The fascinating universe of horology

"There are different kinds of time. Not every second is the same second to me. There are seconds where you work consciously because you have a business to keep running, and then there are the moments where we become so focused in our work that we lose all track of time."

— Raymond Meeus

Raymond Meeus's fascination with precision work was kindled early on. The wish, that is, to understand the interplay of the tiniest wheels, wires and screws hidden behind a ticking watch face. In the 1970s, as a small boy, he went with his father every Sunday to the Antwerp market, where they would hunt down a broken clock. Back home, it would be taken apart layer by layer, screw by screw, repaired, and put back together again. The first step towards his greatest passion and professional career was thus taken many decades ago: at home at the coffee table, bent forward over the innards of an old clock, with his father at his side, initiating him into the wondrous world of fine mechanics.

After initial studies in electricity and precision mechanics, the step towards horology, or watchmaking, soon followed. It wasn't long before he went independent, setting up his own workshop; in the meantime, he has now been in the trade for more than 35 years.

The passion for horology has already been passed on to the next generation

A few years ago, his 26-year-old son Loïc joined him in his workshop. He hadn't found fulfilment in his higher studies in design and production technology, and did an internship in his father's workshop. Working with his hands, combined with his interest in mathematics and fine mechanics, turned out to be the perfect combination for him. Three years ago, he completed a course at a globally renowned training institute for watchmakers in Switzerland. Afterwards, diploma with the highest distinction in hand, he started as a partner at Atelier Meeus.

But according to Loïc, he's still only right at the beginning of his learning process, which immediately reveals one of the traits he and his father hold in the highest regard: modesty.

"A good watchmaker knows what he's capable of, and knows just as well what he isn't," says Raymond Meeus.

Were he to translate the qualities of a good watchmaker into a watch, it would certainly not be a flashy, gleaming model. Rather, one that looks discreet on the outside, but is bursting with complexity on the inside.

contact: https://www.ateliermeeus.be/