Everything You Need To Know About Vanguart and Its Latest Novelties

Attention-grabbing tourbillons are a dime a dozen these days. Collectors are constantly inundated with mechanical theatrics, enough to make even the most devoted connoisseur feel jaded. Yet when A-list celebrity collectors like Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, and Michael Jordan were seen wearing Vanguart, the spotlight fell squarely on this fledgling brand.

Even if some of these stars had been incentivized to wear Vanguart, one might assume that the ultra-wealthy among them did so out of genuine admiration.

A young marque whose name fuses avant-garde and art, Vanguart was founded in 2017 by four men: Axel Leuenberger (CEO), Jérémy Fréléchox (CTO), Thierry Fischer (Creative Director), and Mehmet Koruturk (Chairman).

The credentials that made enthusiasts pause? Both Leuenberger and Fréléchox hail from Audemars Piguet Renaud Papi (APRP)—a name synonymous with high-level complications, rivaled only by the likes of Chronode and La Fabrique du Temps.

The Black Hole and the Orb

According to reports, Vanguart currently produces around 50 timepieces a year, with plans to cap production at roughly 100 pieces annually. This level of scarcity no doubt appeals to collectors of Jordan’s stature. Beyond exclusivity, however, Vanguart’s watches, such as the Black Hole Tourbillon and the Orb, are distinguished by their intricate architecture and exceptional finishing.

Debuting in 2021, the 43 mm Black Hole Tourbillon runs at 3 Hz and offers a 42-hour power reserve. Its cosmic-inspired design was strikingly original, featuring two crowns: the lower for adjusting time forwards and backwards, and the upper for advancing the hours only. The black-coated titanium edition retailed at CHF 290,000, while the rose-gold and platinum versions commanded CHF 320,000.

The Orb, introduced in 2024, refined this vision further. Beneath its 41 mm case lies a peripheral rotor visible from the dial side, set with a 2mm brilliant-cut diamond. Using the crown, the wearer can switch between automatic winding—freeing the diamond-set rotor to orbit the movement—or manual mode, which locks the diamond neatly at 12 o’clock. Running at the same 3 Hz but with a 60-hour power reserve, the Orb retailed at CHF 150,000 in titanium and CHF 180,000 in rose gold.

Collectors praised not only its mechanical ingenuity but also its comfort: the ergonomic case and integrated rubber strap sit naturally on the wrist, and with a simple press of two under-lug buttons, the strap can be effortlessly swapped for another in leather or a different color.

Yesterday at Dubai Watch Week, Vanguart unveiled new 45mm renditions of the Black Hole: the Black Hole Rose Gold (CHF 410,000) and Black Hole Arabic Numerals (CHF 355,000) editions.

Like the original Black Hole, these two debutants display time through three concentric tiers of numerals that swirl around an in-house flying tourbillon, which the brand markets as a “levitating flying tourbillon,” and its 42-hour power reserve is similarly indicated by a vertical gauge.

The returning Black Hole underscores Vanguart’s commitment to the technical rigour and meticulous finishing associated with haute horlogerie: the surfaces of its avant-garde titanium movement are treated with microblasting, satin finishing, hand-polishing, and hand-beveling—a feast for the eyes.