This independent French watchmaker Rémy Cools made horological headlines in November when he won a prestigious award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). Tatler speaks to him about his victory, life beyond watches and his French roots
Can you tell us about your early interest in horology? What sparked this passion?
I discovered watchmaking at 11 years old: one Saturday, my father and my uncle took me to a Swiss watchmaking facility. For me, it was a big revelation for my future. I told my parents that I wanted to be a watchmaker. They thought I was very young and would change my mind, as kids often do—wanting to be firemen or astronauts. But no, it was really my goal to become a watchmaker. So I worked hard and eventually set up my workshop.
What made you so convinced about this career choice? Did anyone in your family have a background in watchmaking?
Nobody in my family worked in this industry. My father was in the automotive industry and my mother was [an office worker]. It’s hard for me to explain this revelation, but I think I was fortunate to have it and to have my own challenges and path for what I wanted to do in the future.
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Your designs often draw inspiration from 18th- and 19th-century French watchmaking. Can you elaborate on how these influences shape your designs?
At that time, watchmakers had small workshops. It wasn’t like industrial production; it was very artisanal. I want to keep this French spirit alive. My inspiration comes from precision marine chronometers and pocket watches. The French watchmakers were known for their precision and craftsmanship in creating these clocks or pocket watches. For me, it’s about simple design in the best sense of the term— very pure but perfectly executed and crafted.
Many online watch publications claim you studied watchmaking under Florent Lecomte—what can you tell us about that?
He is not my teacher, so I don’t know why this information is out there. I would love to clarify that, because I am asked this question often. I am a self-taught, self-made watchmaker. I learnt by reading books about old watchmaking [techniques] and all watchmakers. Books by Louis Berthoud, Henri Motel, Ferdinand Berthoud’s Essai sur l’Horlogerie and Julien Le Roy influenced me and my style of watchmaking the most.
