This November, Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo will celebrate a decade of watch auctions with the Decade One (2015-2025) thematic sale at the Hôtel Président in Geneva. This landmark sale marks the successful first 10 years of the Phillips Watches department, reflecting on the remarkable watches, record-breaking results, and new scholarship that have shaped Phillips Watches since its inaugural auction in 2015.
– By Logan Baker
To celebrate his 30-year career as an independent watchmaker, Cédric Johner created the Abyss Chronograph "30th Anniversary" Limited Edition – a series of 30 hand-finished watches housed in his signature Abyss case, each powered by a vintage Valjoux 23 movement.
Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo will offer a prototype of this anniversary model at the upcoming Decade One (2015-2025) auction. We recently spoke with Johner to discuss his beginnings, his philosophy, and what this anniversary means to him.
Logan Baker / PHILLIPS: You trained as a jeweler before becoming a watchmaker. How does that background influence the way you design and finish your watches?
Cédric Johner: My jewelry training guides everything I do. A jeweler is an artisan, working with sensitivity and instinct. That’s how I approach watchmaking – through the eye and the hand rather than the computer or machine. I don’t use CNC machines or CAD. My inspiration comes from everywhere: materials, shapes, nature, people. Because I’m not bound by technical constraints, I can let creativity lead.
What led you to study watchmaking in the early 1990s, when independent watchmaking was still uncommon?
CJ: I didn’t change professions – I added to my knowledge. Jewelry and watchmaking are complementary. As a jeweler, I could create the external parts: the case, the dial, the hands, the bracelet, the buckle. But I wanted to understand the inside, the movement itself. So I went to watchmaking school to complete that knowledge.
It was a risk at the time—there were almost no independent watchmakers then – but I was passionate and fascinated by watchmaking. A few years later, I designed my first original case shape, which became the Abyss.
You were also one of the original founders of the dial manufacturer Les Cadraniers de Genève, correct?
CJ: Yes. I created the company with François-Paul Journe and Max Büsser (when he was still at Harry Winston). We established a small company to manufacture dials because, at the time, it was challenging for independent brands to order small quantities from large suppliers. We invested equally and hired a few artisans to produce custom dials. I was in charge of hiring, acquiring the machines and materials, and overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company.
Eventually, Max left to start his own brand, and François-Paul took over the business, which he continues to run today. It was a wonderful collaboration and an important moment for independent watchmaking in Geneva.
In the mid-2000s, you faced challenges with your brand and a former partner. How did that experience shape you?
CJ: It was a difficult chapter. My former associate became the majority shareholder of my company, and I suddenly lost access to my own workshop and even the right to use my name to make watches.
It took years of legal battles to recover it. I never stopped working during that time, but I stayed out of the spotlight. It was painful, but it also reinforced why I do this – to create freely, by hand, without compromise.
You eventually returned to the spotlight – in 2021, you celebrated your 30th anniversary as an independent watchmaker and introduced the Abyss Chronograph '30th Anniversary' Limited Edition. What did that moment mean to you?
CJ: It was intimidating, but I'm really glad I did it. I had continued making watches quietly for my collectors, but this was the first time in many years that I presented something publicly. My 30th anniversary felt like the right moment. Each of the 30 Abyss Chronographs was unique – the clients could choose the dial color, the decoration, the finishing. Everything was made and finished by hand, one by one, in my workshop.
The prototype, which Phillips will offer, is special. It features straight-line finishing on the bridges and has red chronograph hands. Like all my watches, it’s one of a kind.
What’s next for you and your atelier?
CJ: The Abyss Chronograph marked the beginning of a new chapter. It reminded me how much people still appreciate true craftsmanship. Since then, I’ve started developing my own movements. After everything that happened, this project represents freedom. I’m doing what I love again, and I’m doing it my way.
You can view the complete Phillips Decade One (2015-2025) auction catalogue here.