1750, today... At that time, watches were created and built for the long term, to last, with the best materials, to stand the test of time. As these objects were destined to accompany several generations, particular care was taken to ensure their longevity and, of course, that they remained a pleasure to admire.

When my dad was still alive, he commissioned me to make him a pocket watch, as his granddad always wore one. His request was simple: "I'd like to wear a pocket watch too, and since you make beautiful pieces for others, I'd be delighted if you made one for me". I couldn’t honor his request in time, as he left us before I could even sketch a single line for his watch; too busy and occupied was I, at the time, in my role as a director of watchmaking for a major brand.

I was still mourning my father’s passing when I decided to fulfill my dream of independence, and finally started work on his pocket watch. This was the initial impetus for the “Tree of Life” project – and for the first watch, "L'Essentiel" (‘that which is Essential’). Having become a father myself, just two months after mine died, I became inhabited by a deep desire to materialize a philosophy of life.

As I started conceiving my father's pocket watch, I almost immediately imagined that it would carry a philosophical message within... What if my great-grandfather's pocket watch also harbored a message for me – and for my children in the future…?