Simon Brette Chronomètre Artisans Titane

Calling Simon Brette one to watch is like calling Joe Satriani a promising guitarist. Sure, but we’re kind of past that. And this is the first time that one is coming to auction. Brette is the conductor of an orchestra of many artists, each quite adept at their craft. The name Chronomètre Artisans is plural and deliberate, Brette’s work exists to highlight and preserve traditional handcraft. Two things stand out in the Chronomètre Artisans. First, everything is done the hard way. Like, the really, really hard way. Second, despite the diaspera of ability, the watch has a cohesive beauty that is very singular. No wonder it took Revalation at GPHG in 2023.

Brette previously developed movements at Chronode then MB&F, he’s done much from the LM2 to the LMX or Bulldog. In 2021, with Max’s blessing, he ventured out onto his own using the connections he’d forged at each position. Brette chose a dovetail joint as logo, a nod to his father, who is a self-employed carpenter. That shape is inlaid on the case side in gold. You can’t obscure a dial like this, a sort of tremblage engaving style performed by Yasmina Anti (who engraves for Dufour).

And then we’re off into covering specifics here, where there’s much to get lost in. Anti employed a unique engraving style here, which she calls ‘tiger claw’ on the titanium, in contrast to the ‘dragon scale’ zirconium. That is the majority of the dial, opened partially. Hands are observatoire but skeleton, and heat blued. Tracks are frosted sapphire. The calibre is highly symmetric but made by the details. The winding feel is made by wolf’s teeth ratchet and crown wheels, with individually polished edges. Anton Peterson designed a new screw with a concave black polishing, something he thought was impossible at the start of the project. That shape is mirrored in the gear design. And they’re all in hand-finished chatons. Where bridges are normally the canvas for finishing ability, here’s it’s the circley bits that draw the eye first.

With this level of time investment, Brette can make about 12 watches yearly. He’s booked past 2030. This Chronometré Artisans was the very start of something that’s undeniably great. First there were 12 souscription pieces in Zirconium with a dragon dial then this Titanium edition of 99 with a tiger dial. This is what only independent watchmaking can accomplish: pure ambition, creativity, and skill in one early effort. You simply cannot fault it.

This example comes with the full kit, of course. It's the first to appear at auction, so there isn't really any context here to help with (sorry). Good luck to all! 

A special note for this find. First, photography is from Monochrome, who took some fantastic lifestyle work of the piece. Second, the one coming up is a Titanium, not Zirconium.