CUSTOM MADE
OUR WATCHMAKERS WILL PRODUCE THE BEST WATCH YOU WILL EVER OWN
It starts with just a pencil and a personal discussion before Alexandre Meerson translates your dream with his vision into something unique. His Swiss, British and American engineering team evolve his drawings into technical plans and at this stage a prototype of your timepiece comes alive. Then eighty artisans collaborate from their workshops until your masterpiece is assembled in our atelier in Courgenay, a village nestled in the Jura Mountains.
“Meerson watches are heirlooms of the future, engineered to last for generations.”
engineered to last for generations
There are no shortcuts and no concessions, just an exquisite balance of Swiss art and precision by dedicated men and women in the home of watchmaking. Surprises do occur because each watch becomes its own entity but the client is consulted at every stage, involved with each process and these ‘happy mistakes’ are part of the overall experience of creating something entirely new.
You are creating design history after all.
Once your watch is complete it is engraved with a unique serial number and registered with the Meerson archives. It is hallmarked and given a master seal, your Swiss Vaucher and Dubois-Depraz movement and the watch that houses it is then guaranteed for five years.
MANUFACTURE MOVEMENTS
Meerson collaborates with the best manufactures in the world to develop its mechanical calibres and has been working for many years with the perennial Swiss houses of Vaucher and Dubois-Depraz on its flagship movements: the AM-4808 and AM-4705 calibres.
Our movements are quite simply exceptional in all aspects – accuracy, power reserve, balance and beauty.
MEERSON automatic manufacture movements are finely decorated in the spirit of the brand - Discretion, Performance and Art in Detail.
In the Altitude, the AM-4808 movement is shielded by a titanium envelope, delicately integrated with the case. In the D15, the Calibre AM-4705 is directly built into the case, requiring incredible virtuosity to complete the integration. Gold, titanium and platinum make up the cases and the buckles, in multiple finishes. Straps are made-to-measure in noble and exotic skins, with over 30 carefully selected varieties available, such as alligator, barenia calf leather, box calf leather, ray 'galuchat,' Nile perch, Salmon and Wolf fish. Equal attention and respect is given to every single component.
calibre am-4808
The heart of the Altitude collection, if understatement were a timepiece… This movement effortlessly delivers 56 hours of power reserve with class leading regularity and stability. Its chronometry relies on a double-barrel, rapid rotation architecture and a variable inertia balance with solid gold blocks.
The AM-4808 has been designed to slowly reveal its sophistication to its owner. Vaucher manufactures this calibre for Meerson, and its’ lineage is obvious to the eye of the connoisseur, who will admire its intricacies through the sapphire case back of the Altitude; beauty, purpose and technology must fuse perfectly to bring the watch to life and ensure it will continue beating accurately for generations.
CALIBRE AM-4705
The power house of the sharp D15 sports watch. This mechanical sculpture couples the Vaucher calibre with a unique GMT complication allowing the traveler to switch time-zones on the go, without removing the watch from the wrist. A requirement by Alexandre Meerson was for this movement to be built directly into the case of the D15, eliminating tolerance for error in the manufacturing process. Furthermore, the watch was to sustain brutal and repeated accelerations of an active lifestyle. The Meerson master watchmakers reinforced the chronometry to deliver the required torque without sacrificing power reserve. As expected, the AM-4705 has consistently exceeded all COSC requirements. Beautiful inside, out, it did not sacrifice anything of its refinement, whilst welcoming the sporty lifestyle of its owner.
precious metal craft and micromechanics
the perfect build
A new watch first comes to life in the hands of the case makers whose task it is to craft the “watch head” which is made primarily of Gold and Tianium, and of all the components of the case, sapphires, hands, screws, gaskets, pushers which will encase the dial and the movement securely. These experts fuse metal work with advanced micromechanics to craft a piece that will sustain air and water pressure, as well as corrosion, torsion and gravitational force. A Meerson watch will not break under pressure. It will age beautifully.
CASE FINISH & DECORATION
Before it is placed on the watchmaker’s bench, each component of the watch head is meticulously finished for the perfect appearance, fit and feel. This is when precious stones are set, and polishers painstakingly achieve the perfectly contrasting mirror, satin and brush finishes connoisseurs from around the world have come to expect from Meerson. Your next Meerson timepiece has to be as beautiful and long-lasting as it is comfortable.
dials, indices AND HANDS
THE MASTERS OF COLOUR AND TEXTURE
It took nearly a year for Alexandre Meerson to be satisfied with his ‘True Blue’ - a deep blue that soothes as much as it and conveys a quiet confidence. All dials are patiently handcrafted in the many methods available to achieve the desired effect and longevity - whether galvanic, painted or applying some of the rarest and most sophisticated techniques of enamel and even stone setting and paving.
It all starts with a drawing and aims to please and inspire. It is Art on the Wrist.
CRAFT AS AN ART FORM
A watch dial and decor often requires multiple crafts to collaborate, taking turns and dialoguing with each other. The result is spectacular and always unique.
CALLIGRAPHY & SCULPTURE
Alexandre Meerson has created each of the fonts displayed on his timepieces. On the dial, they are engraved or hand cut and applied on the curved dials or on the even silver base, always leaving space for light to play with the curves and angles as well as the materiality of the dial. The dial becomes a stage where the eye is often trapped in a detail that reveals itself after time, as a surprise.
Symbols and secret messages are hidden - always playful and meaningful.
LEATHERCRAFT
the sensual TOUCH & FIT
Connecting leather with metal in the most natural and understated way is a signature of Meerson's style. The seasonal collections complement the core materials renowned for their unique touch and feel - they are the finest butter-soft calf leather and exotic skins.
Alexandre Meerson travels around to world to source a rare sustainable fish skin here, or an incredible new material there.. and brings them all back to the leather craft atelier where the team tests and invents every day new ways of creating beautiful straps to measure for our clients. Their experience in the traditional arts on behalf of heritage brands serves this search for individuality.
When a material is chosen, it is for a reason and to take part in writing the owners personal story.
All of the straps are lovingly hand-made in Le Locle, Switzerland. Allow Alexandre Meerson to design something truly special for you as part of our bespoke, by-appointment service.