The Elusive Monsieur Beauregard

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For A Few More Petals  - Beauregard
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Montreal, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Geneva: the improbable itinerary of a Canadian talent who has come to shake up the codes of women's watchmaking

Some people are universally appreciated, without us really knowing why. A frank smile, team spirit, a determined character, projects that stand the test of time and the will to do well. That was all it took for Alexandre Beauregard to find his place in the Swiss watchmaking ecosystem. 

However, this was not a foregone conclusion. In an environment as closed as the city of Calvin, wedged between lake and mountains, a self-taught man from Montreal had no place reserved for him. Especially when, with his first collection, he tackled the no less closed market of the six-figure women's jewellery watch. 

From rebounds to meetings

"I'm not an expert in anything, so I dare to propose things that sometimes seem absurd," laughs Alexandre Beauregard, founder of the eponymous brand, with a French-Canadian accent that you can instantly relate to. 

An expert in nothing, but experienced in many things. Because Alexandre Beauregard's career is not a simple one. For 45 years, his path has been made up of encounters, rebounds and surprises. Nothing was planned — like his meeting with his wife at the age of 18. First love, first kiss, marriage, two children and 25 years of happiness.

L'insaisissable Monsieur Beauregard

Outside the box

Young Alexandre's apprenticeship is also an anti-academic manual. At a very young age, he knew how to hold a pencil, but not to write: to draw. "I was either very early for drawing or very late for writing," he jokes. The fact remains that he could draw before he could write. Which, obviously, does not fit into the traditional school curriculum. 

Rather than forcing him to enter mainstream education, his parents put him in an alternative school. Pupils learned freely, independently, at their own pace. Alexandre's pace was rather fast: the young man was obviously gifted with his hands. He learned carpentry, fashion, design, and then went into the film industry as a set-maker. He dabbled in many subjects, but often failed to complete his studies: too long, too academic. As for his studies in lapidary art: three years! An eternity. But his teacher, Yves Saint-Pierre, charmed him. Alexandre Beauregard approached him and asked to learn the art of stonecutting directly from him. Against all expectations, he accepted.

The launderer

What to do with this new talent? For the past few years, Alexandre Beauregard has also owned a laundry that serves five-star hotels in Montreal, and a small real estate portfolio that provides him with income. He decided to put part of it into his watch brand project. The choice seems strange: he has no connection with watchmaking, has never bought a watch in his life, has no ties to Switzerland, or even to Europe. 

“I have sketched hundreds of watches. It’s an object that fascinates me. At the beginning, I had thought of creating watches incorporating parts of authentic works of art, such as a piece of furniture owned by Napoleon, or Beethoven’s piano. I had access to these rare resources, some of which were unsellable because they were too damaged. We could salvage the wood and make watches out of it. But it was exactly at that moment that Yvan Arpa designed the DNA series, including the famous ‘Titanic DNA’. The niche was taken, but in the meantime, I had acquired some jewellery skills that I decided to exploit.”

Floral inspirations

His idea is to offer floral collections with generous, voluptuous shapes, which translate into much fuller and rounder sizes. Alexandre embarked on this path and learnt, alone, all the steps: stone sourcing, cutting, sketches, drawings, technical plans, tool purchases, but also business plans, etc. 

It was thus with a real production portfolio that he went to the Environnement Professionnel Horlogerie Joaillerie (EPHJ, the international trade show how high-precision suppliers and manufacturers) in 2010 to meet partners who could give substance to his vision. Some people thought he was crazy. Others took up the challenge: Bertrand Crevoisier, Franck Orny and Johnny Girardin. They are still at his side today. And good for them: the Beauregard brand has been pre-selected for the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), is on the doorstep of the next Watches and Wonders, and has just sold almost all its pieces in a single week in Dubai. A company to follow (very) closely.

L'insaisissable Monsieur Beauregard

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