CONQUERING TIME
The idea and inception of Premiers date back to the year 2006, born from the creativity and long-standing experience of one of Germany’s most renowned watch engineers from Pforzheim, in collaboration with a passionate watch collector from Zurich. Together, these two entrepreneurs set out to create a new luxury watch brand driven by their expertise and passion for the extraordinary. However, their goal was not merely to develop a new watch complication, but rather to venture onto completely new paths. At the heart of their vision was the fundamental idea of crafting an entirely new and exceptional timepiece that would merge historical Swiss manufacture calibers with the highest-quality modern components, ultimately resulting in a unique and unmistakable masterpiece of craftsmanship.
One of the greatest challenges in realizing this vision was initially locating these historical watch movements on the global market. Finding suitable manufacture calibers proved to be the most significant hurdle. The reasons are self-evident: Unlike today, high-quality Swiss watches in past centuries were not mass-produced but were predominantly crafted by hand in small workshops and in limited quantities. Most of these historical pieces are now securely kept in the vaults of dedicated collectors, occasionally appearing at auctions or even in museums.
To manage this time-consuming search for the necessary historical movements, it was essential to engage carefully selected international experts with worldwide connections. Additionally, crafting each Premiers watch represents a technical feat in itself, as the historical manufacture calibers, often over 100 years old, cannot usually be restored by standard watchmakers due to a lack of relevant experience. Furthermore, historical movements generally cannot be processed using modern tools or machinery. To overcome this formidable challenge, the project collaborated with specially trained Créateurs Horlogère who, after years of experimental trials, succeeded in achieving the perfect symbiosis of history and modernity. They meticulously assembled each Premiers watch from its individual components, creating a unique masterpiece characterized by precision, functionality, and design – each one an exquisite work of horological art.
After several years of development, involving countless hours of work, numerous construction drawings, 3D models, and prototypes, the first Premiers watch finally emerged – a technical masterpiece of its kind. Naturally, given the complexity and creativity involved, the developers and founders of Premiers not only invested their entire personal expertise and a substantial amount of time in this project but also made significant financial contributions. One must consider that the crafting of a single Premiers watch requires the combined efforts of numerous Créateurs Horlogère – each a master in their field, specializing in a specific area of haute horlogerie. Moreover, there are almost no contemporary technical drawings available for the restoration and reconstruction of historical manufacture calibers from the last century, making the creation of each Premiers watch a constantly evolving and individualized challenge. In addition to the technical and personnel efforts, substantial investments were also made in specialized tools and machinery over the years to meet the necessary technical requirements while consistently maintaining our high standards of quality.