“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve

“Armstrong”

Artisans De Genève is an independent watchmaking workshop offering handcrafted timepiece customization and restoration services. We are neither associated nor affiliated with the brands of the timepieces we work on. We carry out our work at the sole request of our customers, on their own timepieces and for their private use only. The work presented was commissioned by one of our customers. This presentation reflects our know-how and has no contractual value.
Step 01.

The Story

“I have had a complicated life and a complicated history. But the story isn’t over. I don’t think about what my legacy will be in 50 years or 100 years from now…that’s a waste of time. The best thing is to live your life, with purpose and honor”.
Lance Armstrong
“Lance Armstrong’s life, the cycling legend, has revolved around a constant battle. A race against time, against himself. Each challenge is a chance to prove himself, to be reborn. Lance asked us to return to the origins of watchmaking by blending forgotten codes— a pulsation dial and manual winding — with modern design to create his unique customization. A true rebirth”.
Artisans de Genève
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
Step 02.

Everything Begins
with a Sketch

“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
Step 03.

Inspirations
& Development

For Lance Armstrong, a watch is more than a simple accessory, it embodies a story. With the project “ARMSTRONG”, he wanted to return to the essence of the very first timepieces while adding elements of his personal story. Lance’s personalization blends retro functions: pulse, winding mechanism, with an innovative design. Lance, naturally chose the colors black and yellow, a nod to his inspirations and career. The skeleton cut is an inspiration from his past life and a watch that was a gift from a dear friend he wanted to preserve.
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
Focus

Pulse

Cyclists need both strength and endurance, measuring the pulse is vital for finding this delicate balance. Lance remembered this era, when racers used to read time to count their pulse. He wanted to be able to calculate his heart rate with a pulse function, that we developed for the first time.
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
Step 04.

Artisans Signatures

“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve

Deconstructed Pulse Dial

The skeletonized dial sports a new cut-out on the 3:00 and 6:00 dual-counters. The counters have a white and yellow decal, as well as a specialized timer for the pulsation functionality.
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve

Pushers

Pushers were designed to guide Lance during his races to count pulses with the inscriptions Start, Stop & Reset. The pieces bear a pvc intense black coating along with a yellow line for the sporty allure.
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve

Thunder Chrono Hand

The watch’s second hand is in the shape of a lightning bolt, enhancing the openwork anthracite movement.The watch’s hands and minutes are sandblasted in the center and polished on the sides, elegantly contrasting with the intensity of the dial.
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
Focus

Bespoke Rubber
Strap

The genuine rubber strap was exclusively developed upon Lance’s request by the expert Rubber B. It was designed to both look and feel good, and completes the sporty look. The yellow border echoes the many roads and paths that Lance has traveled on his bike.
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
ref.LAM-SK 4130
Recto
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
ref.LAM-SK 4130
Verso
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
Step 05.

The Making

Lance Armstrong’s life is an open book; he wanted his personalization to reflect that. To take up the challenge, we entirely skeletonized his 4130 caliber. The movement is cut, sandblasted and beveled by hand. The chronograph bridge, essential detail, bears a black matte finish. The power reserve is identical to the original 72-hour caliber. The dial shape recalls the very first bikes – today’s bike; the counter at 9h was suppressed to give more transparency to the timepiece.
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
“Armstrong” - Artisans de Geneve
Artisans De Genève is an independent watchmaking workshop offering handcrafted timepiece customization and restoration services. We are neither associated nor affiliated with the brands of the timepieces we work on. We carry out our work at the sole request of our customers, on their own timepieces and for their private use only. The work presented was commissioned by one of our customers. This presentation reflects our know-how and has no contractual value.

Write your
Own Story

Take inspiration from the “Armstrong” project to create yours.

Some of our
Past Challenges

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You can discover below some challenges that we took for our clients. We are ready to take the one you will give us on your own favorite timepiece.