It was an honour to hold an event at The Lavish Attic with Emmanuel Bouchet.

Emmanuel Bouchet, the founder behind the brand, is the quiet architect behind some of modern horology's most complex movements—developing tourbillons for Parmigiani Fleurier and, most notably, co-creating the Harry Winston Opus 12. For collectors seeking something different from the usual suspects, Emmanuel Bouchet offers a rare proposition: watches that make you stop and actually watch time pass, pure mechanical ingenuity from a watchmaker who spent decades refining complications for the industry's biggest names.

Emmanuel Bouchet event January 2026

Complication One

Bouchet's 2015 debut remains his signature statement. At first glance, the dial looks chaotic—there's no traditional center, no familiar layout. Hours sit at 8 o'clock, minutes at 4 o'clock, seconds at 12 o'clock. But the real drama happens at center stage: every 15 seconds, a visible escapement (the heart of the mechanical watch) performs a deliberate, satisfying jump.

This isn't decoration—it's functional. Bouchet slowed his movement to 18,000 vibrations per hour specifically so wearers could see the mechanics at work. The time-telling hands float on transparent sapphire discs above black onyx or lapis lazuli bases, creating depth without clutter. It's a regulator-style display taken to its logical extreme: time broken into components, presented as three-dimensional architecture. The Complication One respects intelligence. Nothing is hidden; and everything is explained by looking closer.

Aleph & Contrast: Two Temperaments

From the Complication One, Bouchet developed two distinct personalities. The Aleph leans minimalist—think floating sapphire discs, muted textures, and a meditative quality that lets the mechanics breathe. The Contrast goes graphic and modern: sandblasted titanium, black ADLC coating, blued steel components, and ceramic elements that create sharp visual tension.

Both keep the 15-second jumping escapement and deconstructed time display, but offer different aesthetic entry points. Aleph suits those who appreciate understatement; Contrast appeals to collectors who want their watch to start conversations. Neither compromises on the core philosophy: the movement is the dial, and the dial is the movement.

Source Collection: The New Philosophy

Launched in 2025, the Source collection—Aleph and Ribbon variants—pushes Bouchet's ideas into new territory. The dial features three rotating pillars (or cones) spinning at different speeds: one every minute, one every 12 hours, one every 24 hours. Set with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, or sapphires, they move so slowly that tracking their progress becomes a meditation rather than a measurement.

A day/night indicator at 6 o'clock uses hand-painted discs showing stars and sun. The technical innovation here is a double micro-rotor system that powers complications separately from timekeeping—a solution to a problem watchmakers have wrestled with for generations. The Ribbon variant adds a rainbow gem-set ring that rotates only clockwise, "because there is never a comeback in time."

At 39mm and automatic, the Source watches wear comfortably daily while delivering the visual intrigue that defines the brand.

With only approximately fifty watches handcrafted annually in his Les Bayards atelier, each Emmanuel Bouchet creation is less an instrument than an argument: that time should be contemplated, not just counted; that mechanical beauty deserves center stage; and that slowing down might be the ultimate luxury in an accelerating world.

Thank you Emmanuel, Aurélie, and everyone who joined in for the event!