The Manteio Zeus, Self-Taught Watchmaker Alex Goetschi’s Divine Debut

For our latest independent watchmaking discovery, we talk to Alex Goetschi, a young self-taught watchmaker from Switzerland with a very interesting story. Under the name of Manteio, which comes from the Greek word for Oracle, he finds inspiration in Greek mythology. And what better topic for your first watch than the ‘King of the Gods’ himself? For that reason, and for the opportunity to also incorporate his love for storytelling and birds, the Zeus is Alex’s personal ‘Arbiter of Destiny’. And he doesn’t lack ambition, as his goal is to be able to create a complete watch from scratch, by himself.

With a background in mechanical engineering, Alex, now 26, has been passionate about watches and watchmaking for some time. Learning the art of the trade for himself over the past six years, he has been hard at work building his workshop, honing his skills, and developing his first watch. Combining his love of storytelling, birds and mechanical watches, he recently unveiled his debut piece, which stands out mostly for its dial but reveals more intricate details upon close examination. We’ll go into those details in a hands-on write-up soon, but first, we let its maker speak.

Robin Nooij, MONOCHROME Watches: You founded Manteio out of passion. Can you tell us what led to this decision?

Alex Goetschi: During COVID, I started building up my workshop with a few simple tools and a watchmaker’s lathe and spent many hours repairing old movements and making replacement parts. One day, while trying to shape a steel hand with hand tools alone, I realised it would be quite a long road before I could build a complete watch to a standard I’d feel confident selling. But at the same time, I had so many ideas for designs and brand concepts that I felt that creating a brand where I could act as creative director, designer, and engineer would be the right move to get into the watch space.

What pushed you to venture into the world of watchmaking?

Like many watch lovers, it started with my father. He always wore a watch, and one day he came home with a new piece made by a local watchmaker who had hand-skeletonised and engraved a Unitas movement. It had an enamel chapter ring and beautiful antique hands. These open mechanics and the craftsmanship behind the watch instantly fascinated me. From then on, I tried to understand how these miniature machines work and how they are built.

What is the inspiration behind Manteio?

The initial spark that ignited the idea to create a brand that connects haute horlogerie with Greek mythology came from reading Mythos by Stephen Fry. One evening, while reading Fry’s story about Zeus’s wedding, it just clicked. Retelling these fascinating and moving stories, which can still be applied to our lives today, through wearable mechanical art would be the concept for the watches I wanted to create. After that, I immersed myself more in the myths and started looking into classical architecture, which helped solidify the ideas behind Manteio.

Your first watch is called Zeus. Can you tell us the story of how you came to its design?

Once I had the idea to tell a story with my watches, I started to think about the chapters I wanted to write, and the first character I wanted to explore was Zeus. There are many stories about him, often with different versions, which gave me a lot of inspiration and creative freedom to design a watch that I personally find both aesthetically pleasing and conceptually intriguing.

The first sketches were actually of a rather simple watch, with only a few hints of Greek architecture and a few “easter eggs” referencing Zeus’s stories. When I showed these sketches to close friends and explained the reasoning behind the details, I quickly realised that I could use every element of the watch to tell part of the story. This is how the design evolved into what it is today. Some elements from those early sketches are still present in the final watch.

So, Greek mythology is something you will be exploring more?

Definitely! Together with the crafts needed to build the Manteio watches, Greek mythology and architecture, with its classical proportions, are the foundation of the brand. Zeus is just the first chapter in the story of the Mythology line. There are already some designs in the works for the other Olympian gods. Each of them follows the same principle as Zeus: every detail tells a story. The idea is to retell the stories in an interesting and visually captivating way, and if it fits the story and the idea of the watch, I’ll add a complication that enhances the storytelling. The next chapter I am working on is Athena, the first daughter of Zeus, and the goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, crafts and protector of cities.

The Zeus has a very characteristic design. Can you share some details about it?

If we start with the case, the first thing you’ll notice is the large, strong lugs. I originally designed them to look like the pediment of a Greek temple when seen from the side. I kept that idea but developed it further so that the slope of the pediment is also visible from the front. This gives the watch the strong, masculine look I wanted without increasing the case size. Another key element was the finishing. I wanted every edge and facet to be as crisp and defined as possible, so the case combines lap-polished and brushed surfaces, finishes that highlight the geometric precision and express the raw strength that represents Zeus.

It also comes with a rather unique and eye-catching dial! What’s the story there?

The dial shows some of Zeus’s most famous symbols composed into one image. You can see the golden eagle, Aetos Dios, who is the companion and messenger of Zeus, flying through a thunderstorm. The latter is achieved by engraving three different layers and textures into a solid gold blank, which is then coated to get the grey tone of a cloud. The varying textures create depth and a play of light and shadow, like real clouds. It took about eight months of trial and error to get from my sketches to the finished texture. The eagle is fully engraved by hand and, for me, is the most spectacular part of the dial. With a wingspan of only 11 mm, it still carries an incredible level of detail. To stay in the spirit of the thunderstorm, the hour indices are shaped like falling raindrops moving toward the dial’s centre.

You told me you developed the movement with Jean-François Mojon of Chronode?

Yes! He was actually the first and most important supplier who was open to working with me and willing to produce such a small number of customised high-end movements. With nothing to my name yet, it was a challenge to find the right partners in the beginning. But at the EPHJ trade fair, I met Marko Koncina from Swiss Watch Gang, who connected me with Jean-François and thus to Chronode. I shared my vision and showed him my early sketches, and he immediately understood what I wanted to achieve. We quickly agreed that the Calibre C101 would be the perfect base for the design I had in mind. From there, he not only helped me develop the movement but also connected me with other key suppliers. I’m very grateful for his support — and also for Marko, who opened that first door for me.

There are some very specific details and finishes. Can you tell us a bit about that?

My idea with the movement was to pay homage to the story that inspired me to create Manteio in the first place, and to link it to the upbringing of Zeus, thereby intertwining his beginning with mine. In Fry’s story about Zeus’s wedding, there’s a contest for the most delicious food, which Melissa, the first honeybee, wins with her nectar. In the story of Zeus’s childhood, he is also nurtured with milk and honey by the nymphs. So, I wanted the movement to be reminiscent of a honey pot. This was achieved through a few small details.

First and most obvious, the ratchet wheels got some beehive-shaped spokes. Then the bridges and baseplate were finely blasted to get a semi-matte and shimmery surface, like crystallised honey. To then get the colour of honey, all the bridges and the mainplate are gold-plated. Finally, Melissa, the first honeybee, and the logo are engraved on the barrel bridge. There are also traditional finishes like the hand-polished bevels, snailing, polished screw heads and the perlage under the balance wheel.

What do you hope to achieve with Manteio and the Zeus?

I hope to create watches that speak to people in many ways, pieces that remind them of the ancient stories and their timeless lessons. I want them to take something meaningful from these myths and carry it with them in their daily lives. I also want to highlight the people and crafts behind these creations, which is why I’m very transparent about who made what. Each watch comes with a book that tells both the story of the mythological character and the story of its making.

How can people get in touch to learn more, or place an order perhaps?

The official way is through the website, using the contact or reservation form. But I also enjoy it when people send direct messages on Instagram. I’m always happy to share more about the details and story behind Manteio.

For more information, please visit Manteio.ch.