Placed a deposit for a watch...

[Ichiran]

..made and finished to a very high standard by a humble and passionate watchmaker, who sold his house to raise enought funds to open his own workshop. I'm sure you must have heard of his name by now if you follow independents - Sylvain Pinaud.

And the watch is the Origine.
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The Origine is 40mm x 11mm and has a big balance wheel with escapement on the dial side. The majority of the movement components are built at his workshop in Sainte-Croix using mostly traditional machinery. Only certain components such as the hairspring, jewels, and crystals are sourced from suppliers. The case and dial are from Kari Voutilainen’s Cattin and Comblémine respectively. I love the sweet dials made by Comblémine with those hand-finished "bulges" that you can also find in Petermann Bédat's watches. There are also sharp inward angles on the bevels with "Hand Made" inscribed on the dial. That's my cup of tea really.

The whole ordering process is a breeze. It is so refreshing to connect directly with a watchmaker and Sylvain is so friendly and helpful with his suggestions and renderings. Customization is doable and I have changed the case of my order from steel to platinum to give it more heft.

Delivery is early 2026 because he only makes 10 to 12 watches per year. I can't wait to collect the watch! Thanks for reading.