Yves Saint Blaise: The Jeweller Exeptional

Apr 22

Written By Bas

Wristwatches stand out as highly sought-after treasures, captivating enthusiasts worldwide. With each passing week, a new publication or research unveils a niche aspect of watch collecting, leaving us wondering: what more is there to uncover?

Enter the captivating story of Yves Stolz and his brand, Yves Saint-Blaise, known as 'The Jeweller Exceptional .'

Yves Stolz

Born in 1937, April 8 as the son of the founders of the renowned Swiss brand Angelus. Established in 1891 in Switzerland, Angelus has earned its place as one of the most influential horological manufactures of the last century. Widely celebrated among watchmaking aficionados, Angelus is renowned for its groundbreaking, in-house developed movements and timepieces, coveted by collectors worldwide.

Yves Stolz started his career at Angelus and completing watchmaking school. For the for 75th birthday of Angelus’s he designed a a special clock (1139/82 DOMUS) to commemorate the celebration.

*1139/82 DOMUS (clock on the right) designed by Yves Stolz*

Yves Saint-Blaise

In 1977 he registered his company Yves Saint-Blaise. A brand located in the town of Saint-Blaise in the Neuchâtel canton, Switzerland. Bringing a collection that would be very extensive and complete. Including clocks, watches, jewelry, lighters and object d’art.

Remaining a small firm has enabled Yves Saint-Blaise to make quick decisions, in contrast to larger watchmaking houses where sales, technical, and creative teams often clashed resulting in a compromised product. For Yves, the size of the watchmaker is not the determining factor; rather, it's the delicate balance between realizing ideas and maintaining a close connection to the creative design.

Yves Saint-Blaise's creations are not sourced from existing collections. Instead, every aspect, from cases to dials and bracelets, are crafted to his specifications. This sets his brand apart from others that rely on parts sourced from specialized manufacturers, resulting in collections that often resemble one another.

Bringing a mix of his base collection with elements of haute couture. Where some of his watches would have unique elements to the dials and cases. This allowed him to keep all of the up-to-date techniques in terms of movement and case innovation. Yet delivering a collection to the fashion conscious with a lot of customization for the client.

*Yves Saint-Blaise 1978.*
*The only 100% automatic solid gold lighter in the world.*
*The worlds smallest solid gold revolver*
*Exclusive men’s and women’s watches with diamond set dial, multicolored finish and curvilinear silhouette - unique designs since 1975.*

Yves Saint-Blaise's distinctive approach, blending classical watchmaking with bold designs and haute couture techniques, set him apart in the industry. While his daring designs might not have appealed to conservative watch resellers, they were embraced by more dynamic ones. For example, Yves Saint-Blaise is the first in the world to have commercialized certain techniques, whether it be a particular type of diamond pavé or a dial made of multicolored stones, shapes with the addition of pavés. These innovations were particularly appealing to watch resellers seeking distinctive pieces for their clientele.

Unquestionably, a watch with chiseled stone decorations on the outside of the case and a multi-colored dial, checkered or otherwise, was first at Yves Saint-Blaise (this claim is a direct translation from and interview. If Yves Saint-Blaise really was the first to make multi-colour stone dials or it was only for a particular type of setting is yet to be confirmed).

Another intriguing offering was the opportunity for clients to personalize their watches with their own signature embellished on the dial, adding a bespoke touch to the timepiece.

*Diamond and pavé setting on cases and dials*

*Custom printed dial and custom 3D embossed watch dial.*

Yves Saint-Blaise skillfully balanced classical watchmaking and pioneering design, catering to the tastes of fashion-forward individuals and filling a significant gap in the market. Unlike larger houses, which struggled with or could not deliver customized creations, Yves's willingness to push boundaries made him a sought-after choice for watch resellers seeking unique offerings.

His objectives where: to remain first, to maintain the basic image of a fixed general design, to never lose one's speed to adopt and finally to remain in permanent contact with beauty.

VINTAGE VIEW and Yves Saint Blaise

As a collector of vintage timepieces I didn’t really knew what I bought when I got my first Yves Saint Blaise. Is it a re-branded off-the-shelf watch or was it a quality made exclusive product? Did the brand offer anything that resonated with me? I was clueless.

First off all I Iike to look at a technical and everyday feel when discovering something new.

The watch is housed in a firm solid gold 18k case with great finishing. You can still see the “simple design” of the oval cased watch with the added golden decorative side and diamond set cross/bow like design. The dial lays pretty deep in the case while the case design is pretty high up.

The dial is crafted from onyx gemstone and features a slightly embossed Yves Saint Blaise logo in gold, alongside the Swiss signature.

Further exploration revealed the inner workings—a fully signed and decorated Yves Saint-Blaise ETA 2512-1. A mechanical movement that was used by other brand like Cartier and Bueche Girord in this era. A workhorse caliber that had a high standard in time keeping.

Apart from it being a well made watch it wasn’t necessarily something of the charts but learning how rare and with how much passion this is made had me fall in love with the watch.

I hope that I can bring back the story of Yves Stolz and his brand Yves Saint-Blaise with this article and keep his memory alive.