Breguet, Harrison, Huygens, Patek, Audemars, Breitling and a handful of others made it to a legendary status. In my 20 years covering watchmaking, I have met a few potential candidates.
“A kiss without a moustache is like a soup without salt.” And after that, came the cheeky giggle that could have disarmed Putin. I was fortunate enough to meet Gerald Genta (1931–2011) in 2010. And, as if he knew his days were counted, he couldn’t care less for formalia. If a translator was too slow and not vibing, put him in the corner. Never mind if the journalist only understands 30–40 percent of what you are saying. I still feel extremely privileged and grateful to once have met the guy who created the Royal Oak, the Nautilus, the Ingenieur and many more watches that will live forever.
Kurt Klaus had been photographed many a time but never on a mirror which I brought to the Swedish watch store hosting him. Patiently he put his tools and a movement on the mirror, demonstrating his craft. He was steady as a rock, but difficult to interview; kind but shy. I got the feeling he would have preferred to tinker away behind a watchmaker’s bench rather than travel the world to be interviewed and photographed in the name of a brand that had a long time ago outgrown what Mr. Klaus had once added. Having said that, Kudos to IWC for still, to this day, including Mr. Klaus, a living legend.
In 2025, Daniel Roth was still going strong. Visibly aging, but his hands were still handling watchmaking tools in a masterful way. Meeting such an OG of independent watchmaking felt like I imagine it would feel for a Catholic to meet the Pope. His double ellipse cases and ingenuity will live on thanks to LVMH – and maybe also the man himself.
At Dubai Watch Week had the privilege of talking cases with Jean-Pierre Hagman (1941-2025); I once invited myself to camp in Jean-Marc Wiederrecht’s manufacture garden; I have tried to keep up with the pace of Jean-Claude Biver’s love preachings that defy chronology; I have been thrown out of an interview with Hayek Sr; I have smelled the pipe of Dufour as he explained why he needed to become independent. I dare say that all of the above are legendary people in watchmaking. Will they go on to make it into the history books as legends?
Of course, there are also others that are potentially treading the same path. But is today’s watch industry able to give the room need for real legends to grow? Are today’s profiles bringing enough to substantially change the course of the history of watchmaking? Only time will tell.
