Simon Brette's Besançon workshop launched in 2023 with the Chronomètre Artisans — one of the most-watched debut pieces in contemporary independent watchmaking. Production is intentionally limited. Allocation direct from the workshop is selective. The secondary market is thin and tightly held. Maison Montres works the workshop relationship and the private collector network.
A Simon Brette is currently the most-watched debut in contemporary independent watchmaking. The Chronomètre Artisans — Brette's founding piece, 38mm classical case, hand-finished movement, dial work executed in collaboration with specialist artisans in Besançon — has become, in the space of two years, one of the references serious collectors of contemporary independent work most want to own. Production is intentionally small. Allocation is selective. The pieces that have come to the secondary market have done so quietly. This is the work of a workshop in its first decade — a moment that, in independent watchmaking history, has often been when the most consequential collecting decisions are made.
Source a Simon Brette watch — the Chronomètre Artisans, the platinum and gold limited editions, or any future production from the Besançon workshop — through Maison Montres's collector network. Direct relationships with the Brette workshop in Besançon for new allocation where available; private collector market for the small number of pieces that have come to resale. Twelve-point authentication on every sourced piece. Direct provenance from the workshop is critical and we verify it.
Chronomètre Artisans. Brette's founding piece. 38mm classical case proportions. Hand-wound movement. Bridges and finishing executed at the upper end of contemporary independent work. Dial work in collaboration with specialist artisans (enamel, guilloché, and engraving variants) in Besançon. Available in white gold, rose gold, and limited platinum editions. The reference Brette piece — and the one most collectors want to own first.
Chronomètre Artisans No. 1 platinum. The first-numbered platinum production — among the most-watched single examples in contemporary independent watchmaking. Allocation history matters; we verify the provenance line.
Limited gold editions. The numbered rose-gold and white-gold runs from 2023-2025 — production small enough that the secondary market is thin.
Future production. Brette has indicated future complications and dial-variation work. Where allocation becomes available through the workshop relationship, we work the channel directly.
1. Brief. Open a sourcing brief specifying the reference (Chronomètre Artisans), case material (white gold, rose gold, platinum), dial variant (enamel, guilloché, engraving — and which artisan if you have a preference), edition number where applicable, and budget range. For new allocation through the workshop, the brief includes the long-form collector statement that the workshop reviews when considering new clients.
2. Search. The Brette workshop in Besançon is the relationship origin point for new allocation. We work the workshop directly where allocation is available and the collector profile fits. For pieces already in collector hands, the private collector network across Geneva and Dubai, and Paris is the practical channel. Auction calendars (Phillips, Christie's) are consulted where a Brette comes to consignment, though to date the workshop has produced very few pieces that have crossed into auction.
3. Authentication. Every Simon Brette passes our twelve-point intake protocol in Geneva, signed by a named watchmaker. Direct provenance from the Besançon workshop is critical for a brand at this production scale, and we verify it — the timing certificate, the workshop documentation, the dial-artisan provenance where applicable. Two-tier authentication with an independent specialist is standard on the platinum editions and any piece where dial work or finishing has been altered.
4. Settlement. Inspection window on every transaction. Documentation transfers with the watch — original papers from the workshop, the timing certificate, the dial-artisan provenance where applicable, and the full Maison Montres dossier.
The most consequential moments in independent watchmaking history have often been the first decade of a workshop's production. Daniel Roth's early pieces. Philippe Dufour's Simplicity launch. Rexhep Rexhepi's first AK-series. F.P. Journe's Souverain debut. The pieces that come from a workshop in its first ten years tend to carry, in retrospect, a weight that the later production cannot replicate — they are the work of a watchmaker establishing what their workshop is going to be.
Simon Brette is currently in that moment. The Chronomètre Artisans is the founding statement. The dial work, executed in collaboration with specialist artisans in Besançon, has positioned the workshop in a category of its own — a contemporary house that takes the dial as seriously as the movement, that treats the artisanal dial trades as collaborators rather than vendors. The collectors who have followed independent watchmaking for the past two decades are paying attention.
This is the moment when the right Brette acquisition can become a reference point for a serious contemporary independent collection. We source accordingly.
A Brette sourcing brief takes a few minutes to draft. Reference, configuration, condition expectations, budget. Once received, the search begins — and the first response typically arrives within four business days.
Each brand sourcing page covers references in current demand, the sourcing process, and brand-specific FAQs. The first conversation is the same regardless of the house.
Through Maison Montres's sourcing network. The Brette workshop in Besançon controls allocation directly; for collectors with the right profile and a long-form collector statement, we work the workshop relationship for new allocation. For pieces already in collector hands, the private collector network across Geneva and Dubai, and Paris is the practical channel. A sourcing brief specifying the case material, dial variant, edition, and budget range starts the search.
Original workshop pricing for the Chronomètre Artisans is reference- and dial-dependent — broadly in the high CHF five-figure to low six-figure range at launch, with the platinum and engraved editions at the upper end. Secondary-market valuations on the few pieces that have come to resale have been at or above original retail for the rare references; the workshop is in its first three years of production and the resale data is necessarily thin. Specific valuations are written reference by reference. Pricing for our sourcing service is on application.
It is too early to make a confident investment claim about Simon Brette. The workshop is in its first decade. The secondary market is thin. What can be said: the pieces that have come to resale have held or exceeded original workshop pricing; collectors who follow contemporary independent watchmaking closely have positioned Brette as one of the most-watched debut workshops of recent years; the dial collaboration with the Besançon artisanal workshops has positioned the brand in a category with very few peers. Whether Simon Brette belongs in your collection depends on whether the collection is built around contemporary independent work — and on a comfort with owning pieces from a workshop still establishing its long-term output.
Maison Montres brokers Simon Brette disposals on the seller's behalf. Twenty-four-hour confidential valuation, no fee. Brokerage to our private collector network — where demand consistently exceeds available supply — or to the major auction houses (Phillips, Christie's) where the gavel is the right channel. Funds settle within forty-eight hours of authentication on private brokerage. We never take title to the watch. For Brette, direct provenance from the workshop is a material valuation factor; we verify it.
Every Simon Brette passes our documented twelve-point intake protocol in Geneva — serial and reference verification (with the Besançon workshop directly for production-line confirmation), movement inspection at the bridge and finishing level, dial work and artisan provenance, parts originality, case inspection, polish status, water-resistance testing, six-position timing log, papers and timing-certificate verification, watchmaker sign-off. Two-tier authentication with an independent specialist is standard on platinum editions and any piece where dial work or finishing has been altered. The dossier becomes part of the watch's permanent record.
Headquartered in Geneva at Place du Molard 5, with an additional office in Dubai (DIFC, Gate Avenue). All offices by appointment, Tuesday to Saturday. Reach the house at contact@maisonmontres.com or via WhatsApp.
Editorial sources behind the Simon Brette analysis above. See our editorial standards.