![]() ![]() The Project 1 employs tactical use of DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) fabrication. As of this writing, he is on his 23rd iteration. A mechanical engineering student at San Jose State University, Bachand is fueled by a healthy dose of out-of-the-box ingenuity and patience. During our encounter, I was immediately impressed by this young man’s ambition. Since that fateful meeting, Bachand has been designing, developing, and prototyping a watch of his own design. I recently spent some time with Bachand to discuss his brand, Barrelhand, and his latest project, the Project 1. And while many of the new guard hail from Switzerland with rich horological pedigrees, Bachand is from the high-tech San Francisco Bay Area. He has no industry experience, just a background in engineering and 3D printing. Bachand is a young man (some might even say he’s still a kid) working out of his home. Allow me to introduce Karel Bachand, the “newest” new guard. I recently had a chance to meet an individual who may be the next generation of these artisans. Starting at $80,000, they’re not for the faint of heart-or wallet. ![]() These watches will take your breath away and often require a mortgage to acquire. But design and personal preferences aside, you cannot deny the technical prowess of these brands and their creations. ![]() I wouldn’t blame you if you mistook HYT’s Skull Watch for Tony Stark’s Iron Man arsenal. Some look as though they’ve been pulled off the dashboard of an exotic super car, while others look like they’re straight out of a comic book. Undeniably, many of the watches are a bit over the top aesthetically, employing hydro-mechanical liquids, rotating prisms, and unique complications to tell the time. Some of the most innovative watchmaking today comes from the ranks of independent artisanal brands like Urwerk, MB&F, Christophe Claret, and HYT- the “new guard” that demonstrate the most cutting edge of horology (many of these independents formed the “ Carré des Horlogers” represented at this year’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, or SIHH). ![]()
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