Time To Watches: Albishorn

Summary

The Real Time Show: Episode Summary - "Time To Watches: Albishorn"

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Real Time Show
• Hosts: Rob Nudds & Alon Ben Joseph
• Episode: Time To Watches: Albishorn
• Release Date: June 11, 2025

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of The Real Time Show, hosts Rob Nudds and Alon Ben Joseph delve deep into the world of Albishorn, a burgeoning watchmaking brand making significant waves in the industry. Recorded live at the Time to Watches event in Geneva 2025, the episode features an insightful conversation with Sebastian Chamalte, a pivotal figure behind Albishorn.

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Albishorn's Vision and Brand Identity

Sebastian Chamalte introduces Albishorn as a brand that seeks to "make the episodes we all missed" in watchmaking history. Unlike traditional brands that either reproduce vintage models or release reissues, Albishorn aims to create original pieces that could have existed if the brand had been established decades earlier.

Sebastian Chamalte [00:44]: "The brand is actually here to make the episodes we all missed and we would have loved to see from probably famous films or series we all loved."

Albishorn's approach is to blend vintage inspirations with innovative designs, ensuring that each watch reflects a specific era's essence without being mere replicas. This method allows the brand to explore a diverse range of styles from the 1930s to the 1970s, incorporating unique features that set their timepieces apart.

Sebastian Chamalte [02:15]: "We try still to approach that like a brand in the sense of having DNA within the scope but still having a big variety of products going from the 30s up to the 70s."

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Design Philosophy and Historical Integration

A significant aspect of Albishorn's identity is its meticulous attention to historical accuracy and design evolution. Sebastian emphasizes the importance of adhering to the applicable laws and styles of each decade, ensuring that the watches not only look authentic but also embody the technical advancements of their purported era.

Sebastian Chamalte [03:50]: "We even follow the legislation, so we really take it seriously somehow. But always with a smile on our face."

Key design elements include a concave bezel, a prominent red monopusher on the left side of the case, and varied chronograph layouts. These features serve as the brand's signature, maintaining consistency across different models while allowing for creative diversity.

Sebastian Chamalte [04:09]: "The bezel is one part of it being concave. The big monopusher in red aluminum. The positioning of the crown which is systematically on the left side of the case."

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Re-issues vs. Original Vintage Pieces

The conversation shifts to the topic of re-issues and modern reproductions of vintage watches. Sebastian expresses a clear preference for original pieces, citing several reasons why modern re-issues often fall short of capturing the true spirit and craftsmanship of their predecessors.

Sebastian Chamalte [08:45]: "For many reasons, because like most of people, you would like to chase a real thing. And I would say most of these that didn't catch the spirit, they didn't catch the proportion rights."

He further elaborates on the limitations of re-issues, mentioning issues like wearability, waterproofing, and the inability to replicate historical movements accurately.

Sebastian Chamalte [09:04]: "Obviously they're wearable, they're probably more waterproof. Most of them less radioactive."

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Future Directions and Upcoming Models

Sebastian provides a glimpse into Albishorn's roadmap, outlining plans to explore watch designs up to the 1970s with intentions to revisit earlier decades like the 1920s. This strategic approach allows the brand to continuously innovate while staying true to its historical inspirations.

Sebastian Chamalte [10:21]: "For so far it has been going very well, but you never know. And yeah, so the idea is going back first to the seventies but also to go back at some point and adding stuff in the 30s and 20s."

He also touches upon the potential of evolving the brand's logo to reflect different eras, enhancing the authenticity of each timepiece.

Sebastian Chamalte [12:26]: "If you want to play the game of period correctness at some point someone would have come and said your old logo is boring in the 60s. You need something fresh. So we did something fresh. Different."

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Craftsmanship and Unique Features

Rob Nudds lauds the exceptional craftsmanship of Albishorn watches, highlighting the meticulous finishing and distinctive features like the red pusher on the left side.

Rob Nudds [13:18]: "Every single watch that you've ever put in my hands has just blown me away. The finishing is not to be slept on. It's incredible."

Sebastian shares inspirations drawn from historical pieces, including Vacheron Constantin models from the Second World War era, showcasing Albishorn's dedication to integrating authentic materials and design techniques.

Sebastian Chamalte [13:46]: "They didn't use aluminum on that thing. I have red and blue for the setting the serial time and everything. And they already used anodized aluminium because was the only way at the time to get colored something on the metal."

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Pricing and Availability

The hosts discuss the exclusivity and pricing of Albishorn watches. Sebastian reveals that their timepieces are available exclusively online, with price points ranging from CHF 3,650 to CHF 4,150, reflecting their premium craftsmanship and exclusive design.

Sebastian Chamalte [15:00]: "It starts at CHF 3,650 and goes up to CHF 4,150."

Rob provides the official website for interested listeners to explore and purchase Albishorn watches.

Rob Nudds [15:19]: "It is albisonwatches.ch."

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Conclusion and Future Collaborations

The episode concludes with Alon Ben Joseph praising Sebastian's expertise and the innovative direction of Albishorn. He hints at future collaborations, including potential masterclasses on chronographs and intellectual property within watchmaking.

Alon Ben Joseph [16:22]: "We can take it wider with him looking at watchmaking history, and we could do a second series with him just on IP. So intellectual property within watchmaking."

Rob echoes the sentiment, expressing excitement about future projects and encouraging listeners to stay tuned for more in-depth discussions with Sebastian.

Rob Nudds [18:36]: "This is a great connection to have made a good friend to have accrued along the way and someone I really can't wait to work with more."

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Final Thoughts

This episode of The Real Time Show offers a comprehensive look into Albishorn's unique approach to watchmaking, blending historical reverence with modern innovation. Sebastian Chamalte's passion and expertise provide listeners with valuable insights into the brand's mission to redefine and enrich the tapestry of watchmaking history.

For those keen to experience Albishorn's exceptional timepieces firsthand, visiting their website albisonwatches.ch or attending watch events where Albishorn showcases their collections is highly recommended.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Sebastian [00:44]: "The brand is actually here to make the episodes we all missed..."
• Sebastian [04:09]: "The bezel is one part of it being concave..."
• Sebastian [08:45]: "For many reasons, because like most of people, you would like to chase a real thing..."
• Sebastian [10:21]: "For so far it has been going very well..."
• Rob [13:18]: "Every single watch that you've ever put in my hands has just blown me away..."
• Alon [16:22]: "We can take it wider with him looking at watchmaking history..."

Transcript

[Sebastian Chamalte]

Foreign.

[Rob]

Hello watch fans and welcome to another edition of the Real Time show from Villasarasan for the Time to Watches event in Geneva 2025. Today I am joined by Sebastian from Albus Horn. We did have a nice long chat yesterday about the pieces we all got to go hands on with what's been and what will be coming soon. And it's very exciting. This is one of the most interesting brands that's been founded in the last couple of years because it openly has been founded in the last couple and it has been founded to play a particular role in the industry and that is looking back on what would have happened if Albus Horn had been founded decades prior. So Sebastian, give us a bit of a rundown of what we're looking at here.

[Sebastian Chamalte]

Yeah, thanks a lot for having me. Somehow again, I think there's quite some things to say. Yeah. So the brand is actually here to make the episodes we all missed and we would have loved to see from probably famous films or series we all loved. So the idea is to add some chapter to the history without taking it too seriously either. Not that we have the impression of being. But we want to do something which is vintage, somehow inspired, but it's not a reproduction, it's not a reissue. And adding a bit the quirky ones, member of the family, probably the less standard ones, the ones they wouldn't produce at the time probably because they wouldn't have been probably that, that popular. But we feel the need of, of adding these chapter to the history. So it's a, it's a great fund because we don't claim of any history because we don't have any. So it's very interesting because having none of your own, you own actually entire history in the sense of I don't have to look into any archives, I don't have any. So basically I would say I play with a full repertoire of the Swiss watchmaking industry, obviously also a bit of wider ones because it's. We're not the only one in the world making watches. So it's also a very liberating aspect of creation because you're not bound by any, by any DNA. So we are open to a lot of styles which we are attracted to. We still try to build up a brand DNA by having the pusher on the left side, having a big mono pusher for the time being, always in red. So we try still to approach that like a brand in the sense of having DNA within the scope but still having a big variety of products going from the 30s up to the 70s we even changed the logo as you would have done in the 60s or we go very far. We move from the Fabsis in the forties to the Swiss made. So we even follow the legislation. So the applicable laws of the time. So we really take it seriously somehow. But always. Always. Yeah, always a bit with a smile on our face. But still we love history. We are into watches. I can say that that's that way. And so we want to play with both the design but also the historical aspect and the evolution of watchmaking. But still trying to be a brand in a sense of not just having products where you would say they're not related by any means. So it's why we focused on chronograph because it's also my personal passion. And so we still have a few things where we also strongly believe in creating a brand identity. So it's. Yeah. The bezel is one part of it being concave. The big monopusher in red aluminum. The positioning of the crown which is systematically on the left side of the case. These are a few parts which we take over the years. And we imagine these people having found that at the time they would have probably kept it and make it some evolution. So you will see when we go in the 60s 70s it will change but you will still see that it's an Albisson. So there are little things. Obviously it's not like the watch is round, it's thin. So we also keeping the vintage dimensions like 39 on the case and the big bigger bezel depending on the model. We also change the size. So yeah. And then we also work on the movements to to to have different layouts in the chronograph field. We have been all used to have bicompacts tri compacts. Well even if the name should be only compacts and bicompacts, it's another story. So it stolen from a newest Geneve. I mean the terminology we try to have depending on the collection who are all dashboard like counters on the bottom of the dial or having retrogrades for the regatta versions. And you will see other chronograph displays over time at Albison.

[Alon]

So I've been thinking a lot actually about you, your brand, the one hour episode we've recorded. Maybe it's up online already. If not, please stay tuned. We sat down for a lovely chat in this igloo without the mics on because we were not running on time schedule wise. We had a lovely chat and I've been thinking about that something that lingered with me. You're a perfect guy and maybe the best to revive an old brand. A lot do it, a lot succeed at doing it. Whatever the KPI of success is, for most, it's how much turnover can you create. And the purists are in the pursuit of keeping it as original as it can be compared to the pieces made in the past, the vintage pieces. We also touched upon that topic. But before I go there, my big question to you is, will you have another watchman, not start? I don't want to use the word start. Do you see yourself as a brand owner of more watch brands?

[Sebastian Chamalte]

Well, not several one, but I'm working indeed on something high end in the sense of haute or luxury with a handmade movement with an own escapement inside, which is totally opposite. It will be a separate brand. I do it with a watchmaker friend and it will be contemporary watchmaking. You said you liked titanium before, so yeah, you will like it. Very contemporary, very, very, very neat and minimalistic design, but packed with technique, but still very different from Albisson in a sense of very contemporary, made of sapphire and titanium and very lean design. So, yeah, I have many ideas. I have one with Albison, which is very clear in my mind. Something I was playing with a lot. What you said I can very relate to because I had the chance back in the days to buy Angelus, a brand I collect and love very much, actually. And I was very much criticized at the time because we didn't do any RE edition. I mean, we had some in the making, but. But at the time we came up with something very modern and skeletonized. We had the U10, which was a Dita Ramps kind of inspiration. Square, square watch. The thing is, when you have a brand like with, with like, like Angelus, when you think of it, why did I started collecting and really have over 100 Angelus watches still today and clocks and everything? I bought it because they were always doing the thing first that the first series produced chronograph with date. So I'm talking about Papettur Calenza at Patek Philippe, you know, then they had the chronodato. They had the first big date ever. They patented the big date with two disc. Then they had the first chronograph with that. They had the first automatic chiming watch with a tinkler. And actually when you look at the brand and you say, I love it because they have always been first. It's also probably what killed the brand, actually, because it was always one step ahead and probably not in the right timing. It's very hard to take it and actually reproduce what these guys did. Because you will never live up to the Stolz brother. Honestly, you can't. To be honest, even at the school pocket watcher, these guys were crazy. They were running osilo f. These wires were bigger than life. So basically, when you love something and you reproduce it. And then of course, if you do a chronologure today, it will cost 20 to 30k. So basically the most lovers of the brand will say you are. Thanks very much. But you know, I can still find a chrono d' auteau from the time which was already 38 in diameter. So it's a big good size. But for 3k, why would I need a re edition of it? So, yeah, historical brands are wonderful, but there might be a burden as well, because you have to live up to what they did. And if you love a brand because they were innovative and basically your concept is to live on the innovation from the days it gets somehow a bit. It's a bit of a contradiction. So yeah, so it was just to finish the thing was very fun being myself. I consider myself as being quite a Nangeluse collector. I wrote the history of the brand and then getting criticized by actually exactly the same as me on the opposite side. So basically talking a bit to your mirror collector. And I understood the criticism. But on the other hand, I didn't feel right. Let's blend. If you had to do a chronodato today, I would love to do one. I'm not working at Angelus anymore. But it obviously would have need to be different. It would have to have a new layout with at least an annual calendar with a huge big date. It used to. It needs. You take. You have to take the concept and bring it much further. You cannot just take a little existing movement and put it in and say it's not just manufacture. If you have that brand, you are obliged to really put some means and you really have to take it seriously. Like you have to imagine what is a chronodeto of today.

[Alon]

Interesting. You gave me a perfect segue. Do you. No, let me do a sidestep you as a collector historian. Do you buy re editions, modern reeditions of maybe watches you have as original vintage pieces?

[Sebastian Chamalte]

None.

[Alon]

Why?

[Sebastian Chamalte]

Well, for many reasons, because like most of people, you would like to chase a real thing. And I would say most of these that didn't catch the spirit, they didn't catch the proportion rights that the thickness and everything. Obviously they're wearable, they're probably more waterproof. Most of them less radioactive. If you're into some sports watch from the 40s and you have the Geiger counter sometimes you really it. You get sweaty when you put it on and it. And I did it a lot to test and yeah that's another story. So. No, basically not. I'm a big Longines Longines fan. I really. The certain sedan is the masterpiece of chronographs. It's unmatched. Yeah. Maybe the data graph but still it's a crazy. It would not cross my mind to buy any kind of RE editions. Then we can maybe fight a bit about is a reversal RE edition. I would say no. And I own modern day's reversal which I prefer to the old ones I have because I really.

[Rob]

Would you call it a continuation then? A continuation.

[Sebastian Chamalte]

More continuation of some kind. Yeah but. But maybe I'm. I'm wrong saying in that. So I made a bit of a maybe artificial separation between watches. I consider like a 911 Porsche which has been produced over and over again. So they're quite close to original but they have an evolution and watches which are really targeted to be. To be a one off RE edition of a model.

[Rob]

So what's. What's on the cards next now are we up to the 70s? We're up to the 70s. Up to the 80s with Albus Horn.

[Sebastian Chamalte]

No, we're not going to the 80s yet. But it's interesting fact because yeah Neo vintage would be fun. I'm not sure that like our watches are full of hints and I would say it takes a certain time that they get really appreciated. You know I had the discussion because I bought recently some of the first Chronomat Release with the Vajo 7750.

[Rob]

Okay.

[Sebastian Chamalte]

And we also kind of hated the layout of the. You know because the counter at 12 o' clock is not the best position. You have the day and the date. It's. It's very dated somehow as a. But I'm still. I'm getting into these. I'm buying also IWC Fliga from the time with tritium. And I think we are not there yet. But it would be fun at some point. Now we are stopping at in the 70s right now. So we start from the 30s, we go to 70s. So for the time being we are going from the 30s the maxi graph. Then we have the 40s. It was the type 10. So there are the ancestor of the type 20. We went to the thunder graph from the 50s and the next is the 60s. It will be obviously A kind of a regatta diver chronograph. Also a category which never existed is the marriage of a skin diver, a regatta and a tide indication which is a pretty fun mix but quite useful if you are at the sea. And also a genre which never existed. So we said it needs to exist at least for one watch. And then we go a bit further in the 70s and then we probably will go back to the 20s. So.

[Rob]

Oh wow.

[Sebastian Chamalte]

It's not that we would just go where we have a roadmap. Well, pretty much depends also if people like our watches because we mainly do them also for. For other mind like people also a lot of us ourselves but still we need to make a few. We'll see how it goes. For so far it has been going very well, but you never know. And yeah, so the idea is going back first to the seventies but also to go back at some point and adding stuff in the 30s and 20s. 20s There are also a lot of things to do. I get. I think.

[Rob]

So will you change the logo again as you go back in time? Yeah. I love that you do this.

[Sebastian Chamalte]

Yeah. So you could see in my imaginary chronology, when we say when, when we change at some point the very, very beginning. From very beginning was key would change the thing. And it was funny because friends saw the prototypes because I had these two logos from the very beginning. I registered the two logos and they said look, you have a non existing brand and you even you start already you not even launch of changing the logo thing. Yeah. But if you want to play the game of period correctness at some point someone would have come and said your old logo is boring in the 60s. You need something fresh. So we did something fresh. Different.

[Rob]

This is fresh. This is different. Every single watch that you've ever put in my hands has just blown me away. The finishing is not to be slept on. It's incredible. Like the little quirks. I'm a huge fan of the red pusher on the left hand side of the case. I think that's just brilliant. It feels authentic. It feels like something that you just wouldn't get today. And yet this is entirely today.

[Sebastian Chamalte]

And the interesting thing is I have the luck to have a nonchent videograph from. From Longines, the navigation tool which is quite big like a ship chronometer on my desk. And every sort of other people said no, but they didn't use aluminum on that thing. I have red and blue for the. For setting the serial time and everything. And they already used anodized aluminium because was the only way at the time to get colored something on the metal, less painting, but they didn't. And so you can distinguish the blue from the red when you set the thing.

[Rob]

That's incredible.

[Sebastian Chamalte]

So you find stuff from the period, even Vacheron Constantin during the second World War. The entire watches in aluminum, including the base plate, including the dial and the hands and the case, but the entire movement is in aluminum.

[Rob]

I mean, I loved what you said right at the top of the show saying that you have the entirety of watchmaking's history at your disposal. And so you actually get to look back through the past and not just bring us beautiful products, but also bring us an insight into an era that's long gone that we have obviously all neglected to research as thoroughly as you have, Sebastian. Once again, I find myself thinking I could sit here and talk to you for three hours or just, honestly just listen to you. I could just turn off the mic and just let you talk. Because it is an incredible journey through time and manifested in these beautiful, beautiful watches. If you've not seen Albus on watches in person, get yourself well to an event, I suppose is the best place to see them in hand.

[Sebastian Chamalte]

Absolutely. If you're in Switzerland, I'm always very happy to show them. Unfortunately or not unfortunately, but I only sell online in a sense, I'm not in retail. But yeah, on shows and well, you.

[Rob]

Can'T be in retail with price points like this, with quality.

[Sebastian Chamalte]

As a saying, it was conceived from the very also from the margin point of view as to be direct and I cannot change it in the way things are now.

[Rob]

So just tell our listeners what are the prices that they can.

[Sebastian Chamalte]

First we have to know that most of our production is also cost certified Swiss B Obviously it start x VAT at 3650 and goes up to 4150.

[Rob]

Okay, check out these watches. What's the website address?

[Sebastian Chamalte]

It is albison watches ch.

[Rob]

Okay, so that's www.a l b I s h o r n w a t c h e s dot ch ch not shortest.

[Sebastian Chamalte]

Not the simplest book.

[Rob]

You're not going to mistake it for anything else. Sebastian, thank you so much for your time.

[Sebastian Chamalte]

Thanks for having me. It's always a pleasure.

[Rob]

Speak to you soon.

[E]

Bye.

[Sebastian Chamalte]

Thanks.

[E]

So Alon, it's tough to know where to begin with. What I think for us both has been the revelation of the past couple of months. You've had Albason on your radar a lot longer than I did. You introduced me to the brand. Were it not for you, I may still Be living in ignorance, unfortunately. But as it is, I am fully awake and aware of what I now believe to be one of the most exciting brands run by one of the most engaging and enthusiastic individuals I've had the pleasure to meet in my long career, Sebastian Chamalte, who is a Renaissance man, to say the very least. So where do we begin?

[Sam]

Let's begin with the fact that whatever he created was already mind boggling because he's creating chapters, fiction in history books, and reimagining what if. So he's creating watches that never existed and he thinks they should exist in certain chapters of watchmaking history. He even evolves the logos according to the time he thinks those watches should have been created. Now, we've interviewed him and we were blown away not only by his track record, because he's a legal man, he's an Engineer, he has PhDs, he has patents on his name. He worked for watch manufacturers or caliber manufacturers. He started this as a passion project. Now, my expectations were extremely high. Meeting him, well, he surpassed them. He's a force to be reckoned with. The speed he thinks and talks, he goes deep. He's all about facts, but also emotions and. Well, you and I discussed this beforehand and we kind of discussed it with him that we're thinking of creating like a series within the Real Time show with him as the swing host and, well, call it masterclass in not only chronographs, which is his passion, he loves chronographs and he collects chronographs. But we can take it wider with him looking at watchmaking history, and we could do a second series with him just on ip. So intellectual property within watchmaking. So uber, uber interesting and fascinating. We, we addressed this topic briefly in the recap of the Labois & Co. Episode. So one of the first ones in the Time to Watches series that we did. Yeah. Well, I don't even know where to end this, Rob, or to start, so I'll just kick the mic to you.

[E]

Yeah, I think it's definitely a beginning, not an ending. This is a great connection to have made a good friend to have accrued along the way and someone I really can't wait to work with more. And absolutely getting him on the show as a swing host with his extreme experience would be a real couple. And it's gonna happen, basically. I mean, he was very keen on it, on the idea of it, when we talked about it when we were having a drink in the Grand Duke, actually, I think that was the, the night that I decided after I'd finished all the recordings, I was going to have a pint and I went out with Sebastian and it was absolutely brill and great conversation and really good company and someone who I'm sure you'll all get to know a lot better in the coming months and years as we collaborate on lots of exciting projects together. So stay tuned and let us know if you've got any questions for you. We can really pick his brains about anything. Get in touch via the usual channels, either via our Emails, Rob or Alon show, or via our dedicated Instagram handle therealtime Show.

[Alon]

Sam.