Here, the inspiration for the minute track and the railways came from one of my visits to the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, notably thanks to a 1775 pocket watch designed by Ferdinand Berthoud. For the typography, we worked closely with Johann Terretaz to give it an 18th-century-inspired character with a contemporary touch.

Finally, to prepare for its launch, I had the pleasure of working on the illustrations using sketches of his movement. To echo the brand's very concept, I combined a traditional sketch technique with a more modern, tone-on-tone technique, which was created digitally. Always with the aim of promoting Simon's personality and his expertise as a movement builder, I combined the sketches with formulas used for mechanical design.

I am proud of what Simon has achieved, and congratulate all the artisans who have done such remarkable work.