Louis Moinet – Memoris
When Jean-Marie Schaller created the Louis Moinet brand, he faced an uphill battle. Not only was the eponymous watchmaker, a contemporary of Breguet, known to a mere handful of enthusiasts, but his contributions to the field were few and far between. The task was further complicated by Moinet’s diverse interests, ranging from watchmaking and astronomy to painting and sculpture.
When Jean-Marie Schaller eventually secured official recognition of Louis Moinet as the inventor of the chronograph, a world of creative possibilities opened up. The answer to the daunting question of how to pay tribute to Moinet followed surprisingly swiftly, in 2015. Enter the Memoris. Its unique feature is that the entire chronograph complication is displayed on the dial side, leaving the rest of the mechanics nestled behind the watch’s sapphire case back. Developed in collaboration with Concepto, the movement is expressive, innovative, creative and visually enchanting. It went on to inspire several closely related and magnificent creations, notably Czapek’s Antarctique Rattrapante.
Maurice Lacroix – Aikon
In 2016, Stéphane Waser had been steering the ship at Maurice Lacroix for two years. The brand was a long way from the top of its game, and DKSH, its gargantuan parent company (with a workforce of 32,000) was openly looking for buyers. But the new boss had other plans. His strategy for revival was to bring out a new interpretation of an old hit, the Calypso, which, let’s face it, had not left much of an impression on the watch industry, even in its heyday. Fully aware of this, Stéphane Waser ingeniously decided to rechristen the watch. Meet the Aikon.
It was the right idea, at the right time, with the right watch, at the right price. The aesthetics were impeccable, the proportions keenly judged. The Aikon avoided the pitfall of positioning itself as a timeless classic of Haute Horlogerie, a tired and counterproductive claim. With its nod to the Royal Oak, the Aikon promised to be nothing more than a good-looking, classy and modern watch. The automatic versions, especially the 39 mm, are unisex. With the Aikon, Maurice Lacroix engineered a spectacular comeback marked by simplicity and effectiveness. Others would do well to take heed.
Doxa – SUB 300 T
In 2019, Jan Edöcs stepped up to lead Doxa. His task was far from simple. The famed dive watch brand had been off the radar since the late 70s, sunk by the quartz crisis.
It resurfaced in 1997 with the arrival of the Jenny family and the Walca group. Edöcs knew he was looking at a treasure trove: a brand with a rich history, legendary models and celebrity allies (such as Robert Redford) at its disposal. But the engine needed a restart, and the brand needed to carve out a new position, somewhere between Blancpain, Omega and Rolex.
To accomplish this, Jan Edöcs made three strategic choices. First, he brought the SUB 300T back into the spotlight. It’s a pure diving watch, certified to 300 metres – a must for credibility. Second, he opted for a vintage reinterpretation that highlighted the “grains of rice” bracelet, a signature Doxa feature in line with current trends.
His final choice was a bold one: to make bright orange the main dial colour. The choice was not universally popular, but that was precisely what Edöcs was aiming for: to stand out and rise above. The approach was bold, even risky, but it was backed up by very affordable prices. The media gave the launch extensive coverage, the piece being particularly photogenic. The public were appreciative. The watch was a success. Doxa is back!
Armin Strom – Resonance
It’s fine to admit it: without the brand that bears his name today, very few would have heard of Mr Armin Strom, who mastered the art of the skeleton watch nearly 50 years ago. The Armin Strom brand, therefore, faced a threefold challenge: to establish itself as a watchmaking house, to create an emblematic model, and to break free from its beautiful but crowded legacy – the skeleton technique.
The brand’s successors, Serge Michel and Claude Greisler, opted for a challenging path: to bring the entirety of their watches’ design, development, and production in-house, essentially recreating an integrated manufacture. The investment was colossal, and expectations matched the scale of the project. What would become of this ambitious endeavour?
The answer came in 2016. Its name was Resonance. The concept involved two oscillators connected by a flexible spring on the dial side. While not the first of its kind – Rudis Sylva’s Harmonious Oscillator comes to mind – Armin Strom introduced a series of models that gradually validated the invention: Dual Time, Minute Repeater, Pure, and so forth. It was a remarkable technical achievement, unmatched to this day.
