Geneva-based watch brand Oligo’s minimalist design: FM01

Geneva-based watch brand Oligo and customization expert Label Noir have teamed up: O L I G O x Label Noir

Geneva-based watch brand Oligo and customization expert Label Noir have teamed up to craft an exclusive limited-edition timepiece. This collaboration marries minimalist elegance with eco-friendly design, showcasing innovative watchmaking and sustainability.

The touch of black. The touch of gold. Like a star shining when the sun sets, the gold flake awakens the black night of the dial. The art of this collaboration is changing everything while changing almost nothing. It’s a matter of sensitivity. Subtlety. To lightly touch Oligo’s minimalist design to emphasize its finesse, taking it elsewhere and enriching it without transforming it.

That’s the power of design. That’s the power of black. That’s the power of collaboration.

This limited creation, limited to 40 pieces, was born from the encounter of Olivier Gaud, also known as Oligo, and Emmanuel Curti, known as Label Noir. A first for everyone involved. Oligo, a fresh Geneva-based brand, has just entered the scene. Founded in 2021, it is a microbusiness with only a few dozen watches sold to date. Label Noir, a prominent name in the customization universe, is newly devoted to exclusive capsules; it had previously collaborated only with established houses but now chooses to showcase new talent.

Label Noir has done what it had to do: showcase everything that black is capable of offering. The case is black, and the dial is black, but that’s just the starting point. Because black is not a color; it’s a shade. Shades. A palette of shades, which the eye of the watchmaker Emmanuel Curti renders in the full range of the craft’s possibilities.

The case treatment, microblasted and finished in black ADLC, highlights the extreme minimalism of the watch. The black lacquer on the dial opens up the architecture, like the porthole of an experimental aircraft from which one would observe a black disco Milky Way, black and vibrant under the 24,000 facets of gold flakes.

The two hands remind you that it’s a watch. The two logos signify that it’s a capsule creation.

Now, Oligo. A contraction of Olivier and Gaud, the first and last names of a jack-of-all-trades, a “geek” who wants to understand how things in the world are made. He started with business management studies, moved to Christie’s, and worked at Apple, Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, after-sales service, market management, hospitality, Geneva, London, and back. At Christie’s, he meets Philippe Quentin (former collaborator of Svend Andersen, professor at the Geneva Watchmaking School), who encourages him to practice. For seven years, Olivier Gaud spent every Tuesday evening in the workshop, in addition to training at Ifage. When the COVID situation stabilizes, everything aligns, and he quits his job to start his solo journey.

Oligo is Olivier Gaud’s nickname, “since I was very young—he’s now 38 years old. It became a registered brand in October 2021 and was publicly launched in February 2022. With a watch, conceived during a creative binge with a builder friend, ten years ago. He sees this watch as a counterpoint to the prevailing trend in 2012: “watches becoming increasingly complicated.” He deviates from it, aiming to “return to the essentials,” drawing inspiration from nature, simple, organic, intuitive forms, a pebble-like case, and leaf-shaped hands.

Geometric reduction: just a circle. Technical simplification: no lugs. Simplified reading: hour, minute, no seconds, no indices, “to situate oneself in time” without seeking precision to the exact second. To emphasize the spatial dimension of time—to situate oneself in time—the hands are suspended on transparent discs.

Geometric reduction, but ethical maximization: the entire watch head is manufactured in Switzerland, with suppliers from the cantons of Geneva, Neuchâtel, and Jura—all names can be found on Oligo’s website. Olivier Gaud has also pushed the sustainability aspect to its fullest extent: cases made from Swiss recycled steel in a short supply chain; a strap manufactured in Italy in collaboration with ColaReb, using vegan materials without PVC; and even the packaging, produced in Geneva from recycled and recyclable materials.

On February 2, 2022, Oligo goes public. Pre-orders are open. The first series of 100 pieces is produced across three references.

Then the encounter with Emmanuel Curti and the capsule with Label Noir. An opportunity for Label Noir. A milestone for Oligo Olivier Gaud is aware of this: “I know the importance of a good partnership. For Label Noir to trust a brand like mine is an extraordinary opportunity.“

Limited edition of 40 pieces

Recommended retail price: CHF 3’950.—

In Brief

Geneva-based watch brand Oligo and customization expert Label Noir have teamed up to craft an exclusive limited-edition timepiece. This collaboration marries minimalist elegance with eco-friendly design, showcasing innovative watchmaking and sustainability.

Limited to just 40 pieces, this watch combines a black dial with genuine gold flakes, offering a celestial aesthetic. Label Noir’s craftsmanship shines through in the black ADLC-finished case, emphasizing minimalism. Oligo’s commitment to sustainability is evident, with Swiss-made watch components and environmentally conscious choices like recycled Swiss steel for cases and vegan straps.

Oligo, founded by Olivier Gaud, introduces a refreshing take on watch design, moving away from complexity towards simplicity and nature-inspired aesthetics. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for both brands and represents Swiss craftsmanship, aesthetics, and environmental responsibility in the luxury timepiece market.

Source: Label Noir SA