Alto x Bernar Venet Art 01 MK5 BR

quattro · 2026-04-15T07:45:44Z

Explore the Alto x Bernar Venet Art 01, an independent watch collaboration inspired by monumental sculpture. Discover its unique design, proprietary bronze alloy, and artistic translation.

quattro

WPS member · Independents forum

18 replies351 views33 photos

quattro introduces the Alto x Bernar Venet Art 01, a collaboration that translates monumental sculpture into an intimate horological object. This article explores how the independent brand Alto, founded by Thibaud Guittard and Raphaël Abeillon, continues to push design boundaries with this new artistic partnership. Readers will gain insight into the watch's unique aesthetic and the brand's innovative approach to materials and design.

Alto is a Paris-based independent brand founded by Thibaud Guittard, a former Audemars Piguet executive and a passionate collector of art, design, and cars.

He associated with Raphaël Abeillon, who was previously a senior designer at Cartier and who is now Creative Director of the brand.

Together, they have created a watch, the Art 01, offering brutalist architecture vibes, severe angles, avant-garde 1970s automotive design influences, and which has already seen 4 variations.

1) Here's the grade 5 titanium First Edition Ref. MK1 TI:

credit: Bertrand Labassée aka @blabassee

2) Here's the bead-blasted & DLC coated grade 5 titanium Monochrome Black Ref. MK2 TI:

3) Here's the bead-blasted grade 5 titanium Monochrome Grey Ref. MK3 TI:

4) And Here's the hand satin finish yellow gold Falcon Eye Ref. MK4 AU:

They are now releasing a new variation made in collaboration with a major French contemporary artist born in 1941: Bernar Venet.

He was the 2016 recipient of the International Sculpture Center's Lifetime Achievement Award.

This is how the Art 01 Bernar Venet Ref. MK5 BR looks like:

It is strongly inspired by Venet's famous massive, Corten steel, collapsed beam sculptural structures.

credit: Alto (1-2), Venet Foundation (3) & Tanguy Beurdeley. VENET/ADAGP, Paris, 2023. Courtesy Perrotin (4)

Naturally, this collaboration had to take the form of a translation:

From monumental sculpture to intimate object.

From Corten steel to patinated bronze.

From public space to the wrist.

The dial becomes a micro-sculpture – an interlacing of arcs, composed as a controlled fall.

The surface is structured in relief with hollows, ridges, and intersections that capture light and shadow.

The case and dial are made of a proprietary bronze alloy with a one-of-a-kind patina, which is stabilised yet alive.

The monobloc case measures 40 mm.

The warm tone echoes Venet's monumental works.

The crown is signed with the brand's logo.

Like previous versions of the Art 01, the Bernar Venet limited edition features a “back in time seconds hand in reverse operation”, i.e. a second hand that runs backward.

This unique (quirky) characteristic is intended to remove any sense of obviousness from the passage of time.

The watch is powered by automatic micro-rotor caliber A01:

The A01 movement was designed by Barth Nussbaumer, one of the three principals behind the independent brand Kollokium:

credit of the photos above: Hodinkee

To conclude this post, here are a few images of the design process and drawings:

Bernar Venet with Raphaël Abeillon:

Raphaël Abeillon, Thibaud Guittard & Bernar Venet near one of Venet's monumental works:

I personally like the work of Bernar Venet – I find his monumental sculptures quite fascinating – and I find this collaboration watch appealing.

What a bout you?

credit: Alto Watches

Thank you for reading.

Best, Emmanuel

Key Points from the Discussion

The Art 01 Bernar Venet, while conceptually strong, might be too 'cold' for some tastes, reflecting its inspiration from steel sculptures.
A polished bronze dial that allows natural patina to develop over time might have been preferred over the proprietary patinated bronze for the Bernar Venet edition.
The brand's presentation, including the founder's attire and the logo's similarity to a sneaker brand, might create a disconnect with the avant-garde concept being promoted.
The author emphasizes that the watch itself and its connection to Venet's sculptures are the primary focus, rather than the brand's self-presentation.

The Discussion

AuHavrePro

Apr 15, 2026

But ultimately find it too 'cold' for my tastes, after all it reinterprets a steel sculpture .... Generally, I am truly happy that companies and pieces like this one exist, this one will appeal to someone extremely, just like my Sarpaneva appeals to me . I'll be mulling between Vacherons and JLCs for the foreseeable future . Thank you for sharing it here with us, cheers, Filip

quattro

Apr 15, 2026

But I definitely understand how you feel! Cheers, Emmanuel

Arronax

Apr 15, 2026

I generally like bronze and personally I may have preferred a polished dial to let natural patina do its work over time. Generally the photos were good with the exception of the ones of taken while seated in that chair, the first one wearing sneakers in particular feels a bit out of place. I also find it ironic that their brand logo looks similar to that of ON sneaker brand and could not help but to notice the similarities, even if purely fortunate. The creative director look is a lot more polis

AuHavrePro

Apr 15, 2026

It's one of those watches that you have to see in person!....

quattro

Apr 15, 2026

this is how they present themselves! But what counts is the watch, isn't it? ;-) And I find it interesting and appealing, especially since I really like Venet's sculptures... Best, Emmanuel

Arronax

Apr 15, 2026

I was just commenting on the vibe I got from the picture and that of the founder in particular which looked a bit out of place with the concept being pushed forward. I like the sculptures too!

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