GUILLAUME TETU

As he steps back into the world of Hautlence, its CEO speaks candidly on architecture, honesty, and why the past still has something to offer.

- Haziq Yusof

WE'RE OFTEN TOLD to resist nostalgia. As many high-flying executives will say, the past exists to remind, not to revisit. It might seem natural then to meet Guillaume Tetu’s return to Hautlence—the brand he co-founded in 2004—with a measure of scepticism.

Yet this doesn’t feel like a frivolous bid for the past. After years in strategic and creative roles, including a tenure at Ralph Lauren Watches, Tetu returns to help guide the brand forward, bringing with him the same blend of design conviction and mechanical whimsy that first defined Hautlence.

Now working alongside Cédric Joos, appointed brand manager in early 2025 after a formative spell at H. Moser & Cie., where he helped drive the brand’s recent creative and commercial momentum, Tetu believes Hautlence is once again brimming with the kind of energy needed to shape its next chapter.

At Watches & Wonders 2025, the brand unveiled the Retrovision ’85—a tourbillon watch that transforms into a robot toy—capturing the imagination and childlike wonder of collectors. Though Hautlence seems poised to reassert itself in the world of watchmaking, much of its momentum will rest on the shoulders of Tetu, the man who started it all.

Who are your biggest influences outside watchmaking?