VANGUART: REIMAGINING TIME WITH THE ORB
VANGUART: REIMAGINING TIME WITH THE ORB
Independent watchmaking has always thrived at the edge of invention, where craft, vision, and technical daring meet. Few contemporary maisons capture that spirit quite as vividly as Vanguart, a brand that in less than a decade has carved a path into Haute Horlogerie with a rare combination of pedigree, precision, and imagination.
Founded in 2017 by an exceptional quartet: Chairman Mehmet Koruturk (private equity and F1), CEO Axel Leuenberger (formerly APRP R&D), Chief Technical Officer Jérémy Freléchox (an APRP veteran of 15 years), and Creative Director Thierry Fischer (renowned watch designer), Vanguart is the sum of extraordinary parts. Together, the team brings decades of experience shaping the most complicated movements for Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille, Chanel, and others, coupled with an appetite to chart an independent course.
Their first creation, the Vanguart Blackhole launched in 2019, immediately signalled that this was not another start-up seeking to echo the icons of the past. It was a daring, technically complex piece that sought to bend time, quite literally, around an experiential vision. In 2024, the maison unveiled the Orb, a piece that represents not only the next chapter in their journey but also a statement of intent about the future of independent watchmaking.
A Team with Gravitas
Independent watch brands often rise or fall on the credibility of their founding members. Vanguart stands apart in that respect. Both Leuenberger and Freléchox honed their craft at Audemars Piguet Renaud et Papi (APRP) under the guidance of Giulio Papi, the very crucible where some of the most significant contemporary complications of the last three decades were born. Fischer, with an eye for aesthetics honed across multiple leading maisons, brings the creative balance between engineering brilliance and poetic design.
As Leuenberger explains, “For the Vanguart Orb we consciously took the time to refine every detail, seeking ideal symmetry and proportions throughout each element of the case, movement and dial display. Our ambition was to merge futuristic aspects with traditional finishes and techniques into a harmonious, coherent design.”
That duality, tradition fused with futurism, is not only a design ethos but also a business philosophy. The brand’s team, now 20+ full-time members supported by a close community of collaborators and suppliers, has grown carefully, building what Koruturk calls “a strong foundation for a long-term vision.”
The Orb: Where Symmetry Meets Spectacle
The Vanguart Orb, introduced in 2024, is both a technical marvel and a philosophical statement. At its heart lies a newly developed hand-finished
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flying tourbillon movement, itself a feat of miniaturisation and mastery. What makes the Orb unique is its ability to shift between manual and automatic modes at the command of the crown.
This duality is expressed through one of the watch’s most beguiling features: a diamond-set orbital oscillating mass that appears to float inside the case. In manual mode, the mass is locked. In automatic mode, it springs to life, revolving gracefully around its track, a performance as much as a mechanism, engaging the wearer in a dialogue with time.
Creative Director Fischer describes the Orb as “a harmonious shape that evokes relics of the past and visions of the future.” Its design language is rooted in symmetry and balance, expressed through an extensively hand-decorated case, openworked dial, and layers of visual depth that reward discovery. Sandblasting, satin-finishing, and mirror polishing techniques intermingle, blurring the line between case and movement in a seamless architecture of light and shadow.
At just 10.5mm thick, including the crystal, the Orb maximises its internal volume with theatrical depth. Superluminovacoated hands and hour markers are framed by the PVD-coated titanium inner bezel, while the flying tourbillon at six o’clock balances the winding barrel at twelve. The result is a watch that is not only an object of precision but also an aesthetic sculpture, an invitation to engage.
A Philosophy of Craft
Unlike many young independents eager to outsource, Vanguart is adamant about in-house creation. The brand designs, develops, and decorates every element internally, turning only to select suppliers for industrial processes like CNC machining, all under stringent quality control. This approach limits production capacity but elevates authenticity and ensures that every watch is hand-finished, hand-decorated, and deeply personal.
Their watches come with an industryleading nine-year guarantee (3+3+3), extendable through regular servicing. Beyond mechanics, this guarantee embodies Vanguart’s philosophy of longevity and serviceability, with movements that are highly complex yet robust, and light polishing included at the owner’s request.
“Our movements are highly complicated and extensively hand-finished, yet strong and readily serviceable,” the team explains. “Owners will always have direct contact with us or our partners to ensure an easy and efficient process should their watch ever need attention.”
Distribution and Exclusivity
Vanguart’s distribution mirrors its philosophy: measured, selective, personal. Watches can be discovered directly at the brand’s headquarters in La Chaux-de-
Fonds, through Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons in the Middle East, or via Material Goods in the United States. Delivery times typically run 6 months to 1 year, underlining both the artisanal nature of production and the demand for exclusivity.
Occasionally, Vanguart creates unique editions for its closest clients, underscoring the maison’s willingness to merge technical creativity with personal storytelling. Trade-in programmes are not yet offered, production numbers are simply too limited, but the founders recognise that such a model may be explored as the brand matures.
The Road Ahead
For a brand established only seven years ago, Vanguart’s trajectory has been nothing short of remarkable. Its two models, the Blackhole (2019) and the Orb (2024), have already secured its place
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among the independents to watch. Yet what is perhaps most striking is the clarity of vision.
As Koruturk notes, “The Orb is an expression of our long-term vision and our commitment to develop exceptional creations that broaden the appreciation of modern watchmaking by introducing new possibilities.”
Future releases are already in development, promising both evolutions of existing models and entirely new horizons. The brand will continue to make appearances at major watch fairs and events.
Independent Spirit, Lasting Legacy
Independent watchmaking today is a crowded field, with countless microbrands and ateliers vying for attention. What separates the enduring names from the ephemeral is not simply technical novelty but the ability to marry heritage
craft with forward-thinking vision. Vanguart exemplifies this rare synthesis.
By grounding itself in the traditions of finishing, decoration, and serviceability, while daring to experiment with orbital oscillators and tactile user engagement, Vanguart has created a vocabulary all its own. The Blackhole was the opening sentence. The Orb is the punctuation mark that underscores the seriousness of their ambition.
For collectors and enthusiasts alike, Vanguart represents more than a watch. It represents a philosophy: that time should not only be measured but experienced. That in the delicate balance between innovation and craft lies the future of Haute Horlogerie.
And in that balance, Vanguart has found its orbit.
www.vanguart.com