New Horizons: the gravitational pull of Vanguart
Over less than a decade, Vanguart has made a name for itself with boundary-pushing, experimental designs
In a luxury market increasingly driven by mass appeal and algorithm-friendly design, true discernment has become a form of cultural capital. That’s the space Vanguart occupies. Founded in Switzerland in 2017 by CEO Axel Leuenberger, CTO Jérémy Freléchox, chairman Mehmet Koruturk and creative director Thierry Fischer, the independent watchmaker quickly positioned itself as a bold alternative to the heritage houses that have long dominated haute horology.
Vanguart made its mark with the launch of the Black Hole Tourbillon in 2021 – a watch that immediately signalled the brand’s unconventional approach. Defined by experimental design, advanced engineering and a distinctly future-facing aesthetic, the piece pushed traditional watchmaking into unfamiliar territory.
That refusal to conform ultimately became its greatest strength. Rather than modelling itself on the mainstream, the Black Hole Tourbillon quietly found its audience among collectors drawn to idiosyncratic design and rarity with cultural weight. From global athletes to chart-topping superstars, the watch has steadily built a cult following. “It’s like an album or a film that isn’t understood on opening weekend,” explains Koruturk, “but with time it becomes a classic.”
Just looking at the Black Hole, it’s immediately apparent why Vanguart has become a magnet for collector intrigue. With its space-age, asymmetrical case – defined by aerodynamic lines that wouldn’t look out of place on the Nostromo – the piece exists in a galaxy eons ahead of its competitors. Drawing the eye inward, a stepped, architectural arrangement of components leads to a central flying tourbillon that lives up to its name. This is niche watchmaking for a new age.
“We take the best of the craft and its centuries of heritage, but without being constrained by it,” Mehmet Koruturk
The founders’ pedigrees are central to this approach, having trained at the highest levels of Swiss watchmaking. Leuenberger and Freléchox both come from Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi (APRP), while Fischer’s past clients have included Audemars Piguet and Harry Winston. For the quartet, this translates into an intimate understanding of its codes and, more importantly, how to reinterpret them. Here, heritage is a launchpad rather than a limit.
“We have a huge respect for traditional Swiss watchmaking,” says Koruturk. “We take the best of the craft and its centuries of heritage, but without being constrained by it.” This reverence for the craft is embedded in the brand’s framework, where research-driven engineering anchors experimental instincts in technical rigour.
Beneath the surface of the Black Hole Tourbillon lies the calibre T-1701, where traditional watchmaking discipline gives way to something more speculative, almost cinematic. At its centre, a flying tourbillon appears to hover in defiance of gravity, suspended above a dial that feels otherworldly in its animated mechanical rhythm. Here, time isn’t measured; it is staged, unfolding like a sequence from a future that hasn’t quite arrived, where engineering and imagination converge.
“When I’m designing, I’m not thinking about a watch,” Fischer tells me. A conceptual video from his university thesis first captured the attention of Leuenberger and Freléchox. Drawing on references spanning science-fiction cinema, the aerodynamic curves of classic cars and the Art Nouveau architecture of his hometown, Fischer describes himself less as a designer and more as a sculptor. “It’s really about shape for me.”
Vanguart’s second release came in 2024 with The Orb, refining Fischer’s sculptural approach. A masterclass in balance, the 41mm case is shaped through sweeping, fluid curves that recall modernist sculptor Brâncuși’s continuous line, filtered through a techno-futurist lens. At its centre, a suspended flying tourbillon acts as a kinetic focal point, transforming regulation into a visual spectacle through its constant, exposed motion.
This sense of dynamism extends to the user experience, with wearers given the power to switch between automatic and manual winding. In automatic mode, a diamond set on a curved titanium track orbits the movement, reinforcing the watch’s interplay between engineering precision and optical illusion.
“I see Vanguart like a vessel, a spaceship”, Thierry Fischer
Externally, screws and conventional mechanical clutter are deliberately concealed, resulting in a sleek surface that contrasts with the complexity inside. “When you look at the exterior of our watches, everything is hidden,” Fischer says. “We want people to question how we do things,” he adds.
Vanguart unveiled new iterations of The Orb at this year’s Watches and Wonders in Geneva, continuing its experimental, lab-like approach. Inspired by spring, it adapted its flying tourbillon for everyday wear, presenting it in soft blue and pink ceramic (pictured). This seemingly simple shift in colour adds a playful dimension, while signalling that Vanguart isn’t confined to a single hyper-futuristic vision, but instead operates like a research-driven practice – continually testing new materials, forms and ideas to expand its creative and technical boundaries.
The use of ceramic marks a significant technical achievement. The highly resistant, vividly coloured components are shaped into complex, continuously curved forms, following a lengthy development process to perfect both the material and its machining. Achieving this level of structural integrity and refined finishing demanded extensive experimentation and precision throughout every stage of production.
The result is a bold construction encased in luxe finishes of mercurial titanium and rose gold that further enhance texture and depth. For the brand, this evolution is less about decoration and more about exploration. “I see Vanguart like a vessel, a spaceship,” explains Fischer. “We’re all in – to explore, try new things and bring fresh ideas to watchmaking.”
In this sense, Vanguart exists in dialogue with collectors who have moved beyond convention, seeking pieces that challenge expectations while remaining rooted in exceptional craftsmanship. Rather than chasing mass appeal or entry-level acquisition, the brand embraces its role as a specialist proposition – created for those who refuse to be confined by traditional codes of watch-collecting.
It is a philosophy of refinement over expansion, where exclusivity is not an aspiration but an outcome of intent. “We’re never going to be the first watch of a collection. It will always be for the seasoned collectors,” reflects Fischer.
Discover the latest from Vanguart at vanguart.com.