What We Create Lives Once
Independent Atelier Dedicated to
Watch Customization Since 2005
Founded in 2005, Artisans de Genève is a Swiss watchmaking workshop dedicated to the personalization of timepieces. We bring together artisans and master craftsmen whose expertise enables us to meet even the most demanding requests.
Every project begins with a personal intention — that of an owner wishing to transform their watch into a unique piece, one that reflects their history and sensibilities. Our role is to understand this vision, to guide them, and to apply the craftsmanship required to bring this intention to life.
2005
Creation of Artisans de Genève SA, Switzerland and first customization
The story of Artisans de Genève began in 2005, when John Isaac opened his first workshop in Paris. Under his own name, he designed and produced small series of watches in the purest artisanal spirit. Trained at the Dubois-Huguet workshop under the guidance of Christian Delaquaize, he learned the rigor and precision demanded by fine watchmaking. Inspired by his grandfather, a tailor, he was already nurturing the idea of a bespoke service, where each watch would be treated as a unique piece.
2006
First workshop established in Carouge, Geneva, in collaboration with Jean-Pierre Scherrer
The following year, John moved to Carouge to join the workshop of Jean-Pierre Scherrer, an emblematic figure in watchmaking prototyping who had devoted more than forty years of his life to creating models for the greatest Swiss houses. This collaboration marked a turning point: the two artisans combined their expertise to offer a complete customization and restoration service, laying the foundations for what would become Artisans de Genève.
2009
First customization on an automatic watch
After three years of development and refinement, the workshop presented its first creations. Bringing together the best of Swiss craftsmanship, it developed specialized skills to meet every customization request. Very soon, international collectors turned to the workshop to design unique pieces — openworked movements, gold oscillating weights, hand-finished details — all of which would become hallmarks of Artisans de Genève.
2011
Artisans de Genève workshop installed on Rue du Rhône, Geneva
Two years later, the workshop moved to Rue du Rhône, in Geneva. This new space made it possible to welcome clients in a dedicated setting and to strengthen the personalized relationship with each of them. The team then consisted of five artisans, all driven by the same passion for craftsmanship and the desire to push the boundaries of bespoke watchmaking.
2013
An affirmed identity: Artisans de Genève
The workshop officially adopted the name Artisans de Genève. This change of identity crowned nearly a decade of work and exploration guided by a single vision: to offer collectors the possibility of reinterpreting the most iconic watches through the lens of Swiss artisanal savoir-faire. Under this new name, Artisans de Genève affirmed its vocation — to bring together exceptional independent craftsmen to create, restore, and customize unique timepieces, entirely handcrafted for each client.
2016
Collaboration with Lenny Kravitz
John Isaac met Lenny Kravitz in Paris. It was the first time an international personality had approached Artisans de Genève for a customization. Lenny Kravitz had long been searching for a workshop capable of adapting his watch to his personal taste, as he did with his other belongings. Impressed by the workshop’s work and approach, he encouraged the discreet maison to communicate about the project — giving Artisans de Genève worldwide recognition.
2017
Collaboration with Spike Lee
During a trip to New York, John Isaac met Spike Lee. A cultural icon of American cinema, Spike Lee wanted to customize one of his favorite watches as a tribute to his two great passions: the New York Knicks — through the use of orange and blue — and cinema, with the engraving “Cool Hand Brooklyn”, a nod to “Cool Hand Luke”, the film starring Paul Newman.
2018
A new era for Artisans de Genève
Artisans de Genève moved into a new workshop on Boulevard Helvétique in Geneva, now employing around a dozen artisans. That same year, Juan Pablo Montoya entrusted the workshop with the customization of his favorite watch. Accustomed to custom engineering in Formula 1, he wanted to reveal its inner mechanics. To realize his vision, the team achieved its first complete skeletonization of a movement — a technical feat that would become one of the maison’s signatures.
2019
Collaboration with Rubens Barrichello
Rubens Barrichello turned to Artisans de Genève to customize one of his favorite watches. Seeking to revisit a previous horological experience, he requested a skeletonized movement while preserving perfect legibility of the dial. His signature colors — black, red, and white — were integrated into a unique piece reflecting both his personality and his motorsport heritage.
2020
Collaboration with John McEnroe and Mika Häkkinen
Tennis legend John McEnroe commissioned Artisans de Genève to customize a watch that reflected his character — understated, technical, and perfectly balanced. The workshop created a piece in black and gray tones, featuring a left-positioned crown for optimal comfort on the wrist. That same year, Formula 1 champion Mika Häkkinen requested a watch inspired by his universe — neutral shades, the blue of Finland, and touches of titanium evoking his racing machines.
2021
Collaboration with Captain Paul Watson (Sea Shepherd)
Artisans de Genève settled on Rue du Général-Dufour in Geneva, with a team that had grown to seventeen artisans. That year, Captain Paul Watson, founder of Sea Shepherd, entrusted the workshop with the creation of a watch inspired by his nights at sea under the moonlight. To bring his vision to life, the team developed a moon-phase module integrated into his favorite model, with a blue aventurine dial reminiscent of a starlit sky.
2022
Collaboration with Andrea Pirlo, Gianluigi Buffon and Lance Armstrong
Artisans de Genève produced several unique pieces for prestigious collectors. For Andrea Pirlo, the workshop skeletonized, for the first time, an automatic haute horlogerie caliber, giving the watch unprecedented transparency and lightness. It also customized watches for Lance Armstrong — featuring his iconic black and yellow palette — and for Gianluigi Buffon, whose piece evoked his career through a “Clous de Paris” bezel and a distinctive single hand, symbolizing his identity as the number-one goalkeeper.
2023
Collaboration with Adam Levine
Adam Levine, singer and passionate collector, entrusted Artisans de Genève with the customization of a watch blending vintage spirit and modern design. The workshop developed for him a hybrid sapphire dial incorporating a luminescent plate and a matching insert — a first for the maison. The result: a unique timepiece that combines the charm of classic watches with contemporary technology.
2024
Creation of a handcrafted dial workshop dedicated to private clients
Artisans de Genève continued to grow, strengthening its in-house capabilities with the creation of its own artisanal dial and case workshop — meeting the ever-increasing expectations of a clientele in search of excellence. That year, to fulfill a commission from a collector fascinated by the cosmos, the workshop designed a dial carved from a Namibian meteorite, paired with a grand moon-phase in aventurine and mother-of-pearl — entirely developed in-house.
2025
New workshop established on Rue Rodolphe-Toepffer, Geneva
In its constant pursuit of perfection, Artisans de Genève formalized a certification process with TimeLab, the Geneva institution dedicated to horological quality, thus laying the groundwork for official recognition of its artisanal excellence. The year also marked the move to new premises in Geneva’s Old Town, along with the creation of new departments — including gemology and watch design — offering clients an ever more complete and refined experience.
Bespoke Watchmaking
Our work is driven by the desire to stand apart, to create pieces unlike any other. We champion the importance of individuality and the preservation of Swiss artisanal know-how, which gives meaning to every creation.
What We Create Lives Once
Every customization begins with your watch.
The one you already wear and love.
We honor its history and add your own.
We Are Artisans
Engravers, watchmakers, enamellers, gem-setters…
Our hands master centuries-old techniques.
Every gesture brings your story to life.
Bespoke, Piece by Piece
Everything we craft is handmade, with precision
and patience.
Component by component, detail by detail.
Our approach is intuitive, sensitive, human.
Our Inspiration
The watchmakers of old.
Those who created with trust and closeness.
Together, we revive this art of bespoke watchmaking.
Our Approach
Free, human, artisanal.
We celebrate personality and uniqueness.
We seek the emotion that reflects you.
Your Experience
You are at the heart of creation,
From the crafts and techniques to every aesthetic choice.
Everything is designed with you. A personal project.
The Hands Behind the Craft
There are 52 of them today.
Some sculpt the metal, others shape the light, transparency or material.
All share one requirement:
that every gesture be precise, sincere, and meaningful.
The Hands Behind
The relationship with the owner lies at the heart of our approach: understanding their story, their desires, their sensibilities. We value emotion over transaction, placing the human element at the center of every stage.
Meet the team who embodies this philosophy: our collaborators.
About
“I joined Artisans de Genève in 2019. I’ve grown alongside the company and today I oversee our commercial development. I support each client through the entire personalization process, from the first idea to the final handover. What I love most is the connection we build. It’s about truly understanding who our clients are and what they want their watch to express. It’s a human journey, often with a warm and familiar feel.
My experience in hospitality taught me how to listen and pay attention to details. I bring that sensitivity to every challenge. Born in Geneva, I’m proud of Swiss watchmaking craftsmanship. With Artisans de Genève, I’ve found a way to unite all my passions.”
What does your job at Artisans de Geneve involve?
“Each client comes with their own story, passions and the desire to create a watch that exists only once. We aim to capture the subtleties, emotions and details they want reflected in their timepiece. We work with the finest artisans and take the time each creation deserves. What sets us apart is our human, artisanal approach. We don’t produce watches, we craft something deeply personal, every time.”
About
"My role is to make each project clear, achievable and fully aligned with both the client’s vision and our uncompromising standards. After studying business and art history, I worked in commercial development across France, China and the Middle East. I have a passion for reading. For me, my work is a journey of meeting people from around the world and helping them create a unique timepiece that tells a chapter of their story."
What does your job at Artisans de Geneve involve?
"Our standards. We transform industrial watches into handcrafted pieces shaped by rare artisanal skills. There’s the intangible part too: the ability to reflect each client’s personality through something truly unique, a watch that feels like them."
About
"I’m a watchmaker at Artisans de Genève. Watchmaking is an art form. When I work on a movement, I’m in my own world. My job is to dismantle, restore, modify and rebuild a calibre always by hand, with precision and patience. My role is to transform a movement according to the client’s wishes: modify the outside, rethink the inside and then rebuild everything, piece by piece. What we create reflects the client, it’s their story in a watch. It’s a demanding craft, just as demanding as my other passion: beekeeping. It takes patience, precision and care. Whether I’m working with bees or movements, it’s about preserving something valuable and passing it on."
What does your job at Artisans de Geneve involve?
"Here, we go all the way with an idea. It’s a real dialogue, an extension of the client’s vision, shaped by our know-how and shared passion for watchmaking. Each project is fully bespoke and carries the mark of the handmade, of our hands."
About
"I am a complete watchmaker. My work begins with the watch’s expertise to ensure its authenticity. I then take charge of every step: from transformation to decoration, through assembly and final inspection. What I love is being able to modify and embellish each piece, then reassemble everything perfectly. Everything is so small and delicate that each change impacts the whole."
About
“I’m a gemologist at Artisans de Genève. My work starts long before the workshop : with sourcing stones, selecting suppliers, choosing colors, shapes and origins. I work closely with both our artisans and clients to explore what’s possible on a bezel, a crown, a component. My favorite moment? When the stone finds its place. As if it had always belonged there."
About
“Everything starts with a conversation, a moment when the client shares an idea, a feeling, a memory or a desire. That’s where the brief begins. My role is to translate that into design. I always start with paper and pencil; it’s instinctive, artistic. Then I move to the computer to refine the lines and work on every detail. We create a full concept with moodboards, detailed views and mock-ups. The goal is to help the client truly imagine their watch. What I love most is the variety. Every project is different. Every watch is a new challenge.”
What does your job at Artisans de Geneve involve?
“We never make the same watch twice. Each creation is designed for one person, based on their story and what they want to express. Nothing is fixed. The starting point is always the human being. We keep pushing the limits of personalization, through material choices, dial complexity... We don’t just decorate watches. We shape the ones our clients dream of.”
About
"As Sales Support Assistant at Artisans de Genève, I bring 20 years of watchmaking expertise to both our sales team and clients. My role is to make things easier, helping clients and colleagues understand the technical side and serving as a link with our workshops ensuring each piece is carefully tracked throughout its journey. My goal is to keep the process smooth and to make sure every project stays true to the client’s vision while being technically achievable."
What does your job at Artisans de Geneve involve?
"We offer a service unlike any other: truly bespoke watch personalization, designed with and for the client Each piece is unique, shaped by the client’s wishes, style and story. It’s a rare approach in the watchmaking world, almost one of a kind."
What We Create Is Crafted To Last
A 7 year warranty. TIMELAB certification. Our customizations are tested according to the highest standards. Each watch comes with an official certificate and an international 7 year warranty.
Your Customization Starts Here
Share your story. Your timepiece becomes its reflection.