Aesthetics always fascinated him as a child. This translated into the study of photography, where he was able to fully combine his passion for art and his search for beauty. Meet Bernard Julémont, the passionate entrepreneur behind the eponymous Belgian luxury watch brand. We take you on a journey through the story of his relentless pursuit of the best in design, aesthetics and elegance.
At a young age, Bernard fell in love with the Swiss watch brand Swatch. The frenzied collections, the relentless design, the sense of belonging among the brand’s fans… it made his heart beat faster and would become a love affair with an object that would never stop: clocks.
At the age of 25 Bernard could no longer contain his passion for horology. He decided to apply to thegreatest watchmakers and got a job at the Belgian importer of IWC-Porsche Design. At Schaffausen he not only learned the ropes of the marketing business, but also the world of Belgian watch-making at close quarters. Ten years later, in 2001, he launched his own brand: Raidillon. He registered the brand name, positioned it as the “gentleman driver watch”, limited its models to 55, participated with the brand in numerous old-timer rallies and became the official sponsor of the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. In 2009, he was joined by a financial investor, but a few years later Bernard decided to sell his shareholding and return to the ultimate freedom of developing his own brand.
“Ever since I was a kid I was constantly drawing, sketching in my notebooks. I used to cut into a Ytong block when I was making concept drawings of new cars. Searching for style, aesthetics, personality, was always a leitmotiv: innovate. After my 3-year competitive tenure, I wanted to express this creativity in a completely new watch. Starting from a blank sheet of paper. That was hugely motivating”
The birth of Clockwork Julémont, the ultimate feeling of freedom.
Bernard’s passion for beautiful things is evident in his visits to museums and art galleries – especially modern ones. Like the great sculptors, he kneads the clay, looking for new curves, new shapes. The result is an absolutely unique and unconventional form that gives his prototype, the “Dôme watch”, the appearance of a sensual pebble. With its hyper curved sapphire crystal, and not the slightest sharp edge, the watch feels like a second skin with perfect ergonomics. But for Bernard, the most important thing was to create his own identity, his own “signature“. After a continuous three-year quest with several prototypes, he finally achieved the desired result, which combines functionality, attention to detail, high quality workmanship and originality: the asymmetrical glass cut-out at noon, which reveals the function of the spare hand in an arc, and an integrated crown!
To arrive at this final product, Bernard continued a 20-year partnership with the leading Italian atelier, which guarantees to find the best subcontractors and assemble his watches.
As the clock ticks at home, but not in Switzerland.
Despite the fact that he has worked with Swiss watches for years, he decides to change course. To be sure of a smooth supply of materials of the highest quality, Bernard resolutely opted for Japanese automatic mechanisms. After all, they already have a long track record.
The most important thing was that he needed an extra hand on top of the dial as an indication, accentuated by the semi-circular cut-out of the glass. Only the Japanese could provide this feat of technical ingenuity. But it was essential in the design of Julémont watches, for this extra pointer enables one to read the watch’s energy level! It was the birth of a unique watch!
The green reflex in watchmaking
The reading of the watch’s energy level proved not to be a superfluous feature, as Julémont watches are charged by a natural movement of the wrist. The more active you are during the day, the more the watch is charged. In this way, no electricity is needed to charge the watch. But don’t worry, for people who are not active for two days, the brand has provided a charger (winder) to electrically charge the watch :).
Bernard Julémont: “For us, this is a small contribution to protecting our planet. We are trying to systematically extend this approach as much as possible. For example, our suitcases and winders are made of recycled wood (mdf) in a workshop 7 kilometres from my home. The bracelet is also made of recyclable vegetable rubber. And one day it might be possible to assemble the watch entirely in Belgium, why not in our Julémont workshop, between Liège and Maastricht 😉 We are already looking at this today. But it is not financially easy for a Belgian entrepreneur to produce, to manufacture the parts in Belgium…But we are not giving up!
For anyone who would like to own a beautiful, sensual, original watch, in a very limited series and showing your taste for Belgian design: Julémont timepieces, a good choice. Also for the planet!
All information about Julémont watches can be found here: https://julemont-watches.com/.
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