Vanguart: The New Icons of Luxury Watchmaking | Living Lab

Vanguart: Scarcity, Storytelling, and the New Icons of Time

Inside the independent Swiss watchmaker rewriting the rules of high-end timekeeping

Vanguart’s rise is no anomaly—it’s a blueprint for the next era of luxury

At Living Lab, we track the cultural signals shaping status. Luxury watchmaker Vanguart’s rise is no anomaly—it’s a blueprint for the next era of luxury: scarce, story-led, and rooted in cultural capital.

Founded in 2017, the Swiss maison has quickly captivated elite collectors with its daring designs and scarcity-driven model, offering timepieces that do more than tell time—they tell a story.

Simone Esposito Co Founder Living Lab

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Vanguart: Reinventing Luxury Watchmaking with Scarcity and Innovation

A new wave of ultra-luxury independent watchmakers is reshaping the industry, and Vanguart is leading the charge.

Founded in 2017, the Swiss maison has quickly captivated elite collectors with its daring designs and scarcity-driven model, offering timepieces that redefine exclusivity.
In an era once dominated by legacy brands like Rolex and Patek Philippe, the appetite for boutique, high-end watchmaking has surged. Collectors crave connection, craftsmanship, and direct access to brand founders—qualities that established houses no longer offer. Vanguart has seized this opportunity, producing fewer than 100 watches annually, including the $200,000 Orb and the now-iconic Black Hole Tourbillon, which sold for $852,000 in a private deal.

Black Hole Tourbillon

Orb

From F1 to Haute Horology

Vanguart’s rise is no accident. Co-founder Mehmet Korutürk, formerly of Lotus F1, understood the power of brand alliances early on, drawing inspiration from Richard Mille’s meteoric rise. He assembled an elite team of watchmakers and designers, including Renaud et Papi veterans and former Audemars Piguet creatives, ensuring each piece pushed the boundaries of traditional horology.

Scarcity is a core pillar of the brand’s strategy. With only 24 Black Hole Tourbillons ever produced, collectors are investing in future icons. Korutürk leverages his extensive network in fashion, film, and sports to place Vanguart in exclusive circles, with watches appearing on the wrists of Michael B. Jordan, Bad Bunny, and Maye Musk.

James Harden Black Hole

Mila Jovovich The Orb

Visionary Independent Watchmaking: MB&F and Urwerk

Vanguart follows in the footsteps of visionary independent Luxury watchmakers like MB&F and Urwerk, pioneers who revolutionised haute horology with avant-garde designs and boundary-pushing mechanics. MB&F has redefined artistic watchmaking, creating kinetic sculptures that challenge conventional aesthetics, while Urwerk has set new standards in futuristic timekeeping with its radical satellite displays. Both brands have cultivated a dedicated global following, proving that independent maisons can not only compete with but often surpass legacy watchmakers in creativity and desirability. Vanguart embodies this same ethos—crafting timepieces that are more than instruments; they are statements of artistry and exclusivity.

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Beyond Watchmaking: The Power of Community

Living Lab understands that luxury is no longer just about ownership; it’s about experience and belonging. Luxury watchmaker Vanguart exemplifies this shift, fostering an engaged collector community and integrating seamlessly into global cultural events—Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks, the Cannes Film Festival, and exclusive golf tournaments.

This new generation of watch brands doesn’t just sell timepieces; they sell access, identity, and a sense of being part of something transformative. As the luxury landscape evolves, the question is no longer whether independent brands like Vanguart can compete with legacy names—it’s how far they will go in defining the future of high-end craftsmanship.