Ateliers Associés Supports Mickaël Gaspar’s First Watch, the Souscription
Ateliers Associés, founded by William Massena and Louis Westphalen-Lemaitre, supports independent watchmakers with funding and shared technical and commercial expertise in exchange for minority stakes. Its first partner is French watchmaker Mickaël Gaspar, whose decade-long project, the Souscription, aims to make mechanical watchmaking’s workings visible and understandable. Gaspar retains control of his company, name, designs, and calibres, while the incubator plans to support up to four watchmakers each year. The Souscription is a 39.9 mm stainless steel watch with a dial-side balance, retrograde date, and hand-wound Cal. 234 movement. Its exposed mechanics sit beneath a domed sapphire crystal, and the movement features in-house-made and finished components. Limited to 20 pieces, it offers a 46-hour power reserve and 30 m water resistance, and is priced at CHF69,000 excluding taxes.
Buying Time Analysis: The story is important because Ateliers Associés offers independent watchmakers funding and shared expertise to build sustainable brands, beginning with Mickaël Gaspar’s distinctive Souscription.
