If haute couture is the fashion industry’s appellation (which has government-issued rules surrounding its use) for high-end, handmade, designer clothing creations, then, of course, the watchmaking industry had to have its own moniker for its high-quality, handcrafted pieces that go tick and tock. Before a watch or timepiece was considered part of the haute horology party, it first became essential to establish a set of rules to help define haute horology and ascertain the fine watchmaking brands worthy enough to be “haute.”
The White Paper on Fine Watchmaking was created by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) to issue rules and guidelines for identifying haute horology brands and products. The FHH took on the responsibility to help define haute horology and fine watchmaking. It also evaluated more than 80 watch brands and came up with 64 brands that satisfied its standards. Such watch brands include historic watchmaking houses, modern brands, and independent artisans. Now, what qualities define which watch or timepiece can be recognized as haute horology?
Haute Horology’s Five Defining Qualities
1. Brand Name and Legacy
- A watch brand or company’s heritage and history
- This also revolves around the innovations achieved by younger, more contemporary watch brands
2. Finishing
- The hard labor and dedicated work that went into the components inside a watch or timepiece; also, whether or not the components can be visible through a transparent case or case back (some of which can be found in sites like Watch & Style)
- Examples of finishes include angling, guilloche (a mechanical decorative technique), perlage (decorative pearl-like patterns), and others, all of which require dozens of hours of hand finishing
3. Fine Watchmaking
- To be considered haute horology, a watch brand should use at least one, if not more, of the arts of fine watchmaking (engraving, enameling, gem setting, etc.)
- A master watchmaker’s hands and tools truly work like magic when assembling and finishing haute horology movements
4. In-house Movements
- The degree to which a watch brand makes its own movements and how complex or complicated those movements can be
- Examples of complicated movements are grand complications, astronomical complications (tell the exact solar time, moon phase, and the like), tourbillons (added mechanical complications for accuracy), minute repeaters, perpetual calendars, and chronographs
5. Quality Craftsmanship
- For a watch or timepiece to be recognized as haute horology, it must be handcrafted with skilled precision and absolute attention to detail (inside and out)
- Works of haute horology must be consummately hand-finished and hand-assembled
- No watch or timepiece is deemed haute horology without extensive handcraftsmanship
A watch or a timepiece does more than just tell the time. Sometimes, we associate personal memories with them, making them incredibly sentimental objects. We can remember a birthday, a promotion, a fun splurge, or a wedding anniversary when we look at them. However, aside from being testaments to lives well lived, they are also testaments to the talents and perseverance of man. They are timeless and functional works of art. And, if taken care of properly, they can indeed be passed on to future generations. The auteurs and masters of haute horology ensure that each watch or timepiece they make is made for the next generation. Incredible detailing and finishing go into the making of haute horology works. They are built to last, and the characteristics and qualities that constitute them guarantee that they are built to last beautifully.
