Berneron is a watch brand founded in September 2022 by Sylvain and Marie-Alix Berneron. Sylvain, with a background in fine arts and industrial design, serves as the Creative Director and co-founder. His career includes time as a designer at BMW and over a decade in the watch industry, with five years as a design manager at Richemont Group and another five as Chief Product Officer at Breitling. Feeling a need for more creative freedom than a large corporate structure could offer, he decided to create his own brand. Sylvain has been a member of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) Academy since 2023, and continues to be an active member of the watchmaking industry and collector community.
Marie-Alix Berneron, an architect and co-founder, brings her experience from the luxury goods sector, including time at Chanel Horlogerie in product development. With a double degree from a major business school, she has a passion for excellence, aesthetic research, and the preservation of know-how. Now a practicing architect, Marie-Alix supports Sylvain in the development of Berneron, contributing to discussions on graphics, design, and brand vision.
The brand's first collection is the Mirage, a series of time-only watches with a distinctive asymmetrical case shape. The collection includes variations in case materials like white gold and rose gold, and features different dial treatments and finishes. Berneron also has a "Quantieme" collection, which, as the name suggests, incorporates a calendar complication. The brand's design philosophy appears to focus on modern aesthetics, and a departure from traditional watch design, which is in line with Sylvain's stated desire for creative freedom.