In conversation with Maxime Herbelin on preserving French watchmaking

In a luxury landscape increasingly shaped by scale, speed and spectacle, Herbelin offers quiet confidence. Rooted in three generations of family stewardship, the house occupies a refined middle ground where Swiss mechanical reliability meets French design intelligence. In conversation with LuxeBook, Maxime Herbelin, Directorat Herbelin gets candid about legacy, reinvention and why true luxury today is less about excess and more about coherence.

LuxeBook: As a third generation leader of a family owned watch house, how do you decide which elements of legacy are non negotiable and which are open to reinvention?

Maxime Herbelin, Director, Herbelin : At Herbelin, legacy is not something frozen in time. For us, what is non-negotiable is proportion, balance and the idea of making watches that feel right on the wrist, not just today but years from now.
What can change is how that legacy is expressed: materials, shapes, technology, even the way we communicate. Reinvention is not about breaking away from the past, it is about making sure our values still make sense in the present.

LuxeBook: The transition from Michel Herbelin to simply Herbelin marked a pivotal moment for the brand. What internal doubts did you have to confront before making that change?

Maxime Herbelin: Honestly, the doubts were mainly emotional. When you remove the founder’s first name, you are touching something very personal. There is always the fear of losing recognition or legitimacy.
But we realised the brand had grown up. Herbelin was already a strong name, especially internationally. Simplifying it was a way of saying: the house respects its past, but it is confident enough to move forward.

LuxeBook: Herbelin occupies a distinctive space with Swiss movements and a deeply French design sensibility. How do you articulate this French touch in a category still dominated by Swiss narratives?

Maxime Herbelin: We do not try to compete with the Swiss on their own narrative. Switzerland owns the story of mechanics, and that is perfectly legitimate. Our strength is different. We rely on Swiss movements for reliability, but the watch itself speaks French: clean lines, restraint, elegance without excess. It is less about showing off and more about coherence. That is our way of standing apart in a very Swiss-driven category.

LuxeBook: With the introduction of materials like carbon and titanium, is the brand responding to evolving consumer expectations or actively shaping the future of modern watchmaking?

Maxime Herbelin: It is both. Of course, we listen to customers—they expect lighter, more comfortable, more modern watches. But we do not add materials just because they are trendy. If we use carbon or titanium, it is because it makes sense technically and aesthetically. Innovation only matters if it improves the object. Otherwise, it is just noise.

LuxeBook: At a time when consolidation defines much of the luxury industry, you have chosen to remain independent. What does independence allow you to protect that scale cannot?

Maxime Herbelin: Independence gives us clarity. We can think long term, protect the brand’s coherence and make decisions based on conviction rather than pressure.
Scale brings power, but it also brings compromise. Independence allows us to stay focused on what really matters to us and to our clients.

LuxeBook: In an age of speed and disposability, why do mechanical watches still matter and what emotion do you hope a Herbelin watch evokes the moment it is worn? And what do you forecast in the coming year? 

Maxime Herbelin: Mechanical watches still matter because they stand for the opposite of speed and disposability. They represent time, transmission and human intention.Looking ahead, I think the market will move toward more honesty. Less exaggerated storytelling, more meaningful products, more focus on durability and purpose. What is often romanticised is the idea of the “in-house manufacture movement.” On its own, it does not mean much. What really matters is industrial sovereignty and real technological innovation. Outside of a few rare luxury houses, the full in-house dream is often inaccessible—and frankly unnecessary.

In Maxime Herbelin’s vision, modern luxury is not performative, but quietly assured.

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