In life, some people dream, and some people realise their dreams. That is the case for Louis Jalaber and Simon Szleper.
One lives in Paris, the other in Brussels. Together, they have set the wheels in motion to realise their project: the fusion of a watch and a mythical car. After two years of hard work, a watch dial and a fragment of an Aston Martin DB5 came together...
Step by step...
Firstly, they dreamt about it when they were students at a Parisian business school (ESCP Europe). Secondly, they shared their enthusiasm with a young French industrial designer. He had already worked in the world of supercars, and managed to convert the ideas of the duo into four mechanical watches, refined, powerful and distinctive.
The third phase was finding the right partner: Swiss manufacturer Chaux-de-Fonds. Stéphane Muller, who specialises in the design and manufacture of watchcases, accepted the challenge and joined the adventure.
Fourthly, they started on the Internet in the beginning of the summer 2019: raising money through a fundraising campaign, in order to be able to start manufacturing. Now the results are in: almost all of the four limited editions of 600 pieces have been pre-sold. “Our project has become a reality, a brand, a business!” says Louis Jalaber.
Fifthly, was the production of the entire collection. Due to the technical complexity of using the DB5 bonnet to produce their dials the production took almost a year.
Good news for all collector’s watches lovers: the collection is now available on the website !
Four different options...
Each watch dislays ‘three hands’, whether in stainless steel or black PVD, has an impressive presence and a subtle elegance. The dial, into which a fragment of an Aston Martin DB5 bonnet is incorporated, stands for British elegance. Atelier Jalaper likes understated elegance and simplicity: their approach is to subtly translate the emotion that the legendary car evokes into a watch.
The collection features two mechanical movements. The first one displays the date, the other features both the date and the day in a half-round display window. In order to fuel their unpredecendeted watches they have selected the reliable Miyotas movements, that offer a 42-hours power reserve.
Simon Szleper and Louis Jalaber have proved that there is room for a niche brand and unique concept in the universe of the watch giants. Pre-orders have come from all over the world: United States , Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Japan, France and Belgium, of course.
All that was needed to achieve success was imagination, guts and self-assurance.
Multi-cultural inspiration!
The designer: Frenchman Constantin Sohier was recruited by means of a competition held in several schools for industrial design. He ticked all the boxes for Atelier Jalaper: a love for watches and an extensive experience in the car industry, acquired through assignments for Land Rover, Jaguar, Renault and Volkswagen.
Stephan Muller (Swiss partner) was convinced by the duo to take part in the development process. « Stephan has helped us a lot by first testing our idea on bonnets of other old cars. » This was not an easy process: they had to flatten the bonnet without compromising the original colour, cut out 500 dials with the utmost precision in spite of the malleability of the aluminium, and obtain a beautiful result that could withstand the test of time.
The English Aston Martin bonnet: Finding the automobile element for the first time- pieces by Atelier Jalaper was like searching for the Holy Grail! Aston Martin remains one of the most coveted collector’s cars: they were only manufac- tured for three years. Between 1963 and 1965 no more than 1021 cars left the British factory. Finding spare parts was therefore challenging and difficult but very exciting. Louis Jalaber and Simon Szleper literally hunted for the bonnet, and found the precious one in a specialised garage in a London suburb. The bonnet was then authenticated by the Aston Martin Heritage trust in North London.
The manufacture: France, Belgium and Switzerland were all three involved in the creation of the prototype, and it took two years of constant communication and technical challenges. Stéphane Muller’s factory in La Chaux de Fonds has since the beginning accompanied the young entreprise through every production stage. Transforming a DB5 bonnet into 500 unique dials is a real technical prowess. In their quest for excellence, the two young entrepreneurs wanted to keep the original rendering of the raw material. In fact, keeping the patina of this splendid bonnet engendered over the years was a must.
Future projects
Right now, the entrepreneurial engine of Atelier Jalaper is going at full tilt. The watch start-up is already thinking of a new timepiece, a new design and oth- er projects using iconic cars from the 1960s, such as AC Cobra and Jaguar E Type... « We will explore the preferences and and wishes of our beloved community as the relationship we developed is crucial for the development of Atelier Jalaper » the two founders say. Maybe they’ll make a chronograph next? In the meantime, they are steering their website atelierjalaper.com towards the future: they add video content, articles, 3D images of the watches and a feature with which they can communicate directly with the visitors. «We want to break down the digital barriers and communicate without time or space restrictions. »
See you around the corner!
En ce moment, le moteur entrepreneurial d’Atelier Jalaper tourne à plein régime. For its latest model, the watchmaking start-up has drawn direct inspiration from the simple, sensual curves of the Lamborghini MIURA. Its proportions have been worked out in the same spirit as those of the car. With its taut, very low profile, the visual effect is identical to that felt when facing the Lamborghini.
As for the dial, it is inspired by the emblematic speedometers, with its indexes of different sizes and its 270° revolution leaving a free space at 6 o'clock - in which the power reserve is perfectly integrated - also inspired by the needle counters and dashboard of the era.
Exclusive offer for ClassicCarPassion.com members
For every order of a Jalaper watch, ClassicCarPassion.com readers will receive a free travel case. To do this, insert the code via the website: ‘Classic_car_passion’. Don't forget to add the watch and the travel box to the shopping basket and then add the promotional code.
The perfect gift for the festive season!
