Thomas Baillod shows no signs of slowing down, though he does allow himself a brief pause to catch up with WorldTempus. It’s Friday evening at Villa Sarrasin, where Time to Watches, the independent fair held alongside Watches and Wonders, is taking place. At 5:30 p.m., his team informs him that he still has 17 meetings to go before the day ends.
The BA111OD stand, though modest in size, is constantly busy. “Modest” is not meant negatively: from the outset, its founder has aimed to build a brand that remains accessible and close to its collectors, with controlled, and above all justified, costs. The charismatic CEO, known for his sharp sense of phrasing, is not one to hide behind an extravagant, multi-million-franc booth. That would contradict the very ethos of the brand.
“Hard to keep up”
Yet BA111OD continues to expand. The brand, which long claimed it would neither develop full collections nor open boutiques, is now gradually moving in that direction, driven by its own success. With the Chapitre 7 model (from CHF 780), a COSC-certified three-hand chronometer that we tested just a year ago, the founder admits it was “hard to keep up” with demand, as orders surged. Together, the Chapitre 7 and Chapitre 8 (from CHF 595) lines represented 50% (in value) of the brand’s total 2025 production, which reached 2,200 pieces.
Determined not to repeat this situation, the company has “just recruited a production director from a highly respected independent haute horlogerie house” to streamline operations and improve market delivery. This should support the 2026 goal of increasing output from 2,200 to 3,000 watches. These figures may seem modest, but they are anything but: few players in the industry are targeting 35% production growth for 2026.
A logical acquisition
To sustain this momentum, BA111OD has taken over BCP Tourbillons. This acquisition brings the total workforce to around twenty employees. The two entities share a strong common identity: both are young (BCP was founded in 2017, BA111OD in 2019), led by executives of the same generation, and driven by a shared vision of watchmaking that is disruptive in terms of pricing while maintaining high standards of quality and Swiss Made credentials.
“We can expect some very exciting developments as early as 2027,” says Thomas Baillod. “What most brands price between CHF 5,000 and 15,000, we will be able to offer between CHF 2,000 and 5,000. We have plenty of ideas. At this stage, our priority is not expansion for its own sake, we already have everything we need, but rather ensuring that growth remains controlled.”
A virtuous dynamic
The acquisition of BCP Tourbillons, which will continue to serve its existing clients, will naturally support the development of new models featuring this prestigious complication. It already plays a central role in the Chapitre 4 (from CHF 6,900) , which, while produced in smaller volumes than more straightforward models, alone accounts for 35% of the brand’s revenue.
By introducing additional tourbillon creations, the value share of BA111OD’s offerings is set to increase, enabling higher production volumes across its other collections. This, in turn, reinforces a dynamic that will further strengthen the positioning of the tourbillon, creating a continuous positive loop—in other words, a virtuous cycle. This principle has been at the core of Thomas Baillod’s collaborative vision since the very beginning of BA111OD.
