Our Editor-at-Large Isabelle Junod met Axel Leuenberger, CEO of Vanguart, at the Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues in Geneva during Geneva Watch Days 2026, where the La Chaux-de-Fonds manufacture showed the Black Hole Tourbillon and the Orb.
What the interview reveals: a house founded in 2018 by four partners, two of them from Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi, whose name belongs to no one person; thirty-five people in La Chaux-de-Fonds who do everything except the machining; more than two hundred watches made since the first Black Hole Tourbillon of 2021, at a pace of around a hundred a year; a clientele that reaches the brand on the third step of its collecting journey, from the United States and the Middle East, which Leuenberger confirms as an important market; and celebrity wrists that gave the brand, in his words, a strong boost.
Vanguart at a Glance
- Founded in 2018 in La Chaux-de-Fonds by Axel Leuenberger (CEO), Mehmet Koruturk (Chairman), Jérémy Freléchox and Thierry Fischer; the name joins “vanguard” and “art” and is tied to no surname.
- Two collections: the Black Hole Tourbillon, completed in 2020 and presented in 2021, with its vortex display disks and joystick crown, and the Orb, a 41 mm flying tourbillon launched in 2024 and extended in 2026 with pink and blue ceramic, 25 pieces each.
- Swiss prices from CHF 150,000 for the Orb in titanium and CHF 180,000 in gold to CHF 290,000 and more for the Black Hole Tourbillon, made in eight pieces per metal.
- Thirty-five people, design, movement construction, finishing and assembly in-house; only the machining is entrusted to a supplier; more than two hundred watches to date, around a hundred a year.
- Strong traction in the United States and a very good response in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman); on the wrist of Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open on 31 January 2026 and at the BRIT Awards with Warner Music in March 2026.
Vanguart, 2018-2026: The House in Milestones
Four Founders, 2018, La Chaux-de-Fonds
Vanguart was founded in 2018 by four partners. For those who have not yet met the brand, how did it begin?
It started in 2018. We teamed up as four founders: Thierry, Jérémy, Mehmet and me. Two of us came from the mechanical-movement side: we had previously been at Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi, the design house known for tourbillons and high complications for Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille and other brands. Thierry ran a design agency called Étude de Style, working on sketches, cases and overall design. And Mehmet came from private equity, bringing the business and finance side to the team.
And where does the name come from?
The name is a contraction of “vanguard”, with a D, and “art”. We put the two together as a working name at the beginning, and the more we pitched the project, the more the name resonated with people, so we decided to keep it. We also kept it because it is not tied to a surname. Vanguart is bigger than one person; it is a team spirit, and the name represents that.
Vanguart is bigger than one person; it is a team spirit, and the name represents that.
Thirty-Five People, and One Trusted Partner
Nine years on, how big is the company today?
We are thirty-five people, based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, with a few people abroad to get the word out. The team covers marketing, design, mechanical-movement design, finishing, watchmaking, and the rest is back office and supply chain. Machining is entrusted to a trusted supplier. We go from the design, the first sketch and the mathematics; a supplier machines the parts; the raw components come back to us for finishing and assembly. Machining is the one link in the chain we entrust to a partner.
The Third Step of the Collector’s Journey
The Orb starts at CHF 150,000 and the Black Hole Tourbillon at CHF 290,000. How do you talk to Gen Z?
An interesting question. So far, our customers span a wide range of ages. It runs from perhaps twenty-five or thirty up to seventy. Gen Z is a generation we are beginning to meet, as Vanguart is a new, independent brand with a contemporary DNA. What I observe is that people go on a journey. First, they buy an established brand: Rolex, Audemars. Then they move to independents, but well-established ones. And on the third step they come to us. So the young generation will reach us as they progress on that journey.
Could that change?
With the exposure we have had lately that may change, and perhaps one day we will be the second step rather than the third. That is how I see the journey today.
Since the first Black Hole Tourbillon of 2021, what have you learned about your client?
We’ve never approached our watches as specifically masculine or feminine. We don’t think about whether a watch is for a man or a woman — we think about the object, its proportions. But probably ninety per cent of buyers are men, and the age range is broad, thirty to seventy. We have strong traction in the US and a very good response in the Middle East; Asia is our next step. That is what I can say today.
A Hundred Watches a Year
You produce around a hundred pieces a year. Is that the plan?
To date we have produced more than two hundred watches in total, and the current pace is around a hundred a year.
Machining is the one link in the chain we entrust to a partner.
Spotted on the Wrist
Elena Rybakina won the Australian Open on 31 January 2026 wearing the Orb. Everything moves faster now, social media, communication. How important is digital for you?
I see different aspects. There is what the brand shows on its own channels, which is very important for showing what we do and how we do it. Then there is the brand awareness that the press and external social media help build, mostly through clients being spotted wearing the watch. That gave us a strong boost last year and this year: clients who are celebrities and well-known collectors bring both credibility and visibility. It helps both ways.
Collaborations, Dinners and Distributors
In March 2026 you joined Warner Music at the BRIT Awards. Could you imagine collaborations with other brands or other industries?
Why not. We have not had the opportunity so far. We do not close the door, but there is nothing in the pipeline along those lines.
The big houses push advertising hard. How does a smaller brand reach future clients?
Our distributors do a big job in their markets, and we come in at a later stage to meet the clients and go into more detail about what we do. So, the main channel is live communication: sitting with people. To reach people outside our network we are present at the fairs, and we hold dinners with collectors we already know, who bring their friends. That is the main way we get the word out and connect with clients.
Interview by Isabelle Junod, Editor-at-Large, for WATCHESPEDIA, Geneva Watch Days, September 2026. Photographs © WATCHESPEDIA; product images courtesy of Vanguart.
Postscript: Elena Rybakina Wins the US Open
Days after Geneva Watch Days, Vanguart’s ambassador Elena Rybakina won the 2026 US Open women’s singles title at Arthur Ashe Stadium, defeating defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final, and took the WTA World No. 1 ranking. She wore the Orb in titanium and pink ceramic during the final. Her run in New York included wins over two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka, Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and Coco Gauff. With the Australian Open and Wimbledon already won this season, the US Open completes a remarkable year for the 27-year-old Kazakhstani player.
“We are immensely proud of Elena and these extraordinary achievements,” said Mehmet Koruturk, Chairman and Co-Founder of Vanguart. “Winning the US Open and reaching World No. 1 are remarkable milestones and a testament to her discipline, focus and determination at the very highest level of the sport. Elena’s singularity, precision and quiet confidence resonate deeply with Vanguart.”
