Indies Pöhlmann-Bresan Team up with Jochen Benzinger For a Superb Unique Piece

Lukas Pöhlmann and Josef Bresan-Rehor are two German watchmakers who met more than a decade ago while working under Marco Lang at Lang & Heyne in Dresden. They represent a new generation of artisans who combine a deep respect for traditional craft with a modern, understated aesthetic. After mastering restoration work and experimentation, they formally established their own atelier, Junge Uhrmacher, in 2021 and, soon after, unveiled their debut model, the Prestige. The Prestige marked their arrival as independent makers of serious intent, with a refined, hand-finished watch, an in-house movement and crisp German minimalism. Now, under their new name, Pöhlmann-Bresan, the duo presents a new chapter: a unique piece co-created with Jochen Benzinger, one of Germany’s most celebrated guillocheurs.

Benzinger, a name well-known to our regular audience, is famous for his exquisite hand-engraving on century-old rose lathes, here bringing an ornamental mastery that complements Pöhlmann-Bresan’s uncluttered architectural approach to watch design. Together, they’ve transformed the Prestige into a piece that mixes texture, depth, and mechanical elegance to an exceptional level.

The stainless steel case measures 40mm in diameter and 12.2mm thick, preserving the proportions of the original Prestige. However, it’s been lifted with a hand-guilloche 18k white-gold bezel, adding depth and refinement. Its curved sapphire crystals on both sides ensure clarity while revealing the richly detailed in-house calibre within.

The dial, truly exquisite (what else would you expect from Benzinger), is crafted from fine silver. It features a rose-engine-turned barleycorn pattern at the centre, lacquered in a deep cobalt blue, framed by an outer ring of freshwater mother-of-pearl. Large, applied Breguet-style Arabic numerals in polished, rhodium-plated steel float above the surface, while a matching cobalt seconds track and white pad-printed markers lend clarity and balance. The hands, made and polished in-house, are steel and feature a scalloped, pear-shaped profile inspired by a 19th-century pocket watch, an elegant nod to classical German horology.

The watch is powered by the Pöhlmann-Bresan JU26-01, the hand-wound calibre (LIP 26 base movement, heavily reworked), first developed for the Prestige. The construction is distinctly three-dimensional, with open bridges and a prominently displayed stop-seconds mechanism. The movement operates at 18,000 vibrations/hour and offers a 39-hour power reserve. Every component, from the black-polished screws to the frosted bridges and mirror-anglage, is finished by hand in the Dresden atelier.

This one-of-one timepiece (codesigned by a US-based collector) is offered with a hand-stitched black calfskin strap, closed with a steel pin buckle. For more, visit poehlmann-bresan.de.