In a discreet atelier nestled in the picturesque landscape of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, Remi Maillat quietly pursues his vision of horological excellence. Oracle Time recently visited this meticulously arranged workspace to discover first-hand how Krayon has become one of haute horology’s most compelling independents – a boutique manufacture producing fewer than 50 exquisite timepieces annually under the guidance of its thoughtful founder.
Unlike the Swiss watch industry’s household names with their centuries of heritage, Krayon is a thoroughly modern creation, established in 2017 and quickly gaining recognition among discerning collectors for its innovative approach to traditional complications. The brand’s timepieces – Everywhere, Anywhere, and now the recently launched Anyday – have earned respect not merely for their technical ingenuity but for transforming complex mechanical challenges into watches of remarkable usability.
The Philosophy of Deliberate Exclusivity
This commitment to excellence necessitates a deliberately limited production, with Krayon operating in the upper echelons of watchmaking exclusivity. This approach is not merely about creating scarcity; it is fundamental to Maillat’s commitment to exceptional quality and personalisation.
“We have barely more than 10 retailers in the entire world,” Maillat explains. This carefully curated distribution network allows him to maintain close relationships with both his retail partners and their discerning clientele. “We try to participate regularly when retailers host events that gather different watchmakers and their clients. We aim to visit almost once a year.”
This global presence – from Dubai to Hong Kong, Mexico City to Shanghai – creates vital connections with the watch-collecting community. “At these events, I meet people who tell me, ‘I have been following you since 2017 or 2018. I have watched many of your interviews and presentations online, but I have never met you or seen the watches in person.'”
For a brand where each timepiece is made to order and adjusted to the owner’s precise location, these face-to-face interactions are crucial. “Because all our watches that are produced are already sold, and each Anywhere model is adjusted to the owner’s specific location, we don’t have watches in stock at retailers,” Maillat notes. “These events allow people to experience Krayon watches firsthand.”
Engineering Simplicity from Complexity
Krayon Anyday
Behind this carefully orchestrated client experience lies what truly distinguishes Krayon: Maillat’s distinctive philosophy of watchmaking. “I begin by identifying the function, the need,” he explains. “Then I consider systems to display it in a way that is simple to read and understand.”
This user-focused approach manifests in thoughtful details, like ensuring all adjustments can be made using just the crown. “For all my watches, all adjustments are made using the crown. For me, it is important that one can easily use the watch.”. This practical consideration acknowledges that many collectors own multiple timepieces and do not wear the same watch daily. “Something like a perpetual calendar that would be difficult to adjust has no practical sense to me.”
The apparent simplicity of Krayon watches belies their exceptional technical sophistication. The Anyday model exemplifies this paradox, with Maillat revealing “to achieve this result that is simple in display, simple in use, and simple in adjustment, the mechanism must be complicated – very complicated. One design has 378 components.”
The Evolution of Krayon: Three Movements in Eight Years
In just eight years since the brand’s inception, Krayon has developed three distinct movements, a remarkable achievement for an independent watchmaker. Each represents a significant contribution to haute horology, starting with the Everywhere, followed by the Anywhere, and most recently, the Anyday, which began delivery in August 2025.
When asked about the relationship between the Anyday and previous models, Maillat is clear, “it’s a completely new movement. While there are similar elements in architecture and decoration, all the components inside are different.” This commitment to creating genuinely new mechanisms rather than iterating on existing platforms underscores Maillat’s dedication to innovation.
The Anyday represents Maillat’s response to an everyday need he identified, the challenge of coordinating dates with days of the week. “I noticed this need when someone says to you, ‘Are you free on the 22nd?’ The next step is to check your phone to see what day of the week that falls on,” he explains. The Anyday elegantly solves this problem by displaying the correlation between dates and weekdays for the entire month at a glance on the dial.
The Deliberate Choice of 3 Hz: A Matter of Beauty
Such technical considerations extend to every aspect of a Krayon timepiece, including the foundational decision about the movement’s frequency. When asked about his preference for a 3 Hz frequency over the more common 4 Hz, Maillat’s answer reveals his appreciation for the aesthetic dimension of watchmaking: “I find that with 3 Hz, you can see the balance wheel moving, which is much more interesting. The experience is different. With a balance wheel featuring adjustment weights at 4 Hz, the movement is so rapid that you just see a motionless ring,” he explains. “That lacks visual interest.”
This aesthetic choice does not compromise precision, as Maillat explains: “We also achieve excellent regulation because we have a very large barrel with a spring specifically developed for Krayon by Général Ressort – a spring that’s one metre long.”
Artisanal Excellence in Every Detail
The manufacturing process at Krayon demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to perfection rarely seen even among haute horology brands. When initially assembling a movement, Maillat’s team first allows it to run for two to three weeks, permitting all components to properly break in. “This enables all the different components to settle,” Maillat explains. Only after this extended testing period do they proceed to the precise regulation of the timepiece, ensuring stability and accuracy over time.
But the process does not end there. After fully assembling and adjusting a movement, Maillat’s team takes an unusual additional step: “Once we have a movement that is fully assembled, regulated, and adjusted, with everything working perfectly, we dismantle everything, clean everything with washing machines, and then reassemble everything a second time.”
This meticulous approach ensures “that all components are clean on top and underneath, with not a speck of dust or a drop of oil anywhere.” The process stands in stark contrast to more industrial approaches where watches are regulated immediately after assembly and shipped without this extensive break-in and verification process. This remarkable attention to detail exemplifies the artisanal excellence that defines Krayon.
The Innovation-Production Balance
Managing such exacting standards while still developing new concepts presents a significant challenge. Perhaps Maillat’s greatest test is balancing current production with future development. “It took three years between the beginning of serious reflection on the Anyday and the delivery of the first watches,” he shares. “One of my biggest challenges is finding the right balance between time dedicated to production and current operations, versus time for development and thinking about new complications.”
This tension reflects his long-term vision for Krayon: “If I told a client their watch isn’t ready because I spent time thinking about new complications, that makes no sense. Conversely, if I spend all my time managing current operations, after 5-6 years, I’ll lift my head and think, ‘It’s a shame I didn’t develop something new.'”
The recent deliveries of the Anyday, which began in August 2025, illustrate this balance in action. While the Anyday may have fewer components than some of Krayon’s other pieces, Maillat notes that it currently takes just as long to assemble as the Anywhere. “We hope that with experience, we’ll become more efficient and immediately find the right adjustments and settings for assembly. This would allow us to slightly increase our production of the Anyday with the same workshop resources.”
A Distinctive Horological Identity
This thoughtful approach to innovation sits at the heart of Krayon’s identity. “I think Krayon always presents something truly new, comparable to nothing else,” Maillat states. “People expect Krayon to always deliver something novel, something truly surprising.”
This pursuit of originality explains why, in eight years, Krayon has developed only three different movements each with its own distinctive complication and purpose. “Each time I present something, it must be completely new and interesting in concept,” Maillat explains.
Inspired by Masters
Even while forging his own path, Maillat remains mindful of those who have helped define independent watchmaking. When asked about watchmakers he admires, he cites François-Paul Journe: “I find his work remarkable, achieving a great variety of complications while maintaining a very strong and consistent brand identity. He has preserved his design codes from almost the beginning until today. You can recognise a Journe watch from 10 metres away.”
Beyond mechanical complications and technical excellence, Remi Maillat represents a refreshing vision of haute horology, one where innovative complexity exists in service of the wearer’s experience.
More details at Krayon.
