birth of the brand
The influence of industrial design visionaries such as Giorgetto Giugiaro and Luca Bassani, combined with a fascination for the aspirational works of Olafur Eliasson, the musical universe of Daft Punk, and the cinema of Christopher Nolan, led to the maturing of an intuition, and then a certainty. Art in all its forms offers a unique perspective on time. Artists and their works wield significant influence over our perception of it.
Driven by deep-rooted passions for technology, industrial design and all forms of art, the first watch he envisioned was actually for himself.
“I was looking for a watch that was a complete departure in style, with a strong emotional appeal. With both a high-performance, fine-watchmaking movement, absolute comfort when worn, and a totally radical design.”
Fruit of his myriad aspirations, Thibaud gathered his ideas, mood boards, and sketches over months. Taut, elusive lines were born on paper, while a clear brand universe came to life.
For two years, no designer or watchmaker could rise to the challenge of making these first sketches viable. “My ideas were too extreme. I went from failure to failure trying to bring this model to life. Then one day, with my back against the wall, someone whispered to me: if there’s anyone who can pull it off, it’s Barth”. This decisive encounter with watch designer Barth Nussbaumer led to a friendship and the birth of ART 01.
“Such a radical design requires many hours of technical work. ART01 is an insanely complex project. ” Barth
VISION AND CONCEPT
An artistic experience created on the wrist.
ALTO delves into the universal theme of time through art in all its forms, offering a unique and singular perspective. ART01 is more than an accessory; it’s a symbol embodying the artistic expression of time.
ALTO is a creative journey through time. An ambitious project to merge art and watchmaking.
ALTO brings together artists from a wide range of backgrounds to explore the theme of time through different projects.