Greyhours are winding back the watch industry

Forget smartwatches and gimmicks, say Greyhours, watches should simply be black-and-white

When independent watchmaker Greyhours launched almost three years ago, the four founders – Emrah Yuceer, Olivier Kraff, Thao Phan and Julien Gueuning – shared a clear idea of what direction their fledgling company should take.

Simplicity was key in the eyes of the young entrepreneurs, and they wished to remove any superficiality from their designs, create a financially accessible timepiece, and take the watch back to what watches are fundamentally for – telling the time.

Fast forward to today, and Greyhours are competing against increasing complicated timepieces. But, next to such developments as the new wave of smartwatches, the company have remained steadfastly committed to the ideals with which they began – excellence in simplicity.

This refinement is embodied in the watchmakers new ‘Vision’ collection. Trendy and versatile, this modern-classic timepiece is unisex, and available in two designs. Simple, stylish and, above all, functional.

Thao Phan said of the new collection: “I believe a timepiece shouldn’t be a precious item that one is afraid of wearing, instead, it should be an attractive instrument able to withstand fast-paced day to day lives.”

“This new collection embodies what we do best,” Yuceer continues, “a mix of sturdy materials, subtle colours and a lot of minimalism to achieve a flawless watch that not only deserves, but begs to be worn daily.”

The sturdy materials alluded to by Yuceer are another pillar of Greyhours’ production process.

When the brand began to build, Gueuning, the group’s industrial designer, who studied at the prestigious Athenaeum Europe Design School in Lausanne, discovered that a major flaw in the designer watch industry was to be found in the quality of the metals and glass used by manufacturers.

Greyhours decided to change this, and began researching sapphire glass, exclusive leathers and high-grade metals in a bid to improve both durability and build quality.

And then, when the materials were secured, the design process began – and the four founders wanted to spread a very clear message.

“We feel like we’re living in a world that’s unequal, unbalanced and mostly unfair,” says Yuceer. “That’s where our name comes from, in fact, the grey hours of your life where nothing is black or white, and everything is between shades.

“So we created a well-balanced watch, which has a very minimal and timeless design,” continues the watchmaker, “but then still added a touch of colour to remove boredom – that’s where the blue and red hands come in. We also added two complications, a day of the week and a date, which we believed would be handy for our more demanding users.”

“We’re not about volumes and quantity,” says Yuceer. “We’re about making a proper watch – sober, versatile and without pretension – for connoisseurs.”

This article was written in association with Greyhours, whose new ‘Vision’ collection is now available at greyhours.com

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