Most watchmakers are steeped in centuries of tradition. And that’s exactly what makes breakout brand Vanguart so compelling. Meet the new guard of haute horology, who in less than a decade have shaken up the industry.
John Mayer, Michael Jordan and Sam Altman are rightly known as pioneering, if not rule-breaking, leaders in their respective fields—who also happen to be three notable collectors of the start-up Swiss watchmaker Vanguart. The avant-garde brand established itself in La Chaux-de-Fonds less than a decade ago—making it a proper fledgling in the centuries-old world of watchmaking—and burst onto the horological scene with its debut Black Hole in 2019. The watch’s futuristic design perfectly captures the ethos of the company, with its spaceship-style, vortex-like time display set across three discs, complemented by a spinning tourbillon in the middle. Mesmerising and disruptive, the piece intended to push the boundaries of haute horlogerie, while respecting its traditional, time-honoured codes, from craftsmanship and finishing, to architecture and materials.
Vanguart’s follow-up watch, the Orb, was three years in the making, and became the world’s first tourbillon featuring a function selector to switch between manual and automatic modes. The piece firmly set the tone for the brand, while cementing Vanguart’s reputation as the ‘CEO’s watch’, as it’s known in collector circles today —even if the brand still flies relatively under the radar.
“Vanguart marries traditional techniques with futuristic design, and places them in a different category,” says Yoni Ben-Yehuda, head of watches at Material Good, Vanguart’s exclusive North American retailer. “The product is stellar. Its timepieces are unequivocally, excellently made, and have some of the most ergonomic designs in modern watchmaking.” Wearability is a defining USP of the brand, with Vanguart known to spend years developing their cases and straps to perfectly fit the wrist.
No wonder, then, that a Vanguart is now a go-to watch for some of the world’s biggest collectors. “The Orb has become a top-five wear, meaning if you have 100, 1,000 or even just 30 watches, this piece becomes a top five in your rotation,” explains Ben-Yehuda. “It is such an easy watch to keep gravitating to.”
That’s great news for Vanguart’s four cofounders, who established the company in 2018 with a wealth of experience, if not some serious horological rebelliousness. Chief executive Axel Leuenberger and chief technical officer Jérémy Freléchox previously cut their teeth at Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi, one of Swiss watchmaking’s most sophisticated and inventive movement developers. Meanwhile, creative director and industrial designer Thierry Fischer brought a long track record of daring, bold design to the house.
Chairman and president Mehmet Koruturk
Chief technical officer Jérémy Freléchox
Chairman and president Mehmet Koruturk sums up the intent behind Vanguart, especially in a landscape that, to be frank, really does not need another watch company. “A new watch brand today has to earn the right to exist,” he says. “Vanguart can contribute because we come from a deep understanding of traditional haute horlogerie, but we are not burdened by a long history telling us what a Vanguart watch is supposed to look like. That freedom is incredibly valuable… I think the interesting territory lies in that tension: respecting the past without being constrained by it.”
Earlier this year, the house leaned even more into wearability and innovation—not to mention a dash of fun and cool—with the new Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium and Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold, limited to 25 pieces each. It took a year just to develop the ultra-robust, colour-saturated pastel pink and blue ceramics, which won’t fade or scratch. The ceramic has also been creatively integrated into the design: a sloped PVD-coated titanium track matches the curved and concave structure, which is all colour-matched to the ceramic elements—an effect produced using a high-precision micropainting process normally found in the automotive industry.
Creative director Fischer —who remarks that he is against invention just for the sake of it —calls the creation of the new ceramic Orbs, at 41 mm and 10.5 mm thick, a “remarkable journey”. The deep colours also deliver neat contrasts—warm and precise, technical yet tactile. “It required a true dialogue between creative vision and engineering discipline,” says Fischer. “It marks the beginning of a new chapter, one that allows us to connect with more people, while staying true to what defines us.”
Indeed, the Vanguart community is busy shaking up traditional watchmaking circles, especially in the intimate world of independents. Like many of its peers, Vanguart makes a big impact with a small number—a mere 100 watches are produced per year—and tastemakers repeatedly covet Vanguart pieces. “They are leaders in their fields—business, music, entertainment, film—it’s truly the industry movers who gravitate to Vanguart,” says Ben-Yehuda.
One such enthusiast is David J. Adelman, founder and CEO of Darco Capital, and co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils. He is regularly spotted courtside with his titanium Vanguart Orb. “It can be an everyday watch or for a special occasion. Vanguart really nailed that kind of vibe,” says Adelman, who frequently swaps the strap between blue and white. A serious watch collector, Adelman says he prefers non-mainstream brands, like F.P. Journe, De Bethune and Richard Mille, and was drawn to Vanguart precisely because it was up-and-coming and under-the-radar. “I liked the story, loved the look and the brand is interesting,” he recalls. “People see it and immediately ask, ‘What is that?’ It’s not flashy.”
The collector community is also unique, adds Adelman. To demonstrate his point, he recalls attending a Vanguart event where Koruturk came up to him, thanked him for his support, and then immediately got chatting. Such closeness to a brand is priceless today. “I’m waiting to see what they do next,” says Adelman. “They have my trust now. Count me in for the next allocation.”
Equally, Vanguart is aware that it can’t rest on its laurels when it comes to delivering for collectors, who are now more savvy and spoilt for choice than ever. “Independent watchmaking is particularly exciting today because collectors are incredibly knowledgeable. They understand movements, finishing, provenance and design,” explains Koruturk. “That also means that they can immediately see when something is derivative. That pushes young brands like us to have a very clear point of view.” Such was the case this year when tech entrepreneur Sam Altman commissioned seven bespoke Orb Flying Tourbillons, each created for selected members of OpenAI.
Vanguart’s collaborations are all notably interesting and—in keeping with Adelman’s description—non-mainstream. Case in point: friend of the brand Elena Rybakina, who won the Women’s Singles US Open tennis championship this September, marking her historic rise to world number one. Or there is Vanguart’s work with Warner Music during the BRIT Awards, its role as official timing partner of football’s prestigious Ballon d’Or, or partnering with this year’s key fashion moment, the British Museum Ball.
In the end, Vanguart’s chosen projects simply reflect its own approach to watchmaking, explains Koruturk, and how star talent works closely alongside a team to create an exceptional watch. “What interests us in these environments is the relationship between individual excellence and collective achievement,” he says, elaborating on how tennis players rely on their coaches, trainers and family to achieve success. Football too is a collective effort, where no player achieves greatness alone; musicians are supported by an entire ecosystem of peers, producers, engineers and creative talent. “That resonates very strongly with Vanguart,” says Koruturk.
Chief executive Axel Leuenberger
Creative director Thierry Fischer
With a new Swiss manufacture in the works and Vanguart’s first decade on the horizon, there is a definite sense that the house is tapping into an irresistible horological energy, propelled forward by a passionate customer base. “What Vanguart offers people is the ability to be close to the nucleus of a brand. That’s clearly going to be impactful for the next several decades,” says Ben-Yehuda. “And that’s exciting for collectors.”
Vanguart wears its youth well, as its status moves from new kid on the block to pioneering new guard. “Vanguart is still very young,” says Koruturk. “We are only beginning to show what that philosophy can produce.”
