Bimbu, the watch counter revisited
Watchmaking veteran Aldo Magada joins forces with his brother to launch an unusual watch brand.
Watchmaking is rarely a sport practiced alone. It takes a wide range of complementary skills to finally bring a timepiece to life. While some imagine the calibers, others design the cases or refine the dials and hands. Aldo Magada, who has worked at Swatch, Omega, Piaget, Breitling, and Zenith over four decades, has joined forces with his brother, Mario, to launch a new watch brand: Bimbu, their family nickname.
Yet another brand? The Bimbu concept takes the exercise a few notches further than average in terms of quality. Modeled on 19th-century watchmaking counters, the duo intends to bring together the expertise of the best watchmakers, dressers, and dial makers to bring their watches to life. Expect to pay around 15,000 euros to slip one onto your wrist. "We offer our watches at the right price. It reflects the value of craftsmanship and the excellence of all our partners," explains Aldo Magada. "We are not in a frantic race for the maximum margin. This price-to-value ratio is essential to our approach. We are not under pressure to compensate external shareholders. It is a great freedom and a great strength that allows us to place our customers at the center of our approach to offer them Swiss excellence at the best possible price."
"Our customers have a wide range of choices from the start, but above all, they will subsequently have an unprecedented opportunity to upgrade their watch, change their dial and their straps ," continues the co-creator of the brand. It is up to enthusiasts to personalize them as they wish, between dials, hands, straps and the integration of semi-precious stones. The first collection, called Patrium, is intended to be an embodiment of discreet luxury, entirely manufactured in Switzerland, between traditional know-how, noble materials and exceptional finishes. Their design was developed by renowned watch designers Fabrice Gonet and Olivier Leu of Edge Design in Écublens (Vaud). The 39 mm diameter Grade 5 titanium case was designed by Aurélien Bouchet, of Ab Product in La Chaux-de-Fonds (Neuchâtel). The bezel is mirror polished, the central case is satin-finished and the underside is micro-blasted. As for the dials, they are made by GT Cadrans in Lonay (Vaud), with a serrated railway and the small seconds sub-counter at 6 o'clock; in natural semi-precious hard stones, with a small 18k 5N gold stick-shaped hand. The stones are repeated in the case back, as if to embrace the caliber visible on the back. Depending on your taste, opt for Jade on a light rhodium-plated background, quartzite on a dark rhodium-plated background, turquoise on a Tahitian mother-of-pearl background, or even a lapis lazuli and cloud mother-of-pearl duo. Finally, the hands are manufactured by Maison Waeber in Fleurier (Neuchâtel).
On the caliber side, there is a hand-wound movement, proven and recognized by collectors for its reliability for over 50 years: the ETA/Peseux 7001, born in the early 1970s, only 2.5 mm thick. Its simple and efficient three-bridge structure offers numerous possibilities for adaptation and finishing. Completely revisited by Concepto in La Chaux-de-Fonds, it here sports copper finishes highlighting the finesse of the chamfering carried out by the master watchmakers. Its sunburst ratchet and its double snailed barrel attest to the infinite care taken in the decorations and final assembly of this caliber. Made in Switzerland by Multicuirs SA in Meyrin (Geneva), the benchmark for high-end watch straps, the straps are available in three materials and five different colors: supple FKM rubber, soft grained leather, Mississippiensis alligator with large square scales available in black, gray, royal blue or jade green... The royal blue Italian leather case for these watches is made by The Bespoke Company in Paris.
lefigaro
