Ollivier Savelli is the extraordinary watchmaker behind the Swiss watch brand Ollivier Savéo. Awarded the “Meilleur Ouvrier de France” in the Jewellery and Precious Metals category, the most prestigious luxury craftsmanship award in France, Ollivier has recently launched his own range of high end luxury watches under the brand name Ollivier Savéo.
Ollivier’s inspiration for his work comes from 15 years spent with the Companions of the Tour de France where he developed his passion for excellence, perfection in his craft and traditional jewellery and watch making techniques. An admirer of their philosophy, he borrows from their construction techniques using all kinds of materials. Materials that may come from diverse disciplines such as traditional jewellery, horology, aeronautics, automobiles, architecture, decorative arts, modern art and street art.
All Ollivier Savéo watches are hand made in his atelier in Switzerland and depending on the model take around a month to four months to complete. Each watch is bespoke and constructed from the finest materials, reflecting the three pillars of his work: technique, aesthetic and concept. Although the special concept watches with a new movement like the Flying Tourbillon Racer take a lot longer.
The Vision watch range consists of high end automatic movements specially designed by Ollivier Savéo employing titanium, gold, carbon fibre and precious stones. These innovative watches employ a patented sapphire tube used to display a three dimensional sculpture, with complicated layers showing the creative artwork, bejewelled gold flowers, gold horses, butterflies and cars. These are mesmerising feats of technical achievement, of movement in harmony with design.
The Flying Tourbillon Racer watch is an exclusive OST01 movement designed by Ollivier Savelli. It demanded a complete rethink of a whirlwind movement to accommodate the miniature racing car inside .The client can even choose his own favourite car for the sculpture with an exclusive and unique dedicated dial.
It took a staggering eight months to develop and four months to build. The components had to be reorganised to accommodate the unusual shape and to create a movement that communicated the story and history of the watch. It is a masterpiece of miniaturisation, with nine separate pieces measuring a mere two cm. It is a delight to observe all the inner workings of the watch, a moving, dynamic sculpture that tells a vivid story.
The distinctive tourbillon cage represents the multiple counters of the circuit clocks from the beginning of the last century and also serves as the seconds counter. The aim was to balance the technical challenges with an aesthetic that was more than the sum of its parts, a visual and technical triumph of watchmaking and story telling.
The watch is an tribute to Formula One, with the watch lugs shaped like F1 spoilers. The case is entirely made from Formula One materials, and the dials above and below represent the vents in the F1 bodywork.
The exclusive bracelet carries on the theme, made of the finest leather for comfort, it also has a layering of tyre rubber, with Ollivier Saveo markings along the strap and the stitching is available in the colours of the five tyre types used in the race. Each design of the tyre is matched to the colour of the side band. For an even more bespoke offering the cover of the clasp is tailored to the car the client has chosen.
The watch is entirely handcrafted, with an extremely high hand finished threshold. Entirely designed, built and completed in Geneva and there are currently only two limited edition pieces (one in carbon fibre, one in titanium). These are works of art that keep time, mechanical marvels in the finest materials that represent excellence in jewellery making. The skills required to manufacture these sculptural works of art take decades to develop, ensuring each is genuinely unique and bespoke.
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