To the uninitiated, mechanical watchmaking can often seem magical. How else can an array of tiny metal parts, when put together in just exactly the right way, tell the time, show the phase of the moon, or know what year / month / day it is? In the eyes of a horological neophyte, watchmakers are magicians. And even among the community of watch lovers, who are no longer easily impressed by the same old complications and features, there remains a handful of master craftsmen who can induce that rare spark of wonder. Enter Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, the Wizard of Meyrin.
In 1978, Wiederrecht established his own workshop and later registered his company, Agenhor, in 1996. Working mostly behind the scenes at first, his name and reputation emerged fully in the new millennium with a long, fruitful – and, most importantly – transparently communicated relationship with Harry Winston Rare Timepieces. Subsequently, Wiederrecht took on collaborative partnerships with companies such as Van Cleef & Arpels and Hermès, companies that prized his whimsical interpretation of classical watchmaking and proudly communicated their collaboration with Agenhor, as exemplified by MB&F and their Horological Machines N°2 and N°3. Underlying Wiederrecht’s success in constructing these works of mechanical brilliance is his well-known affinity for invention and innovation, bolstered by his network of specialist suppliers and manufacturers, many of whom see him as a personal friend rather than just a business partner. His staunch belief in a strong and diverse watchmaking ecosystem has seen his most recent movement – the groundbreaking Agengraphe – appear in the collections of fabled watchmaker-jeweller Fabergé, independent Swiss-German powerhouse H. Moser & Cie. and exclusive design atelier Singer Reimagined.
*On the occasion of GMT Magazine and WorldTempus' 20th anniversary, we have embarked on the ambitious project of summarising the last 20 years in watchmaking in The Millennium Watch Book, a big, beautifully laid out coffee table book. This article is an extract. The Millennium Watch Book is available on www.the-watch-book.com, in French and English, with a 10% discount if you use the following code: WT2021.
