One of the pioneers of independent watchmaking, Vianney Halter spent the first decade of his career restoring vintage watches and clocks, and then as part of THA Ébauche (together with F.P. Journe and Denis Flageollet) designed and produced base movements and complications for big names like Cartier. But it was only in 1998, with his Antiqua Perpetual Calendar that Halter saw a breakthrough that established him as one of the most unique horological voices of his generation.

Antiqua

At the time of its release, Antiqua was simply like nothing the contemporary watch world had seen, heralding Halter’s trademark retro-futuristic steampunk aesthetics and design language that was later showcased in releases such as Trio (2000) and of course, Opus 3 (2003). The first mechanical watch with a digital-only display via six potholes on a case reminiscent of a historical marine chronometer, Opus 3 was a feat not only in terms of its unconventional design, but also the mechanical ingenuity it demanded to operate feasibly. As a result, it took seven years from the time it was announced before the watch was completed.

With Antiqua and Opus 3, Halter single-handedly brought a new perspective to watchmaking, and his influence continues to be felt in Urwerk’s space-age watches and the horological machines of MB&F. Post-Opus 3, Halter went on to win the GPHG Innovation Prize in 2013 for his Deep Space Tourbillon, which features a triple-axis central tourbillon, another expression of his unique vision of timekeeping and watchmaking. It set the stage for Halter’s Deep Space Resonance, a bold audacious interpretation of the resonance principle, in its imagination and price tag, and later, a (relatively) more affordable La Resonance.

Deep Space Resonance

Twenty-seven years on from the debut of Antiqua, Halter continues to push the boundaries of conventional watchmaking. His recent collaboration with Behrens, if anything, demonstrates that the creative genius of Vianney Halter is very much alive.