Switzerland boasts well over 100 watch brands. Many are long-established companies with histories spanning over 100 years, while numerous new brands have emerged since the 1990s. Some are large brands producing hundreds of thousands of watches annually, while others are small ateliers making fewer than 1,000.

Speake-Marin is an emerging atelier brand that stands out in the Swiss watchmaking world, exhibiting outstanding individuality both technically and artistically. Founded by Peter Speake-Marin, he is a highly skilled independent British watchmaker who, in addition to creating his own works, has provided complex mechanisms to renowned brands.

At the age of 17, he enrolled in Hackney Technical College, a technical school in London, to learn the fundamentals of watchmaking. He chose this school because "a teacher at my school happened to recommend it (laughs). I was interested in machinery back then, but I didn't have a strong desire to become a watchmaker." However, once classes started, he felt strongly that it was "right for him."

"I was strongly drawn to the fact that it was a job I could accomplish on my own. In addition to machinery, it encompassed history and art, which I was interested in, and there was a lot to learn. And above all, I had good grades (laughs)."

After graduating from school in London, Speake-Marin, who says she "loves to learn," enrolled in the prestigious Watchmaking School "Wostep" in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. After completing a course of about four months, she returned to London and found a job in the repair department of a watch shop.



"I worked there for about six years, but one day I felt like there was nothing more to learn, so I moved to the London branch of a Swiss watch brand as my next step. But I finished learning everything in six months. So I moved to another brand, but there I ran out of things to learn after four weeks (laughs)."

His next job was at the high-end antique watch shop, Somro Antiques. "I learned so much there," he recalls.

"I was mainly involved in the restoration of pocket watches from the 17th to the early 20th century, and I was overwhelmed by the passion of the watchmakers who created such wonderful machines in an era without electricity or computers. I realized that excellent watches have the value to be passed down through generations. Through restoration, I learned about complex mechanisms such as perpetual calendars, grande sonneries, and minute repeaters, and gradually deepened my understanding of how they work, and before I knew it, eight years had passed."


His desire to learn more became uncontrollable, and he sought new opportunities in Switzerland. In 1996, he joined Renaud & Papi (now Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi) in Le Locle. There, he had a life-changing encounter and his talent blossomed significantly.

Renaud & Papi is a luxury watchmaking workshop that creates and provides complex mechanisms for various watch brands. It is a gathering place for exceptionally talented watchmakers. Among them are Robert Forsy and Stéphane Forsy, founders of Grubel Forsy, which won the prestigious Gold Hand Award at the 2015 Geneva Watch Grand Prix, and Antoni de Has, who currently serves as the head of design and development for A. Lange & Söhne. It is truly a group of geniuses. Among them, Speake Malin was immediately selected to be in charge of Grande Sonnerie development after joining the company.


"Having worked restoring old watches, creating a movement from scratch was incredibly exciting for me. I also received a lot of inspiration from my talented colleagues. They were not only fellow dreamers of watches but also playmates. My experience at Renaud et Papi is a treasure to me."

NEXT≫ Still learning, there is no end to watchmaking.