Dominique Renaud has always been a watchmaker who looks further than most. Born in 1959, he trained in Switzerland before joining Audemars Piguet, where he quickly revealed a talent for high complications. In 1986, alongside Giulio Papi, he set up Renaud & Papi, the workshop that would quietly power the rebirth of mechanical watchmaking. It was here that IWC’s Grande Complication and Il Destriero Scafusia were born, and where Audemars Piguet and later Richard Mille turned when they needed to test the limits of what was possible.

In 1986, Giulio Papi and Dominique Renaud set up Renaud & Papi

Renaud stepped away in 2000, but his mind never left the bench. In 2016, he returned with the DR01 “21st Century Tourbillon,” a watch that quite literally reimagined the escapement. Gone was the familiar Swiss lever; in its place was a system of pivoting blades designed to control energy distribution and reduce friction. Only prototypes were made, but the message was clear — Renaud was still asking questions no one else dared.

Dominique Renaud DR01

Now, in partnership with the young independent Julien Tixier, he has launched Renaud Tixier, a meeting of radical ideas and traditional craft. For collectors, his career is a reminder that true innovation often comes from those working just outside the spotlight.