As the flowers and sweets arrive en masse for Valentine’s, allow me to introduce you to a few of the couples that have influenced the modern watch landscape!
Valentine’s Day is now upon us, and whether you’re single, taken, or in something a little more complicated, I’m sure you’re all here for a different kind of love. Of course, I’m talking about horophilia, the love of horology, as you’ve come to see us even on this special day! Aww, how sweet.
In any case, you’re not the only one to have linked love and watches together. In fact, there are countless examples of watchmakers and brands intertwined with this powerful emotion. While passion is certainly a key foundation of anything horological, a foundation of love is something else entirely. What follows are five such examples: watch brands that, beyond a love of watchmaking, were historically founded on the love between two individuals.
Maria & Richard Habring, Habring²
Though Austria isn’t the first place you’d think of for high-end luxury watchmaking, there are always exceptions. In this case, there are two: Carl Suchy & Söhne, based in Vienna, and the joint efforts of Richard and Maria Habring under Habring² (Habring Squared).
Richard Habring is a master watchmaker in his own right. Having dedicated himself to crafting timepieces since 1985, he has built an extensive and respected career in the horological world. His résumé includes several significant contributions, most notably pioneering the split-seconds chronograph for IWC. He also benefited from the tutelage of the legendary Günter Blümlein, working under him within the former LMH (Les Manufactures Horlogères) group until Blümlein’s untimely passing in 2001.
But every cloud has a silver lining. That same year, Richard met Maria Kristina, and promptly fell in love. In 2004, they launched Habring² as a testament to their dedication to the watch world, and to each other. Producing elegant and complex timepieces by hand and in limited numbers, the Habrings have brought a new definition to the term ‘made with love’.
Discover more about the brand and its founders online at Habring2.com
Rebecca & Craig Struthers, Struthers Watchmakers
The United Kingdom has historically been home to a slew of notable horological names. Chief among them are figures such as John Arnold, George Daniels, Hans Wilsdorf and Roger Smith. All have contributed in their own right, but it seems Britain’s modern horology scene is now being written by Rebecca and Craig Struthers.
The eponymous heads of the Struthers Watchmakers workshop and studio, the husband-and-wife team bring over three decades of combined experience to their craft, and it shows in the timepieces they create. Craig, who studied at the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design’s School of Jewellery, has built an astonishing reputation as a master watchmaker. A keen artist, he is typically responsible for the initial renders of every watch the Struthers produce.
Rebecca, on the other hand, is a horological force in her own right. Not only is she a watchmaker and gemologist, she is also the only practising watchmaker in the United Kingdom to hold a PhD in horology. Her book, Hands of Time, exemplifies this distinction, outlining her unique perspective on the history of timekeeping and watches. Together, their efforts make Struthers Watchmakers a venerable presence in the independent scene, and one that should be watched closely in the years ahead.
Discover more about the brand and its founders online at StruthersWatchmakers.co.uk
Constant Girard & Marie Perregaux (Girard-Perregaux)
Now, this is a brand you may already be familiar with, but perhaps you haven’t heard the whole story yet. Rest assured, I won’t go through all of it, otherwise we’d be here all day. Yes, Girard-Perregaux was indeed founded by a couple!
While its manufacturing inspiration can be traced back to Jean-François Bautte, the brand as we know it truly came together with a wedding. Constant Girard, a watchmaker in La Chaux-de-Fonds, established his own brand, Girard & Cie., in 1852. Two years later, he married Marie Perregaux of Le Locle, herself the daughter of Henri François Perregaux, an esteemed watchmaker in his own right. Two years after that, they would co-sign their names, not on a marriage contract this time, but on their joint business venture.
Today, Girard-Perregaux is nothing short of legendary. As part of the Sowind Group, it has established itself as a premium offering for watch enthusiasts with exacting tastes. In recent years, its partnership with the Aston Martin Formula One team has been especially prominent, often seen on the wrists of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso. Although that relationship has since been inherited by Breitling, the cachet of Girard-Perregaux remains intact and should continue to draw plenty of attention wherever the brand chooses to go next.
Discover more about the brand and its founders online at Girard-Perregeaux.com
Paul-Arthur Schwarz & Olga Etienne, Schwarz-Etienne
Out of all the brands on this list, this may be the one you know the least about. If it’s not, good on you. We operate on a similar level of watch nerdery. But just because the name Schwarz-Etienne might not be familiar, it doesn’t mean the brand isn’t a significant player in the modern industry.
Compared to other heritage watch brands, Schwarz-Etienne is relatively young. The company was founded in 1902 by the husband-and-wife duo Paul-Arthur Schwarz and Olga Etienne, who had come together around thirty years earlier. Over the century that followed, the brand became known as a reputable supplier of high-end mechanical movements.
For the truly deep-cut watch nerd, their heyday saw them owning brands such as Venus, Sultana Le Phare and Alpha, while also providing their services to other luxury houses, including Chanel.
Like so many others, Schwarz-Etienne fell victim to the Quartz Crisis, but it was Raffaello Radicchi who sought to revive this long-lost love story in 2003. The brand committed to in-house movement manufacturing in 2008, and continues to produce its own timepieces and calibres to this day. Now, their movements can be found both in Schwarz-Etienne’s own watches and, perhaps more unexpectedly, inside some of the hypermodern offerings from Malaysian independent brand Ming.
Discover more about the brand and its founders online at Schwarz-Etienne.ch
Aletta Francoise Frédérique Stas-Bax & Peter Constant Stas (Frederique Constant)
Rounding out the list is the Dutch-blooded, Swiss-based, Japanese-owned powerhouse that is Frederique Constant. Founded by the enterprising Aletta Françoise Frédérique Stas-Bax and Peter Constant Stas, the Frederique Constant name is not a merging of their own. Instead, it pays tribute to the founders’ great-grandparents, Frédérique Schreiner and Constant Stas, respectively.
Since its creation in 1988, the brand has become a consistent presence in the watch world. Its penchant for in-house manufacturing, paired with a commitment to traditional aesthetics, has set it apart despite being a relatively young brand. Frederique Constant also expanded its reach through the acquisition of heritage marque Alpina in 2002, followed by the establishment of Ateliers deMonaco in 2008.
Today, Frederique Constant forms part of Citizen Holdings, which also encompasses the Citizen Watch brand alongside names such as Angelus and Arnold & Son. The speed and scale of the brand’s success is a major draw, as is its apparent lack of reliance on tired old myths to sell its watches. Positioned firmly at the forefront of accessible luxury watchmaking, Frederique Constant and modern horology feel like a match made in heaven, and one that’s close enough for enthusiasts to join in the fun as well!