When I first conceptualised this issue of Revolution, I imagined it to be an exhaustive, didactic and encyclopedic look into the world of independent watchmaking, from its OGs like Franck Muller all the way to its latest rock stars like Rexhep Rexhepi. But then it dawned on me that what I love about independent watchmaking, apart from the watches, are the friendships I’ve made with the human beings behind the brands. And so, rather than simply recite statistics related to innovative complications, I want to share my personal stories about each of these individuals and why I love them so much. I understand that this is an unusual pathway into understanding their unique vision for horology, but I’ve come to admire, in addition to their watchmaking know‑how, the way they live their lives which, in each instance, is with courage, ingenuity, kindness and a total unwillingness to compromise.
RICHARD MILLE
While his is the single greatest entrepreneurial success story in the modern history of watches; while he’s created timepieces that have so far transcended their genre that they have become cultural symbols in their own right; while based purely on his own imagination, he’s coalesced a vision for watchmaking that has been the single greatest influence on the contemporary horological landscape, none of these are the main reason I love Richard Mille. I love Richard Mille because he is one of the best and kindest human beings I know.
He probably wouldn’t want me sharing this story because he doesn’t do nice things for recognition. But I’d like to share it anyway as it perfectly illustrates my point. At one point many years ago, I found myself on the jury of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) back when it was being overseen by the colourful Gabriel Tortella. That year, Richard was also on the jury having won in the previous year the Aiguille d’Or for his RM 012 Tourbillon, a watch that used a tubular steel trellis structure rather than a traditional baseplate. While I was pleased to have been invited to the jury, I quickly realised that due to the lack of transparency in the voting process (I
