From the mountains of Neuchatel to the mighty peaks of Tibet

Three of the six timepieces will continue to be visible at the SWIP (Swiss Independent Watch Pavilion)at the Casino de Genève in January 2016. The watchmaking brand Pilo & Co will be exhibiting here under the above appellation throughout SIHHWonder Week,together with more than a dozen other independent groups, some of whom are proving highly popular with collectors. The six exceptional pieces produced by Pilo & Co Genèvealready caught the special attention and keen interest of a few influencersback in spring 2015.

Hand-enamelled Polynesian mother-of-pearl

Each a genuine feat of craftsmanship, these automatic watches, bejewelled and complete with hand-enamelled dials, show the deeply spiritual side of Buddhism. They pay a richly illustrated, colourful tribute to the consummate skills of the master craftsman in terms of watchmaking detail and finishing. Not the usual territory for Pilo & Co, but nonetheless an impressive departure by the brand from the successful marriage of affordability and incessant creativity that made its reputation. And still yet…

Pilo & Co Genève P1001

In the centre of the dial at 6 o’clock is a rotating miniature disc linked to the mechanical calibre. The trained eye of the seasoned traveller will instantly recognise the reference to a common mode of spiritual expression in the Buddhist religion: six Tibetan prayer inscriptions, each directed at a specific deity whose earthly representation is exquisitely depicted in minute detail on the remainder of the dial’s surface. This fine piece of artistic achievement, housed beneath a sapphire crystal, is the work of André Martinez, an accomplished miniaturist residing in Le Locle in Switzerland, renowned for his excellence in the field of luxury watchmaking and artistic enamelling. The mini masterpiece occupies a plain dial disc crafted from original Polynesian mother-of-pearl, devoid of indices and deliberately bereft of any watchmaking indications to leave a maximum amount of space to accommodate the richly colourful adornments and fine attention to detail. A bezel set with pure diamonds frames and sublimates the precious work of the enamellist.

Pilo & Co Genève P1005

True to the highest technical standards of watchmaking excellence

The works of art, measuring 39 mm in diameter, are totally in tune with current market trends for more reasonably sized timepieces, and more respectful of watchmaking traditions. The watch case itself is round, perfectly streamlined and crafted in 18 K white gold and houses a Swiss-made automatic mechanical watchmaking calibre of high standing.

All six automatic watches are secured to the wrist by a genuine hand-stitched alligator skin strap. They have earned the interest and attention of a number of aficionados by breaking with the usual positioning claimed by this top-quality Swiss watchmaking brand with multiple appeal hitherto chiefly known for its affordability. Pilo is a Geneva company born at the dawn of the twenty-first century in 2001 and proud of its heritage in St. Gervais, the historical home of the Cabinotiers. Commissioned especially by a rich collector, this exceptional series of six timepieces firmly places the Geneva brand in the realms of Haute Horlogerie.

Amarilido Pilo and his wife at the Pilo & Co Genève boutique in Saint Gervais