Founded by Dominique Loiseau, one of the most brilliant creators of contemporary Haute Horlogerie, the Atelier Loiseau crafts outstanding calibers and timepieces, using home made manufacturing techniques.
The philosophy of the Atelier Loiseau is to have watchmakers working together, such professionals mastering perfectly these manual techniques and allowing them to handcraft any mechanical timepiece’s component by using traditional tools. So, as it brings extraordinary timepieces to life in limited numbers every year, the Atelier Loiseau immortalize an historical and exceptional know-how, establishing itself as the guardian of this tradition.
The brand’s most important Haute Horlogerie creation, the Grande Complication Grande Sonnerie Loiseau 1f4, was introduced during Baselworld 2011. It was also the first public appearance of a product entirely manufactured by the Atelier Loiseau. This masterpiece, production of which is limited to 2 units every year because of its complexity, embodies the ideal compromise between tradition and a fundamentally new interpretation of Grandes Complications watches.
Atelier Loiseau is also preparing the launching of MNS, the other Haute Horlogerie brand entirely designed and created in house. Its concept is the one of exclusive sports complications timepieces, totally inspired by the yachting world and imagined by Daniel M.Montandon, partner of Dominique Loiseau.
Atelier Loiseau and Manufacture Girard-Perregaux
Announced at the opening of the 2012 SIHH, this collaboration allows Girard-Perregaux and the Sowind Group to benefit in exclusivity of the advices of Dominique Loiseau and of the technological contribution of the Atelier Loiseau.
Award by Robb Report
In 2012, the prestigious Robb Report magazine unanimously selected the Grande Complication Grande Sonnerie Loiseau 1f4 as Number One from what they call the men’s watch multi-complication category. With its 32 functions spread over 2 faces and its patented instant reversibility system, the 1f4 is one of the most complicated wristwatches ever made. Its full automatism is based on a patented dual annular rotor system.
Dominique Loiseau
Dominique Loiseau (February 16, 1949 – 18 September 2013) was a Swiss watchmaker who worked at the highest levels of complex horology from the mid 1970s on wards. He was the creator of several notable timepieces, including six Montres de Sables, the Rose de Temps clock, the Renaissance or Capriccio pocket watches and the Blancpain 1735 wristwatch. In 2011 he presented, the Loiseau 1f4, one of the most complicated automatic watches with eight patents.
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| Dominique Loiseau |
Dominique Loiseau studied watchmaking at the renowned l’Ecole d’horlogerie d’Anet at Dreux in France later followed by a study at the Technicum de La Chaux-de-Fonds, in Switzerland. Shortly after completing these studies, he was appointed head of restoration at the musée international d’horlogerie in la Chaux-de-Fonds where he worked for three years, later embarking on a large series of high profile restorations with his own company, among which was the restoration of the Pierre Jaquet-Droz automata La Musicienne.
Working behind the scenes for many prestigious watch brands, Dominique Loiseau went on to create one masterpiece after another in quick succession: the Renaissance, a Grande Sonnerie complication pocket watch; the free-form Cappriccio tourbillon pocket watch; the highly complex Rose des Temps table clock; the 6 Montres des Sables, a series of pocket watches each with a different complication; the Alpha-Omega automaton; and the widely acclaimed Blancpain 1735.
Update: Dominique Loiseau passed away on 18 September 2013.
