"I am a father of two beloved twins, I grew up in a quite traditional middle-class caring and value-oriented family of Brittany, France. From a young age I was fascinated by science, and throughout my academic path I explored Geology, Ecology and Anthropology."
"However, it wouldn’t fulfill my need to channel my creative side, and this realization would lead me to register to Nantes’s School of Design in the Product Design Program, a defining moment in my career. Following my graduation, I was hired by a modest but very formative design firm in the vicinity of Paris."
My love for watches
"At the age of 27 a personal health issue forced me to bed for several months. It imposed me a different pace in life as well as a different gaze on my surrounding space. Luckily, I underwent a successful back surgery that put me back on track, but the months of confinement I experienced had me develop a keen interest in Horology and on how I could apply my skills to that field. Perhaps naively, I put down a few of my ideas on paper and sent them to renown Brands (most of whom would initially not even reply!).
However, after a while, Bell & Ross and TAG Heuer became my very first clients. From then on, I was hooked on watch design, entirely investing my time in perfecting my skills, making it a full-time career in 2005, as an independent. Although back then, in parallel to designing my favorite object, I also drew watch and jewellery displays — to make ends meet at the end of the month."
My Philosophy
"I believe any perspective can’t be solely objective, and that it is always incomplete. Thankfully my adventures led me to periodically meet mentors who truly influenced me, made me question established dogmas, evolve and learn from my mistakes.
Today, I stand firm on at least one principle: the respect of Life. Indeed, we live in an ever complexifying world, in an era where we’re forced to collectively experience that “back pain” I experienced as a younger man. In retrospect, now I know everything happens for a reason, and Nature too has its ways of forcing a pause upon us.
I am still eager to uncover its mysteries, but from a much more humbled posture, and I do hope I’m not the only one. Life - in all its forms - deserves our reverence, especially in these challenging times. This project is my way of placing in my job area my personal stone on a tribute to its resilience."
My Bio
"In a sense, for most of my works, I am an equivalent of a ghost writer for the Watchmaking Industry, and I am bound by Non-Disclosure Agreements which I respect. Below are some of the companies I worked with since 2002:
Longines, Bell & Ross, Hermès, Frederique Constant, Sea2See, Tag Heuer, Ebel, Movado, Whitings, TechnoMarine, Graham, Alpina…
The majority of my work since 2005 has been focused on the watchmaking industry for renown brands, although I have also accepted some requests for aircraft interiors, cosmetics, communication, product strategy and product design. In 2015 I was involved in the creation of the Sekford brand and its pure and classical watches.
It would be a shame for me to tell my story without dedicating a moment to a true mentor: Bruno Belamich, founder of Bell & Ross. For one thing Bruno trusted me early in my career, and he stands out in the constellation of people who influenced my work. Our relationship has been developing for more than fifteen years as of today and I am grateful to him."
About CB
"The purpose of CB watches is about producing the best timepieces possible with a special care for the production impact.
ENVIRONMENT & WATCH INDUSTRY: the project is focused on the environmental impact of the watchmaking industry, and aims at avoiding, eliminating, and decreasing the chemical footprint as well as energy consumption involved in the process of producing watches.
As an ode to craftsmanship, talent and people, most of the aspects of the chain were revisited, from design to engineering, sourcing, materials, transportation, packaging, papers, logistics… In the Endeavour, we developed solutions to inject this responsible approach to as many of the components production as we could."
"A TOOL (WATCH): simple, reliable, repairable, timeless, mechanical, locally produced (Swiss made)… Appeasing and reassuring from the first glance, this watch is built to last, and is independent from any fashion cycle. It is gorgeous today, and it will be tomorrow.
MATERIALS: the materials are recyclable, recycled, natural, and / or neutral; which means with no or very little impact on the environment if they ever end-up in the wild. Case (recycled stainless steel), dials (no galvanic treatments, natural pigmented inks), straps (repurposed naturally tanned leathers), packaging (papers and woods from Swiss PEFC sources)…
MANUFACTURING: the exclusively Swiss and European manufacturing and supply chain works according to 3 principles: 1. Sustainable manufacturing, 2. recycling and repurposing 3. Low CO2 impact.
Back in 1972, the Meadows Report warned us on the impact humanity has on ecosystems. A few years later, in 1988, James Hansen’s testimony before the US Senate paved the way to an increased awareness in political and governing circles, making it an increasingly prominent topic which, nowadays, no one can ignore.
Leaders, citizens, craftsmen or consumers — we can act, and so much can be done. This project is our way to conjugate this awareness with our passion : watchmaking.
This project’s idea came in 2005. However, back then the market was not open enough, and the project was put in hold until 2019, when we relaunched its R&D, without even knowing that 2020 would be such an awakening for mankind, and such a launchpad for virtuous projects like this one, in line with a global appetite for actions geared toward an alternative to over-globalization."
"NEW FUTURE
My watch is also a tribute to humanists, scientists, artists, and explorers whose work inspire real change and contribute to a more sustainable future for all of us, a collective statement amplified by each of their owners."
The inspiration
"From hand tools to tool-watches.
Locally making sustainable watches with natural/neutral materials, one that will last for a lifetime opened a window for me to question the Industry and to inspire myself. This process is not a tangible element when you look at the watch, yet it should be one its owner will wear on his/her wrist.
The Earth, people… and tools."
"The Earth, our beautiful and only home, and the mystery of its inception have always fascinated me. I felt compelled to design an ode to its uniqueness.
My family, my friends, and some visionary people who dedicated their lives to a cause through their work ; throughout my life, they were gems that fed my human need for inspiring gures.
As a designer, I am a man of goods, materials, textures, uses and functions, and I developed a relationship with tools. For some reason, I find it satisfying to be in the presence of primary tools such as an axe, a knife, a hook, or a pencil, simple tools which I find beautiful in their construction, and noble even in their simplest function. In a world dominated by computers and smartphones that no longer have one single purpose, these objects are soothing landmarks, unevolving, atemporal, and above all are not predestined to obsolescence.
They embody sustainability and simplicity. I want to work with that.
This project is part of my future, the future of my children and my modest contribution to earth and the watch industry.
Yours,
Cedric Bellon"
