166 OCTOBER 2019
created, the Double Tourbillon 30°, had components
they made themselves by hand, in a traditional way on
traditional machines, because they were not able to
find specialized mechanics or watchmakers who could
make them. “We knew we had to do something,” says
Forsey. “In the future who’s going to restore and repair
our watches and maintain the 500 years of mechanical
watchmaking before us?” The idea was to have a core
minimum of artisans who could be trained in these skills
and pass them on.
Not surprisingly, it wasn’t so simple. Greubel and
Forsey discovered it was tougher than they’d antic-
ipated to get the support of the industry, so financing
a school to teach this expertise was not possible. Even
Dufour admits that when he began creating watches
in the traditional method, no one understood the com-
plexity of his work. “Looking back I realize that I had
been doing the same job for years, and all the while
nobody really knew what I was doing,” says Dufour.
“Today, I say ‘we won’ because the value of what we do
is being appreciated.”For the AEon Foundation Greubel ultimately called
upon a watchmaking teacher from Paris, Michel Bou-
langer, whom he convinced to take a sabbatical to inven-
tory and practice these venerable skills so that he could
pass them on to a younger generation in hopes that they
will one day become the guardians of traditional horo-
logical history and craftsmanship.
“Robert Greubel contacted me in the summer of 2010
to tell me he had a project,” says Boulanger. “Know-
ing him, I already knew that it was going to be some-
thing important. As a teacher, when you are offered the
chance to be trained by an outstanding team on a proj-
ect to transmit ancestral watchmaking knowledge, it is
impossible to refuse. The only condition for me was that
I could resume my teaching position at the end of this
adventure. The teacher-student-teacher experience has
been unique and rewarding for all the actors, but espe-
cially for me.”
As it turned out, he would spend the next four years
at Time Æon working on the project, called Naissance
d’une Montre (Birth of a Watch), designing and build-
ing a watch, by hand, using a traditional style of pre–
Industrial Revolution techniques. Boulanger says one
of his biggest challenges was becoming a student again,
but today there are more than 40 trainees learning the
skills he acquired. The project was financed by Greubel
Forsey, and Dufour lent his expertise. “As independent
watchmakers, we perpetuate traditional techniques,
which in turn put the human element back into the
equation, thus adding immense value,” says Dufour.
“We are talking about the importance of the emotion
of a watch or movement. A watch is an instrument that
shows the time, but it is also a work of art. Without the
human element, the watch will be missing its soul, and
this is where our job is important.” The piece created by
Boulanger was auctioned at Christie’s in 2016 and sold
for $1,461,507. The prototype for Naissance d’une Mon-
tre II will be unveiled later this year.“Without the
human element,the watch
will be missing its
soul, and this
is where our
job is important.”
PATRICE SCHREYERState of the Artcreated, the Double Tourbillon 30°, had components
they made themselves by hand, in a traditional way on
traditional machines, because they were not able to
find specialized mechanics or watchmakers who could
make them. “We knew we had to do something,” says
Forsey. “In the future who’s going to restore and repair
our watches and maintain the 500 years of mechanical
watchmaking before us?” The idea was to have a core
minimum of artisans who could be trained in these skills
and pass them on.
Not surprisingly, it wasn’t so simple. Greubel and
Forsey discovered it was tougher than they’d antic-
ipated to get the support of the industry, so financing
a school to teach this expertise was not possible. Even
Dufour admits that when he began creating watches
in the traditional method, no one understood the com-
plexity of his work. “Looking back I realize that I had
been doing the same job for years, and all the while
nobody really knew what I was doing,” says Dufour.
“Today, I say ‘we won’ because the value of what we do
is being appreciated.”For the AEon Foundation Greubel ultimately called
upon a watchmaking teacher from Paris, Michel Bou-
langer, whom he convinced to take a sabbatical to inven-
tory and practice these venerable skills so that he could
pass them on to a younger generation in hopes that they
will one day become the guardians of traditional horo-
logical history and craftsmanship.
“Robert Greubel contacted me in the summer of 2010
to tell me he had a project,” says Boulanger. “Know-
ing him, I already knew that it was going to be some-
thing important. As a teacher, when you are offered the
chance to be trained by an outstanding team on a proj-
ect to transmit ancestral watchmaking knowledge, it is
impossible to refuse. The only condition for me was that
I could resume my teaching position at the end of this
adventure. The teacher-student-teacher experience has
been unique and rewarding for all the actors, but espe-
cially for me.”
As it turned out, he would spend the next four years
at Time Æon working on the project, called Naissance
d’une Montre (Birth of a Watch), designing and build-
ing a watch, by hand, using a traditional style of pre–
Industrial Revolution techniques. Boulanger says one
of his biggest challenges was becoming a student again,
but today there are more than 40 trainees learning the
skills he acquired. The project was financed by Greubel
Forsey, and Dufour lent his expertise. “As independent
watchmakers, we perpetuate traditional techniques,
which in turn put the human element back into the
equation, thus adding immense value,” says Dufour.
“We are talking about the importance of the emotion
of a watch or movement. A watch is an instrument that
shows the time, but it is also a work of art. Without the
human element, the watch will be missing its soul, and
this is where our job is important.” The piece created by
Boulanger was auctioned at Christie’s in 2016 and sold
for $1,461,507. The prototype for Naissance d’une Mon-
tre II will be unveiled later this year.“Without the
human element,the watch
will be missing its
soul, and this
is where our
job is important.”
PATRICE SCHREYERState of the Art