Alain Silberstein brought Bauhaus into modern watchmaking. Trained as an architect, Silberstein founded his Besançon atelier in 1987 and spent two decades producing watches that looked like nothing else on the wrist: primary-colour cases, triangular hour hands, square minute counters, geometric reduction applied with conviction. The independent maison closed in 2012 and the existing references became immediately collectible. Today Silberstein's name continues through limited collaborations — most prominently with MB&F on the LM101 — but the original Besançon-era pieces are the ones the market follows. We hold a small estate selection at Almaz Jewelry in Vienna.
What Defines a Silberstein
The reduction to primary colours (red, blue, yellow) and elementary shapes (circle, square, triangle) gives every Silberstein its instant signature, but the technical foundation is serious watchmaking. Movements are typically Swiss — ETA, Lemania, Frédéric Piguet — sometimes with bespoke complications including tourbillons. The cases are titanium or steel, the dials hand-applied, and the print runs deliberately small. Production rarely exceeded a few hundred pieces per reference.
Why Estate Silberstein
With the original atelier closed, every Silberstein on the market is by definition estate or pre-owned. Three references hold strong collector demand: the Krono Bauhaus chronograph (the brand's most recognisable piece), the Marine collection, and the rare Tourbillon-Calendrier complications. Almaz authenticates each piece against archive reference material and lists only watches whose case, dial, and movement are original to one another.
Is Alain Silberstein still in production? The original Besançon atelier closed in 2012. Silberstein continues to design under his own name in limited collaborations, most notably with MB&F. The classic references are estate-market only.
Are Silberstein movements proprietary? No — the movements are Swiss base calibres (ETA, Lemania, Frédéric Piguet) finished and complicated to Silberstein's specification. Servicing is therefore straightforward through any qualified Swiss-trained watchmaker.
