Design Genius Alain Silberstein On His Signature Style And Upcoming Collaborations

One of the first few visionaries to infuse modern horology with a joyful and energetic vibe back in the 1980s, French architect and designer Alain Silberstein has stayed faithful to his love of Bauhaus for over 30 years now. His designs have always been true to his style – fun, simple and a tad bit quirky. Though he closed his company around ten years ago, Silberstein has been recently making waves with a host of quirky watches made in collaboration with Louis Erard and MB&F. 
 

In a recent interview with Wristcheck, Alain teased his upcoming catalog raisonné, which will showcase all his works over the last 30 years and also two new collaborations scheduled for a launch early next year.

Excerpts from the interview:
 

You have a background in interior architecture, how did you find your way into watchmaking?

For almost 15 years, my wife and I ran an architecture and design firm, first in Paris and then in Besançon. When the Swatch was introduced, I began to design watches because “why not," I thought. I was living in Besançon, France's watchmaking capital.
 

I began working with Hong Kong companies. It was the best because I was working with people who make $5 watches. After that first step, the second was to make a luxury watch. It all happened by coincidence, and the more I designed watches, the more at ease I became. It was in 1984/85, when I had the chance to discover the world of mechanical movements. Mechanical timepieces last forever; there is no need for batteries, no obstruction, nothing.
 

What techniques from your days as an architect would you say apply to watchmaking? 

The difference between an interior architect and watch designer is that people frequently ask, "what are you doing?" I believe the concept is simple. It's a matter of scale that I went from millimeter to tenth of a millimeter. The method for mastering your craft is the same. An architect is defined by an old French expression. It's "maitre d'oeuvres," the maestro of your efforts.
 

My first experience in interior design has been to focus on comfort and ergonomy. When your watch is wearable, it should be easy to put on and take off. Second, how many watches on the market make it difficult to see the time in one glance? I don't need instructions to figure out what time it is.

What’s been your inspiration from the very start?

It's difficult just to ask a painter or sculpture, what is your inspiration, what can I say? For me, a watch or even a clock is more than simply a decorative item. It is the most intimate thing for one, it's your own personal "time." As a personal item, I want to offer the best of my imagination and emotion. In the late '80s, when I went to my very first Basel fair people were looking at me like I was an alien, and I still get the same reaction. It's insane to see people asking me, "what are you doing exactly?" after over 40 years of production and nearly 500 items made.

What’s the significance of primary colors in your watches? 

As Maximilian Büsser says, we all have a sort of childish part in us. 

It’s also a nod to Kandinsky, the painter who was a Bauhaus master. Every year at the start of the school year, he requested his students to fill out a questionnaire using the three fundamental shapes, a triangle, a circle, and a square. As a result, he assumed that there was a connection between primary colors red, blue, and yellow and primary forms.

My hour hand is in red, because it's the first thing you have to check. I use blue for the minutes and yellow for the moving seconds. It's better to have three hands because, if for any reason, your watch stops, you'll be lost in time.

I'll always focus on my primary colors because they improve legibility on a white or black dial. Because humans are drawn to these fundamental forms and colors for a variety of reasons. There is no ambiguity. It's like road and traffic signs; they're simple and clear, red, blue, and yellow. Simplicity is the name of Mr. Philippe Dufour's watch. Simplicity is sometimes defined as reverting to the basics of creativity in terms of forms and colors.

Are there any art forms or artists that have influenced your creative process? 

As an art student, I learned the fundamentals of Modern Art and Architecture of the early '20s and '30s, and this learning is my roots of geometrical shapes, colors, intentional design, and the pursuit of clean lines.

Mr. Dieter Rams is one of my favorite designers. He was a well-known German designer who designed all of the Braun products in Germany. Also, Kandinsky, as a painter and instructor at the Bauhaus school, was also a huge inspiration to me.

Every time after my travels, in my company, my team was afraid because they knew I would change something in my drawing and design. I was really inspired by the people I met in the watchmaking industry, professionals in the field, but mostly I was challenged by the people who loved my watches. They gave me new ideas every time we talked, and the picture of a “lonesome designer and his drawing table, working alone with the laptop,” that's not it for me. You must be open to the world and to the people; you must love to display, introduce, and speak in order to be challenged; and, at the end of the day, your products will be better.

How tough was it to launch your first watch right after the ‘Quartz Crisis’?

It was like entering a new world. I discovered a new tribe. This tribe was composed of passionate people. Everyone was helpful, everyone was eager to teach you, and everyone was willing to share their own expertise and knowledge. I was fortunate to be at the right place at the right time. I was French. I was not a watchmaker, I was a designer. But the power of Swiss watchmaking was and still is, the ability to welcome innovation, to welcome new trends, newcomers, who saved the Swiss watchmaking world. Mr. Hayek was not from the watch world originally but they trusted him to reorganize the watchmaking industry.

Which has been your most challenging project so far? 

We had limited options in terms of parts, movements, and techniques. We didn't have much in the late 1980s and early 1990s. At that time, what was groundbreaking was a mechanical movement with a power reserve. (laughs) It was tough. It is now a paradise for newcomers. You can create anything you want.
 

Back in the days, when I chose to go from a brass case to steel casing, it was a revolution at the time. Take my first two Krono series for example, which were manufactured with a brass case and a black chrome finish. I asked the manufacturers if I could have the same quality as a Rolex and a steel casing. At the time, no watchmaking companies in Europe knew how to master steel casings. Thanks to my friend from Seiko France in Morteau, Japanese technology helped me to get my very first steel case. Then I went on to titanium, the rationale was simple: I love black casings with a black finish and PVD coating is better compatible on titanium than on steel.
 

It took me nearly 20 years to perfect the skills, but it was always difficult. When I designed my first pusher, these enormous pusher squares, rounds, and triangles for the crown. Manufacturers' said that it was not possible; it would break. Even after five years, I still had faith in these people. As a creative artist, though I may have an idea, I rely on experts in their fields to make that dream a reality.

What are some other brands you’re currently loving?

In the ‘80s-'90s, there was Chronoswiss - the designs by Mr. Gerd-Rüdiger Lang. Currently, I’m loving De Bethune, Bulgari, Bell & Ross, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Rolex, Cartier, and of course, my friend Max’s MB&F. When I evoke one brand in your head, you can easily picture a shape or watch.

For over 30 years now, you’ve stayed faithful to your love of Bauhaus. How tough was it to not follow trends and stick to your unique style all through?

It's tough to describe what a trend is since we only had printed magazines with advertisements back then, but now you can find lots of trends on the Internet. I'm not seeing any patterns right now. Many brands, in my opinion, lack innovation and imagination. You have an excessive number of re-editions. Some are quite good, while others I choose not to comment on.

To me, creation is a personal pursuit. With my work, I'm doing my best. On the watch, this is my name. This is not a brand. It has my name. I want to be proud of it, but it's a risky business, and I've already failed once. But, regardless, I want to be proud of my children (watches) and what I've accomplished in the last few years.
 

I'm not sure what the current trend is. It’s like if one is going green, everybody's going green, when one is going blue, everybody's going blue. Everyone is following a trend. Referring to the Memphis Group and in the late '60s-'70s of watchmaking, brands were making crazy watches. They made some amazing watches in plastic, and now it's classic and dull.

You have introduced some of the most successful collaborations in recent years. Which one is closest to your heart and why?

I started with my first collaboration in 2009 with Max Büsser on the HM2.2 ‘Black Box’ and later the Legacy Machine No.1. In a recent interview, Max said that "collaboration is a question of karma and humility." To me, collaboration means having the opportunity to collaborate with friends or people I admire as designers or watchmakers. Every time you collaborate, you have to be really humble because you have to respect the essence of the brand.

A caption on one of your IG posts says “More to come in 2023,” can you share with us what’s coming up in the next few months?

There will be two collaborations arriving in January 2023. I also hope to relaunch my brand in 2024. First, I will start an international repair and certification service, followed by the creation of one or two very exclusive movements. I will also be publishing a catalog raisonné during Watches & Wonders 2023. It’ll feature all of my previous creations from ‘87 to to today - over 480 creations. You can imagine how difficult it is because my wife sometimes questions "we did that?" Of course.