Independent watchmaking continues to draw enthusiasm from collectors, particularly as a new generation of creators begins to establish its voice. One of the most interesting recent debuts is The Owl by L’Atelier Bernard, a sold-out six-piece limited edition that blends unconventional aesthetics with equally unconventional mechanics.

Handcrafted in Fleurier by the young duo Bernard Van Ormelingen and Bernard Braboretz, the watch showcases a mix of artisanal finishing, inverted-movement architecture, and a rarely seen duplex escapement — making The Owl a highly distinctive entry in the crowded field of emerging independents.

Initial thoughts

The Owl is handcrafted by a pair of young and talented watchmakers, Bernard Van Ormelingen and Bernard Braboretz, the masterminds behind L’Atelier Bernard. Those who closely follow independent watchmaking might remember Mr Van Ormelingen’s name from the Van Bricht series, for which he produced the guilloche dials. Clearly a show of their shared aesthetic sensibilities and technical chops, the Owl is meant to kickstart the independent creators’ artisanal venture in Fleurier. 

The Owl is unexpected and intriguing on several fronts. Its aesthetics, mechanics, decoration, and layout seem almost at odds with one another, yet the result is a distinctly artisanal object. There is no conventional dial; instead, the watch presents an inverted movement enlivened by a cheerful mix of colours and textures. Even before taking in the surface finishing, the interplay of gold and dark blue accents against the warm grey and copper tones of the movement makes an immediate impression.

The piece is dominated by the two large symmetric barrels which indeed call to mind the inquisitive, ogling eyes of an owl. On the lower portion of the watch face sits the large, slow beating balance, powered by a surprising choice for an escapement: the old duplex. A bold move from the watchmakers, we’ll enter the specifics of the particular device a bit later. 

The movement appears to be a deliberate blend of highly refined and more rustic finishes. The lavishly engine-turned barrels (a personal favourite of mine in terms of barrel decoration) contrast with the simply and coarsely grained grey mainplate; the mirror-polished countersinks for the barrel jewels somehow sit alongside the rather crude, parachute-style shock absorber for the balance. Likewise, the intricate blued harpoon hands are secured by a traditional arbour pin.

This intentional contrast lends the piece a pleasant and playful tone, hinting at the young energy and perspective of the two watchmakers. The bullhead-like placement of the crown at 12 o’clock is yet another way in which the piece reinterprets traditional norms. 

The sloped side profile with angular lugs.

The stainless steel case has strong, angular lugs — a modern abstracted take on the Cornes de Vache. Normally this style isn’t to my taste, but it fits this watch well. Interestingly, the case slopes downward from top to bottom, a trick that reveals the side view of the unusual oscillator thanks to a cylindrical, domed sapphire crystal.

It’s an ambitious debut, which means it will be worth keeping an eye on what L’Atelier Bernard creates in the future. The Owl is limited to just six pieces and all are pre-sold pending delivery in 2026. Priced at CHF150,000 before taxes, the Owl should give the small brand a bit of runway to begin their next project, which will feature an entirely new calibre. In the meantime, the blend of polished crudeness is a breath of fresh air and a pleasant break from the overabundance of Geneva stripes and perlage. 

About the duplex

For those who aren’t particularly familiar with older pocket watches and their construction, the duplex escapement might be something of an unknown. While the Swiss lever is ubiquitous and the detent has been going through a sort of a revival, the duplex escapement has been largely forgotten in modern times. 

In brief terms the duplex is a frictional rest, deadbeat tangential impulse escapement. This means that an active piece of the escapement is always in contact with a the swinging sprung balance and secondly that it impels the balance only every two vibrations, so once an oscillation. Moreover, the impulse is parted tangentially, in a detent-like fashion. 

The system is believed to have been invented by either Robert Hooke or Jean-Baptiste Dutertre in the early 18th century and later perfected either by the eminent Pierre Le Roy or the Englishman Thomas Tyrer. As was the case with a number of horological innovations in those days, many inventors claimed credit for the same device, leaving the system’s true provenance unclear. 

At the time of its introduction, the duplex was a better performing system compared to the widely-used cylinder escapement. That said, the duplex was never implemented extensively due to the advent of more precise detached lever escapements.

Schematic of the duplex; note the two pairs of teeth. Image – Leopold Defossez

Considered one of the first “co-axial” escapements (having two sets of teeth arranged on different levels), the duplex has dissociated locking and impulse functions. The longer teeth lock the escape wheel in place against a roller formed into the balance staff. A small notch lets the tensioned tooth pass during counterclockwise swings, while only slightly recoiling the escape wheel during the clockwise swings. 

A detent-like impulse pallet is engaged by the shorter tooth-set, imparting tangential and low friction impulse to the balance. The impulse function is virtually identical to the detent escapement, and the locking function is the main difference between the two designs. 

While the parting of impulse is particularly efficient and soft on the parts involved, the constant pressure of the long locking teeth on the balance staff acts as a friction brake, actively dampening the oscillator. 

So while the impulse function is close to ideal, the locking function is a particular disadvantage. Making sure the escapement works flawlessly takes great craftsmanship, since the tolerances of the roller and notch engagement with the locking teeth need to be particularly precise. 

The duplex escape wheel used inside the Owl.

Interestingly, the duplex was used in high quality pocket chronometers, although one might be tempted to assume the frictional rest should disrupt the oscillator’s accuracy. Truth is, the lever arm is quite long, so the escape wheel torque sits at a convenient mechanical disadvantage compared to the balance wheel’s normal force. Thus unbearable friction is not generated in well-dimensioned pieces with slim rollers. 

Also, the unlocking function is particularly soft, since there is no additional lever to be accelerated from standstill. The escape wheel simply starts turning as soon as the notch allows the locked tooth to pass through. Keeping in mind that the friction on the balance wheel is otherwise constant, a good watchmaker can regulate the piece to compensate for the losses. 

Seeing the duplex used in a modern piece was surprising for me at first, thinking that no emerging independent watchmaker would be brave enough to sell what can be perceived as an outdated escapement. Looking at the Owl the decision makes sense, playfully straying away from the dull uniformity of some time-only creations. 

The Owl’s duplex

L’Atelier Bernard came up with their own version of the duplex escapement, which falls under the more rustic elements of the Owl. For example, the escape wheel is built with tall pins instead of the conventional second level of impulse teeth. Also, the impulse pallet on the balance is not ruby, but rather made of the same material as the escape wheel. Due to the soft nature of the radial impulse the watchmakers perhaps believed a jewel was not required. 

Compared to classic duplex escapements, the Owl’s specimen has an additional component: a safety implement. Since the duplex only locks the escape wheel through the notched roller, at high amplitudes it can unlock the wheel twice during the same vibration. This can bind the escapement and break or deform the overstrained hairspring. This phenomenon is sometimes called galloping and can occur in detent escapements as well. 

Furthermore, the two large parallel barrels likely supply a hearty amount of torque to the escapement and oscillator, increasing the risk of over-banking the balance. To compensate for this risk, the watchmakers put an additional counterweight geared to the balance, assuring the added “dead weight” keeps the balance oscillating at suitable amplitudes only.

The free-sprung balance beats at an unusual 1.5 Hz frequency, meaning the large cut and screwed balance wheel makes 2/3 oscillation per second. The slow vibration of the regulator is certainly an interesting sight, the pace giving a sense of slowed time. The Own runs for a modest but comfortable 45 hours on a full wind. 

Uncased view of the movement.

The hairspring has an interesting dark blue hue and a prominently raised overcoil, forming a wide end curve. The springs are new old-stock Nivarox 2 quality, which is a touching nod to the past.

The Owl lacks a seconds hand, partly due to the movement construction and perhaps also due to the watchmakers’ preference. Because of the slow and peculiar sequence of the duplex escapement, a seconds hand would have moved in seemingly unequal jolts, so maybe the choice to leave it out was for the best. 

Uncased backside of the movement.

L’Atelier Bernard specifies the Owl keeps a rate of -/+ 3 seconds per day, which is a surprisingly good result for the slow (but steady) beating duplex-powered balance. They also have a prototype that’s been ticking quite happily for the better part of three years, which gives a degree of assurance as to the reliability and consistency of their duplex escapement.

A generous blend of finishes

As mentioned, this piece strikes a balance between haute horlogerie and rustic finishes. One element that draws the eye and that falls into the latter category is the parechute shock absorbers securing both the balance and escape wheel pivot jewels. Lacking any polish or bevels, the springs are coarsely grained, giving a above all a sense of utility.  

Grained surfaces dominate the caliber: the mainplate is fully grained, as are the feet of the finger bridges. The finish pairs well with the soft yellowish-grey hue of the German Silver. The tops of the French-style bridges are thickly beveled — the polished surface creating a welcome contrast of textures.

The blued and curved minute hand.

Two lesser-seen decorating techniques mastered by Bernard Braboretz are gold inlaying and concave bevelling. Mr Braboretz trained with a Belgian gold inlay artist and applies the delicate technique to watch decorating. The large plate at 12 o’clock is framed by a subtle gold inlay, while its broad edges are concavely bevelled. The bridge also features the brand’s rising sun logo. 

Compared to straight or rounded bevels, concave bevels are just what the name implies: the cut is curved with a concave profile. While many watchmakers call attention to their rounded (convex) anglage, this particular finishing technique is seldom seen even within haute horlogerie. 

The broad gold-inlaid and concave-beveled plate serves as a supporting bridge for the time setting gears while also hiding the keyless works. Above it glide the two blued-steel, harpoon-shaped hands, each ending in a concave-bevelled spear tip. Their hue is a deep blue, almost shading into purple. A nod to early pocket watches, a short pin keeps them secure at the end of the cannon pinion. 

The most striking piece of finishing inside the Owl has to be the guillochage on the tall barrel drums. Executed on a hand-operated rose engine, the wavy pattern graces both the flat tops of the inverted barrels as well as the cylindrical drums. The engravings, which almost look like feathers when one considers the avian inspiration, meet seamlessly at a 90-degree angle, creating the impression of the pattern seeping from one surface to the other. 

Turning the piece around and we are greeted with another compelling view: the expertly black polished, slightly concave click wheels and the dominating centre wheel. Its diameter is slightly larger than the radius of the movement — the gear’s exaggerated size accounting for the recalculated going train ratios required by the 1.5 Hz oscillator. 

The shape and finishing of the finger bridges is the same as on the dial side. Overall the backside is not a very exciting sight when compared to the front, but the consistency of design and architecture is most laudable. 

Key facts and price

L’Atelier Bernard The Owl

Diameter: 39 mm
Height: 14.5 mm
Material: Stainless steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: In-house calibre with duplex escapement
Functions: Hours, minutes
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 10,800 vibrations per hour (1.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 45 hours

Strap: Leather strap

Limited edition: Yes, 6 pieces to be made by the end of 2026 (all pieces sold)
Availability: Directly from L’Atelier Bernard
Price: CHF150,000 excluding taxes

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