In countryside Genève, it is somehow easy to get lost in Ludovic Ballouard’s cozy little atelier. Some childhood memorabilia here. Sketches of the first Upside Down there. Travel artifacts everywhere. If anyone can make a seemingly small space feel like an infinite realm of possibility, it is Ballouard. It seems fitting, then, that his atelier was once home to Avusy’s old post office, as though a portal to stories from around the world that have shaped his journey. 

The countryside has offered Ballouard serenity and simplicity that are very much mirrored in his craft, he says. Make no mistake, so are the trials and tribulations that have shaped his very philosophical outlook on life and on watchmaking. From Upside Down to Half Time, each of Ballouard’s collections is proof that art imitates life just as beautifully as life imitates art. And at that, each has come to challenge the very way we perceive and tell time. 

You’ve opened access for those wishing to explore the craft behind the creations. How much do you reckon should a watchmaker share of the creative and manufacturing process with the world? 

I am open to sharing with my customers all processes and steps behind our creations. [This is how a] customer can appreciate and understand the quality [work] behind a timepiece. Especially for customizations, [when we] sometimes need to find new solutions for a specific detail (material, stones, color, effect, etc.), we really like to co-create with our customers the timepiece of their dream.

How would you say your cultural heritage and lineage have influenced your foray into the watchmaking world, if at all? Does your craft today carry any influence from this mixed cultural bag? If so, how? 

I was born to parents who were farmers, isolated in the middle of nowhere near the sea in Brittany. I had never heard of watchmaking. We only talked about cultivation, animal breeding or fishing at sea. At the age of 28, I landed in Switzerland without any watchmaking [background]. The only heritage of my childhood that helped me become an independent watchmaker lies in [the values and work ethics instilled in me by] my parents. They worked independently on their land, as have their parents and grandparents. So I followed the same path: independence and old-fashioned work.

How would you say your earlier days as a technician for airplane control panels have influenced your work as a watchmaker today, if at all?  

While my dad worked with large earthly spaces and agricultural machines, I had a passion for airy spaces and for the infinitely small. The work on the farm was very strenuous for my parents. It is possible that, subconsciously, I moved in the opposite direction with small planes and engines in the sky. I did not want to become like them, even if growing up on the farm is a great experience for a child. Even today, I prefer heaven to earth, and I prefer what is small to what is large.

You’ve spent near a decade at F.P.Journe and left your mark with the Sonnerie Souveraine. What lessons have you taken away from those years that you still live and work by today? 

F.P.Journe was my best professional experience as a watchmaking employee. Without this experience, I would never have had the necessary knowledge to realize my own calibers. At F.P.Journe, I learned that all complications can be achieved with a lot of madness and a lot of perseverance.

"My next project requires madness, unconsciousness and probably a lot of patience before [it sees the light of day]. But there's a saying that only crazy people move forward."

You set out to build your own brand at a dire time for the global economy, and at a time where watches in particular were not as popularized as they are today as solid investable asset classes. What was behind this bold decision at the most uncertain time? What were the challenges you faced at the beginning of this journey?

To tell you the truth, I didn't really choose the moment to launch my brand, even though I had always dreamed of this moment. My wife and I both had very comfortable careers that allowed us to live peacefully while preparing for our retirement. Unfortunately, in 2005, the doctors diagnosed her with cancer. We hoped for a cure until 2008, when we realized that there would never be one. 

We had made the mistake of [planning for the future] – which is right – instead of [focusing on] living in the moment, and especially living our true childhood dreams. So in 2008, I decided to go for it, without worrying about the financial crisis. 

"If my wife fell ill and her days were numbered, I thought, the same thing could happen to me. So why wait to make this dream of independence come true?" 

The only challenge was unfortunately fighting the illness. Otherwise, business was going very well despite the financial crisis. Among my first customers were many collector friends who not only bought my watches, but also [spread the word] and referred me to new customers. Everything was very simple and very fast. My wife passed away in 2013, and the brand had allowed us to travel a lot around the world. Her dream was to travel, and so we both achieved our dreams together.

When you created Upside Down, you wanted, in your own words, to remind people that the most important time is the present, particularly when the world itself was upside down. Was this notion or statement also inspired by any personal life experience at the time? What was the spark that then triggered Half Time? 

It is an inside process. When my wife was diagnosed with cancer, I realized that every second of our life is important. The present is important. I kept repeating to myself that it did not matter if there was an economic crisis, or that the numbers were down. What mattered is that I set out to make a difference and live the carpe diem moment where positivity wins over negativity. 

In Half Time, the concept is the same. In the complication, you can read only the present in the window at the noon mark. The lateral numbers, representing the past and the future, are unreadable. But in the “Half Time”, the inspiration was also true love, where two halves make one whole.

It has been nearly a decade since the Opus XIII. In hindsight, what period and era does the Opus XIII stand for in your journey as a watchmaker? Do you foresee such similar potential partnerships in the future?   

The year 2013 was the most difficult year of my life. Everything was against me. A watchmaking partnership turned against me. Like many artists, I had no idea of the business [side of things], and a professional who had little knowledge on watchmaking tried to take advantage [of this situation]. He didn’t succeed. For those who know the story of Samson and Goliath, I can say that I lived it and came out even stronger. The year 2013 also marked my wife's passing, and it was very difficult for me to accompany her serenely throughout my own professional [trials and tribulations]. All I have left from this year is an incredible movement made up of 660 components, which I proudly present to visitors who come to see me. I like the idea of partnerships. But it will be very difficult for me to build up trust again for future partnerships. 

A year ago, you mentioned that you already have the patent on a new complication, with a potential release in 2024. Does that timeline still stand?  

The patent has been approved. Plans are ready. But in this moment, I do not have time to develop the third complication. I would like to release it in 2024, but I cannot [make any promises].

You’ve been quite vocal about your enthusiasm towards a more digitally savvy and younger collector community in the watchmaking world. You recently mentioned that you started accepting bitcoin payments. Would you say that this is the direction in which your own clientele base and brand are heading? How would you say the Ballouard collector base has evolved since you first started?  

My collector base has not evolved, it has expanded. In 2009, people with great watchmaking knowledge and passion for watches were older than they are today. There were no connected watches and many young people had never worn a watch in their lives. Since the arrival of connected watches, many young people have discovered the pleasure of wearing an object on their wrist. They understood that in addition to telling time, this object can also be beautiful and offer them pleasure. Young people are also more ecological and no longer want [fast and wasteful consumption]. They prefer objects that they can pass on to their children, who themselves will be even more eco-conscious than their parents. As for [my accepting] crypto payments, if young people adapt to my mechanical watches, then I find it normal to adapt to their means of payment.

There has been some skepticism around the democratization and digitization of the watchmaking industry in recent years, particularly following the post-pandemic crypto wealth bubble. Where would you say Ludovic Ballouard stands as a brand in this context? Where would you draw the line?  

At the very moment I am answering this question, news headlines are warning against electricity outages and energy shortages. [I always want to be] able to manufacture mechanical watches that work without power and that can be repaired anywhere in the world without the need for electricity, but simply with a file, a screwdriver and the hands of craftspeople. This is also the reason why my movements are only made with brass and steel – I do not use hi-tech materials like ceramic or silicon.

Looking back on a very celebrated and upward trajectory as a watchmaker to date, do you have any regrets?  

I have no regrets on my entire watchmaking career. Bad times and experiences have all made me stronger, and good times, I knew how to value and appreciate them. As the Upside Down or half Time indicates, you can't go back. It's [always] too late to have regrets. The best [thing to do is to] really live in the present moment without thinking too much of the future. 

First with Upside Down, then with Half Time, your collections have been inspired by your own philosophical take on life – both timely and timeless. How is your outlook on time and life changing today? And how do you think it will influence your next eccentric complication? How do you see your craft evolving in the future? 

For the moment, my watchmaking philosophy remains the same.

"My vision is to simplify [watchmaking].  But sometimes, behind a simplified outcome lay a great deal of complication. My motto for my third complication will be “Less is More”."