WATCH BRAND
FROM VERSAILLES
Everything is designed, but few things are designed well,
our watches sound
The Origins...
When Mathematics met Watchmaking.
As Gregory Pons (whom I would like to warmly thank) wrote in his June 8, 2022 article in Business Montres: The watchmaker OBELUS, “We escaped Obélix...” Well, not quite!
Comic book enthusiasts, and in particular fans of the adventures of our two brave Gauls, will have noticed that “Asterus and Obelus” really did exist: these are the pseudonyms adopted by our two heroes, disguised as Roman legionnaires, in Asterix and the Goths.
But I assure you that our thinking was much more serious than that.
So why did we choose the name “OBELUS”?
Well, the obelus “➗” is a symbol used in mathematics to signify division.
This sign was introduced by the Swiss mathematician and astronomer Johann Heinrich Rahn in 1659 (during the reign of Louis XIV... in Versailles, also the birthplace of our brand.
In two lines, everything was written to give its name to a watch brand: Mathematics, Astronomy, Switzerland and the foundation of the masterpiece of a watch movement: the time-divider.
This time which is only a succession of divisions: ..., centuries, decades, years, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds, ...
Our Philosophy
Like most micro brand owners, I am an individual who lives and breathes watches, I have worked in the watch industry for over 20 years and have been collecting watches since I was 10 years old.
Driven by a passion for the classic sports watches of the 1950s. Obelus has given a new lease of life to one of the most popular models in watchmaking history, the "chronograph". To create its inaugural model, the "Retro Chronoscope
My ultimate goal has always been to create watches that look like me: aesthetically pleasing, dark, solid and reliable, but with a rebellious touch...
Our Choices
All our watches and packaging are designed, created, and assembled in France, in Versailles.
We try to select the best suppliers and work with them to understand their processes for several months before producing our first prototypes.
Transparency is necessary to avoid any confusion about our watches. We have our specific components (crystals, bezels, buckles, etc.) manufactured in Hong Kong and France. Most of our movements are Japanese (soon to be Swiss) from Seiko and Miyota, for reliability and robustness. Our straps come from Italy.
Nos ambitions
Offering timeless watches that meet the highest quality standards at a fair price. All topped off with ultra-limited series and editions.
We offer direct distribution, eliminating the traditional intermediary margin and allowing us to offer fair prices for all our watches.
However, we make it a point of honor to listen to you and are in daily contact with our customers. We guarantee that we are always available via our social media channels or by email.
Everything is DESIGNED.
Few things are
WELL DESIGNED
A little history of the beginnings
of watchmaking and France
In France, it was François I who inaugurated the first "French" watch thanks to Julien Coudray in 1518. Julien Coudray, a watchmaker from Blois, was one of the most skilful craftsmen of the 16th century. Appointed "clockmaker" to Kings Louis XII and François I, he was highly respected for his know-how. At the time, to be the king's clockmaker was to have been chosen to embody his vision. At the request of King François I, Julien Coudray made a watch inlaid in the pommel of two of his daggers. According to historical sources, Julien Coudray is thus considered the inventor of the portable watch.
Although watchmaking became synonymous with art and science in the middle of the 17th century thanks to the improvement of techniques, the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 was a real scourge for French watchmaking excellence. Indeed, before this date France, and more precisely Burgundy-Franche-Comté, was the true cradle of European watchmaking. With the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, Protestant worship was banned, temples were destroyed and many craftsmen such as watchmakers and jewellers were forced into exile. There was a massive emigration of French Protestant watchmakers to Switzerland, taking with them their knowledge and manufacturing secrets. The consequences were disastrous for France, which saw a host of talented craftsmen and teachers flee.
It was in 1700 that French watchmaking regained its reputation with the Enlightenment. The know-how of French master watchmakers such as Julien Leroy enabled them to make up for the delay caused by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Paris thus became the centre of watchmaking expertise and attracted talent from all over Europe. The second half of the Enlightenment was marked by the effervescence of science and technology. As a result, watches became more precise, simpler and more comfortable to use and more discreet.
And this exploratory and innovative adventure continues today...
Our references
