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Vianney Halter was born in Suresnes, Paris, in 1963.

At the age of fourteen, he was granted permission to enrol at the Ecole Horlogère de Paris (the Paris Watchmaking School) by the director of the school as the normal entrance age was 15. After graduating in 1980, he spent the first ten years of his professional life restoring antique horological timepieces. This gave him a broad knowledge about the art of horology.

In 1994 he started his own independent horological development company, he produced various timepieces for different brands. In 1998, he developed his own collection of wristwatches. His first model, the Antiqua Perpetual Calendar, was presented at the Basel Fair in 1998. This enabled him to enter to the AHCI.

Inspiration

His father worked as a train driver and stoker for French National Railways. In his earliest memories, Vianney remembers his father bringing home old machines and mechanical parts that fascinated him. Early exposure to powerful locomotives, steam engines and control instruments were influential to the origins of his attraction to mechanics and engineering.

Whilst a student at the Paris watchmaking school, he travelled 5 hours per day by train and started to read Science Fiction books and stories including Jules Verne novels. Later he discovered Sci-Fi TV series and particularly Star Trek. The original Star Trek series and those that followed had a strong impact on him. The Deep Space Tourbillon watch launched in 2013 is an homage to the 1993 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series.

Vianney and the Team

Vianney Halter surrounds himself with a small team for the realization of these time-pieces. Everbody multi-tasks, as is often the case in small brands; Vianney is the operations brain, watchmaker, final assembler of all products leaving the workshop plus after-sales service. His support includes five people involved with machining, finishing, pre-assembly, testing of various prototypes: a designer and constructor, support for Vianney for all technical drawings and calculations. A micro-mechanic also acting as a computer specialist. A polisher, in charge of administration and customer/services. There is also additional support for Vianney at the workbench for fine polishing and finishing specific parts plus office support for general management.

Awards

Best Men’s Watch for the Deep Space Tourbillon, SIWP 2017, Geneva

Gaïa Prize, in the Craftsmanship and Creation category, La Chaux-de-Fonds 2016

Hall of Fame Prize, Temporis 2016, Bucharest

Best Design Watch Prize for the Deep Space Tourbillon, Salon Des Grandes Complications 2015, Dubai

Watch of the Year Prize for the Deep Space Tourbillon, by Passion Horlogère, Paris 2013

Design & Innovation Prize for the Deep Space Tourbillon, GPHG 2013

Best Watchmaker Prize, GPHG 2011

Best Craftsmen Master Prize, Premios R&E 2008, Madrid

Innovation Prize with Harry Winston for the Opus 3, GPHG 2003 (Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prize)

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