LEGARE is an independent Swiss brand dedicated to the contemporary realisation of forgotten horological possibilities. Founded by Wei Koh and Guillaume Tetu, the new Neuchâtel-based brand debuts with the Chapter 1 AGP Inverted, inspired by Albert-Gustave Piguet’s remarkable 1932 double-balance pocket watch.

For its inaugural chapter, the brand turns to one of watchmaking’s most influential yet often overlooked figures: Albert-Gustave Piguet. Best known for his work at Lemania and his contribution to the legendary caliber 2310, Piguet helped shape the history of the modern chronograph. Yet decades before that achievement, he created something altogether different.

In 1932, while a 17-year-old student at the Vallée de Joux School of Watchmaking, Piguet completed a pocket watch featuring two large split bi-metallic balance wheels whose rates were averaged by a differential. Only six examples are known to have been produced between 1932 and 1934, across three movement sizes.

It was a watch of remarkable intellectual elegance: rooted in the classical traditions of Vallée de Joux watchmaking yet animated by the curiosity of a young watchmaker exploring new approaches to precision.

The question that inspired LEGARE’s first chapter was simple: what if this idea had continued to evolve? What if the double-balance concept explored by a young Albert-Gustave Piguet had become the foundation of an entirely different watchmaking journey?

The Chapter 1 AGP Inverted is LEGARE’s answer.

Presented in a Grade 5 titanium case measuring 37.5mm in diameter and 9.95mm thick, the watch combines architectural influences drawn from the 1930s and 1940s with contemporary construction and finishing. A stepped bezel, raised case flanks and sharply defined lugs create a distinctive profile, while intricate concave bevels reveal the level of craftsmanship involved in its execution.

The movement is inverted, bringing its twin regulating organs to the dial side. Two independent balance wheels beat visibly at 21,600 vibrations per hour while a differential continuously averages their rates and transmits a single output to the hands. Unlike a resonance watch, the system relies on the independence of its two oscillators, with the differential acting as a mechanical mediator between them. To achieve a compact architecture, the movement employs side-angled lever escapements more commonly associated with tourbillon construction.

The result is both technically compelling and visually engaging. The watch invites the eye into the movement, from the twin balances and their mirror-polished plates to the interplay of the escapements and differential, visible through skeletonized apertures when held to the light.

The Chapter 1 AGP Inverted is offered in two executions: Elegant, featuring untreated German silver, and Darth, rendered in black rhodium. each limited to 25 individually numbered pieces. More than a tribute to Albert-Gustave Piguet, the Chapter 1 AGP Inverted establishes the foundation of the LEGARE project.

“We are horological archaeologists, uncovering forgotten possibilities and bringing them to life through contemporary watchmaking.”
— Wei Koh, Co-Founder

Each chapter begins with a lost horological idea — a remarkable invention, concept or creation whose story was never fully told. Rather than reproducing these works as historical artefacts, LEGARE imagines how they might have evolved had their development continued uninterrupted into the present day. The Chapter 1 AGP Inverted is only the first. It will not be the last.

Discover LEGARE timepieces and the Chapter 1 collection at SHH boutiques, in The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, and Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, or at the Sincere Fine Watches boutique in Takashimaya S.C., Singapore.