Hot Lava

Your story, your personalization

Hot Lava

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.

Estimated price: XXX XXXCHF

Our artisanal workshop operates with limited capacity. We make every effort to respond to requests to the best of our abilities.

Creative Watchmaking

Black and white photo of a craftsman from Geneva taken from behind

A workshop human scale

Artisans de Genève embodies the fusion between individuals and watchmaking. This is a House where ideas are reimagined collaborative way, according to our clients’ aspirations.

An art dedicated to others

Since its inception, our workshop has worked meticulously to offer our passionate clientele the most personalised horology experience.

From pencil to reality

Hot Lava adventure began on paper, with sketches and a multitude of ideas inspired by our customer, which we refined together over time.

Guardians of memories

Creativity has been at the heart of our workshop. Our work almost always consists of bringing together the memories of each individual and transcribing them into the language of watchmaking.

The project of Mr. Andre Agassi

From A Two-Handed Backhand To A Masterstroke

This project is much more than a collaboration or a tennis story. It is simultaneously a return to origins, a tribute and a continuation. It is a story of transmission and transformation.

This customization opened a new path, as at the request of Andre Agassi, we created for the first time a custom-made case for his watch. A new craft that has now been integrated by setting up Scherrer Prototype: a dedicated, 100% artisanal case-making workshop. This was a return to roots for Artisans de Genève’s founder, whose early training was in watch-case manufacturing.

The design and colors pay tribute to Agassi’s boldness, intensity and style on the courts, as well as to the 1990s – a time when tennis was a strong bond between John Isaac and his father. A personalization that once again tells a deeply personal story, encapsulated in memories and emotions.

Our artisanal workshop operates with limited capacity. We make every effort to respond to requests to the best of our abilities.

Sourcing of Materials and Colors

Every material and hue is carefully chosen to embody both elegance and durability, creating a timeless and personalized timepiece.

Hot Lava: the quest for the right tone

It was a challenge to find the right tone.“For me, ‘Hot Lava’ is more than a colorway, it’s a statement; more than a pair of tennis shoes with my identity. I helped design it back in the 1990s at a time when tennis wasn’t ready for that kind of expression." - Andre Agassi

Titanium treated with Titalyt^®

The titanium case recalls lava hues with a deep anthracite gray thanks to the Titalyt^®treatment.

Contrasting materials

More than a style or color, this customization reflects Agassi’s dual spirit and style. A gradient of colors evoking molten lava. A contrast between sober tones and fluorescent colors, an unmistakable, bold look.

Our Prototyping Workshop

The case was machined using Schaublin 102 lathe, a 1950s machine famed for its legendary precision. This process brings a unique spirit to this model: the visible handcrafted touch gives the case a more authentic finish.

For me,"Hot Lava" is more than a colorway, it’s a statement; more than a pair of tennis shoes with my identity. I helped design it back in the 1990s at a time when tennis wasn’t ready for that kind of expression. That gradient, a lava-inspired combo of incandescent orange and pink, was my way of saying : I am not here to blend in. It was bold. It was fire. It was me. Personalizing those sneakers taught me something I’ve never forgotten: true design reflects the person wearing it. That’s exactly what I wanted in my watch : the same edge, the same energy. A piece that doesn’t follow tradition but tells my story. That’s exactly what I love about Artisans de Genève, a free way to express who you are.

Testimonial—Andre Agassi

Focus On Modifications

From the very first encounter between Andre Agassi and John Isaac, there was an instant understanding, a shared connection and two common passions: tennis and watches. Andre wanted to be able to play wearing his watch. It needed to be lightweight and comfortable, without compromising reliability and durability.

Titanium bezel

Andre’s creativity and exacting standards pushed us to surpass our limits. To create a case as lightweight as it is technical, we had to embrace a new craft: artisanal case making. Until now, our work focused on dials, hands and movements. For Agassi, we reached a new milestone: designing and handcrafting a titanium case.

Metallized sapphire dial

The metallized sapphire dial features a gradient playing with light and shade, transparency and intensity.

A titanium case from start to finish

Inspired by chronographs from the 1980s and 90s, the 40mm case features polished and chamfered lugs that bring light, contrast and structure, just as Andre requested.

Other Modifications

Rotor

Custom-made in tungsten, adorned with an “A” in orange-pink.

Hands

The hands are slimmer and the chronograph hand is sandblasted before coated with orange-pink lacquer.

Balance bridge

Carved from a solid block of steel, the bridge is hand-beveled and mirror-polished.

This project stands among the most meaningful of my career. Growing up, my father and I bonded over tennis, united by our admiration for Andre Agassi. Thirty years later, to channel that shared passion into a timepiece collaboratively designed with the tennis legend himself is truly an honor, and one of the best examples of the exceptional craft that defines Artisans de Genève.

John Isaac—Founder of Artisans de Genève

Inside The Customization

Every detail of this customization was a bold gamble, balancing a highly technical approach with aesthetics. Discover the features that shape the identity of this unique timepiece.