Key Highlights
- Warner Music and Hennessy hosted a BRIT Awards 2026 weekend connecting contemporary music culture with fine craftsmanship.
- Vanguart highlighted the affinity between great music and haute horlogerie through its presence at the BRIT Awards.
- The celebration ran from London’s Euston Station aboard the British Pullman to a reimagined Cut & Craft in Manchester.
- Guests enjoyed Hennessy Paradis, signature Henny-Ritas and a five-metre-tall “Party Poodles” installation.
- Vanguart’s role was framed by the Blackhole debut in 2019 and the Orb launch in 2024, underlining its independent vision.
A weekend where music meets independent watchmaking
In early March 2026, Warner Music and Hennessy curated a BRIT Awards weekend conceived as a full journey rather than a single afterparty. It began at London’s Euston Station, where guests boarded the British Pullman, whose art-deco atmosphere set a cinematic tone for a narrative that flowed from London to Manchester and linked music, hospitality and high craft.
Warner Music also partnered with 1X, creators of NEO, described as the world’s first consumer-ready humanoid robot. Dressed as bellboys, NEO units welcomed guests onto the Belmond British Pullman, then returned on the red carpet, dancing with attendees and offering an early glimpse of these intelligent helpers.
On board, bellboys guided guests to nine carriages, where Hennessy Paradis and the Henny-Rita, a cognac-led twist on a margarita, set the mood. Actor-turned-tarot reader Jaime Winstone offered light-hearted readings as the train headed north toward Manchester.
“Party Poodles” in Manchester
For the afterparty, Manchester’s The Cut & Craft was transformed under a playful “Party Poodles” concept. A five-metre-tall poodle greeted arrivals, nodding to the irreverent energy of 24 Hour Party People and archival images of cultural figures photographed with their dogs.
The soundtrack came from a line-up echoing Warner Music’s current roster, with sets by G2, Kim Turnbull, and Gjin Lipa with DJ partner Tommy Gold, alongside Groove Armada. In the basement, Manchester collective Suns of Acid — next-generation offspring of 808 State and Happy Mondays — shaped a club-like atmosphere rooted in the city’s musical legacy.
Throughout the night, bespoke Hennessy cocktails, including the Henny-Rita and the Hennessy X.O Espresso Martini, were served against a glowing bottle display and Manchester-inspired canapés. A guest list spanning music, fashion and culture ensured that “24 Hour Party Poodles” became a defining BRIT Awards 2026 after-hours moment.
Vanguart’s independent vision
For Vanguart, the weekend was a platform to express its kinship with music. “Great music and fine watchmaking are united by a shared foundation of discipline, creativity and an uncompromising pursuit of perfection. Our partnership with Warner Music at the Brit Awards reflects Vanguart’s commitment to honouring the exceptional talent shaping contemporary culture,” said Mehmet Koruturk, Chairman and Co-Founder of Vanguart.
Founded in 2017 by Koruturk, CEO Axel Leuenberger, Chief Technical Officer Jérémy Freléchox and Creative Director Thierry Fischer, Vanguart draws on deep experience at APRP, where Leuenberger and Freléchox worked with Giulio Papi on complicated movements for Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille and Chanel. This know-how supported the debut of the Vanguart Blackhole in 2019 and the launch of the Vanguart Orb in 2024, defining an aesthetic language focused on highly complex, experiential watchmaking.
Positioning itself as a manufacturer that crafts highly complex watches and pursues a distinctive vision within Haute Horlogerie, Vanguart aims to create pieces that invite collectors to experience time in fresh, technically inventive ways. The BRIT Awards collaboration places the brand within a wider cultural conversation, alongside music innovators and creative partners attuned to craft.
Why it matters
The BRIT Awards 2026 weekend shows how Vanguart uses culturally resonant platforms to articulate its independent identity, linking the Orb and Blackhole to a broader narrative of contemporary creativity. By partnering with Warner Music and Hennessy, the brand aligns its technical depth and design vision with an audience that values craftsmanship across disciplines.
As independent watchmaking continues to draw discerning collectors in the GCC and beyond, Vanguart’s trajectory from APRP-rooted expertise to the Orb’s 2024 launch merits close attention.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Vanguart Orb and when was it launched?
The Vanguart Orb is a watch launched in 2024 that fuses technical depth with a distinctive aesthetic. It represents the brand’s commitment to highly complex, experiential watchmaking and builds on the legacy of the Vanguart Blackhole, which debuted in 2019.
Who are the founders of Vanguart and what is their background?
Vanguart was founded in 2017 by Mehmet Koruturk (Chairman and Co-Founder), Axel Leuenberger (CEO), Jérémy Freléchox (Chief Technical Officer), and Thierry Fischer (Creative Director). Leuenberger and Freléchox previously worked at APRP, where they collaborated with Giulio Papi on complicated movements for brands including Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille, and Chanel.
How does Vanguart connect watchmaking to music culture?
Vanguart believes that great music and fine watchmaking share a foundation of discipline, creativity, and an uncompromising pursuit of perfection. The brand demonstrated this kinship through its partnership with Warner Music at the BRIT Awards 2026 weekend, positioning haute horlogerie as an art form aligned with contemporary music culture.
