“Comfort is the biggest risk to progress … creativity takes courage,” he tells me, reflecting on his time in the industry, the unsustainability of its current “copy-paste” architecture, and his mission to “create freely, without compromise”. For Berneron, this means breaking free from “corporate slavery” to explore unchartered realms of horology with “derestricted” creative expression.
Receiving a GPHG Award last year for his 38mm yellow-gold Sienna reference is not only a remarkable feat for such a young company but also an acknowledgement of the “audacity” and tenacity it takes to achieve something independently, of such uncompromising quality. The first inspiration for the Mirage came from his appreciation for avant-garde shaped watches from the 1950s and 1960s, such as those by Gilbert Albert for Patek Philippe, Rupert Emmerson for Cartier and, more recently, Eric Giroud, who often collaborates with MB&F.
Secondly, there are the classic time-only dress watches such as his Calatrava, an engagement gift from his partner, Marie-Alix. While often compared to the Cartier Crash — the Mirage certainly lands in the same shapely pool — in terms of their philosophical approach, they are polar opposites. “Crash started as a freehand sketch by Emmerson and the watchmaker had to work with an awkward space for a tiny movement — function driven by form, an extremely compromised piece of mechanical engineering.”
Crash is a jewellery item that tells time, the Mirage is a chronometric device in a beautiful case — form follows function. The irregular case design is informed by the shape of the Calibre 233 and placement of its large barrel and balance wheel. Yet, the result is not a work of sterile Modernism: it’s design poetry that achieves an emotional but coherent connection between curvaceous external form and internal functioning. Ergonomically formed for comfort, it is available in 18kt white-gold (Prussian Blue) or yellow-gold (Sienna) models with a case measurement of 37.5mm x 33.5mm and thickness of only 7mm.
All components are solid gold, including the dial, snaking hands, even the spring bars. “There is storage of value in a full gold watch, but gold is also anti-magnetic, so is excellent from a chronometric point of view.” For visual coherence, he gave a twist to the traditional dial architecture of a three-hand watch with a sector dial and small seconds at 6 o’clock. The bespoke “dancing” typography and polished-and-brushed dial finishes give it a contemporary feel. Liberating the movement from the constraints of a standard round main plate, each component has the optimum space it requires, which positively impacts the performance output. Impressively thin at 2.33mm, the Calibre 233 is fully bespoke, with the main plate and bridges made from gold. Winding and timing gears are steel for rigidity and torque. The only standard parts are the jewels, the anchor, and anchor wheel, “all proven components from Le Cercle des Horlogers that define the precision of the watch” and guarantee maintenance of the product for decades to come.
On display through its sapphire case back, the exquisitely executed movement features a variety of finishes, including guilloche and anglage on the curved bridges and laser engraved barrel. With its hidden complication, the inverted hand stack means the shorter hour hand sits on top of the minute hand, allowing the glass to drop much sooner on the bezel, resulting in a 15% thinner case profile.
Components are manufactured in partnership with family-owned companies that demonstrate the technical prowess of watchmakers and skilled finishers in Neuchâtel, where the Berneron studio is located. Watches are then assembled entirely in-house.
With only 24 of the Mirage 38 produced each year, there are currently 48 watches on collectors’ wrists and, with a lead time of two years, the order books are already closed on deliveries for 2026 to people prepared to wait for something truly special. These are timepieces for those who celebrate audacity and the new age of watchmaking that sets them apart. POA, berneron.ch
Quality Time
The image of liberation
The Berneron Mirage 38 lets form follow audacious functioning
Image: Supplied
If we take heed of the traits of the Snake, 2025 promises to be a year of transformation and spiritual growth. This requires open-mindedness, effort, and the courage to embrace change — which also means breaking some rules. A man who knows about rule-breaking is Sylvain Berneron, the 36-year-old founder of and lead creative at his eponymous watch brand, established just three years ago with the launch of the asymmetrical Mirage 38.
As with the phenomenon of refraction, the Mirage presents a transfixing union of both physics and artistry. It is a contemporary articulation of his admiration for traditional horlogerie, which begins with the movement and not with a case design. Berneron has an intimate connection with machines, having started his career as an automotive designer in the world of custom motorbikes and at BMW.
In 2016, he shifted to watchmaking as senior product designer across the Richemont portfolio, followed by five years at Breitling as chief product officer, where he brought much-needed freshness and relevance to the brand.
Good Times
“Comfort is the biggest risk to progress … creativity takes courage,” he tells me, reflecting on his time in the industry, the unsustainability of its current “copy-paste” architecture, and his mission to “create freely, without compromise”. For Berneron, this means breaking free from “corporate slavery” to explore unchartered realms of horology with “derestricted” creative expression.
Receiving a GPHG Award last year for his 38mm yellow-gold Sienna reference is not only a remarkable feat for such a young company but also an acknowledgement of the “audacity” and tenacity it takes to achieve something independently, of such uncompromising quality. The first inspiration for the Mirage came from his appreciation for avant-garde shaped watches from the 1950s and 1960s, such as those by Gilbert Albert for Patek Philippe, Rupert Emmerson for Cartier and, more recently, Eric Giroud, who often collaborates with MB&F.
Secondly, there are the classic time-only dress watches such as his Calatrava, an engagement gift from his partner, Marie-Alix. While often compared to the Cartier Crash — the Mirage certainly lands in the same shapely pool — in terms of their philosophical approach, they are polar opposites. “Crash started as a freehand sketch by Emmerson and the watchmaker had to work with an awkward space for a tiny movement — function driven by form, an extremely compromised piece of mechanical engineering.”
Crash is a jewellery item that tells time, the Mirage is a chronometric device in a beautiful case — form follows function. The irregular case design is informed by the shape of the Calibre 233 and placement of its large barrel and balance wheel. Yet, the result is not a work of sterile Modernism: it’s design poetry that achieves an emotional but coherent connection between curvaceous external form and internal functioning. Ergonomically formed for comfort, it is available in 18kt white-gold (Prussian Blue) or yellow-gold (Sienna) models with a case measurement of 37.5mm x 33.5mm and thickness of only 7mm.
All components are solid gold, including the dial, snaking hands, even the spring bars. “There is storage of value in a full gold watch, but gold is also anti-magnetic, so is excellent from a chronometric point of view.” For visual coherence, he gave a twist to the traditional dial architecture of a three-hand watch with a sector dial and small seconds at 6 o’clock. The bespoke “dancing” typography and polished-and-brushed dial finishes give it a contemporary feel. Liberating the movement from the constraints of a standard round main plate, each component has the optimum space it requires, which positively impacts the performance output. Impressively thin at 2.33mm, the Calibre 233 is fully bespoke, with the main plate and bridges made from gold. Winding and timing gears are steel for rigidity and torque. The only standard parts are the jewels, the anchor, and anchor wheel, “all proven components from Le Cercle des Horlogers that define the precision of the watch” and guarantee maintenance of the product for decades to come.
On display through its sapphire case back, the exquisitely executed movement features a variety of finishes, including guilloche and anglage on the curved bridges and laser engraved barrel. With its hidden complication, the inverted hand stack means the shorter hour hand sits on top of the minute hand, allowing the glass to drop much sooner on the bezel, resulting in a 15% thinner case profile.
Components are manufactured in partnership with family-owned companies that demonstrate the technical prowess of watchmakers and skilled finishers in Neuchâtel, where the Berneron studio is located. Watches are then assembled entirely in-house.
With only 24 of the Mirage 38 produced each year, there are currently 48 watches on collectors’ wrists and, with a lead time of two years, the order books are already closed on deliveries for 2026 to people prepared to wait for something truly special. These are timepieces for those who celebrate audacity and the new age of watchmaking that sets them apart. POA, berneron.ch
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From the February edition of Wanted, 2025