New Indie Watch Brand Guebly Launches with the Chapitre 1 Watch

Passion sometimes leads enthusiasts down unexpected paths. For some, the journey begins with an insatiable curiosity, gradually evolving into a deep-seated appreciation for the artistry and craftsmanship behind each timepiece. Such was the case for Adnane Kerd, a dedicated watch collector whose journey has now taken a remarkable turn as he ventures into the realm of independent watchmaking, launching his own brand, Guebly, named after a Mediterranean wind. We had the opportunity to get our hands on his first watch, the Guebly Chapitre 1 (prologue edition), a sober luxury sports watch that oozes great attention to detail and craftsmanship.

From collector to creator… When Adnane Kerd decided to launch his watch brand 5 years ago, his vision was clear: to design a watch that embodies everything he loves about Swiss watchmaking, elegance and harmony in design, technicality combined with perfect readability and simple operation, the use of noble metals with a high level of finishes and decorations. 

The result of his thoughts, the Guebly Chapitre 1, is a sporty three-hander, with a retrograde second indication driven by a beautifully finished micro-rotor movement. Fashioned out of grade 5 titanium, it combines an angular design with a round, sloping bezel. At 42mm in diameter, it is admittedly on the large side but wears quite comfortably thanks to its reduced weight. A nice touch, the caseback and caseback crystal are concave for enhanced ergonomics.

The watch we had the opportunity to see is the Guebly Chapter 1 prologue edition, a few pieces of which will be produced for “family and friends”. The first commercial piece will be slightly different with an intense blue dial featuring a fine snailed guilloche decoration, and, a champlevé grand feu enamel gold applique for the retrograde seconds on 120-degree. The applied gold markers will feature hand-applied Super-LumiNova and will be paired with hand-crafted gold hands.

Guebly enlisted the expertise of master craftsmen and renowned artisans to bring his designs to life. For instance, the case and the dial are crafted in collaboration with Voutilainen and Cattin SA. Maelle Constant, an enameller from the Vallée de Joux, is responsible for the enamel applique that will be used on the final version.

As for the movement, its specs are derived from a calibre developed by Olivier Mory (like for instance the Yema micro-rotor and Charles Zuber, however, with major differences, extensively modified and finished to a whole different level) and manufactured with other partners. For instance, there’s a variable inertia balance, which is crafted by Atokalpa and beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour. Comprising 215 parts, the calibre 2131 offers a comfortable 70-hour power reserve. It displays the hours, minutes, and a retrograde second indication. A playful, captivating animation, the retrograde seconds hand sweeps at 6 o´clock along the tracks of a 120-degree scale, jumping back to the start every 30 seconds.

Visible through the exhibition caseback, the beautiful architecture of this micro-rotor movement is graced by its monochrome look (the yellow gold finish micro-rotor of the Proplogue edition will be replaced by a platinum version for the production edition) and beautiful finishes performed by Nathalie Jean-Louis. The main plate and bridges are fashioned out of titanium – beautiful, sober and elegant but much more complex to finish than brass. All the more as Adnane Kerd has set the bar pretty high… The bridges are beautifully chamfered with gleaming contours while their centre provides a striking contrast with their finely grained surfaces. The most superstitious might have spotted the three 7-shaped bridges. The barrel stands out with its double-snailing decoration, its hand-polished teeth and the four-hole screw securing the ratchet wheel. The cool click is also worth a close look.

The Guebly Chapitre 1 is worn on a blue calfskin strap with Velcro closure fitted with a titanium buckle. It is not a limited edition per se but the production will be limited to 15 pieces per year and 100 pieces in total. The price is set at CHF 38,900. For more information, please visit guebly.com or @guebly.watches on Instagram. And for those attending the Watch Week in Geneva, Guebly will present his Chapitre 1 at Hotel Beau Rivage.