Alto - History, Models and Owners' Reviews

Alto is a young French watch brand launched in 2024 and based in Paris. Founded by Thibaud Guittard (formerly of Audemars Piguet in France), it embraces an "Art-Driven" approach: designing watches as objects of design that explore our relationship with time in different ways...

Origins and artistic direction

The Alto project was born from the desire to bring together talents around a formal language inspired by the 1970s (wedge cars, taut lines). Guittard surrounded himself with watch designer Barth Nussbaumer, artist Yorgo Tloupas, photographer Mathieu César, and Swiss motor manufacturer Le Cercle des Horlogers. In 2025, Raphaël Abeillon (former Senior Watch Designer for Cartier) joined the brand as creative director.

Formal language and positioning

The first watch, Alto ART 01, adopts a radical design: a faceted case in grade 5 titanium, and above all a unique sapphire crystal combining external doming, a double 17-degree chamfer, and an internal hemispherical recess - a piece developed at length to remain thin and waterproof. The aesthetics play on the sculpture of light more than the heritage citation, with clear reading and a light wear (approx. 56 g).

Alto ART 01: the Manifesto Watch

Designed in a single piece around this “architectural” sapphire, the ART 01 features a geometrically framed dial and classic hour/minute hands… which are matched by a deliberately counterclockwise second hand, a conceptual nod to the theme of time. The first series were presented in “First Edition” natural titanium (25 pieces), then in “Monochrome Editions” DLC black or gray (30 pieces each). Alto also unveiled a very small “Alto Falcon Eye” series (12 pieces) in 3N yellow gold with a falcon’s eye dial made of volumetric marquetry.

Caliber A01 and technical signatures

On the back, the A01 caliber is an exclusive micro-rotor, designed by Barth Nussbaumer and developed by Le Cercle des Horlogers (Neuchâtel). It echoes the angular design of the watch: microblasted grade 5 titanium plate, geometric bridges, 4 Hz and 48 hours of power reserve — with the distinctive feature of the seconds hand that “winds back time.” The casing maintains contained proportions (width approx. 41 mm, water resistance announced at 3 ATM).

Editions, distribution and prices

The launches are made in small, numbered series, through direct sales. The First Edition was priced at around CHF 18,450 excluding VAT / EUR 19,000 excluding VAT; the Monochrome editions are now available "on request". The positioning is not "accessible micro-brand", but that of a high-end design object produced in low volumes.

Conclusion

Alto offers a very clear French approach: a sculptural watch designed primarily as an experience of design and light, supported by a slim and contemporary motor. If you're hesitating between the variations (First Edition, Monochrome Black/Grey, Falcon Eye), prioritize the authenticity of Dialicious customer reviews to choose the Alto ART 01 that best suits your needs.

(Updated August 2025)