Kieser Design Brings Customisation to Independent Watchmaking

Independent watchmaking is often at the cutting edge of the watch industry as it’s the area with the most creative freedom. Oftentimes you’ll find that individual members of the team wear multiple hats at the same time such as designer and head of marketing. Kieser Design take this a step further by being a true one man show with founder Matthias Kieser taking on the roles of designer, fabricator, assembler, consultant and more.

Matthias’ journey into watchmaking is a relatively new endeavour. While he has been an enthusiast for many years, he only took his first steps into the watch industry in 2019 when he created his first prototypes. In just a few short years he left his job, created an entire workshop inside of a garage and set about creating the Kieser Design brand.

Matthias Kieser

The concept at the core of Kieser is that every single wristwatch is a collaboration between the customer and Matthias. As an independent watchmaker who physically goes through the process of milling every case, anodising every dial, creating the bezel, hands, indices and strap buckle for each watch sold, there is practically unlimited creative freedom for Matthias to iterate on, adjust and customise watches to the customers’ requests.

Of course, that conversation has to start somewhere and for Kieser it begins with the online configurator. The tragwerk.T, their inaugural timepiece, features a titanium exoskeleton, a 42mm diameter case with 100m water resistance and a titanium dial protected by a sapphire crystal glass. It’s powered by a top grade Sellita SW200 movement (one of the few parts not built in-house to ensure reliability) with 38-hour power reserve.

In terms of customisable elements, the configurator gives you the choice between a brushed or honeycomb dial in six vibrant colours, seven seconds hand options, six dial rings, six inner cases, two crowns, seven straps with eight stitching options, six rotor colours, six sets of case screws and six movement holders.

The maths alone means there are over 70 million potential combinations and that’s before any further consultation between the customer and Kieser. You could go for a completely black aesthetic, mix in some silver or go completely wild with a fusion of greens, oranges and purples.

Considering the limited quantities of production associated with totally bespoke design, there is a high chance that your watch will be a piece unique. Whether you opt for a sleek monochromatic design or something a little more vibrant and adventurous, the choice is yours.

It’s worth noting that because every watch is made to order, their prices can vary depending on custom choices between roughly €5,490 – €6,660 (approx. £4,700 – £5,700). It’s certainly not an insubstantial investment but you know that you’ll be getting the individual and full attention of Matthias. This is independent watchmaking at its most essential.