Fratello Talks: Sylvain Berneron
Today, in a special episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho and Lex are in Geneva for a chat with independent watch designer and entrepreneur Sylvain Berneron. The conversation kicks off with Berneron’s career in design, his time at major watch companies, and his decision to establish a brand of his own. Berneron’s background is somewhat unusual for an independent watchmaker. Trained in fine arts and industrial design, he began his career at BMW before spending five years with Richemont and another five as chief product officer and board member at Breitling. In September 2022, he decided to leave this comfortable scenario and create the Berneron brand, giving him the creative freedom to explore ideas that would have been difficult to pursue within a large organization.
The result was the Mirage, introduced in 2023. From the start, Berneron approached the watch from the movement outward, allowing the unusual asymmetrical caliber to dictate the case’s shape. The watch quickly attracted attention for that combination of mechanics, proportions, and design. Before we hear more, though, it’s time for a wrist check.
Wrist check
Sylvain Berneron is wearing the Berneron Quantième Annuel Silver. This watch combines a platinum case with removable 904L steel “armor” and a solid-gold movement with a vertical time display and horizontal calendar indications. The movement also has a smart safety mode, which gives owners peace of mind when quickly adjusting the calendar. It’s worth reading Thomas’s intro article about this watch here!
Lex has chosen his Omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow “Replica.” This steel-bezel Speedy takes quite a departure from the standard Moonwatch look. It’s a personal favorite that’s never far from Lex’s wrist.
Nacho has his VPC Type 37HW on today. This debut model from the small Dutch independent brand blends elegance with specs that make it perfect for everyday wear.
From designer to independent watchmaker
The conversation with Sylvain provides an opportunity to go beyond the watches themselves. He explains how his career in industrial and automotive design shaped his approach to watchmaking, and what changed when he moved from designing products for established companies to developing watches under his name.
That transition ultimately led to the creation of Berneron in 2022. The company remains based in Neuchâtel, where it now operates from a 650m² facility opened in 2025. Berneron says these watches are conceived, developed, manufactured, and assembled in the cantons of Neuchâtel and Jura.
The Mirage, Quantième, and Mirage Miroir
The first Mirage established the brand’s visual and mechanical language. Its asymmetry isn’t simply a case-design exercise. The movement itself was designed around an unconventional architecture, with the case following its shape. The result was a watch that immediately separated Berneron from more conventional independent offerings.
The Quantième Annuel took that approach into a more complicated watch. Introduced in 2025, it added an annual calendar and jump-hour display while continuing Berneron’s emphasis on unusual mechanics and a deliberately limited production model.
Then came the Mirage Miroir in 2026. Its caliber 283 turns the original concept around, using a mirrored movement architecture as the primary visual element on the front of the watch. Rather than simply exposing a conventional movement, Berneron designed the mechanics and display around the idea from the outset.
Taking a leap of faith
A major part of the conversation is the reaction to those first watches. Sylvain discusses what it was like to launch an entirely new independent brand and see the Mirage attract attention so quickly. The discussion also looks at how that initial reaction influenced what came next, from the Quantième to the latest and more ambitious Mirage Miroir. We finish with a healthy teaser of the upcoming “Fiasco.”
Berneron has also taken a deliberately controlled approach to its output. The company says it limits production by reference, aiming for approximately 600 watches per year across four collections by 2035. Each watch carries an individual number, and the company maintains a public production archive. For a young independent brand, there is already a surprisingly clear design language. In this episode, Sylvain explains where that comes from, what he wanted to change when he started Berneron, and how he sees the brand developing from here.
Tune in to hear the full conversation with Sylvain Berneron, including the story behind the brand, the thinking behind its watches, and what comes next.
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