John-Mikaël Flaux is a French créateur horloger. Orginially from the Northwest of France, he pursued his watchmaking studies for 6 years, two of which at the Edgard Faure school in Morteau, near the Swiss border. Afterwards, he worked for a while for Ulysse Nardin, but soon enough decided to make a big step and launch his own manufacture.
He creates mechanic clocks and machines, which impress though their craftsmanship and intricacies. InCompany by Attire Club wanted to learn more about his process, thoughts and views, so we invited him to a talk about his career, his inspiration and more.
He accepted our invitation and was very kind in sharing insight into his life and work.
John-Mikaël did not discover the art of making watches and clocks at an early age, but he remembers being extremely fascinated with all mechanical devices he saw around him. “I was always drawn to mechanical things”, he recalls, “and I would ask my parents to allow me to open up objects around the house to let me see how they work”. His passion for “seeing how things work” turned towards the world of watches when, in his mid-teens, he visited a watch museum. This was a turning point – or, better said, the starting point of John’s career, who would soon enough find himself as a student of watchmaking. He spent 6 years learning the ins and outs of making clocks and watches, 4 in Rennes and 2 in Morteau.
While he was in school, he would blog about the projects would work on. These drew the attention of Ulysse Nardin and John-Mikaël was offered a job there. At the time, Ulysse Nardin was a developing manufacture and John was given a lot of freedom. “I worked almost as an independent watchmaker” he explains, “and this gave me a taste of what being on your own would be”. Slowly, as Ulysse Nardin became part of the French Kering Group and things changed in several directions, John-Mikaël decided that this was not his place anymore and decided to establish his own label. “I wanted to create 100% for myself” John explains. “Things at Ulysse Nardin were now decided by the Group… they wanted to establish themselves to be similar to Rolex, where they focus on mass markets, and this did not work for me. Ultimately, I have an artist’s mentality and I wanted to work by myself, with my thoughts”.
And so, John-Mikaël returned to France and built his workshop there. He believes that great watchmaking can be made outside of Switzerland too and, through his decision to make Besançon his new home, he wanted to do his part in the rise of the new French watchmaking scene.
Being on his own, John-Mikaël turned to his first passion – mechanics and set aside classic watches in exchange for complex clocks and mechanical devices based on watch mechanisms. His impressive pieces, such as the Car Clock inspired many others to do similar things and the recent Time Fury P18 also made waves among connoisseurs. His creations have very often as a theme of inspiration the world of classic cars and, more broadly speaking, the world of intricate interactions and fine movements – as his Duel goes to show, a piece depicting a fight between two mechanical fencers. John likes mechanics so much, that he even drives a vintage Beetle, which is more fun for him than a new car would be.
Each of his creations starts with an emotion and it probably safe to say that determination and drive are some of the major things he feels, as his creations focus on fast cars and fighters – his Wasp falls in this category as well.
At the moment, John-Mikaël is working hard not only on his creations, but also on becoming a member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI). Currently, he is a candidate for a full membership and he is making sure to take all the steps needed to become a full member. Being part of the AHCI would mean a lot to John-Mikaël, as this association is a symbol for the highest standards in horologerie, many of the biggest names in watchmaking being connected to it. “Being part of the AHCI is not just extremely prestigious, but it is also a recognition by the watchmaking world and by my peers.” John-Mikaël explains. The time he spent so far as a candidate has also opened many doors for him, as he was able to connect with amazing people, make friends and have professional exchanges of great value, especially with the older members of the organization who provide him with insight and inspiration.
Being an independent watchmaker may not be the easiest thing in the world, but it allows someone like John-Mikaël to express himself freely and to take control over both the creative process and the technical aspect of his creations. “There are many people who are collectors of unique pieces and thus are looking to buy something that is deeply personal and that has a story” he says. This intimate atmosphere between creator and buyer is what John’s philosophy is all about. For him, being restrained is one of the worst things and this is what motivates him to continue to push hard in order to be able to create only what he wants to connect with buyers who connect with his pieces. His clients are mostly European – Swiss, English or Monegasques, but he recently also sent a piece to Saudi Arabia. Given that his creations are rather atypical, most of the people who discover John-Mikaël do so through magazines, through the Internet or by word of mouth.
Right now, he is working on a new project – it’s still in the secret phase, which will be unveiled at Baselworld in 2020. The new, later date for the show fits well with John-Mikaël, who can work more on his new creation.
To the outside world, it may seem that being an independent watchmaker is an easy job, where skill and expertise are all that matters, but in fact, there is a lot more that goes into it. Over the last years, John-Mikaël has had to learn how to navigate the industry and the world of watchmaking, not only within his life, but also in connection to the world at large. Outside certain communities, he has discovered that many people don’t really know much about what he and others do, but that there is a great interest for it once people find out more.
John-Mikaël believes that by establishing great connections, both professionally and personally and through perseverance and hard work, a new generation watchmakers can carry the torch that was so far carried so gracefully by the masters of the field.
Fraquoh and Franchomme
P.S. We want to hear from you! How do you connect to John-Mikaël’s creations? Which do you like best? Why? Share your feedback, questions or thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!