The Watches of Renaud Tixier

On this episode, Gabe and Asher discuss what makes Renaud Tixier one of the most conceptually ambitious projects in independent watchmaking today. The brand brings together two very different but complementary watchmakers: Dominique Renaud, co-founder of the legendary movement specialist Renaud & Papi, and Julien Tixier, a younger independent known for both traditional restoration skills and original complications. Dominique Renaud’s legacy spans decades and more than two dozen significant horological developments created for brands like Audemars Piguet, IWC, and Jaeger-LeCoultre. Julien Tixier, by contrast, represents a new generation, combining deep handcraft with modern technical thinking. Together, they form a “horological supergroup,” not for a one-off project, but for a seven-watch series, each designed to solve a specific watchmaking problem. The first watch in the series, the Monday, addresses a fundamental limitation of the micro-rotor: winding efficiency. Renaud’s solution introduces an inertia wheel inside the micro-rotor, allowing energy to continue winding the mainspring even after the rotor stops. The result is a genuine technical breakthrough, paired with Julien Tixier’s romantic, highly finished movement architecture and contributions from specialist artisans such as enamelers and engravers. The Monday is not just a technical statement but a fully realized expression of collaborative independent watchmaking—beautifully made, deeply considered, and built around a clear reason for being. Renaud Tixier watches, including the Monday, are available at collectivehorology.com . Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly of Collective Horology, the Watches of Podcast looks at the history, philosophy, personalities, and of course the watches of a different brand on each episode. Also available as video on YouTube. Collective is an authorized retailer of the brands featured on this podcast. You can learn more, and find their watches, at collectivehorology.com.