These days, there seems to be a new brand popping up somewhere every day of the week. While the volume of newcomers bodes well for the industry, not all brands are created equal. Many enter the game with little to say or offer the watchmaking world. It is one of the strangest things about our hobby that such a mature and demanding industry is able to support if not the long-term success of such entrants, but at least the notion that there might be a place for them within it. Sometimes, however (and these moments are frustratingly rare), a new brand emerges that promises great things. Not simply because of the products it offers, but largely because of the people (and their experience) propelling the cause.
Lukas Pöhlmann and Josef Bresan - Credit Pöhlmann-Bresan
Lukas Pöhlmann and Josef Bresan are not your average pair of 33-year-olds. Between them, they have more than 20 years of experience at the bench in the rearview mirror. They met at Dresden-based Lang & Heyne (founded by Marco Lang, who now runs his eponymous brand and Mirko Heyne, who has, for many years, held a high-ranking position in the technical development department of NOMOS Glashütte). Somewhere along the way, Pöhlmann and Bresan realised that in each other they had found the perfect partner with which to embark on a journey neither one would have ever imagined pursuing alone.
As men, they are an excellent complement to one another in terms of character. Both easy-going and remarkably grounded despite their obvious talent, they are able to work in each other’s pockets at their small (but desperately charming) atelier, just a stone’s throw from Dresden’s famous Großer Garten (Great Garden).
Prestige - Credit Pöhlmann-Bresan
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They are wonderful company, ribbing each other (and anyone else in the vicinity) for laughs at every opportunity, but they never stray too far from their shared passion. Whenever watchmaking is the central topic of conversation, the mirth that had called their eyes home is replaced by a steeliness that could communicate to even the most casual of observers that while watchmaking is fun, it is certainly not a game. Not one they plan on losing, at any rate…
The brand began life under a different name. You might have encountered them as Junge, a label they were forced to drop due to a trademarking issue in their native Germany. Somewhat jaded by the unpleasantness of that experience, they decided to go with their surnames to avoid any such issues in the future. Although neither Pöhlmann nor Bresan is particularly easy for non-German speakers to pronounce flawlessly (trust me, I’ve known the guys for a while now and am not the worst German speaker in the world, and even I manage to butcher it 50% of the time), the brand name has a gravitas that is more befitting of their artisanal skill than Junge ever did.
Prestige - Credit Pöhlmann-Bresan
It’s also refreshing to see Dresden proudly printed on the dial. While the small, nearby town of Glashütte is internationally known for its watchmaking prowess, Dresden seldom receives the attention it deserves and all too easily slips from the mind when the most prestigious centres of the watchmaking craft are mentioned. Pöhlmann and Bresan are hoping to change that, while also rejuvenating a scene that has, for quite some time, been sorely lacking a coordinated youth movement.
Currently, the brand has one model in two colourways in its catalogue. The Prestige model is a time-only watch available in either black or blue. It is 40 mm in diameter and 12.2 thick. While that height is very reasonable, you might have expected slimmer from a manually-wound caliber, but the slight increase in height is down to the movement’s unusual (and dramatic architecture).
Lukas Pöhlmann and Josef Bresan - Credit Pöhlmann-Bresan
For fans of hand skills, the Pöhlmann-Bresan Prestige is a real treat. The form and finish of every component is lovingly elevated to a standard that points to the skills both Lukas and Josef picked up at the knee of Marco Lang. And while the price point sits just below the €17,000 mark, that is still way below the prices you’d expect to pay for something from the boys’ former master’s former company (and his current one, to boot).
Prestige - Credit Pöhlmann-Bresan
Despite the recent obsession for “in-house” calibres (which, of course, this is not), there is a certain irony in the level to which Pöhlmann-Bresan has been able to cajole this humble tractor calibre with nothing but their own hands and minds. You might find someone baulk at the price for a watch driven by a calibre that could be had in something (albeit much less attractive of well-machined) for a fraction of the price, citing the fact that for that kind of money you’d expect an “in-house” movement.
But, if we’re being frank, the fact something may be in-house or even in-house designed, doesn’t necessarily make it impressive. If you’ll forgive me a rather silly (but, I think, illuminating example), ETA calibres are in-house from ETA’s perspective. So are Sellita’s to Sellita. Miyota could say the same about Miyota movements too.
Prestige - Credit Pöhlmann-Bresan
I’m sure you catch my drift. Everything is made somewhere by someone. Being made by someone doesn’t automatically make it good. Taking something that would otherwise be commonplace and elevating it in many ways requires more skill. And what are we doing as enthusiastic watch buyers if not supporting all forms of talent and creativity in the industry?
In fact, the Pöhlmann-Bresan Prestige really made me think about this subject: why do I buy the watches I buy and why do I covet the watches I covet? As it turns out, there can be many answers to those questions. Having identified that — and a few of the answers in the process — I resolved to buy watches for as many different reasons as I could.
Prestige - Credit Pöhlmann-Bresan
I buy some watches because they benefit from and add to the heritage of certain brands or watchmaking regions (like a Glashütte Original, for example). I buy some because their brands are dedicated to a very niche tangental craft I don’t want to see die out (like anOrdain’s enamel dials). You might even find me buying a watch for the materials used in its construction because I want to encourage experimentation and know full well liking or even vocally championing ballsy little brands doing just that from afar doesn’t keep the lights on (and that’s exactly why I bought my first Arcanaut ARC II Fordite before joining the few months year later).
In all honesty, I dream about owning a Pöhlmann-Bresan prestige because the idea of two talented individuals taking something mundane and transforming it into something magnificent with no financial backing and nothing but their own wits and wills on which to survive is compelling. These are the skills we need to preserve. This is a brand that is doing good work and living out a dream I hope many other young watchmakers now feel more confident in pursuing themselves. And, at the end of the day, the Prestige is a premier watch that honours the legacies of all the watchmaking greats that have, at one time or another during our craft’s history, passed through the cobbled streets of Dresden with their hearts set on creating something that could inspire others to do the same.
Technical Specifications:
- Brand: Pöhlmann-Bresan
- Model: Prestige
- Price: €16,750 (excluding taxes)
- Material: Stainless steel case, sapphire crystals front and back
- Movement: manually-wound JU26-01 (base Pobeda cal. 2608), 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz), 39-hour power-reserve
- Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds
- Crystal: 2Sapphire crystals front and back
- Case dimensions: 40 mm wide, 12.2 mm tall, with water resistance to 50 metres
- Strap: Calf leather
- Availability: 48 pieces, 24 pieces of each color
