Day Two Switzerland.

My destination was the Valle de Joux, where I was to visit Romain Gauthier in the village of Le Sentier. The drive was about an hour through the snowy Swiss Jura region. It was I have to say, picture perfect!

The village of Le Sentier houses several of the well-known big brands, I passed a Jaeger-Le Coultre factory prior to getting to Romain’s manufacture.

I arrived at 10 AM sharp and was ushered into Roman’s office. My last visit to Roman’s manufacture was a year and a half previously in the summer, so quite a difference in winter time. This visit was to catch up and see the latest “C by Romain Gauthier” models.

The entrance to Manufacture Romain Gauthier

I was not disappointed, the salmon or rather Lever de Soleil dial titanium bracelet model is again much better in person, and the integrated titanium bracelet has an amazing feel on the wrist with the high polish links, and the brushed remaining links.

The C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Bracelet Lever de Soleil dial

The C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Bracelet Grey sand-blasted dial

This model is made completely in titanium, which means the movement is titanium grade 5, as well as the dial in grade 5 titanium, which makes the weight of the watch surprisingly light.

The C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Five has an amazing champagne colored, again titanium, dial that is created individually by hand, using a type of engraving that depending on the angle of light, changes for you. The hands, numerals and batons are solid 18k white gold with hand polished bevels filled with Super-LumiNova. As with the previous editions, this 38 piece series is long sold out. The images below are the same watch showing how the dial changes in differing lighting.

We discussed the state of the watch business and the continuing representation by Independent in Time of Romain’s work. The Logical ONE still remains in my top three wrist watches of all time and probably will remain there forever. That model is again sold out, so those fortunate collectors that own one, have in my mind, a piece of horological history.

We continued our discussions over a delicious lunch at the new hotel and restaurant further west down the valley. Clearly, this hotel and restaurant was partially funded by many of the big brands in order to house and feed many of the watchmaking clients, executives and retailers that get to visit this wonderful area. The restaurant had excellent food and I see why it now exists . Hôtel des Horlogers is a high-end hotel sitting right in the valle de Joux across from Audermars Piguet and down the street from other brands that we know. Romain and I was shown to a corner table, and we dined on some delicious food. I reflected upon my almost 30 years in the watch industry, and was amused to be sitting in this fantastic restaurant in the village of La Brassus. Many years ago while in a previous watch watch & jewelry business in Silicon Valley, I had visited the “Blancpain cottage” workshop which was just up the hill from this restaurant, where the Grand Complication 1735 watch was made in tiny quantities, maybe one or two a year if that. Here I was 25 years later back in this lovely historical watchmaking valley.

After lunch, my next stop was to visit a watchmaker I had met back in April ‘23 during the “Watches and Wonders” week in Geneva. His name was Philippe Narbel. I bid Romain a good day, thanked him for his time and friendship, and then headed east along the valley past the famous Lac de Joux towards L’Abbaye, the village where Philippe has his watchmaking business.