Live from Vienna: Reporting on the First Masterworks Event Organized by the World’s Largest and Most Renowned Retailer, Now Officially Owned by Rolex!
It’s Thursday, June 5th, 2025, and Vienna is experiencing unusually warm weather. Summer hasn’t officially begun, yet the heat can already be felt. The city is quiet—at least during these early morning hours when it’s still possible to drive through what is usually a pedestrian zone. Having just landed at Vienna International Airport, I head to my hotel room to prepare for today’s event. I have been invited by Bucherer to be their guest at the first ever Masterworks gathering, which they hope will become a recurring tradition in Austria’s capital.
Before you read the interview below, I would like to express my gratitude to Salko Tadžić, a sales associate at Bucherer and the person who kindly invited me to be their guest for the next three days. The first person he introduced me to at the event was Julien Rossier, the Country Head of Bucherer Austria. During a pleasant conversation we had at the Palmhaus, I learned more about Masterworks and the vision behind the entire project.
He mentioned that in August last year, he visited Geneva Watch Days for the first time and was immediately drawn to the atmosphere. As he explained, people there are more approachable, relaxed, and less formal, which creates an environment where you can truly get to know the brands and the people behind them. Inspired by that experience, he wanted to bring a similar concept to Vienna and develop a format within Bucherer that has now become known as Masterworks. As we walked through the hall surrounded by palm trees and birdsong, Julien introduced me to his colleagues and partners. One particularly memorable moment was meeting and speaking with Pierre Jacques, CEO of De Bethune, whose interview you will have the opportunity to read later this weekend.
Masterworks was envisioned as a celebration of the finest craftsmanship in watchmaking, specifically highlighting the artistry of small, niche luxury brands. When I say small, I refer only to their production volume. The level of knowledge, skill, and ingenuity I witnessed during the event is far beyond what we typically encounter or expect. During my 24 hours in Vienna, I had the rare opportunity to see, try on, and explore some of the world’s most exclusive timepieces and complications. Brands like De Bethune, Armin Strom, H. Moser & Cie, IWC, Jacob & Co., Urwerk, and many others graced my wrist.
My visit to the Bucherer Masterworks event began with an exclusive interview with Mr. Olivier Gantenbein, which I now share in full, along with highlights of the timepieces I experienced:
Can you tell us a bit about yourself, how you entered the world of horology, and your professional background before Bucherer? I’ve heard from your colleagues that your career is quite remarkable.
My name is Olivier Gantenbein, and I am the Global Associate Director of Haute Horlogerie at Bucherer.
Yes, I am a certified watchmaker. I trained in horology from 2010 to 2014 and began my career at IWC. Following that, I joined H. Moser & Cie, where I worked on assembling movements with perpetual calendars and other high complications. I stayed there for about two years before spending a year with Armin Strom. Then, exactly three years ago, in June 2022, I joined Bucherer, where I am now responsible for developing the Masterworks program.
What led you to Bucherer, and how did you transition from a watchmaker to someone leading such an important initiative like Masterworks?
The connection with Bucherer began during my time at H. Moser & Cie, as we collaborated closely with them—they were one of our key partners. Around that time, after seven years working in watch manufacturing, I began contemplating a shift to the retail side of the industry. Then came a call I simply couldn’t refuse. From our very first conversations, we discussed building a curated program that would offer the finest and most complex timepieces. That became my mission from day one at Bucherer.
I’m passionate about working with clients and love talking about watches. My background in watchmaking turned out to be a great asset in retail, where we all share the common goal of serving enthusiasts with expertise and sincerity.
And now we’re here in Vienna at this event called Masterworks. How would you explain what Masterworks is to our readers and watch aficionados?
Masterworks initially started as an internal marketing concept—to unify everything we showcase in our Vienna Bucherer boutique that pertains to high-end independent brands. For us, the term became synonymous with Haute Horlogerie: perpetual calendars, tourbillons, minute repeaters, and more. Then we realized Masterworks could become much more than just a program. It could be a real event—a gathering of journalists and clients where rare and complex watches could be experienced first-hand.
For example, a collector who is passionate about perpetual calendars could come to Masterworks and try on 8, 9, or even 10 different interpretations of that complication in one place. Our goal was to blend beauty with purpose and bring our watch community together in one unique setting.
What are your thoughts on niche, independent luxury watch brands? Are they the future of watchmaking or already the present?
There is certainly room for growth and more visibility for these brands. They gained significant popularity after the COVID era, particularly post-2020. It’s important to remember that this sector is still relatively young—for example, De Bethune was founded in 2002, and Armin Strom was revived in 2009.
At Bucherer, we are cautious and selective, carefully curating which independent brands we add to our extensive portfolio. I believe they represent the future, yes, but also the present—demand and interest are already quite high.
Why choose Vienna as the location for the first Masterworks event of this kind?
Vienna sits at the heart of Central Europe. It’s easily accessible to Western Europeans traveling east and to Eastern Europeans traveling west. For many in Eastern Europe, Vienna is the closest destination where they can explore niche, high-end independent watch brands.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but there are no stores in the Balkans offering this kind of selection, right? (To which I nodded in agreement.)
Our goal was to bring the event closer to everyone and to place Vienna firmly on the map as a key European destination in the world of horology—alongside more established cities like Geneva. We want collectors to associate Vienna (and Bucherer) with rare complications and exceptional craftsmanship.
Do you already have plans for Masterworks 2026, or is it too soon to say?
Our goal is to keep the momentum going. Starting next year, we plan to bring Masterworks to other major cities where Bucherer is present—Paris, for instance.
North America is also a very interesting market for us, and we’re working on bringing a similar experience to that audience. I’m excited about this future, as connecting with clients, collectors, and journalists brings us closer to our community. Bucherer needs to be where the watch lovers are.
Thank you, Olivier, for this insightful conversation and for the invitation to be part of the first Masterworks event in Vienna. It’s truly an honor to represent the Balkans and this part of Europe. I’m sure our readers will love this concept and be inspired to visit Bucherer in Vienna in the near future!
Thank you as well, and see you next year!
