Nathalie Jean-Louis

One Stroke at a Time: The Life and Passion of Nathalie Jean-Louis, Hand Beveller and Movement Decorator

April 15, 2024

Nathalie Jean-Louis likes to do things with utmost precision. Her work -- hand beveling and decorating high-end watch movements -- but also everything else. She has built her career with a calm yet powerful determination and explains her choices with words as carefully

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The New Rolex History Book the (French-speaking) Watch World Is Talking About

April 7, 2024

After reviewing several watches, and even a film, I am about to add a third string to my bow of impostures and share my thoughts on a book I just finished. You have been warned and should only keep on reading at your

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Matthieu Humari, CEO of Watches & Wonders Geneva

Interview with Matthieu Humair, CEO of the Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation

March 27, 2024

Matthieu Humair is normally a busy man, but in the weeks building up to Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024, his schedule is denser than ever. Grateful for his time, I wanted to arrive extra early. But when my smartphone kept telling me I

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Introducing Time Files

A New Name for the Same – but different – Blog

March 25, 2024

If you find the above title confusing, welcome to what it's been like in my head over the past few months. Hopefully, you’ll find the outcome of my thought process and what's coming next worthwhile. As of right now, “Made in Bienne -

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The Daring Swiss Side of Christopher Ward

March 18, 2024

Watches made in Switzerland by a company established in London is certainly a proven recipe, as Hans Wilsdorf can attest. Once upon a time, England was also where the best watches were produced. While the nation failed to transition to the industrial era

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From Swatch Intern to Chief Design Officer at On: Interview with Thilo Alex Brunner

February 29, 2024

When I first came across On shoes, over a decade ago, I was living in Senegal and visiting the Silicon Valley for work. I was immediately struck by the unique futuristic yet comforting looks. I certainly did not expect that, half a dozen

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Stainless Steel Klein Metals

At the Heart of Your Watch and the Watch Industry: L. Klein SA

January 19, 2024

There’s a striking contrast between the cold, hard metals stocked by the thousands across infinite rows of the L. Klein SA’s high-ceiling warehouse and the warm welcome, cozy atmosphere and gentle tone of the Schiess family, running the firm since 1973. Facing the

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A Watch Fan’s Holiday Film: Chasing Microns

December 22, 2023

I already have enough impostor syndrome as a “tech industry” worker trying to blog about watchmaking, I’m not going to start to pretend like I'm now also a film critic. That said, the 25 minute production I'm going to tell you about showcases

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Branding Bienne: Interview with the City’s Vice-Chancellor Julien Steiner

November 27, 2023

As the city’s Vice-Chancellor, Julien Steiner has among his prerogatives Bienne’s image as a place to live. Considering how radically the perception of Bienne has evolved over the years, and the role of watchmaking in the city’s reputation, there was a lot to

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Where Watchmaking and Leather Savoir-Faire Share a Roof, and Much More – A Day at La Montre Hermès, Part II

November 20, 2023

As I explained in the previous “episode”, the day spent at the Manufacture Hermès was so rich that a single article could not do justice. One of the reasons is that there are in fact two distinct, yet intimately connected, operations taking place

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