There are a lot of independent brands out there, enough that you might be forgiven for assuming the market was a little saturated. The difference is that most of those independents don’t really have a concept of accessibility. They were created to go all-out with one particular idea and have taken it to the nth degree without a thought for price.
That’s not a bad thing in and of itself of course – there are some truly spectacular creations out there that wouldn’t exist otherwise. But it does leave a bit of an opening for something with all the unique character of an independent brand, but that is actually attainable. Enter Lundis Bleus.
The brand may have come out of nowhere in 2016 with their first model, the Ref. 1100, but the two men behind it didn’t. Both Johan Storni and Bastien Vuilliomenet have had long careers working behind the scenes.
Johan has worked for phenomenal watchmakers like Renaud & Papi (the name behind Audemars Piguet) and since 2008 has been developing movements for Richard Mille. Bastien on the other hand has had an equally illustrious career in design, producing watches for Corum and now private label company Roventa-Henex.
Lundis Bleus is essentially the pet project of two complementary auteurs, one that offers an authentic yet accessible alternative to mainstream watch houses and high-end independents alike. They lack nothing when it comes to quality, but forgo double flying tourbillons and minute repeaters for simple, elegant models.
Take that initial Ref. 1100 model as an example, in the Royal Blue edition. It’s not a watch that could be easily missed, yet rather than being a watchmaking statement or having an oversized case, that beauty is nearly entirely down to the enamel. The bright titular blue is magnificent for more than just the colour.
The dial beneath is made from solid sterling silver and has been hand-finished with a texture imitative of the ocean surface. This has then been painted with a thick layer of blue using traditional grand feu enamelling for an exemplary level of detail rarely found outside of the like of Voutilainen.
The movement inside is of course not in-house – something with a price tag well under £2,000 was never going to be – but it’s a solid, reliable Miyota 9015. Even then however, the back of the watch is finished so that it’s still worth looking at, with the sapphire caseback dominated by the Lundis Bleus logo.
In instances like this though, they could have gotten away with a far worse movement and still created a watch worth owning. Between that enamel and the fine finishing across the rest of the watch – not to mention the lovely, simple design that highlights said details – Lundis Bleus is independent watchmaking at its best and most accessible. More at: lundis-bleus.com
