Timepieces
W
Mastering time
New chapters in watchmaking are being written collectively at Maîtres du Temps ….
hen Steven Holtzman decided to tear up the Swiss watchmaking rulebook and launch a new breed of timepieces with a very untraditional working method, his former colleagues within the Swiss watch industry watched on with scepticism. After all, their tried-and-tested approach has kept them at the top of their game for centuries. But, five years later, as Maîtres du Temps (meaning Masters of Time)
unveils the third tantalising chapter of its story to a brand new audience in the UAE, it appears the American’s maverick approach has paid off. His concept is simple: to combine the best of watchmaking tradition with the artistry of today’s leading horological visionaries. But where most major watch houses employ one master watchmaker to design and create a model for their brand, Maîtres du Temps encourages “a meeting of minds”, with at least two independent master watchmakers working together to develop each exclusive chapter. And they are the ‘face’ of their creations.
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“I needed to expand on what has been done,” explained Holtzman, who was in Dubai to introduce the brand, and its latest edition, to the UAE. “Everything great has already been done so [I thought], ‘Let’s bring out something that is ultimately different’. We had to shake it up.” Holtzman’s passion for watches, which reportedly began with a Howdy Doody wristwatch as a child, has led to a career in the industry. Having distributed Swiss watch brands throughout Asia and the Americas, he is now quietly conquering the world with his own exclusive brand, which