Established: 2018

Theo Auffret, born in 1995, began his training as a restorative watchmaker, in parallel with his baccalaureate studies, at Dupont’s, in Pontoise. Then in 2012 he joined the professional programme as a restorative watchmaker apprentice in the workshops of Denis Corpechot, in the 8th Arrondissement of Paris. During these two years, he saw many high-end watches and clocks of the most beautiful ... periods of watchmaking history. During a discussion about the re-manufacturing of a part for a pocket watch, he had the chance to meet the renowned watchmaker / manufacturer Jean-Baptiste Viot. The latter would later offer him the chance to continue his apprenticeship in his workshops located on the outskirts of Paris, with all the necessary tools for designing and creating unique watches.

At this time, Jean-Baptiste Viot was devoting part of his time to restoring exceptional pieces for museums and merchants, and at the same time he built a series of eight chronometers in the purest tradition of luxury watchmaking. He decided to entrust his new apprentice with the secrets of machining chronometer components and with the technicalities of construction and prototyping.

In the workshop library Theo studied passionately precision watches and clocks, and in particular the history of pieces made in Paris for scientific purposes. Jean-Baptiste Viot allowed him to use the workshop’s machinery and tools for the making of his own watch, and these were made available to him in the evenings, weekends and school holidays.

After his apprenticeship programme in the workshops of Jean-Baptiste Viot, Theo left Paris for the shores of Lake Neuchâtel (Switzerland) and joined, in the capacity of model-maker, an independent and discreet workshop, which acted as subcontractors for major companies and employed an international team of talented watchmakers.

The still-unfinished prototype of the “Tourbillon à Paris” would be acclaimed in 2018 when it participated in the “Young Talents” contest organised by the F.P. Journe Company.

Back in Paris, Theo went back to the workshops where he had completed his apprenticeship, working on clock-making projects and restoration of ancient watches, and he decided to set up his own workshop on the river Seine and to concentrate once more on construction. Show more » Show less «