Vincent Calabrese, one of the founders of the AHCI 25 years ago, looks back on a long and important career as an independent in the watch industry.  His designs signaled the beginning of the tourbillon craze that we are still witnesses to.  The Blancpain 8 day tourbillon is a Calabrese design.  Another emblematic design from Vincent Calabrese is the Corum Golden Bridge.

Vincent Calabrese has a luminous shop in Lausanne, a 2 minute walk from the main train station.  Fully equipped with the necessary machine park he still works without any help of CNC.

Vincent Calabrese has always been interested in finding solutions for the impossible;  the flattest tourbillon, the reduction to the minimum, innovative solutions.  Earlier in his career these were the Blancpain tourbillon and his Spatiale series of watches.  His first break with his own tradition came after the minimal tourbillon regulator of the Spatiale.  He then decided to shift his work to adding complications to an existing movement, the ETA 2892.  Useful complications adding the absolute minimum in height to the movement, 0.8mm in general.  The second break in his oeuvre was with the initiation of the Nouvelle Horlogerie Calabrese a new brand started 3 years ago sporting his complications.

And now for some pictures, a look at some early work:

Personelles, Calabrese

The Spatiale Tourbillon Regulator front and back