"I always had in mind that I would conceive my own watches one day, bring the vision I had been carrying for years to life." said Marco Tedeschi on a recent Tuesday.
The watch creator and designer, based in the Swiss canton of Vaud, went on to reveal that the MT1 the very first watch with his name on the dial, had caused a bit of confusion. “We used to be known just as Kross Studio. But we are not just a brand, we are an eco-system: Marco Tedeschi is our own watches, we have Kross for the collaborations, and we also have the manufacture – in which we also make watches or components for others,” he said about the company that he founded in 2020, adding that the collaborations will also in the near future move beyond the world of movie entertainment that was hitherto a hallmark.
In the manufacture he can make around 80 percent of the components needed for the hand-wound watch with a central tourbillon. And thanks to an investment that made Chanel a 30 % owner, the manufacture now has larger capacity, which alongside Marco Tedeschi makes watches, special components or ébauche for the three big groups (Swatch, Richemont, and LVMH) and for independents including Audemars Piguet.
As you may know this is not the first time that Chanel invests in independent watchmaking. In the past they have partnered with F.P. Journe, Romain Gauthier, and MB&F, in a similar way to what it does in fashion for people with artisanal skills.
“The company is really appreciative of high-end watchmaking. The idea is not to take shares in brands for financial purpose, but more to help preserve this knowledge; to help independent watchmakers to grow,” said Mr. Tedeschi.
Mr. Tedeschi describes the investment as an important milestone, and a sharing of long-term vision and philosophy. “But we still don’t say yes to everything, because we don’t want to have too many projects, because we want to remain agile. Actually, our agility is one of the reasons why brands work with us – we are more than a supplier. We are part of the development, as they want to use our knowledge and know-how. So, in many projects we do everything from A to Z in close collaboration, from ideas to watch in box ready to be sold to clients,” he said.
In 2025, around 60% of the capacity of the eco-system went to the own brand, and around 40 % to manufacturing for others – and in 2026 these numbers will be reversed, which is all part of the long-term vision. And it sounds like Mr. Tedeschi is more than ready to walk the walk. “We have a plan for the next 20 years with 12 movements. The next one is coming next year, and my idea is to create a complete eco-system of movements: perpetual calendars, chiming watches, different mechanisms. Some of them will be historical mechanisms reinterpreted with my construction philosophy, some will be completely new innovations,” he said, adding that the movement is always at the center of the watch. “The case and the design are complementary of the movement. Normally I say form follows the movement. (A nod of form follows function, ed’s note.)
The goal is to have four different calibers in five years from now, and in parallel Mr. Tedeschi is developing the retail network through partners. “We have strong partners in Middle East and Asia, and we are expanding into the US. We do have quite good direct sales, but we want to focus on watches, not distributing them. The big groups are verticalizing – but we’d rather work with retailers. Why? Because they are directly connected with the collectors, he said.
What about the new MT 1.1? The watch conceptor, who got into watches when he was 8 years old and spent Saturdays in his father’s watch boutique, is the result of what Mr. Tedeschi started developing after studying watchmaking and microtechnical design in Vallée de Joux, and completing Geneva School of Engeneering.. “In the school you follow the book and all movements are the same. I wanted to do something else. A movement should always be built from a blank sheet, not from a book. And I love manual winding with a large balance and long power reserve.”
He also loves to seek out the ultimate materials. For instance, he uses nickel silver without lead. “This has been forbidden as a case material for a long time – but it can still be used for movement parts. To me that’s a bit strange: you are not allowed to have this dangerous material on the skin of clients, but it is allowed for the team to work with it. And when you file and polish the angels et cetera you definitely inhale material. So, ever since I discovered this nickel silver without lead in eye-wear hinges, I have used it in watchmaking.
Mr. Tedeschi’s quest for never-ending evolution sometimes outdoes himself. “The MT 1.1 is an improvement of the MT 1 – which was never really made, because it immediately got replaced by what he calls the MT 1.01. “I modified the push button at 03 clock, made a selector between winding and time setting. Before you had to keep pushing when you set the time. Now you just push once to enter time setting mode. It is a constant evolution process,” he said matter-of-factly of the watch, which will be made in circa 100 pieces in 2026.
The most obvious development for the MT1.1 is the power reserve indicator. Before you could get an idea for the power reserve, since you can see the barrel spring thanks to the openworked design. But now you know for sure the number of days left. Another hidden evolution is also the invisible transformation of the case to a three-part case with a removable bezel. This will facilitate future assembly as well as servicing since the movement’s mainplate is part of the caseback. Said Marco Tedeschi: “The MT 1.1 will continue its evolution, maybe there will be some add-ons, maybe the movement will be in different positions – but I have already said too much!”
