And now, A Few Minutes with Martin Braun
James Henderson- What was your first watch, was it a gift? Is there a story behind it?
Martin Braun – The first watch I got was from my father. I was 8 years old. It was an “Ultra” (a former brand from the watchmaking and Jewelery City of Pforzheim, in what was at that time WEST Germany and they were a customer of my father’s watch case factory). It was a solid, water resistant watch with the typical 70’s rubber strap, executed in the racing style of the day. It was a watch I had on my wrist for long time, before it was substituted by an LCD watch with – wait for it… Solar Cells!
JH – You were born in Germany, and I believe that you are around the same age as I am. Did you ever think that the great watch makers of East Germany would ever make such a comeback?
MB – Well, the circumstances of the Berlin Wall coming down helped them and I`m happy that they had such an opportunity. My congratulations to Mr. Walter Lange that he was able to seize the opportunity. At that time, it seemed that almost anything was possible in the rising mechanical watch industry. If I am honest, I am not sure that in the beginning that I thought it would work out, but after I saw the first Lange & Sohne, I did.
JH – When you were a boy, what did you want to be “when you grew up”?
MB – I wanted to be a car mechanic, and drive all of the cars with a lot of horse power.
JH – I am not sure if I have this correctly, so please correct me if I have it wrong – your father was a goldsmith, yes? So although there is a bit a bit of a connection, there is still a large step to watches – what was it that pushed you in that direction?
MB – Basically you are right, but he was a goldsmith, specializing in watchcases. So my life was full of watches and watch components. My father was very famous for the ladies watch cases he made – they had mesh bands back in the 60’s and 70’s. Because of this, I somewhat pushed into this area of watches.
JH – At the time you enrolled in school to learn watch making, the quartz crisis was in full-swing. Did you see something in the future of mechanical watches that maybe others did not?
MB – Now I’ll tell you a secret! My main intention for becoming a watchmaker was…. to combine the electronic with the mechanical! I was a talented electronic “hobby constructor”, and I had assembled several electronic devices. Back in the 80’s we had to master the electronic knowledge base for watches and clocks not unlike an electronic specialist. So the function of a transistor holds no secrets for me. But soon I discovered that my mechanical skills were on a level with my electronic ones! I become an enthusiastic watchmaker. I also had a colleague who was not an enthusiastic watchmaker..he was a watchmaker savant! He built a Tourbillon during our three years of watchmaker training. He familiarized me with all of the great mechanisms and “Haute Horlogerie”. Unfortunately he did not follow up with watchmaking, but I did.
JH – You and your father launched Martin Braun as a company in Germany and now nearly a decade later, you are living and working in Switzerland. When you were a watch making student, did you ever in a million years see yourself as the hot new member to join Franck Muller at Watchland?
MB – No never! These Swiss guys were so far above of what we did. But after I started Martin Braun and after I was lucky enough to see the positive reactions of what I created, it became much more possible that a big group would approach me and my company.
JH – How is membership within Franck Muller’s group different than being independent? What are some things that turned out differently than you expected? If you had the decision to make again, would you choose the same?
MB – There is one big question “Why did they participate in Martin Braun and didn’t give them the full support” If you look at it that way it becomes at once a dead-end/one-way street. You have to accept the consequences. I was perhaps too young and I had too many ideas to stick to that. So it was logical to leave the structure of being independent and to focus on what I was able to do.Finally it helped me to get my name out and prove my reputation as a watchmaker. So I guess, to answer your question; Sure I would do it again. With the right partner to support, help with distribution and production, anything is possible. We have great ideas for new constructions and for small companies it is always difficult to realize them.
JH – Of all the watches you have come up with, what is your “baby”? What is the one that you feel the strongest attachment to? Why?
MB – That is a difficult question. I love watches, but I also make my living from watches. During my time in my fathers company, we built unique pieces with antique movements. We built some absolutely fantastic pieces, like a minute repeater with a chronograph rattrapante out of a Lange&Sohene movement from 1895! That was such a fantastic piece, but we had to sell it! I know that it is in good hands with its new owner in Hong Kong, but my heart felt real pain in selling it. Since them, I try to maintain some distance to the products I produce. But honestly I love my “Boreas”, because I was always fascinated by the Equation of Time and the scientists who worked all of that out. But the king is one of my most recent watches, the Kephalos Heliozentric, because he – the combines a whole universe in the watch.
JH – As a fellow cyclist I have to ask – steel or carbon fiber?
MB – For mountain bike steel, Street racing machine, Carbon. But that’s not important- Attention – an important message: Hey guys out there, never ride without a Helmet!!!
JH – Who else out there is making watches that interest you?
MB – There are so many others, but a brand I really appreciate is Greubel-Forsey. Beside that I think a lot of the small brands like Thomas Prescher with his sensational Tourbillon, Philippe Dufour, Vincent Calabrese, Jörg Hysek and a lot more.
JH – If you weren’t doing this, what do you think you might be doing?
MB – A Customs Officer and I would be the strongest and most accurate officer, worldwide!No, I guess it was a small gap between the electronic or mechanical way. I assume a famous more or less successful electronic engineer. Or possibly minerals. Since I moved to Switzerland I have become totally addicted to minerals from Switzerland and from all over the world. I have an impressive collection of Swiss Alpine Quarzes and Tourmalins from Brasil, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The beauty and aesthetics are fascinating. It is a completely different world and it has been very interesting to learn more about.
JH – Myself a former semi-pro player, and you from the land of fusbal – I have to ask – best German striker – Muller or Rumminege?
MB – It is like comparing a Battle Ax with a Japanese Sushi knife. It was 1974, I was 8 and Gerd Muller shot Germany to the World Championship, therefore Gerd Muller!
JH – What is a typical “day in the life” of Martin Braun?
MB – Motivate watchmakers (If once again a supplier has a delay or if we have to do repetitive boring work on small parts)- Motivate the engineer (to maintain his good work and make sure, that his mind stays clear for more good ideas)- Motivate customers (that the next project will be the absolute best)- Motivate suppliers (No dear Mr. Supplier, not the Swatch Group, Richmont, PP, VC, JLC, AP, etc. is your most important customer, but we are!)
JH – I realize that many of us in the US would view it as almost the same thing, but I can’t help but imagine that there were some fairly big adjustments for you and your family relocating to Switzerland from Germany? How has this been?
MB – That is a long story. One aspect to be expected is the tax situation. Honestly, I felt punished to be a entrepreneur in Germany. Then, excuse me Glashuette, it was not an option to live there. So it was logical to go to Switzerland. And there is one thing which is important for me, an environment which is more detailed than a flat landscape. I love nature, the mountains. And even during the difficult FM times, to had the chance to look out upon the mountains, the lake, let my soul swing, relax for a moment, gather my energy and go ahead. Finally if you ask people “where do good watches come from?” 99% of the time, the answer will be Switzerland. Here in Switzerland we have the biggest part of the watch industry in front and the best access to suppliers.
JH – What do you see as the future for Martin Braun watches in North America – will there be a more full-fledged direct sales via the internet?
MB – The internet has been an important theme in recent times. I think it is a trend like many others before. In the middle ages people had wooden houses, in the 1950s everything had to be made out of concrete. These days you see more wooden houses than before. Internet shopping is convenient and in many ways, providing you have space on your credit card, it is very easy.
For myself, if I know exactly what I want to buy it is perfect. But it is not always a perfect situation. Just as an example, while I do know that I would be able to buy clothes through the internet, I have to feel, touch and smell them. With minerals (my newest fascination) if they are above a certain price level, it is impossible.
And what of watches? If I said that I wanted am “XY Type Z”, then you can buy it. If you see what is coming next from me you will understand what I mean. You will see it touch it, listen to it and become fascinated by the spirit, the aura which surounds it and therefore the internet is not a priority and we will be happy that some Jewellers have the chance to introduce you to this spirit.Having said that, we may have a separate line which is made and created specifically for internet sales.
JH – Who is the next Martin Braun out there?
MB – Well you know, there are many very good people out there. It has never been easy to become successful, but after the crisis it will become even more difficult. But for a small manufacturer, with well-thought and realized ideas, there is always an opportunity.
JH – So what advice do you have for the next generation of watch maker-entrepreneurs?
MB – A small production with well thought and realized ideas, there is always a market. I know, it is easy to say, but never cheat the market. When you say “That’s my creation, my movement, my design, my idea” and when the customer looks behind the scene it is imported from China, a modified ETA, a copy…. Believe me, I know what I`m talking about! Be honest, be sincere – be real!
Visit Martin and see what is new and fresh:
www.martinbrauntime.com