A younger Frenchman pursuing a profession in clock- & watchmaking.

Over the course of the previous couple of months, we’ve launched you to a good variety of new and thrilling watchmakers performing some fascinating issues. One factor that turns into clear speaking to those people is the love for sharing their ardour, and there’s a shared community of watchmakers serving to one another transfer ahead, perfecting expertise and studying new traits within the course of. Théo Levaltier, a pupil who’s about to finish a 7-year research on the Lycée Edgar Faure in Morteau, France, is not any completely different. This teen, solely 22 years previous, has labored with and is skilled by Florent Lecomte and others, and is now trying to set out on his personal. Initially, his plan is to revive historic clocks and watches, however seeing his work on faculty tasks, we’d fortunately see extra of his personal work sooner or later as effectively!

Robin Nooij, MONOCHROME: Théo, I believe it’s finest if you happen to first introduce your self to our readers? Are you able to share a little bit of your background?

Théo Levaltier, unbiased clock & watchmaker: I used to be born in Lyon 22 years in the past; I’m curious and fascinated by principally the whole lot! My journey started with the double bass, which has been with me since I used to be 7 years previous. I did secondary education half at college and half on the Lyon Conservatory. Since then, music has by no means left me and I attempt to observe (alone or in an orchestra) as typically as doable. For the final ten years, I’ve been keen about watchmaking and, in 2015, I made a decision to make it my career by getting into the watchmaking faculty in Morteau the place I’m now ending my seventh and final yr of research.

So you’ve a deep-rooted curiosity in music. And what about your curiosity in watchmaking? The place does that come from?

I’ve been fortunate sufficient to journey fairly a bit and meet fabulous folks. In brief, I grew up within the fascinating world of music. However I spent my free time constructing LEGO fashions with my arms or in my thoughts, and mechanical passions adopted: planes, boats, vehicles, and so on. Really, mechanics have by no means been far-off. And someday I found what a watch was; I attempted to dismantle one which I didn’t know methods to reassemble and my ardour was born!

Do you see any parallels between music and watchmaking?

There are numerous parallels. To say only a few, I’d say the rigour in hand mastering and within the lengthy studying means of the proper dexterity, the proper tempo and the proper register; arithmetic on the service of artwork and method that are omnipresent in each fields. Musicological analysis and historic contextualisation of labor earlier than enjoying it’s not very completely different from the preliminary work for a watch/clock restoration, and even from the analysis previous to the creation of a bit. The liberty of interpretation whereas maintaining in thoughts the respect of a secular custom that have to be preserved, or lastly this everlasting seek for the nice gesture, the intention and the proper (though hardly ever achieved) settlement. In actual fact, for me, these two worlds are very shut!

How did you study the talent essential to revive, service and manufacture watches?

Primarily throughout my research on the Lycée Edgar Faure in Morteau, which consists of two years for a Certificat d’Aptitude Professionnelle (CAP), then two years for a Brevet des Métiers d’Artwork (BMA) and at last three years for a Diplôme Nationwide des Métiers d’Artwork et Design (DNMADe), and within the workshops that welcomed me for internships (together with some members of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants, AHCI). So far as restoration is worried, I used to be stunned by the refusal of a number of watchmakers to restore my grandfather’s watch; so I began with this piece and, since then, I’ve recurrently taken care of watches or clocks belonging to members of my household or associates in my small workshop. As well as, I’m fortunate sufficient to be surrounded by watchmakers – who turned associates of mine – with unbelievable careers, who reply my questions with skilled recommendation (additionally for my faculty watch tasks). It is a very enriching trade, formative and above all fascinating! However the highway remains to be very lengthy and I hope will probably be wealthy in encounters, teachings and exquisite adventures!

Going by means of your Instagram account, you’ve additionally labored on clocks. Are you able to elaborate on that a little bit?

Thanks for trying! On this account, you will discover a number of adventures, the primary one was the competition ”Un des Meilleurs Apprentis de France” for which, guided by my trainer Florent Lecomte (@Lecomte_Watchmaker), I received a nationwide gold medal. Then the Cartier Watchmaking Institute competitors, for which I introduced an evocation of transmission and surpassing oneself by means of sport (rowing, one other ardour that I sadly not observe for lack of time) in an automaton measuring 60mm in diameter and which received the prize for originality.

The Uranie journey was actually thrilling. I made this clock in 2019 for the top of my BMA (4th research yr); it’s based mostly on restored Paris Motion wheels (courting from the second half of the nineteenth century) to which I added an astronomical indication of moon phases (a few day of error each 120 years). I needed to hyperlink music and clock-making with the theme imposed by the varsity (structure): the Lyon Opera (wherein I’ve performed some instances) appeared a really high-quality option to me, as a result of, when it was in-built 1831, the architects selected to characterize solely seven of the eight muses of the Greek antiquity, so the hunt was apparent: to return Urania (the muse of astronomy) to the Opera! Though they’re in French, I like to recommend two movies.

The primary one is admirably made by considered one of my very proficient associates, and the opposite one is made by the Nationwide Institute of Arts and Crafts in Paris, the place Uranie received the first prize on the ”Avenir Métiers d’artwork” competitors in 2019:

I’ve additionally noticed a wristwatch known as the Zephyr, which appears very intriguing. May you discuss us by means of the idea and improvement?

Proper, I accomplished it on the finish of 2021, regardless of the turbulent instances all of us went by means of. Zephyr took off in 2019; its case is fabricated from a titanium fragment from a Mirage 3 plane. The references to the aeronautical world are manifold (curves of the field, arms, dial and its lugs made with stainless-steel printed in 3D). They refer to varied eras to determine a dialogue between the watch made in 2020 and the motion that’s 100 years older. Certainly, this chronograph calibre with split-second operate got here out of Le Phare (Zénith) workshops at Le Locle within the 1900s. I restored and barely modified it (‘’traits de Paris’’ on the bridges, Incablocs shock safety and gray electroplating). The objective was to enhance its aestheticism and practical state. A enjoyable reality: so far as I do know, it integrates one of many solely tachymetric Machmeter in watchmaking (however very difficult to make use of in regular situations!).

What are you aiming to realize by means of your watchmaking?

Immediately, I’d very very like to give attention to restoration, as a result of I’ve a terrific fascination for these nice master-watchmakers corresponding to Harrisson, Bertoud, Janvier, Breguet, Lepaute, Robin… and people who have been impressed by their work like Daniels, Pratt, Daners, Ditisheim and plenty of different right now’s nice watchmakers. Getting access to these timepieces is like taking distant watchmaking programs with watchmakers who’ve a lot to inform and train us, even some centuries later. However for that, there may be neither secret nor thriller: the one approach is that of ardour and hundreds of hours on the workshop! And why not? I additionally dream of having the ability to transmit, in flip, a view (in a watch, a clock, an automaton or maybe one thing else) of what the watchmaking of the twenty first century might be. However the dream is one factor, the immensely complicated actuality of making an actual timekeeper is one other one… However I don’t resign something as a result of, in any case, the profession plans drawn up when you’re 20 years previous are made to be questioned!

Are you able to shed some mild on any doable upcoming tasks?

With pleasure! I’m presently engaged on my final faculty challenge, a chiming watch with punch relying on a three-hand calibre manufactured by a Swiss firm. The technical inspirations of this piece are instantly derived from the watchmaking custom of chiming watches (which is by far my favorite complication), particularly by way of finishes and operation by incorporating some modern rules and supplies. As for its aesthetics, a number of sources of inspiration are current however all revolve round navigation and particularly the so-called “common jauge” crusing boats of the early twentieth century. I believe that the consequence must be fascinating.

And after the top of the DNMADe diploma, I nonetheless hesitate between learning (in engineering or instantly in restoration) and becoming a member of a workshop. I wish to have my very own workshop sooner or later however I desire persevering with my studying course of earlier than, the whole lot in its personal time and I nonetheless imagine within the alternatives that life can provide! So I’ve the challenge to grow to be a restorer, and extra exactly to specialise in watches as a result of I’m satisfied that it’s by means of this manner that we study this commerce the most effective. For me essentially the most stunning on the earth, is the career of a watchmaker. Positive, I’ve numerous concepts, technical rules and a theme to work on however I don’t have a selected piece in thoughts now. After which I’m afraid to be too younger and subsequently not skilled sufficient to undertake one thing that I wish to be sustainable and that absolutely meets the expectations of watchmaking lovers in our instances.

To conclude, it’s all the time a pleasure to debate with people who find themselves keen about watchmaking/clockmaking: you may attain me on Instagram at first, then round a great meal in Lyon (or elsewhere)!

For extra info, please go to Théo Levaltier’s Instagram account.

Editorial Notice: Credit of a number of of the photographs go to Chez Moi Prod and Augustine Detienne.