Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas have spent much of their careers in the shadows of dials signed by other names, but within the watchmaking world they are spoken of with deep respect. For more than three decades, the pair have worked side by side, building some of the most sophisticated movements of modern times and proving that the greatest innovations often come from behind the curtain.

Both men came through traditional Swiss training, learning their craft at the bench long before computers or CAD programs softened the grind. They met in the 1980s at Gérald Genta, the restless design house where complications were pushed to the limit. In Genta’s Geneva workshop, they quickly developed a rapport: Navas full of ideas and sketches, Barbasini the steady hand who turned those ideas into functioning movements.

After their Genta years, they spent time at Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe, honing their skills at two of Switzerland’s most demanding maisons. Those experiences gave them an intimate knowledge of how to deliver at the very highest level. In 2004, they joined forces again at BNB Concept, a complications powerhouse they built with Mathias Buttet. BNB was the secret supplier to brands wanting to dazzle with cutting-edge mechanics. If a company wanted a multi-axis tourbillon or a jumping display, Navas and Barbasini were often the ones quietly making it happen.

By the time they left BNB, the two had already begun laying foundations for the future. In 2007, they created La Fabrique du Temps in Geneva, this time determined to put their own name on the door. The workshop became their playground for repeaters, tourbillons and unconventional displays, a place where they could pursue complications for their own sake rather than under someone else’s logo.

La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in Meyrin, Switzerland

Louis Vuitton recognized the potential and acquired La Fabrique du Temps in 2011. For some, it seemed an odd pairing, but Louis Vuitton gave them freedom rather than constraints. The results have been striking: Spin Time jumping hours, Tambour repeaters and multi-complication timepieces.

Step inside La Fabrique du Temps today and you’ll find a workshop alive with discussion, prototypes and complicated watches being tested. Navas and Barbasini remain at the center, challenging each other as they always have. Their story isn’t about celebrity or branding. It’s about trust, shared vision and the belief that two watchmakers, working side by side, can quietly shape the future of high watchmaking.