Why Havid Nagan?
The supernova leading to my entry into the world of watchmaking began when I was around 20 years old. Before then, I didn’t pay attention to the world of watches, nor did I know there even was a “world” of watchmaking. I was listening to one of my favorite artists while driving and heard him mention Franck Muller. When I hear a song I like, I often find myself listening to it 10 times back-to-back. In doing so, I kept hearing the name Franck Muller. So, in typical millennial fashion, I did a quick Google search to find out what a FM was and saw a listing for an $18,000 watch. My initial reaction was, “Who the hell would pay $18,000 for a damn watch?!” Keep in mind, I come from a business background where every penny is allocated purposefully and logically. So, enamored by the mere audacity of such a concept, I dove headfirst into this fascinating world!
Like many of you, I became obsessed learning anything I could about watches. How a mechanical watch works in the first place, what a balance wheel is, what types of finishing there are, what gear ratios work best for certain complications, who the respective watchmakers were behind the brands… I was deep in the rabbit hole, so to speak. The more I learned about mechanics, the more I learned which brands were using said mechanics. I learned the history of brands themselves, the discerning features between different models offered by different brands. Finally, with a certain haughtiness, I realized there wasn’t a watch I envisioned wearing that wouldn’t cost me in the high 5-6 figure range. There were plenty of offerings from some of my favorite brands but nothing captivated me. I was left yearning for something that didn’t exist. That typically leads to one pondering the beginning of something new. Fresh. Palpable. So, it was – Havid Nagan was born.
After my initial obsession with almost anything luxury watch related, I began to discern my taste a bit. I studied, who I believe is the greatest watchmaker to have ever lived, Abraham-Louis Breguet. The utter genius and resourcefulness the man possessed in a time of crude industry. I learned about George Daniels, FP Journe, Andreas Strehler, Vianney Halter. I was utterly fascinated in how they did what they did. The amount of genius, patience, willpower, and imagination it takes one to be a watchmaker, and a good one to foot! I was overwhelmed; and more so, in realizing I was not cut out to be a watchmaker myself. In studying the perspective of the aforementioned geniuses, I turned introspective and asked myself whether watchmaking was something I could try my hand at. After a few attempts in disassembling basic movements, I realized not. But I had so much passion to share with the world! I wanted to build a high-end mechanical watch that’d allow accessibility into this passionate world of mine for all. Ultimately, I wanted to share my passion for these tiny, mechanical works of art with the world.
Thus, began the designs for what would later be called HN-00, an automatic time-only sports watch with a beautiful radiant guilloche pattern. If you were to see the original drawings and what the watch will more or less resemble at launch, you’d have 2 completely different creations. Initial designs featured a date aperture but as time goes (no pun intended), one often traverses all forms of complexity only, ultimately, to arrive at simplicity. I found myself captivated by 18th/19th century watchmaking. The design aesthetic found in watches made during that period leads to a consolidated thought – they were built with logic, curated for efficiency, designed for purpose. There was a sense of togetherness in the presentation of their respective creations. What’s more – these enterprising engineers worked on very difficult complications – repeaters, astronomical architectures, tourbillons and carousels, built new innovations like the Breguet hairspring, different forms of escapements, the Sympathique clock! I ask myself, “How can someone NOT be fascinated by this industry!?”
Over time I learned, from within old dusty books most would neglect, this world, our small yet infinitely dense world, *deserves* to be shared with more. For us passionate few, it is our duty to grow the surface area for which watchmaking covers.
So, as the title queries, why? Why build a luxury watch brand when its founder isn’t a watchmaker? Why build a watch brand when there so many that already exist?
Consider the following thought - the independent watch niche has one, maybe two, handfuls of living watchmakers that build their own watches, that have reached at least some sort of scale. Their time with us is limited and that bears the question – do we have enough creativity, innovation, and production to, not only retain existing connoisseurs, but to captivate and draw interest from prospects? I am of the mindset we do not. Independent brands are the fusion reactor of creativity and innovation within this industry and we simply do not have enough. My goal with Havid Nagan is to, not only share my passion and vision with fellow collectors, but to push this ‘niche within a niche’ to expansion.
The reason for my starting a luxury watch company is simple - it is my air. It has given me opportunity not of my own hands. It has allowed me to meet some of the most beautiful, loyal, and endearing personalities. It has allowed me to care for my family. It has given my life a sense of purpose I no longer search to find in something else. If that is not reason enough, I don’t know what is.
Talk again soon,
AJB