Despite being still relatively under the radar outside collecting circles, Vanguart has swiftly established itself as one of the most compelling names in independent watchmaking. Based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the Swiss manufacture has, since 2021, produced highly limited creations that unite haute horlogerie with an uncompromising approach to design, materials and wearability. Rather than simply preserving the traditions of fine watchmaking, Vanguart reinterprets them through unconventional architecture, creating timepieces that celebrate mechanical ingenuity while remaining genuinely wearable.
That philosophy first emerged with the Black Hole Tourbillon, before reaching a new milestone in 2024 with the debut of the Vanguart Orb. Three years in development, the flying tourbillon introduced a rare innovation: a function selector that allows its owner to choose between automatic and manual winding. The result is a complication designed not merely to impress, but to invite interaction, placing the wearer at the centre of the experience by allowing them to decide how the watch’s energy is generated.
Now, two years after its unveiling, the Orb returns in two striking new interpretations that introduce coloured ceramic components for the first time. The Vanguart Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium pairs vibrant pink ceramic with a lightweight titanium case, while the Vanguart Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold contrasts deep blue ceramic against the warmth of 18-carat rose gold. Both executions bring a fresh visual identity to the collection without altering the technical innovation that defines it.
It is brands like Vanguart that are increasingly shaping the future of independent watchmaking. Free from the constraints of centuries-old convention, younger maisons have the freedom to rethink complications, explore contemporary materials and redefine what modern haute horlogerie can look, and feel, like. Rather than revisiting the past, they are creating a new language for mechanical watchmaking, one designed as much for today’s collector as tomorrow’s.
