One To Watch: Hervé Schlüchter’s ‘Tree of Life’ Project Uses The Purest Watchmaking To Imagine Time Across Generations
Origin Story
Not many people have an origin story that starts in their fourth decade. But Hervé Schlüchter was seemingly reborn at the age of 44 when he took a leap of faith, leaving behind a respected and stable career to follow his passion and open his own atelier in Biel/Bienne to pursue his vision for pure watchmaking.
It helps that despite whatever leap he may have made, Schlüchter certainly knew watches going in. He studied watchmaking at the school in Porrentruy and in 2000 joined Bovet, rising through the ranks over the next decade before becoming the director at Dimier 1738, Bovet’s manufacturing facility. Over that time Schlüchter designed or was involved with dozens of different watches and calibers before his departure from the brand in 2016.
Hervé Schlüchter in his workshop in Biel/Bienne.
While he started his own “laboratory” in 2017, Schlüchter didn’t operate under his own name at first. He instead focused on high-complication and mechanical-forward watches for other brands’ special projects including a release from The Alchemists (the Cu29 Chapter 1). But before pursuing his dream of creating his own watches, he recognized that he would need to learn true classical watchmaking techniques and sought out the man he thought could best help him learn: Philippe Dufour.
Philippe Dufour and Hervé Schlüchter. Photo: courtesy Hervé Schlüchter
The two watchmakers became close, with Schlüchter spending a day or two each week with Dufour, working on his own projects, being critiqued in his pursuit of building these classic skills using traditional skills. By March 2022 Schlüchter felt confident enough to establish his own workshop under his own name, hiring two other watchmakers to help him take these new skills as well as some long-standing ideas, and bring them to life.
Why We Love Him
Schlüchter seemed excited, albeit a bit preoccupied when we caught up at his workshop in a historic building along the Schüss river in Biel/Bienne. His fingers – not to mention his watchmaker’s coat – were stained as evidence of the ongoing work I had interrupted. It was the day before the 75th birthday gala for his mentor, Philippe Dufour, and Schlüchter was trying his best to finish his first watch – a unique piece – to gift to his mentor for the occasion.
But a watch is only done when it’s done and perfect, Schlüchter told me, and this one would require a bit more work. That’s neither here nor there, however, because regardless of where he learned his skills or who he holds in high regard, Schlüchter’s work stands on its own.
Schlüchter officially announced his first watch a few weeks ago after months of building curiosity that captured attention as far and wide as even The New York Times. Called L’Essentiel, Schlüchter also refers to it as “The Philosophical Regulator,” and it was born out of a mix of sorrow and joy. Schlüchter’s late father had asked Schlüchter to make him a pocket watch, like Schlüchter’s grandfather always wore. But he could not even conceive a plan before his father died and two months later Schlüchter’s son was born. This inspired his generational project, “The Tree of Life,” which will encompass three watches for three generations.
Photo: courtesy Hervé Schlüchter
L’Essentiel is a watch to encompass childhood, Schlüchter told me, meant to reflect a carefree nature and remind you to live day to day. He starts all his designs with the dial and creates a movement to match, he told me, and was inspired by a regulator from 1800 by Antide Janvier. The hours are told by a 24-hour rotating disc made of aventurine, with the sun and moon pad printed in gold and silver. The disc also carries a message, chosen by the owner, which could be anything, customized as much of the watch can be, but in the press images the words are Hodie Nunc – “Today, Now” – and Amor & Gratia (love & gratitude).
But there’s more than just the aventurine to the dial. The watch also features Grand Feu enamel and guilloché. The enamel allows the outer track and sub dial to be domed, while the center dial is maillechort (a nickel, copper, and zinc alloy) with a hand-turned guilloché, fulfilling a dream of Schlüchter’s to learn the skill. If it’s not clear, nearly every single part of the watch, from hands, bridges, and pinions to the dial and finishing, is done by Schlüchter or his apprentice, and it’s done incredibly well.
Photo: courtesy Hervé Schlüchter
Photo: courtesy Hervé Schlüchter
The movement is as immaculately finished as you would expect from someone who apprenticed under arguably one of the best movement finishers of all time. But beyond the watch’s regulator design (and hacking seconds mechanism), from a construction standpoint, there are a lot of little creative details that a true horological nerd would love. There are the wolf’s teeth found around the crown and ratchet wheels in old pocket watches, chamfered and polished with a sunray finish directional to the rotation of the wheel. There’s the maillechort barrel bridge and the barrel with a 60-hour power reserve. The bridges are curved and thoughtfully play off each other. Schlüchter also chose a ‘moustache’ lever escapement and Guillaume-type balance, a testament to his eye for detail and love of history.
All of this is in a 39mm wide and 10.37mm thick case, which for the limited edition of 25 pieces is done in stainless steel. Schlüchter put a lot of thought into making an ergonomic, well-thought-out, and yet simple case design that doesn’t overwhelm the compelling aspects of the dial and movement. The final price for L’Essential is CHF 78,000 before taxes.
I’ll admit that from a design standpoint, the watch isn’t necessarily my style. There is quite a lot going on, and on the dial side, combining so many techniques with an already difficult-to-read time display can create a bit of a confusing package. And while the movement features a lot of interesting components, styles, and finishing techniques, where the watch succeeds for wearability and compact size, that small format doesn’t necessarily provide the best canvas for so many fantastic techniques. It’s unfortunate both for the owner’s experience and for Schlüchter’s hard work to spend so have so much time spent on construction and finishing that can’t really be seen the way it might in a larger format watch (or even the pocket watch that his father had once asked for). That doesn’t take away from the fact that for the quality of construction, the price seems reasonable, and taste is – as always – personal. And I don’t think Schlüchter would fault me for saying any of this.
One of the things I loved most of all from my few hours spent with Schlüchter at his workshop in Switzerland was the emphasis he puts on personal relationships. These watches are deeply personal, something that could be said for a lot of watchmakers, sure, but thinking back to the story he told me about designing a watch for his father, son, and himself, it really seems much more vivid than most narratives I’ve heard.
That’s why Schlüchter pretty much insists that anyone interested in his watches comes and visits him at his workshop, to see the process and his plan for the future. He’d like to build a long relationship with the client, of course, and have them buy his future pieces as well. But that’s not mandatory. He just also told me that he’s well aware that a lot of independent watchmaking now has been gripped by speculative buyers hoping to get in on the ground floor of the next Journe, Dufour, or other big name. Schlüchter would much rather sell his watches to people who come to him because his story (as well as his watches) resonate for the right reasons.
Photo: courtesy Hervé Schlüchter
What’s Next
What’s next is always a curious question with an independent watchmaker. Sometimes they are just hoping to draw enough interest for their first watch that they can maybe consider another one some day. But as mentioned with Schlüchter’s “Tree of Life” project, it was never about just one watch.
But here’s the rub – and I hate when I have to be coy like this – I’ve seen photos and designs of the next two watches and while I can’t say much, they follow in the same aesthetic footsteps of L’Essentiel but as far more complicated and still incredibly creative watches.
Schlüchter has even created a complication that I’ve never seen before and he’s equally as confident has never been done before as well. That’s part of why he’s keeping things so close to the vest: he’s waiting for patent protection to come through. But it’s a wonderfully creative complication that drives home the finite feeling of time so that you can be reminded to celebrate the little moments and makes me excited for it to someday soon enter the world.
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For more information on Hervé Schlüchter, visit his website.
Hodinkee
