Semper & Adhuc: Ancient movements and great success

"From the beginning and to this day." This is what the name SEMPER & ADHUC means, the French watchmaker we will present in this article. The beginning of this story is intimately linked to a man who, during his watchmaking studies, would collect orphaned movements, the kind that can be found in many flea markets or on eBay, to observe them, dissect them, and practice bringing these calibers from another era back to life.

However, the launch of Semper & Adhuc wouldn't happen immediately. Indeed, before its official launch in 2016, Colin de Tonnac, the founder and watchmaker of this small, independent company, completed his academic studies at the prestigious Lycée Edgar Faure in Morteau, from which he graduated. Having acquired a solid foundation, he jumped straight into the big leagues by joining the renowned independent Geneva-based watchmaker, Patek Philippe. He worked in the quality department, then directly as a watchmaking technician in the research and development department. But as you may have already read in other horological tales, the brand's creator sought to create a timepiece of his own making and decided to embark on the entrepreneurial adventure to design it.

A noble and innovative concept.

The path taken by the workshop is noble and illustrates a certain vision of watchmaking in our consumer society: that of creating a durable and elegant timepiece by a human-scale, French-made company. This vision might seem atypical in a society that multiplies its production sites and constantly seeks to create new objects. Here, the approach resolutely looks to the past to write the history of tomorrow. Indeed, all watches bearing the Semper & Adhuc stamp use the orphan movements that were part of Colin de Tonnac's student days. This desire to use abandoned and time-worn movements is part of a multifaceted approach. The first is linked to the founder's training: to perpetuate the art of watchmaking. In fact, the Bordeaux-based manufacture truly aims to revitalize ancestral watchmaking know-how through the reuse of these orphan movements.

The second is also closely linked to the craftsmanship, as it reflects a desire to preserve existing watchmaking heritage. Indeed, it's natural to ask: why create new movements when existing ones can be fully restored? Finding no truly compelling arguments in favor of this, and in order to avoid unnecessary overconsumption, the choice was perfectly natural for this unique manufacture. Finally, the third is, in a way, a consequence of the first two, but also a strong choice: the brand's long-term commitment to the planet. By geographically limiting production to very small collections and using vintage movements, the manufacture minimizes its carbon footprint.

A masterful and successful inaugural collection.

The Bordeaux-based manufacturer launched with three inaugural collections, each systematically divided into a classic model and an original model. The movement chosen to power these watches is a restored AS 1012 hand-wound mechanical movement, visible through a peephole in the case back. This movement was manufactured between the 1930s and 1970s and was renowned for its reliability at the time. The dials were marked using the pad printing process (which employs engraved plates).

This is a nod to the history of watchmaking, which invented this process, a process that was subsequently adopted by many other fields. These watches are offered with a round case for the "L'Instantanée" collection, an oval case for the "L'Inopinée" collection, and a cushion case for the "L'Immédiate" collection. All bear the Bordeaux-based company's signature, with the logo featured on the knurled crown.

In this regard, the logo represents the three sisters Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, Greek goddesses of birth, destiny, and death. They are also known as the "Moires" or "Three Fates" in Roman mythology. Their role was to spin the thread of an individual's destiny from birth, thus measuring the length of a life through a thread—a poetic way of measuring time, much like a watch.

For all its bracelets, Semper & Adhuc relies on the work of Vincent Jacquinot, a Bordeaux-based leather craftsman also known as Atelier DAHU. This leather specialist uses French-origin leathers and delivers high-quality workmanship, resulting in beautifully finished bracelets with excellent traceability.

National and international collaborations.

Despite its young age, this brand has already made a name for itself through a collaboration with a historic French brand: LIP. Based on the design of the "L'Instantanée" collection, with a 37mm round case featuring a satin finish, the movement powering this limited collection of 20 models is the French LIP R100 hand-wound caliber. Manufactured by the Besançon-based company between 1958 and 1970, this movement truly embodied the watchmakers' relentless pursuit of movement miniaturization. The dial is gray, a nod to a chronograph launched in the 1970s. A double signature is also present, a feature often seen from LIP in its past collaborations with other brands. Finally, at 6 o'clock, an "S" is added to the term "Ateliers Français" (French Workshops), symbolizing the horological collaboration between two French watchmakers.

Bulova Collab

The latest collaboration is a Franco-American partnership between Semper & Adhuc, Bulova, and Beyond The Dial, an American watch blog. For this project, the Bordeaux-based watchmakers chose to use the cushion-shaped case of L'Immédiate, which houses the Bulova 5 movement. This movement was initially developed in Switzerland but completed and assembled in the United States. This matte watch, in blue, white, and red, symbolizes the internationalization of watchmaking expertise and its global reach. As you can see, this French brand, which stands out in today's watchmaking landscape, is only just getting started and will continue to surprise us in the years to come with its creations incorporating decidedly vintage movements that are nonetheless geared towards a bright future. Don't hesitate to visit the brand's website and follow them on their various social media platforms.