In 2002, London-based watchmaker Peter Speake-Marin founded his own brand in Geneva: identifying it are watches with a well-defined style and recognisable design codes that also evoke its British roots. Such as the heart-shaped and sword-shaped hands reminiscent of those of London's Big Ben, or the Piccadilly case, a synthesis of the balance between prominent square lugs and a subtle circular design. In 2012, French entrepreneur Christelle Rosnoblet, who came from the retail sector, acquired the brand, becoming one of the few women to head a watch company.
Peter Speake-Marin's creativity, which shaped the brand's image and development, guided Christelle Rosnoblet's organisational choices and strategies until the watchmaker decided to take a new turn in his life, leaving the company more than six years ago to devote himself to teaching the art of watchmaking.
As part of the reorganisation carried out by Rosnoblet, in addition to the division into specific departments (development, creativity, sales, marketing and communication...), the brand invested in 2014 in the production workshop Le Cercle des Horlogers, based in the Neuchâtel area, which, as the CEO and President points out, "allowed us to develop our movements, aligning us with our vision at 100% Swiss manufacturing". And to date, Speake Marin boasts eight manufacturing calibres.
Clocks Speake Marin are a beautiful mix of creativity, eccentricity, technique and elegance, also offering complications typical of classic haute horlogerie in their own personal way. Such as the flying tourbillon included in the Openworked 'One&Two' collection: the interplay of symmetries and off-centre dial displays, particularly in this case the tourbillon device at 1.30 o'clock, are a Speake Marin staple and find ample space in this line. "The One&Two collection is the epitome of Speake Marin's vision and positioning: it draws inspiration from architecture and modern design, while respecting the tradition of haute horlogerie," stresses Rosnoblet.
Among the latest collections, Ripples has taken up the classic codes of luxury sports watchmaking but with the distinctive style of Speake Marin and introduced a metal bracelet in the catalogue for the first time. Among the recent evolutions, the Blue Jeans trim emphasised its casual style. What characterises it is the light blue shade of the dial with its distinctive 'Ripples' finish. While the Date version has added, in addition to the iconic small seconds counter between 1 and 2, the date function, positioned at 6 o'clock.
"We will continue to work on our existing collections (Openworked, Academic, Ripples, etc.) with limited-edition or one-off models, produced at the Swiss 100%. The aim is also to improve the finish of our movements and maintain our leading position in the industry.
