Cools’ artistry is greatly influenced by 17th- to 19th-century French fine watchmaking (Photo: Miguel Bueno/GPHG; Rémy Cools)
Rémy Cools remembers exactly when he wanted to be a watchmaker. He was 11 when his uncle brought him on a trip to the Vallée de Joux on a tour of the Frédéric Piguet manufacture. Unfamiliar with the industry, the young lad’s eyes were opened to the myriad of jobs supporting the creation of a mechanical timepiece. He found himself seated on a workbench, trying to assemble a movement under the guidance of an obliging watchmaker.
“I was just doing the screws. But that, for me, was a really big revelation. After the visit, I told my father I wanted to be a watchmaker. I was very young and my parents thought I would change my mind, but I never did,” he recalls.
At 15, he applied to one of France’s most prestigious watch schools, Lycée Edgar Faure, in Morteau. After class, he would bury his fingers in old watches, marine chronometers and clocks, repairing and restoring them for collectors. Two years later, he received a national medal for being the best watchmaking apprentice in France. In 2018, he entered his final school project, the Mechanica Tempus Pendulette Tourbillon desk clock, in the FP Journe Young Talent Competition and won. The following year, the bright-eyed 22-year-old decided to set up his own workshop.
The Frenchman debuted his namesake brand with the Tourbillon Souscription, which is modelled after the school watch he made for graduation. Part of the reason he decided to start with a challenging complication was because he wanted to further prove his capabilities and know-how, solidifying his foothold as a competent watchmaker in the eyes of collectors.
Cools’ artistry is greatly influenced by 17th- to 19th-century French fine watchmaking. “To me, that was the golden age. At the time, there was a lot of liberty and watchmakers were very inventive. So now, when I see a marine chronometer or a precision clock made 250 years ago, I become emotional because the weight of history in the little clock is incredible. It was more difficult to build a watch or clock back then than today, so I really try to keep this sense of simple aesthetics, but with perfectly executed mechanisms and finishes.”
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The Tourbillon Atelier is his first production series. Released last year, it represents a coming of age for different reasons. First, it is a mature evolution from his inaugural timepiece — more elegant and refined, but still retaining that classic and traditional soul. While both models bear similar aesthetics, the Tourbillon Atelier boasts a completely new movement, case, dial, hands and crystal — all designed and crafted by hand.
“At the workshop, we still practise methods that were used 200, 300 years ago. It’s very important for us to preserve artisanal production. That is how I am trying to keep the legacy of French watchmaking alive,” he says.
Particular attention was paid to keeping the proportions of the Tourbillon Atelier as compact as possible. Measuring 39mm in diameter and 12mm in height, which includes the raised 3mm sapphire crystal dome, the platinum watch encapsulates a mesmerising tourbillon and seemingly floating silver small hour and minute dial on a grained rose gold or yellow gold plate.
Oscillating at a frequency of 2.5Hz, the centrepiece balance wheel and tourbillon mechanism are carefully adjusted for optimal chronometric performance. The new hand-wound movement comprises 235 components, each decorated by hand, whether or not they are visible. “It’s very important for me to focus on the details, even if it’s something nobody will see.”
At the time of the interview, the Tourbillon Atelier was nominated for a GPHG award, to which Cools expresses he is really happy about. “But if I win, I’ll be doubly happy.” As it turns out, the watch took home the Horological Revelation prize in November, placing his brand in the big leagues.
The future is bright for Cools, who reveals he has a whole list of projects (that are not tourbillons, if you must know) lined up. Astonishingly, since the launch of the brand, his company has simply evolved from a one-man show to … a two-person team, the other watchmaker being his girlfriend. Yearly productions are capped at 12 pieces as the duo literally build the watches from scratch, coiling their own hairsprings included.
“I don’t want to grow too fast. I prefer to find the right people. But in the future, my goal is to have five or six employees and produce between 30 and 50 watches a year,” he says. After all, one of the best pieces of advice he ever received is to be patient and take time to do things the right way.
His fascination with horology endures because he sees timekeeping instruments as living products. “I think it is the perfect meeting between beauty and the mechanical. It’s like an expressive object.”
Though one would most probably find Cools holed up in his watch studio, he also enjoys visiting museums in France or Switzerland and will sometimes swing by an auction to examine a particularly elusive timepiece with his own eyes. Otherwise, he would be in the garage, fixing up old cars, or the kitchen, trying out a new recipe.
Is there anything Mr Cools can’t do?
This article first appeared on Dec 16, 2024 in The Edge Malaysia.
