Armand Nicolet: a hidden treasure brought back to life in the Original Historical Movements (O.H.M) Series

The story of Armand Nicolet begins around 1875 in Tramelan, Switzerland, a little town in the Bernese Jura. Armand Nicolet, son of a watchmaker, after a brilliant  apprenticeship set up his “Atelier d’Horlogerie”.

Between the 30’s and the 70’s Armand Nicolet had one of the most specialised ateliers in the T1 process (the finishing, assembling and fine setting of all these parts to create a perfectly working mechanical movement).

At the end of the 70’s, when the crisis hit the Swiss Watch Industry because of quartz movements making their big entrance on the market, unlike other brands which either closed their factories or underwent a conversion process, the Armand Nicolet factory, managed by Willy Nicolet (son of Armand), succeeded to preserve their extraordinary knowledge keeping the atelier open throughout those difficult years and conserving the most precious movements.

The new management saw the huge potential in having this treasure and decided to rescue, maintain and continuously develop the company’s know-how by working on these old movements (such as UNITAS, Venus, ETA, Peseux, FHF etc…) and bringing them back to a new life.

Such beautiful and extraordinary movements from the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s are today finely redecorated and tuned by Armand Nicolet’s master watchmakers so that they can build the “beating heart” of the Armand Nicolet’s O.H.M. (Original Historical Movements) Series. The use of these original historical calibres (treasured over the decades in the atelier) makes the O.H.M. Series available only in limited editions because of the few movements still accessible.

These products locate Armand Nicolet on the market in a unique position. The precious artisan savoir-faire is alive and dynamic at the Armand Nicolet factory and enables the production of  truly valuable watches.

Side by side with the O.H.M. there is also the important production of the Contemporary Collections that feature ETA-based movements modified and refinished according to our project’s specifications.

The beautiful models of all these collections stand out thanks to the refined look created by Italian designers and the historical Swiss watch-making tradition.

Recently Armand Nicolet has activated, exclusively in selected countries, the online store to guarantee all their fans worldwide easy access to their collections.

MODEL O.H.M – L16: A132AAA-AG-P713MR2

O.H.M – L16: A132AAA-AG-P713MR2

A decade after the launch of the L06 collection (the progenitor of Armand Nicolet’s Limited Edition Series), its long-waited successor has finally arrived and will be presented to collectors during Baselworld 2017.

While keeping alive some traits of the historic version, like the skeletonised pattern and the guilloché dial, the L16 is the result of a modernization process that gives this collection a fresh and classy look.

The skeletonised dial allows full display of the beautiful movement from 1953 and the distinctive O.H.M sign clearly printed on the dial.

The L16 collection will be produced in 299 pieces.

Model A132AAA-AG-P713MR2 retails at CHF 6’500.

MODEL O.H.M – LB6: A134AAA-BU-P140BU2

O.H.M – LB6: A134AAA-BU-P140BU2

This new O.H.M will be presented to the public during Baselworld 2017 (you can find the Armand Nicolet booth B37 in Hall 2.0).

The domed dial is the core feature of this collection lending the whole series a retro look

and perfectly portraying the year in which its movement was manufactured: 1956.

The LB6 collection will be produced in 225 pieces.

Model A134AAA-BU-P140BU2 retails at CHF 4’900.

MODEL O.H.M – LL9: 9653J-AN-P953BC8 

O.H.M – LL9: 9653J-AN-P953BC8

As the first Limited Edition dedicated to women by Armand Nicolet, this line features the O.H.M. AN704A. The original movement from 1960 has been modified and upgraded making the AN704A a perfect mix of great Swiss mechanical tradition with the most modern techniques of watch-making.

Knowing that diamonds are a girl’s best friend this prestigious line is available with different options of diamond settings and with a rose gold bezel. Each piece of this line is a model of exceptional value and style thanks to the wise combination of a collector’s unique movement and the expertise of the Armand Nicolet’s master watch-makers who created a timeless piece of unrepeatable beauty for a limited crew of elegant women.

The LL9 collection has been produced in 500 pieces.

Model 9653J-AN-P953BC8 retails at CHF 9’300.

CONTEMPORARY COLLECTIONS – ARC ROYAL: A422AQN-GR-G9660

ARC ROYAL: A422AQN-GR-G9660

Armand Nicolet has given one of their most successful collections a makeover and a newly re-styled ARC ROYAL is now available!

The original concept with moving lugs that 15 years ago inspired the first version of this family hasn’t changed but this time particular attention was put on the combination of elegance and comfort.

The revisited dial gives full display to Roman numbers that are combined with the skeletonised pattern into an exciting mix of antique and technology.

The ARC ROYAL is a great example of the fantastic results you get when you succeed to fuse together Italian design and charm with Swiss care for details and precision.

Model A422AQN-GR-G9660 retails at CHF 4’600.

CONTEMPORARY COLLECTIONS – J09: A654AAA-BU-MA4650AA

J09: A654AAA-BU-MA4650AA

Here is the perfect link between the elegance of the Swiss watch-making tradition and the original and sporty Italian attitude. The outcome is a collection where versatility, comfort and style are taken to the limit.

Very eye-catching and modern, this collection features also a great variety of straps that makes it not only fit for any occasions but also for any wallet. These watches are extremely comfortable and versatile due to their shape which was designed to be timeless yet with a metropolitan look.

Model A654AAA-BU-MA4650AA retails at CHF 4’300.

For more information please visit the official website, Facebook and Instagram accounts of Armand Nicolet.