Now You Can Make Your Own Luxury Swiss Watch In Paris – Forbes

One of the most fun and memorable hands-on experiences I have had in three decades of covering travel was making my own watch in a workshop in Geneva years ago. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that appeals greatly to watch fans, because you learn so much about how fine watches (by which I mean mechanical watches) work. But even if you are not passionate, it’s hard to not to marvel at the science and engineering inside a watch and enjoy a custom timepiece you put together yourself for the rest of your life. I don’t wear my watch all the time, but when I do, I almost always get questions and compliments.

The company that offers this unique experience is called Initium, and it sprang from a business student’s academic proposal into reality years ago. Initium has since expanded geographically and with other offerings. Workshops now include custom jewelry making, which is nice if you have a couple where one is into watches and one is not. These start with a basic silver ring class where you can solder, hammer, and shape you way to a unique ring, or add semi-precious stones (4 hours, $550-$750). There’s also a couple’s course where you make two rings. Year ago, they added another location outside Geneva and one in Zurich.

Most recently they added a deluxe full-day workshop to build a Swiss watch (all the movements are 100% Swiss made) with a tourbillon movement. In mechanical watch parlance, each additional feature beyond simply telling the time (date, day, stopwatch, etc.) is known as a complication, and the more complications, the more complex (and usually expensive) the watch. But some complications are more coveted and prestigious than others, and more literally complicated, with the tourbillon near the top of this list. Created by legendary watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet more than two centuries ago, this keeps the entire internal movement of the watch rotating within its case, which offsets the effects of gravity on mechanical movements and makes the watch more accurate (especially in the 1800s!). This class is one of the full-day options, which include a break for a gourmet lunch with the watchmaker instructor ($20,750). The “normal” full day mechanical watch program without tourbillon is much more accessible at $3,350 (including the watch to keep).

I won’t repeat myself and go over all the details of the watchmaking classes, because you can just read the last piece I wrote about the experience here at Forbes.

Now the big news is the first international expansion with a workshop outside of Switzerland, in one of the most popular foreign destinations for American travelers, Paris. I can’t think of many better vacation combos than taking a trip to the City of Lights and returning with a new watch (or ring) you just made.

The new location is scheduling classes starting in July, peak European travel season, and is very well located in the 8^th Arrondissement (78 rue de Miromesnil), home to the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Place de la Concorde, many of the city’s chicest retail stores, several famed Michelin-starred eateries, and some of the best luxury hotels, including personal favorites the Four Seasons George Cinq and semi-hidden gem Prince des Galles (read my story about this great hotel here).

It’s time to enjoy “time” in Paris!