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TimeTechTalk.com > Time Tech Talk > Time Talk > Pequignet Manufacture: Last caliber manufactured in France |
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TimeTechTalk.com > Time Tech Talk > Time Talk > Pequignet Manufacture: Last caliber manufactured in France |
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| Pequignet Manufacture: Last caliber manufactured in France | Rating: 
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22nd, 2013 07:46 am |
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1st Post |
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Hammerfjord Moderator 
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Pequignet is a relatively new brand: Founded in 1973 by Mr Emile Pequignet in France close to the Swiss border in the town of Morteau. It don't take a wild imagination to understand that they was from the very start, facing like everybody the quartz era, that would crack down most of all watch manufactures... It mades its short way and did look like many other brands: Dead and buried. But in the beginning of 2004 Mr Didier Leibungut took over the leading of the brand, well decided to revive the french movement manufacture who had disappeared with Lip in 1975. Mr Leibungut is not new in the business: He was international marketing director for Zenith and knew the Pequignet brand as he grew up in the same town of Morteau. I think that in his position, even with the revival of the mechanical era, very few men would have taken the chance to restart a watch brand as a manufacture, just because it was born in them home-town: The challenges are enormous. But he had some determination, experience and the right friends around him to start it up. The jewel of the brand, Calibre Royal took 6 years of development by a team of 5 men and was finally ready and revealed in 2010 at the Basel fair, along with its many registered world patents. http://youtu.be/8mU_gEMyuEU  Pequignet employs 47 persons and produce around 4500 pieces a year. They are a small manufacture and was recently saved from bankruptcy by 2 investors in 2012, presenting now positive results the last months. There is no big surprise there: Starting from scratch and developing a such movement is no guaranty for success at all. On the contrary, as confidence has to grow on the market, they was expecting a 10 years time waiting and working before having any chance to emerge and see them investments coming back. They needed an economic salvage and the industrial investors who saved them, arrived just on time. No need to say that the Royal is an impressive and beautiful caliber who seems to be very well thought : It is fully produced in-house except 2 components. We are speaking about the palettes-wheel and the palettes made by Nivarox(Swatch-Group). It has 88 hours of effective power reserve and a bunch of cool details you'll appreciate by clicking some of the links I posted here at the end of this writing. There is different complications: Right under you can see the day, double disc date and moon-phase complications.  I will go straight forward and say that I'm not so found of them sport models with the "AP" links... But some will certainly like it. They also have some chrono models housing the 2894-2 ETA that I don't even look at. For me, it's all about the in-house classic watches they have in them collection and the complications they offer. The cases are 42mm in diameter and I think that it's a good size: It will fit many WIS in this large watches era.  Price is starting at 5500€ or about 7000$ at today's change for the in-house models with complications such as power reserve, day, big 2 numerals date, moon-phase, sub-second dial. The day is in french: Exotic and cool for some, boring for others... I didn't see english day models yet. And yes, it's written "Fabriqué en France" , "Made in France" under the dial: Something you don't see anymore. A bit of history I gathered around... The interesting thing is that apparently, when we could start to talk about mechanical horology production, this art was mainly active in France. But when in 1685 Louis XIV signed the definitive revocation and renouncement of the Edict of Nantes, who did allow protestantism on the french territory: He established the new Edict of Fontainebleau who banned protestantism from France. The result was over 400 000 protestants, the Huguenots, leaving the french territory... Among them, it is told that there was around 1500 french horologists working mostly in Blois(center of France), who moved out and restarted them work in Switzerland, England, and the Netherlands. You can guess the rest. It can seem a strange affair that most of the french horologists was protestants but considering they mainly was originated from Germanic culture borders, one can easily understand. It is said as well that France is now the land who gives education to most of the horologists in the world: Those french mainly work in Switzerland where they represent a third(1/3) of the horologists working in the country. As a strange paradox, Pequignet is now the only watch manufacture 100% french. Let's hope that others will follow the dream of Mr Leibungut and that we'll see more of those mechanical marvels hitting the market.  I let you now read those links, any reader is welcome to correct any wrong infos I would have written! A small video http://youtu.be/B2V_pXa-4gA Movement details with explanations when you hit it with the cursor. http://www.pequignet.com/luxury-watchmaker/calibre-royal.swf The FB page with an interesting interview of Mr Leibungut on them page (wich is in french) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pequignet-Manufacture/253867551353374 Article with multiple very interesting links http://www.europastar.com/news/1004084497-pequignet-s-rue-royale-ranked-best-watch-2011-by.html#.UP5FT46NVFY Article about the brand in general http://horlogerie.lemonde.fr/?Code=TEC&ID=1107 Some reading again and the prices... http://www.my-watchsite.com/watch-luxury/the-brands/pequignet-103.html
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22nd, 2013 03:54 pm |
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2nd Post |
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oagaspar Site Founder 
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awesome movement!...this is what it's all about for me,what's inside...
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22nd, 2013 04:48 pm |
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3rd Post |
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Hammerfjord Moderator
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oagaspar wrote:awesome movement!...this is what it's all about for me,what's inside... For me to Oscar! That's why I presented it. Mr Leibungut seems to be a movement fanatic I bet he learned some great basics while working for Zenith: He name the Primero when speaking about his time there and it's a serious reference about "know how". This Royal caliber been conceived with love.  I also found out that the horologist Mr Ludovic Perez who been involved in the making of the Royal caliber, is sharing patents with Mr Robert Greubel and Mr Stefen Forsey, the principal actors of the famous Greubel&Forsey masterpieces. Let's say that it's a serious reference who talks from itself. He also has numerous patents shared with Mr Huy Van Tran on the count of Pequignet. To complete the circle, here's a little passage about Mr Leibungut who amused me: Specially it's ending... And it says much about the man and his feelings about movements. "...Later, in 1994, he became director of Zenith France, followed by international director of marketing for Zenith until the brand was acquired by LVMH in 2001. Leibundgut (who had based his marketing strategy on the El Primero movement which was known as one of the best in its category—didn’t it drive the famous Daytona by Rolex?) was told, in a rather condescending manner, by his new employer that “we don’t sell movements; we sell watches.” In 2003, he left Zenith and purchased Pequignet." 
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22nd, 2013 10:55 pm |
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4th Post |
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stew77 Admin 
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Great read Will! ...and bravo to the 2 investors that saved Pequignet from bankruptcy in 2012!  I agree...that Calibre Royal is an exquisite, beautiful and amazingly designed calibre, and the crown jewel of the brand for sure IMO. Very impressive power reserve too at 88 hours...wow!  (nothing to sneeze at for sure, except when comparing it to stratospheric movements from the likes of Lang & Sohne with their crazy long main springs to achieve unheard of power reserves). Heck, even the legendary Spring Drive calibre used on Seiko's killer GS line achieves something like 72 hours of power reserve if I'm remembering correctly.That is quite an achievement! Loving that Calibre Royal movement...very cool stuff!
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23rd, 2013 06:31 am |
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5th Post |
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murphy j 3T WIS 
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Interesting story and what a lovely movement. Thanks for posting this Will.
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23rd, 2013 07:03 am |
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6th Post |
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Hammerfjord Moderator
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murphy j wrote:Interesting story and what a lovely movement. Thanks for posting this Will. You're welcome Murphy! I hope everything is ok with you!
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23rd, 2013 02:38 pm |
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7th Post |
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Skipdawg 3T WIS 
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That is a sweet looking movement and not a bad looking watch.
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| Posted: Fri Mar 1st, 2013 01:19 pm |
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8th Post |
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pifpaf 3T WIS 
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The Pequignet crew is really cool. It's a real defy to make a watch in France... Because the fiscal law don't favorise the new little business. And the other problems, is that the paids are really better on the swiss side... All the employee of Pequignet are tempted to work in Swiss.
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| Posted: Fri Mar 1st, 2013 03:38 pm |
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9th Post |
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oagaspar Site Founder
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another excellent review Malik,TY!...it's a shame so many Countries like France lose out when it comes to watchmaking,and government restrictions,and regulations,because it seems to me the Swiss control it all in the end by making it a inviting environment...
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| Posted: Fri Mar 1st, 2013 03:38 pm |
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10th Post |
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Hammerfjord Moderator
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pifpaf wrote:The Pequignet crew is really cool. You are totally right about those two facts. Most of watchmakers in Europe are formed in France but they mostly move in Switzerland for a better living. Switzerland is a country with high life standard who is tempting for them. On the other side, the french state vampirise small and middle firms, pushing them to pay them workers like crap or to die. Pequignet is a company full of people with passion who sacrifice a lot for the renaissance of the watchmaking in France.
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