At EsperLuxe, our passion is in independent watchmaking. We’ve been fortunate over the years to build tons of strong relationships with collectors and watchmakers/brands as well as handle our fair share of exquisite timepieces. Our story is constantly evolving as we’ve taken on new brands as official partners and continue to collaborate on special projects.
Today we are excited to announce our official retail partnership for Ludovic Ballouard timepieces. Based in the countryside right out of Geneva, Ballouard runs a small workshop, creating high-end timepieces that are fun and ultra-creative. Funny enough, Ballouard was one of the first people that we ever met in the independent watchmaking world – all the way back in 2012. Way before the inception of EsperLuxe, the relationship existed and this partnership has been a long time coming.
Why we partnered with Ludovic Ballouard
Ballouard’s popularity has grown in recent years. Through the growth of the indie market, as well as the ease through which collectors can now come across watchmakers on Instagram, Ballouard’s creative sensibilities have found an audience.
Both timepieces in his catalog, the Upside Down and the Half Time, showcase something unusual. In an industry dominated by two, primary aesthetics – one in line with classical horology and the other heavily inspired by science fiction – both of Ballouard’s timepieces don’t particularly fit into either category. The Upside Down and the Half Time are classical in shape, but the dial and movement are extremely creative and modern. One of the first things that attracted us, as well as many others, is the cohesion of Ballouard’s philosophy and his creations.
From philosophical idea to mechanical creation, he’s a genius
The best in the business have underlying interests that shape their work. We see this in Urwerk with Martin and Felix, in De Bethune with Denis Flageollet, in Akrivia with Rexhep. Both of Ballouard’s timepieces are extremely philosophical, the mechanical extension of an idea.
In the case of the watchmaker’s first timepiece, the Upside Down, Ballouard decided to leave his job at F.P. Journe in 2009. At the height of the global financial crisis, the Upside Down was designed to force its owner to only see the time in the present. There’s no ability to change the past and the uncertainty of the future never disappears. The only thing for any of us to do is make the most out of each present moment. Inverting every hour numeral on the dial, the Upside Down only shows the time in the current moment – the past and the future are illegible.
A simple, philosophical idea, the mechanics to make the concept work are anything but. In-house caliber LB01 is an act of watchmaking ingenuity. The thing is, the energy and space requirements to design a movement with 12 snapping hour indicators is significant, especially considering the timepiece’s slim 41mm diameter and 11mm height. For this job, Ballouard employs a Maltese cross jump hour mechanism. This mechanism, usually used as a stopwork mechanism to manage the leap year indicator on perpetual calendars, has been fully repurposed in the Upside Down. Each hour has its own Maltese cross with a central cam system that manages the transition from hour to hour, upside down to right side up and back again.
He represents what makes independent watchmaking “fun”
As we mentioned before, Ballouard’s timepieces are neither overly traditional nor what we think of as “avant-garde” in their aesthetic. Above all else, the Upside Down and the Half Time are fun, provocative watches. Even when the underlying philosophy is decidedly existential, there is something light-hearted and novel about Ballouard and his watchmaking. Maybe this is a function of how truly unusual the complication for both timepieces is? Our sense is, a lot of the fun-loving nature of Ballouard’s timepieces comes from the man himself. He is a jovial, happy to share his stories and experiences with anyone he comes across.
A comical anecdote that captures the personality of Ballouard comes from when we first met him over a decade ago. We attended a dinner with a bunch of indie watchmakers, way back in 2012, and Ballouard was studying one of the timepieces of a fellow watchmaker. He asked if the timepiece was water-resistant, to which the watchmaker said yes, and Ballouard immediately dunked the timepiece into his own beer. The table erupted in laughter and since then, we were drawn to the watchmaker’s sense of humor and playfulness.
The combination of phenomenally creative timepieces and great watchmakers, the people and personalities, is what makes independent watchmaking so exciting for us at Esperluxe. Ballouard is one of the most fun-loving personalities in the business. For anyone into the people behind the watches, we encourage a visit to the manufacture.
In partnering with Ludovic Ballouard, we’re not just adding another exceptional brand to our roster – we’re deepening our commitment to the spirit of independent watchmaking. Ballouard’s unique blend of philosophical depth, mechanical ingenuity, and joyful personality perfectly captures why we love this space: it’s personal, it’s passionate, and it’s filled with surprises. As we continue to grow, we’re honored to share these stories and timepieces with collectors who, like us, appreciate the craftspeople and craft. To launch this partnership, we have two stunning Upside Down timepieces – both with intricately crafted dials in mother-of-blue and blue guilloche.
Ludovic Ballouard Upside Down MOP
