The Real Time Show: Geneva Watch Days 2025

Guest: Clément Meynier, Amida

Date: September 5, 2025
Hosts: Rob Nudds & Alon Ben Joseph

Episode Overview

This episode was recorded live at the Geneva Watch Days 2025 and features Clément Meynier of Amida. The conversation centers around the remarkable revival of Amida, the brand’s famed Digitrend "casquette" watch, and its bold new open sapphire iteration. Clément delves into the brand’s eclectic history, its innovative approach to mechanical digital display, as well as the technical and manufacturing challenges faced bringing these unique watches to market. The episode is also sprinkled with insightful asides on quartz-era survival tactics, reflections on the value of in-house development, and the creative spirit that drives modern independent watchmaking.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Amida Story: Past and Present

[00:39 – 03:44]

• Origins: Amida was founded in 1925, originally known for watches with the Roscopf movement and, later, innovative jumping hour modules.
• The 1970s & The Digitrend: The 1976 Digitrend was launched during the quartz crisis as a mechanical answer to digital LED watches, using an inventive prism system for "digital" display.
  • “They got the great idea and innovation to use a prism to make a light reflection display. That got patented in 73.” — Clément Meynier [01:20]
• Survival & Disappearance: The original Digitrend was avant-garde but not enough to weather the 1980s crash; Amida disappeared for decades.
• Revival: Clément and his partners revived Amida, initially reissuing the Digitrend, now evolving it with a sapphire case and mechanical upgrades.

2. Philosophy & Vision of the New Amida

[03:03 – 03:44]

• The “new era of digitals” slogan from 1976 still resonates: Amida aims for digital presentation with traditional mechanical heart.
  • “Having digital display of time, but still with a traditional watchmaking movement inside.” — Clément Meynier [03:31]
• Plans signal a vision for innovation while honoring the brand’s roots.

3. Clément's Journey: From CERN to Watchmaking

[03:44 – 05:34]

• Background: Clément started at CERN as an engineer, working on long-term particle physics projects.
  • “The project I was working on was started in 1980 and the implementation was forecast in 2120.” — Clément Meynier [05:01]
• Why Watches: Frustrated by delayed gratification, he turned to watchmaking for tangible, mechanical achievement.
  • “I wasn’t sure I would really want to spend my entire career working on something I would never see happening.” — Clément Meynier [05:17]
• Transition: He attended watchmaking school as a passionate side project, eventually becoming a full-time watch entrepreneur.

4. Technical Deep Dive: The Sapphire Digitrend

[06:10 – 07:58]

• Engineering Feats: Sapphire case is glued and meticulously machined (4 hours CNC, 23 hours hand-polish).
  • “The inside and outside of the prism must be really parallel. Otherwise you have some optical distortion, which is not good enough.” — Clément Meynier [06:50]
• Prism System: Core to the “digital” display; reflects flat numbers for vertical legibility—an optical illusion rooted in classic innovation.

5. Reflection Display: Mechanics of Illusion

[09:29 – 10:22]

• The watch is read from the side via reflected, flat discs—a periscope-like effect.
  • “It’s like a small periscope there.” — Clément Meynier [09:48]
  • “And reversed. It’s like a mirror effect.” — Clément Meynier [10:06]
• Meticulous calculations were necessary to ensure the numerical display appeared properly in the window.

6. Comparison to the Original 1976 Model

[10:34 – 11:22]

• Materials Upgrade: Original used plastic and base alloys; modern version offers mechanical reliability, sapphire, and automatic movement.
  • “We redesigned and we reformed everything to be sure that the reliability would be much better.” — Clément Meynier [11:09]

7. Movement and Water Resistance

[11:22 – 12:47]

• Movement: Now uses Soprod Newton with a center balance bridge.
• Water Resistance: Achieves 5 ATM, impressive for such an unconventional construction.
  • “Nothing to be afraid of. It’s a very strong, durable UV glue… this one, which has got a very complex construction and unusual shape, is capable of five.” — Rob Nudds [12:03 & 12:29]
• Caveat: Not recommended for diving, given the strap and intended purpose.

8. Market Approach and Customer Experience

[08:38 – 09:29]

• Price is CHF 4,500 before taxes and tariffs.
• Retailer partnerships are prioritized—critical so buyers can appreciate the tactile and optical phenomena in person.
  • “You need people to train people to explain to the collector really how it works in a deeper way.” — Clément Meynier [09:18]

9. Contemporary Casquette Scene & Reception

[12:47 – 13:22]

• Few casket-style competitors aside from some unknown Chinese brands.
• The revived Digitrend has found instant traction, leveraging its “cult” status among vintage collectors.

10. Brand Future: Beyond the Casquette

[14:00 – 15:01]

• The path forward is open—Amida may move beyond caskets to new form factors, drawing inspiration from but not limited by its archive.
  • “We will go in new territories and new Arizona...” — Clément Meynier [14:35]

11. In-House Module & Collaborative Team

[16:06 – 16:47]

• The jumping hour module is developed in-house, led by Bruno Herbas, and assembled locally.
  • “The module was developed by Bruno who is also a partner... all the components being machined, designed and everything is assembled at the end by our watchmakers.” — Clément Meynier [16:13]
• Co-founder Mathieu Alegre is acknowledged as creative lead—a designer also known for the Lyrique brand.

12. Clément’s Earlier Brands & Watchmaking Roots

[18:19 – 19:45]

• Pre-Amida projects included Coppo (quartz with wood dials) and dupontcel (automotive-inspired vintage pieces).
• Exposure to Digitrend’s driver’s watch heritage seeded the Amida revival journey.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On long-term thinking and hands-on work:
  “Six months to one year is quite short time compared to what I used to do before.” — Clément Meynier [05:35]
• On the reissued sapphire Digitrend:
  “The sapphire case is glued and it's machined. It takes like 4 hours of machining with CNC and then 23 hours of hand polishing.” — Clément Meynier [06:36]
• On the challenge of manufacturing:
  “First, only three people tried to make a prototype, and at the end, only one supplier made the real one properly.” — Clément Meynier [08:12]
• On retailer demo importance:
  “We think it's the kind of pieces that need to be seen, need to be handled to really appreciate...” — Clément Meynier [08:51]
• On movement scarcity:
  “When you see this, you see how much we have lost in the industry in the past 50 years because they were able to make such a small movement. Now you cannot find this in the catalog on any supplier.” — Clément Meynier [15:35]
• On friendship and founding team:
  “Before being a designer he was just a friend to me … six years later, thanks to his, I would say motivation and creativity, we managed to get back the brand and to relaunch it properly.” — Clément Meynier [17:01]
• On the allure of mechanical watches:
  “I just wanted to do something for real… something mechanical, real… in another normal time scale...” — Clément Meynier [04:48–05:01]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:39] – Amida history & Digitrend origin
• [03:44] – Clément Meynier’s personal journey
• [06:10] – Technical discussion on sapphire/prism construction
• [07:29] – Open vs. closed casket versions
• [08:28] – Manufacturing & supplier challenges
• [09:29] – How the display/reflection works
• [11:22] – Description of movement & water resistance
• [12:47] – Casquette as a market niche
• [14:00] – Brand vision for future products
• [16:09] – In-house module development
• [17:00] – Co-founders and design collaboration
• [18:19] – Clément’s previous watch brands

Conclusion

This episode offers a rich mix of watch nerd technicality, brand heritage, and entrepreneurial zest. Clément Meynier’s transition from CERN scientist to watch brand founder, Amida’s revival of its iconic Digitrend, and the intricate technical and creative process stand as a testament to the enduring appeal and inventive capability of independent watchmaking.

Stay tuned for a future, in-depth follow-up with Clément and the Amida team!