UTINAM

What UTINAM does

UTINAM is a French luxury watchmaking manufacture founded in 1993 by Philippe Lebru and based in Besançon, France. The company designs and produces mechanical art clocks, watches, and monumental installations that fuse contemporary art aesthetics with traditional French horological craftsmanship. Its product portfolio includes limited-edition floor and wall clocks (Pop Up, LALA, Hortence, Constence, BALLASTOGRAPHE), mechanical watches (Specimen, Quadripod, Météorite), and large-scale sculptural timepieces installed in public and institutional spaces.

The company's technical differentiator is a patented suspended movement with an automatic counterbalance, which underpins both its collectible editions and its monumental installations and supports pieces that require up to 2,000+ hours of craftsmanship. Production is intentionally constrained to limited runs of 8 to 88 units per reference, manufacturing scarcity into the business model. UTINAM monetizes through three complementary streams: limited-edition collectible sales, monumental installations commissioned by museums, cultural institutions, and government bodies, and immersive workshop experiences for visitors to the Besançon atelier.

Distribution combines owned boutiques in Besançon and Paris with high-prestige third-party channels including the M.A.D. Gallery network (Geneva, Dubai, Taipei), LAB MB&F (Paris, Singapore, Los Angeles), IAMWATCH Singapore, and direct e-commerce. UTINAM also pursues collaborations with peer independent watchmakers and designers (Alain Silberstein, seconde/seconde/, Zago) and has earned industry recognition through GPHG preselection and inclusion in the Grande Exposition du Fabriqué en France at the Élysée Palace. Customer segments are high-net-worth collectors of mechanical art, alongside institutional and public-sector commissioning clients for monumental work.

Name

UTINAM

Legal name

Utinam (Société à responsabilité limitée)

Website

https://utinam.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UTINAM is a French luxury watchmaking manufacture founded in 1993 by Philippe Lebru in Besançon. It produces limited-edition mechanical art clocks, watches, and monumental installations using its patented suspended movement, serving high-net-worth collectors, museums, and cultural institutions globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Mechanical Art Watchmaking

NAICS

Industrial Design Services (541420), Custom Architectural Woodwork and Millwork Manufacturing (337212)

SIC

Watches, Clocks, Clockwork Operated Devices/Parts (3873)

akta.pro primary industry

Complications & Haute Horlogerie (CRAKADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clocks & Desk/Travel Timepieces (CRAKADAI), Luxury Mechanical Watches (CRAKADAA)

Keywords

• Mechanical art clocks
• Luxury watchmaking
• Kinetic art installations
• Contemporary horology
• Limited edition watches

Headquarters

HQ city

Besançon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Limited Edition Mechanical Art Clocks: UTINAM generates primary revenue through the sale of limited-edition mechanical artworks including floor clocks (Hortence, Constence, Lala, Pop Up, KB2, Ballastographe) and wall clocks. Editions typically range from 8 to 88 numbered pieces per model.
2. Limited Edition Watches: Sale of disruptive watch collections including Specimen (3D-printed), Quadripod, and Météorite, produced in limited series.
3. Monumental Installations: Custom monumental clock installations for public and private spaces. The company reported 5 major projects in France, Switzerland, and Qatar projected to increase revenue by at least 30% for 2022-2023.
4. Immersive Workshop Experiences: 'Dans la Peau d'un Horloger' immersive workshop experiences where visitors can assemble mechanical movements or set hands on dials at the manufacture.
5. Collaborative/Unique Art Pieces: Sale of unique collaborative pieces including KB2 (Lebru x Silberstein), Kawaii, Uncatchable (Lebru x seconde/seconde/), and Pop-Up (Lebru x Pablito Zago). Some pieces are one-of-a-kind or limited to 27 editions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UTINAM designs, manufactures, and sells limited-edition mechanical art clocks and watches (typically editions of 8-88 numbered pieces) featuring its patented suspended movement with automatic counterbalancing, plus bespoke monumental kinetic installations for museums, territories, and cultural institutions. The company operates from its Besançon manufacture and serves high-net-worth collectors, museums, and luxury venues worldwide through owned boutiques, e-commerce, and exclusive gallery networks.

Product overview

UTINAM is a French watchmaking manufacture based in Besançon, creating mechanical and kinetic art through three collections: Visionary (BALLASTOGRAPHE, Pop Up, LALA, Hortence, Constence), Disruptive (Specimen, Quadripod, Météorite watches), and Unique (collaborations including Kawaii with Alain Silberstein, KB2, and Pop-Up with Pablito Zago). The company also creates monumental mechanical art installations. Founded in 1993 by Philippe Lebru, UTINAM produces limited-edition clocks and watches with suspended movements, automatic counterbalancing mechanisms, and unique complications, all manufactured in Besançon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UTINAM Grande Horlogerie: Premium mechanical art and clockmaking division of UTINAM, featuring high-complication timepieces.
• UTINAM Manufacture

Products and services

• BALLASTOGRAPHE Grand floor clock (14.5 kg, 119×62.5×20 cm) with regulator complication, retrograde minute, small seconds, suspended balance, and 7-day power reserve; the third-generation UTINAM suspended movement representing the latest evolution of the manufacture's movements. Available in multiple colors, each limited to 88 certified copies.
• Pop Up Murale (Wall) Iconic wall-mounted mechanical artwork (1m20 height) with apparent mechanism and pendulum balance wheel that beats the universal second; available in monochrome and other color finishes.
• Pop Up Debout (Floor) Floor-standing version (2m height) of the iconic Pop Up mechanical artwork, featuring visible mechanism and balance wheel that beats the universal second.
• LALA Romantic, celestial wall clock (1m30 height) that reveals UTINAM's first pendulum movement with automatic counterbalancing; available in stainless steel versions.
• Hortence & Constence Romantic, celestial floor-standing clocks with elegant silhouettes and suspended self-balancing movement; Hortence at 2m20 height and Constence at 1m90 height. The Hortence model was selected for display at the Élysée Palace Grande Exposition du Fabriqué en France in October 2024.
• Specimen Collection Disruptive watch collection where self-winding automatic movement meets additive manufacturing (3D printing), delivering unprecedented metal curves, brutal aesthetics, and original design.
• Quadripod Collection Disruptive watch collection featuring a UFO-like shape, with self-winding automatic movement resting on four sheaths that reinforce its celestial dimension.
• Météorite Collection Watch collection featuring dials made from meteorite fragments dating over 4 billion years, certified with the 'Snake Head' hallmark attesting to highest chronometric quality.
• Kawaii Contemporary Bauhaus-inspired floor standing clock created in collaboration with Alain Silberstein, with suspended automatic counterbalancing movement, apparent mechanism, and balance wheel beating the universal second; available in Original, Black, and White versions.
• KB2 (Kontwaz Bauhaus 2) Floor-standing mechanical clock collaboration between Philippe Lebru and Alain Silberstein, combining Lebru's mechanical art singularity with Bauhaus-inspired design and Silberstein's signature primary colors; features off-center small seconds display; limited to 88 numbered copies; pre-selected for Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève 2022 'Mechanical Clock' category.
• Pop-Up Philippe Lebru x Pablito Zago Unique collaborative Pop-Up clocks with Avignon-based street artist Pablito Zago; each of 12 pieces is unique and numbered, featuring vibrant colors inspired by the artist's travels to Dakar, Marrakech, and Mexico; only 8 available for purchase (others reserved for museum collections and artist proofs).
• SKULL & DAGGER Limited edition floor clock collaboration between Philippe Lebru and Alain Silberstein, produced in a limited series of 27 numbered copies.
• KB2 Black & White Triptyque KB2 Black and White floor standing clocks with regulator, in collaboration with Alain Silberstein; limited to 88 numbered copies each.
• Uncatchable Clock collaboration with Romaric André (seconde/seconde/) where the pendulum is transformed into a moving red and white target surrounded by darts that have missed their mark, playing on the concept of time flying away; limited to 27 numbered copies.
• La Marche du Lion Monumental mechanical art installation commissioned by Territoire de Belfort to celebrate the bicentenary of Aristide Denfer Rochereau ('Lion de Belfort'); a life-size lion fully mechanized and activated by a winding key, allowing visitors to bring it to life.
• Une Mémoire du Lieu (Saline Royale Installation) Permanent installation of 10 UTINAM time machines at the Saline Royale d'Arc-et-Senans (UNESCO World Heritage site), combining mechanical art, horological precision, and an immersive audiovisual journey retracing over 125 years of the site's history.
• La Grande Horlo Monumental clock installation at Lycée Jules Haag (formerly École Nationale d'Horlogerie) celebrating the 160th anniversary of the École Nationale d'Horlogerie de Besançon; features a unique chaotic pendulum, 14 meters high and 50 meters long.
• Dans la Peau d'un Horloger (Immersive Workshop Experience) Immersive workshop experience ('Dans la Peau d'un Horloger') offered at the Besançon manufacture, allowing visitors to assemble mechanical movements or set hands on dials for a hands-on horological experience; price available upon reservation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50%+ of KB2 88-piece edition sold within 18 months to international collectors
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Élysée Palace / Grande Exposition du Fabriqué en FranceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024UTINAM's Hortence clock was selected for display at the Élysée Palace during the Grande Exposition du Fabriqué en France, October 26-27, 2024. This national recognition celebrates French manufacturing excellence.
• Territoire de BelfortcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Commission to create 'The March of the Lion' mechanical art installation for the bicentenary of Aristide Denfer Rochereau (the Lion of Belfort). The life-size, fully mechanical lion will be unveiled January 11, 2023, allowing visitors to bring it to life with a winding key.
• Lycée Jules Haag / École Nationale d'Horlogerie de BesançoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023UTINAM is creating 'La Grande Horlo,' a monumental installation 14 meters high and 50 meters long with a chaotic pendulum, to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the École Nationale d'Horlogerie of Besançon. The installation will be housed in the famous 'Horlo' building.
• M.A.D. GallerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022M.A.D. (Mechanical Art Devices) Gallery, founded by Max Büsser in 2011, serves as a primary distribution partner for UTINAM in Geneva, Dubai, and Taipei. The gallery specializes in kinetic art, mechanical art devices, and horological machines. UTINAM's KB2 and Ballastographe are featured exclusively at these locations.
• LAB MB&FcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022LAB MB&F galleries in Paris, Singapore, and Los Angeles distribute UTINAM mechanical artworks. These locations, associated with the MB&F (Maximilian Büsser & Friends) brand, serve as key retail points for UTINAM's limited editions.
• Pablito ZagominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration with Avignon-based street artist Pablito Zago producing limited Pop-Up clock editions. Twelve unique pieces were created, with eight available for sale, two destined for museums, and two remaining as artist proofs. Pablito Zago draws inspiration from travels to Dakar, Marrakech, and Mexico.
• seconde/seconde/minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration with Romaric André (seconde/seconde/) producing the 'Uncatchable' clock (2025). The piece plays with the concept of 'time flying away,' featuring a balance wheel transformed into a moving red and white target, surrounded by darts that have missed their mark.
• Saline Royale d'Arc-et-SenansflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022UTINAM created 10 mechanical time machines for the 'Une Mémoire du Lieu' installation at the Saline Royale, a UNESCO World Heritage site. After over 2,000 hours of work involving more than a dozen clockmakers, the installation was unveiled March 25, 2022. The project retraces 125+ years of the saline's history.
• Compagnons de MouchardminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Wood craftsmanship specialists who created the solid wood casings for the Saline Royale time machines. Represents the excellence of Jura region artisanal traditions complementing UTINAM's mechanical expertise.
• Alain SilbersteinflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaboration between Philippe Lebru and Alain Silberstein, two master watchmakers from Besançon. Produces the KB2 (Kontwaz Bauhaus 2) and Kawaii collections. The KB2 combines Lebru's mechanical art innovations with Silberstein's Bauhaus-inspired design and signature primary colors. Editions of 88 numbered pieces.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DeWitt: Independent luxury watch manufacture producing mechanical timepieces with proprietary movements and architectural aesthetics; comparable small-batch artisanal production and founder-led positioning.
• Vianney Halter: French independent avant-garde watchmaker producing futuristic, science-fiction-inspired haute horlogerie pieces in tiny editions; shares UTINAM's French independent heritage, founder-led design ethos, and ultra-low-volume model.
• MB&F (Maximilian Büsser & Friends): Independent Swiss avant-garde watchmaker producing limited-edition horological machines; the closest structural parallel to UTINAM and already its distribution partner via LAB MB&F galleries. Both operate small ateliers, founder-led artistic visions, and target elite collectors through event-driven GTM.
• Urwerk: Independent Swiss haute horlogerie brand producing avant-garde mechanical wristwatches with unconventional time displays; comparable founder-driven, low-volume, design-led approach and similar indie collector distribution channels.
• F.P. Journe: Independent haute horlogerie manufacture with patented innovations, limited annual production, and artisanal Besançon-style craftsmanship ethos; shares UTINAM's small-scale, founder-led, patent-anchored positioning in independent mechanical watchmaking.
• L'Epée 1839: Swiss luxury clock manufacture specializing in high-end table clocks and kinetic art timepieces with limited editions; directly comparable to UTINAM's Visionary and monumental clock lines in category, craftsmanship, and price tier.
• H. Moser & Cie. Independent Swiss haute horlogerie brand producing limited mechanical watches with proprietary movements; comparable through small-batch artisanal production, complication expertise, and collector-focused distribution.
• Hautlence: Independent Swiss haute horlogerie brand with avant-garde jumping-hour displays and small-batch production; comparable in low-volume artisanal model, distinctive complication set, and collector-driven distribution.
• Konstantin Chaykin: Independent Russian haute horlogerie brand producing avant-garde mechanical watches with proprietary complications and small annual output; comparable founder-led, low-volume, complication-forward approach in indie haute horlogerie.

Emerging players

• Alain Silberstein: French artistic watchmaker known for Bauhaus-inspired, primary-color designs; UTINAM's direct collaboration partner on KB2, Kawaii, and Skull & Dagger editions — comparable design language, niche collector base, and limited-edition model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/utinambesancon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UTINAM