francouas's review on his Ataelier Haute Complication Dual Time

Vladimir Négault, the founder of Ataelier Haute Complication, isn't just a "Journe alumnus" mentioned to sell the dream. Trained as an architect, he worked for ten years at Journe in Geneva on movement development. In 2018, he left to set up his own workshop. The connection with Journe is real and acknowledged—he describes himself as a disciple—but his style is clearly his own: all his watches share a highly recognizable aesthetic, with a large complication indicator and a small subdial for the time. It's worth noting that he also worked with Ludovic Ballouard, so he's well-established in the small world of independent Geneva watchmakers, not just within the Journe sphere. As an aside: he named his son François-Paul, and today, it's this son who works with him in the workshop. Regarding the design, I must be honest, it's definitely divisive. Personally, when I first saw the watch in photos, I wasn't initially drawn to it. The rotating time zone disc at the top, the off-center subdial at the bottom, the large numerals—it all threw me off a bit at first. But the design grows on you. The more I looked at it, the more interesting I found it, until I came to love it. It's the kind of design that doesn't necessarily appeal to everyone, but that gains strength over time—and that's precisely what's lacking in much of today's watchmaking, which is too bland and too conventional. Another point to keep in mind: the Dual Time is just the first installment in a series of five complications announced from the outset by Négault, which is quite unusual in terms of transparency for a new independent watchmaker. Functionally, the Dual Time displays two time zones simultaneously: local time on a classic off-center subdial with hands, and home time via a rotating day/night disc that occupies the entire upper part of the dial, with a gradient of blue that gradually shifts from starry night to dawn. It's a rather intuitive day/night display once you understand the principle, undoubtedly one of the most legible GMT displays. The rest of the range, in summary: a striking tourbillon (half-hour reminder, 2023-2024), a perpetual calendar combined with a weekly calendar, and coming soon, a striking chronograph ("Pendule de Paris") and a grande sonnerie. Some specs of my titanium Dual Time version: it uses the in-house Architecture Mécanique N°1 caliber (21,600 vibrations/hour, approximately 40-hour power reserve) and a 41mm diameter case, 9mm thick, with a sapphire crystal case back. The movement is made of German silver. Price-wise, it remains well-positioned for independent watchmaking at this level of finish and in-house movement: around CHF 18,000 for the titanium version and around CHF 30,000 for the platinum. For a first model with an in-house caliber, this pricing seems consistent and provides an entry point into the brand. What else works well: • A wide range of variations: titanium and platinum cases (a steel case was also available at the time of the subscription but is now sold out), and many color variations, all numbered. • In-house movement and hand-finished details visible on the case back. • Meeting Vladimir in Geneva and being able to speak directly with him and his son is priceless. The drawbacks: • Distribution is limited. No retailers in France. Apart from direct sales in Geneva, sales are primarily in Asia, the UK, and the USA. • I find the power reserve a little short, but it's not a deal-breaker.