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| Alain Silberstein Watches |
Sometimes it's difficult to know whether one should take him seriously or not. Alain Silberstein just loves to play the part of the enfant terrible of the watchmaking scene, and he does it well. The colorful, graphically shaped hands of his watches have become true trademarks, and the clear declaration of his love of large and weighty things separates this avant garde from the bandwagon, although some of his material combinations may take a while to get used to - such as the chronographs completely covered in fur, wafer-thin lizard skin, or squeaky yellow rubber. Time has shown that Silberstein's stainless steel timepieces set with diamonds have become a trendsetter, although when they were first introduced, they also produced their fair share of head-shaking.
"I have no problems with being laughed at, but those who don't have the sense of humor to see beyond the facade are not the people I'm interested in," says the designer in his self-assured manner, then turns serious. "They have to realize that the humorous visual aspect conceals traditional challenges. Skeleton work on the watch movements, the use of enamel as a weatherproof way of adding color, and cases set with diamonds have always been part of the tradition of watchmaking. |  |
All I have done is to change the final result, but not the quality of what is actually flawless craftsmanship. The effect of my skeleton work is different simply by the use of geometric shapes and a matte sandblasted surface; my enamel motifs are certainly a departure from traditional themes; and jewels stand out much more on clean case designs than on traditionally rounded shapes." The designer's mischievous humor jumps out at the casual observer from every detail of the dial, from every hand, and from every triangular crown of an Alain Silberstein watch, making a sober discussion about beauty, value, and wearability completely impossible. Silberstein, a designer - actually architect - who lives and works in Besancon, France, often has his fun at the cost of functionality, but never at the cost of a function. The official chronometer certificate is just as important to him as the careful finishing of the movement, even if the latter is carried out according to Silberstein's own unorthodox standard. |
Alain Silberstein Watch Comapny
1 Rue Gay Lussac
Besancon, FC 25000 FRANCE
PH: +33 81 83 14 06
Fax: +33 81 83 22 95
www.a-silberstein.fr
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