Independent watchmakers are in many ways different from other watch companies. But in the end they all make wristwatches we enjoy wearing and collecting.

Watch lovers who frequent watchforums like Horomundi, The PuristS Pro, Timezone and Watchuseek may have seen or read something about independent watchmaking. But for most of them (you?) the independent watchmakers might still be unknown. Let’s be real, it’s already hard to keep track of all existing big name brands and their watches. Let alone some small independent watchmakers whos watches are in a special section for independent watchmaking and whos names don’t sound familiar.

Independent watchmakers don’t have an advertising budget  like Breitling or Rolex….

Independent watchmakers do make very beautiful and interesting watches… and are far more exclusive than the well known brands. To help you in finding your way to these watchmakers (and their watches) a Dutch wristwatch website categorized most independent watchmakers into three categories.

Kari Voutilainen's Observatoire with classic looks

Compiling this list and categorizing the watchmakers, was a result of a discussion going on in the Passion for Watches LinkedIn group about ‘ultra haute horlogery’. The Dutch website Horlogenieuws has compiled a list with Independent watchmakers and categorized them as ‘Extravagant’, ‘Intermediate’ or ‘Classic’. The list below is courtesy of Horlogenieuws.nl

Extravagant:

• Andreas Strehler – www.astrehler.ch
• Blu – www.blu.ch
• Cabestan – www.cabestan.ch
• DeGrisogono – www.degrisogono.com
• DeWitt – www.dewitt.ch
• Franc Villa – www.francvila.com
• Gruebel Forsey – www.greubelforsey.com
• HD3 – www.hd3complication.com
• Harry Winston – www.harrywinston.com
• Hautlence – www.hautlence.com
• Jean Dunand – www.jeandunand.com
• Ladoire – www.ladoire.ch
• Maitres du Temps – www.maitresdutemps.com
• MB&F – www.mbandf.com
• MCT – www.mctwatches.com
• Richard Mille – www.richardmille.com
• Urwerk – www.urwerk.com
• Vianney Halter – www.vianney-halter.com

Intermediate:

• Antoine Preziuso – www.antoine-preziuso.com
• Beat Haldimann – www.haldimann-horology.ch
• Cvstos – www.cvstos.ch
• De Bethune – www.debethune.ch
• Grönefeld – www.gronefeld.nl
• Ludwig Öchslin – www.ochsundjunior.ch
• McGonigle – www.mcgonigle.ie
• Parmigiani Fleurier – www.parmigiani.ch
• Pierre Kunz – www.pierrekunzgeneve.com
• Roger Dubuis – www.rogerdubuis.com
• Sarpaneva – www.sarpanevawatches.com
• Thomas Prescher – www.prescher.ch

Classic:

• Christiaan v.d. Klaauw – www.klaauwwatches.nl
• Montres Delaloye – www.montresdelaloye.ch
• F.P. Journe – www.fpjourne.com
• H. Moser & Cie. – www.h-moser.com
• Kari Voutilainen – www.voutilainen.ch
• Lang & Heyne – www.lang-und-heyne.de
• Martin Braun – www.martin-braun.com
• Paul Gerber – www.gerber-uhren.ch
• Philippe Dufour – www.philippedufour.fr
• Roger W. Smith – www.rwsmithwatches.co.uk
• Romain Gauthier – www.montres-rg.com
• Speake-Marin – www.speake-marin.com
• Svend Andersen – www.andersen-geneve.ch
• Urban Jürgensen – www.urbanjuergensen.com
• Volker Vyskocil – www.vyskocil.de

Vianney Halter's Antiqua with more extravagant looks

Another excellent soucre to get more information is the website Tempered Online.  Watch connaisseur Curtis Thomson has put together information and photos of several independent watchmakers. There’s even a forum dedicated to independent watchmaking where you can share your passion or ask your questions.

I recently blogged about the world’s first automatic chronograph, caliber 11, mdevelopped by Heuer, Breitling, Buren en Dubois-Depraz. Not much later Zenith launched their first automatic chronograph, the famous El Primero. This means that the Zenith also celebrates the 40th of the El Primero. To celebrate this Zenith comes with 5 Anniversary models.

Caliber 3019 - the first El Primero

The El Primero was developed in 1969 and rapidly became a standard of reference among automatic movements. The El Primero is still considered by many to be the best automatic chronograph. The first was a caliber 3019 column wheel chronograph with 31 jewels, beating at 36,000 beat per hour, it capable of measuring short time intervals to 1/10th second.

The El Primero with it’s precision enables it to succeed in passing the tests of the COSC (Swiss Official Control of Chronometers). The chronograph function can be operated with two push-buttons and it features an instantaneous date-change mechanism. It has a power reserve of more than 50 hours and this  movement can be fitted with other complications, like a date-day-month indicator, a moonphase and a fly-back.

Although i love the heritage of Zenith’s El Primero movement i’m not that crazy about the more recent design Zenith’s watches featuring this beautiful and admirable automatic chronograph. I think these Anniversary models proof my opinion about the recent design   Take a look at two of the Anniversary models Zenith released celebrate the 40th birthday of their world famous chronograph.

For more news about pre Basel releases check Perpetuelle.com

Zenith Class Anniversary

Zenith Port Royal Anniversary

40th Anniversary of the first Automatic Chronograph

40 Years ago, on march 3 1969, the first automatic chronograph movement was introduced. This movement, called Chronomatic, was developed by a joint venture of Heuer, Breitling, Buren and Dubois-Depraz. The Chronomatic was used by Heuer, Breitling and Buren under the name of caliber 11.

Cover of Swiss Watch and Juwelry Journal

Buren patented a micro-rotor winding system, that was called planetary rotor, in 1954.It took them untill 1957 before it saw production and later, in 1962, the design was refined into calicer 1280. The new caliber 1280 had a slightly larger swinging mass than the earlier caliber and the swinging mass now swung over the center of the movement. This caliber, also called Intramatic, won the Prix D’Honneur at the 1964 Swiss National Exposition in Lausanne. A year later the micro-rotor was further refined into caliver 1320, 1321 and 1322.

Heuer, Breitling-Leonidas, Dubois-Depraz and Buren modified the Intramatic into the world’s first automatic chronograph, the Chronomatic. The base movement with micro-rotor features the 8510 chronograph module by Dubois-Depraz, that was attached to the backside of the movement hiding the micro-rotor entirely.

Brands using the chronomatic - automatic chronograph

The caliber 11 automatic chronograph was used by the brands who developed it in some of the most famous wristwatches ever created. Just think of the Heuer Monaco, Heuer Autavia and Breitling Chronomatic. TAG Heuer and Breitling both have released re-issues of these ground breaking automatic wristwatches chronographs. Last week i blogged about a few of the new releases of TAG Heuer, including a limited edition Monaco Original Re-edition, using a caliber 12. One of the remarkeble features of the calibers based on the Chronomatic, is the crown on the left side of the case and the pushers to operate the chronograph are positioned on the left side.

vintage ad for Heuer automatic chronographs

Not only the caliber 11 Chronomatic celebrates it’s 40th birthday, but also the release of the Heuer Monaco is 40 years ago. The old Heuer advertisement is for the automatic chronograph featured in the Heuer Autavia and Heuer Monaco. Here’s a photo of my own Heuer Autavia 11630 with decompression bezel. This Autavia features a further refined movement, called caliber 12.

Heuer Autavia 11630 decompression bezel

You can read more about the Heuer Autavia at OnTheDash, a website dedicated to vintage Heuer Chronoraphs. At OnTheDash you can also download a full copy of the 2nd edition of the 1969 Swiss Watch and Juwelry Journal, reporting about the release of the first automatic chronograph. I can also recommend to read Project 99 – the race to develop the wolrd’s first automatic chronograph, a very intersting article by Jeffrey M. Stein.

Well the title says it all….The Salon International Haute Horlogery has hardly ended and the first Baselworld pre releases are already out.

The Salon International Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) is over and it seems there is almost no time to talk and discuss all new releases from the Richemont brands. Press releases of new creations that will be shown at Baselwolrd 2009 are already pooring in! At Perpetuelle.com the Basel 2009 section is already full with new releases. Judging from a distance i think it looks very promising this year! Here are a few that really caught my attention…

Maurice LaCroix comes with a skelletonished chronograph with the famous ML106 column-wheel movement. Besides the looks, which are absolutely stunning this manual wind colum-wheel chronograph offers a power reserve of 42 hours. The chronograph measures time to 1/5th of a second!

Maurice LaCroix - Skelletonized Chronograph

Maurice LaCroix’s Masterpiece line is beautiful line that offers technological highlights as well as a combination of classic and very modern almost industrial design. The skeleton dial of this Chronographe Squelette reveals all the workings of the movement, a delicate labyrinth in which the gear-trains have been refined to a bare minimum. The classic caliber lives up to the most modern expectations and even combines the looks of retro and industrial modernism. This all comes in a 45mm brushed steel case with slightly domes sapphire crystal with anti reflection coating on both sides. A model that clearly belongs in this century.

Maurice LaCroix - ML106 column wheel chronograph

Another brand that released a watch that immediately caught my attention is Breitling. I must admit that usually i’m no Breitling-guy but this one totally does it for me. The Breilting Navitimer 125th Anniversary. The first Navitimer was released in 1952 and has grown to become one of the most well known and beloved classics among wristwatches.

Breitling Navitimer 125th Anniversary

The Navitimer 125th Anniversary has an automatic calibre 26 engine, equipped with 38 rubies and spins with 28,800 vibrations per hour. Of course, like all automatic Breitling calibers, this caliber 26 is COSC-certified.

From now on, i will never start a topic about Breitling with stating i’m no Breitling-guy. Let’s end the apologies for liking a Breitling… they make awesome watches and the proof is here!

Breitling Navitimer 125th Anniversary

Thanx to Perpetuelle.com for all photos and information.