Over the last decade, we have established K2 Luxury as the go-to place for collectors to source some of the rarest timepieces money could buy today. From Patek Philippe perpetual calendars to Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbos, from F.P. Journe to Kari Voutilainen, we’ve sourced these watches for our discerning clientele from across the globe.
Around 2018 we started noticing a shift in the buying habits of our clients. They were increasingly turning towards artisanal watchmakers spurred no doubt by the quality of the timepieces that these independent brands were producing. Connoisseurs of fine craftsmanship are increasingly drawn towards non-mainstream brands that are producing high quality products in limited quantities. We realised that there was no single platform that was representing or promoting these indie watchmakers. Not even in Switzerland, the cradle of haute horology. Salon des Horlogers was a concept waiting to happen.
The remit of the Salon des Horlogers is to promote artisanal watchmaking to connoisseurs. And that’s exactly what we do. Watchmakers like Ludovic Ballouard or David Candaux are not mainstream brands that you can see on billboards or in glossy magazines. And yet their work is comparable to some of the finest in the business.
Not only do we promote these brands but we also help foster a better understanding of what these artisanal watchmakers by enhancing the whole buying experience. We do this by arranging visits to the atelier and meeting the people who actually worked on your timepiece. There is no better way to understand the nuances of fine watchmaking. In addition we plan to host events at our Salon in Geneva that will focus on spreading the gospel of fine artisanal watchmaking. The fact that we have signed on big names in the indie space like Kari Voutilainen, Laurent Ferrier, and Vianney Halter is proof that the industry recognises the work we do.
Also, we are a family-owned business run by three brothers who are passionate about fine watchmaking. Clients deal directly with us, we will fly across the world hand deliver the watches to them if necessary. There is utmost transparency in all our dealings.
There is no easy answer to this question. You can’t deny the fact that the right timepiece from a celebrated brand like Patek Philippe is a quality investment (you only have to look at the auction results or the waitlists at authorised dealers to see their worth). However, independents like F.P. Journe or Philippe Dufour have paved the way for a new generation of extremely talented watchmakers.
Some of the most exciting and daring designs and innovations in watchmaking are being done by these independent watchmakers. Their work has a real artisanal quality to them that really sets them apart from anything that a big watchmaker or a brand that’s part of giant luxury group will produce. But mostly importantly, it’s the fact that you can actually meet the person whose name is on the dial and learn first-hand the nuances of the timepiece that makes the world of these artisanal watchmakers so exciting. These are people at the top of their game, it takes them a year (if not years) to finish a timepiece.