RESERVOIR LAUNCHES A HANDMADE FEATHER WATCH BRACELET IN THE PARISIAN WORKSHOP ATELIER M. MARCEAU

RESERVOIR continues to enrich the watchmaking vocabulary with a high-end watch bracelet made of rooster feathers. Braided in the Parisian workshops ATELIER M.MARCEAU by the plumassier Maxime Leroy, the new watch accessory is available in full-fledged chromatic quintet.

The first, François Moreau, was passionate about cars and vintage measuring instruments, to the point of creating in their honor a watchmaking house. Merging French creativity and Swiss Made, RESERVOIR watches compete in innovation. The unique design invites a radical reading of the time when retrograde minutes and jumping hours are the accomplices of the passing hour and that which is looming.

The second, Maxime Leroy, is a virtuoso Plumassier who diverts the feather from his traditional register – Chanel, Givenchy and Jean Paul Gaultier are regular customers. With him open up new fields of expression, from motorcycle helmets to fashionable sneakers.

PROMOTE FRENCH KNOW-HOW

The meeting between these two formidable creatives gives birth to an unprecedented watchmaking chapter with a tailor-made watch strap, in woven rooster feathers on leather. Selected for their correct width, matched according to their nuances, then glued to block the beards, the feathers of the collar, or collars, are then braided diagonally, offering superb plays of light and shine.

“During the seven years that I taught; I talked a lot with the watchmaking teacher. We made clock faces decorated with bestiary with my students. For this adventure with RESERVOIR, the technique developed is like a partition. My fingers are raised, my tool slides and I become a musician dialoguing with the material. This know-how allows the feather to be discreet. We read it, but it is forgotten” observes Maxime Leroy from ATELIERS M.MARCEAU.

For François Moreau, “Maxime claims to put the feather everywhere, including on the dashboard of his Autobianchi convertible of the 50s! He has an incredible aesthetic sense. It immediately won us over because French creation is at the heart of RESERVOIR, just like Swiss Made.”

Collaboration that François-Marie Neycensas, Chief Marketing Officer of RESERVOIR, highlights: “It is above all a human encounter around a deliberate choice to promote French know-how.”

He adds: “The challenge was to harmoniously combine braided feather bracelets with unique-designed watches containing horological complications. Our two young Luxury houses showcase French elegance and Swiss precision, for a resolutely contemporary luxury. This creative work also gave birth to a film which articulates the longtime of craftsmanship with the intensity of present time evoked by all the collections of the watches made by RESERVOIR”.

Distinguished like an old car, the chromatic palette unfolds from nude, perfect with the bronze case of the Tiefenmesser, in tangerine versions, or on future versions on the Longbridge case in English green, overseas and matt black. The flash pump is there to change three movements in two stages, according to the agenda. Coat with tartan pattern on tailoring or sherling suit, denim and chunky soles, the feather men’s bracelet adapts.

THE PREPARATION OF FEATHER BRACELETS

WHAT ARE THE STAGES IN THE PREPARATION OF FEATHER BRACELETS ?

The feather bracelets are braided and assembled by a feather craftsman in a workshop in Paris, France. A feather craftsman or Plumassier prepares bird feathers for ornamental use or who produces feather works. The preparation of feather bracelets takes place in several stages, the whole operation taking ten hours.

The Plumassier selects the feathers according to their qualities, namely the width and the color. The technique continues with the gluing and drying of the feathers thus selected, a step which will ensure their hold during the work. The craftsman calibrates them and initiates a ligature or braiding according to precise know-how, then cuts the braided element according to the template of the bracelet.

The braided and measured element is then assembled on pre-cut leather, then undergoes a pampering finish. A slice wax is then applied. Finally, the double-folding buckles, clasp and pumps are then fitted according to the models. A manual and visual inspection is then applied, thus ensuring a high quality of the work.

WHERE DO THE FEATHERS COME FROM?

ATELIER M.MARCEAU continues to honor the feather craftsmanship in the greatest respect of CITES regulations (Washington Convention). The feathers used come exclusively from farmed birds, especially roosters and it is important to note that no bird is bred for its feathers. Conscious and concerned about the environment, ATELIER M.MARCEAU succeeds in particular working with moulting feathers through close collaborations with passionate breeders. The calfskin comes from French tanneries.

ABOUT ATELIER M.MARCEAU

Maxime Leroy is an independent feather craftsman or Plumassier. With 10 years of experience in the feather world, he founded ATELIER M.MARCEAU and continues his journey as a freelance designer. He has signed numerous collaborations in the fields of fashion, art, photography, cinema and design.

He stands out for his style, his requirement and his inventiveness. Maxime got his start by executing highly technical creations for the fashion houses Chanel, Givenchy. Jean Paul Gaultier and Louis Vuitton. It has gained international recognition. Olivier Dupon Encore’s book! The new Artisans (Thames & Hudson. 2015) hails him as one of the most innovative artisans of his generation.

Maxime’s creations cover an ever wider spectrum, from clothing to decorative arts. His knowledge of the feather is such that no support scares him and that he likes to exploit its plastic potentials to better sublimate it. “I created M.Marceau to educate a new generation about this endangered art, while developing a very personal approach to this profession, with graphic and contemporary creations. ”