As far as maisons with a mission go, it’s hard to look past Artisans de Genève — a talented team of watchmakers and artisans who have been personalising timepieces since 2005, in ways that above and beyond to create watches that are, both literally and figuratively, one-of-a-kind.

What’s as impressive as the watches Artisans de Genève work on is their client list. The atelier has worked with sporting legends like John McEnroe and Mika Häkkinen as well as creative geniuses like Spike Lee and Lenny Kravitz, shaping timepieces as distinct as the people who wear them.

The latest example of this is a timepiece owned by one of the greats of tennis — the larger-than-life Andre Agassi, who dominated the sport in the 1990s, and holds 60 career titles, eight Grand Slam wins and Olympic gold. For all that Agassi’s career speaks for itself, he’s equally well-remembered as an on-court fashion icon, famous for denim shorts, Nike trainers, Oakley sunglasses and a love of bright pink — his style and personality pushed against conservatism and convention in the best way possible. So it should come as no surprise that Agassi has some specific requests when it comes to his watch.

Agassi wanted a watch he could play with — so naturally, weight and comfort were of primary importance, equally as important as reliability. After over 1000 hours of work from a total of 14 artisans, Agassi’s watch, was completely reimagined according to his aesthetic and technical preferences.

The custom bezel of Andre Agassi’s custom chronograph

The most obvious change is the bold palette, but equally significant is the new titanium case, designed and crafted by Artisans de Genève at Andre Agassi’s request. The 40mm titanium case was developed and crafted in-house by Artisans de Genève, through its dedicated Scherrer Prototypes department, and milled on a 1950s-era Schaublin 102 lathe. This represents a significant milestone for Artisans de Genève, who until now had focused their work on dials, hands and movements. The work on the case doesn’t end with the milling and polishing of the titanium; it’s also been given a deep anthracite treatment inspired by one half of Agassi’s iconic black and fiery pink 1990 Roland-Garros fit. Here the colour is achieved with a Titalyt treatment, an anodizing process that modifies the oxide coating on the titanium, lending not just a darker look, but also improved wear and corrosion resistance.

Andre Agassi at Roland-Garros in 1990, that serves as the inspiration for the custom timepiece.

The other side of that legendary Roland-Garros look is, of course, the bright orange pink — realised on the registers of the watch in a molten lava-inspired gradient, providing a striking contrast with the otherwise sober tones of the case. Further custom details can be found on the hands — which have been slimmed down from the original. On top of that, the chronograph seconds hand has been given a pink lacquer tip. The rotor has also been given the Artisans de Genève treatment — custom-made from tungsten, the open-worked design shows off the movement (including a custom balance bridge carved from solid steel and mirror-polished) and features a bold ‘A’, for Andre or Agassi, or both.

The metallized sapphire dial features a gradient playing with light and shade, transparency and intensity

The skeletonized movement features a bold ‘A’

The watch, created for the very specific needs of the one and only Andre Agassi, is a powerful testament to the skill and vision of Artisans de Genève, who have quietly been mastering the art of bespoke timepieces for more than 20 years.