The Man Who Gave The Chronograph Its True Birthday: Jean-Marie Schaller (1960 - 2026)

All of us at The Hour Markers are deeply saddened by the passing of Jean-Marie Schaller, founder and CEO of Les Ateliers Louis Moinet. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Micaela, his wife and children -  Nathanaël and Raphaëlle and to the entire Louis Moinet Family. He passed away at 02:20 in the morning on May 16, 2026, the mirror hour, as it is called in spiritual numerology, a time associated with patience, harmony, and trust in the journey. Those who knew him will find the symbolism fitting. Contemporary watchmaking has lost one of its most original figures, a free and creative spirit with extraordinary energy, firm convictions, and the rare ability to make everyone he worked with feel equally seen.

From Corban to Neuchâtel
Originally from Corban in the Swiss Jura Mountains, Schaller grew up surrounded by the culture of watchmaking, absorbing early on that the people around him were not simply working for a living. They were pursuing a passion. That distinction stayed with him. His early career took him through the industry in various capacities before he began preparing the project that would define him. It began, as he noted with characteristic dry amusement, in a home laboratory next to the kitchen. In 2004, driven by what he described as a true calling, he founded Les Ateliers Louis Moinet in Saint-Blaise, Neuchâtel, to restore the name of the 19th-century French watchmaker, artist, astronomer, and scholar to his rightful place in the horological pantheon. He had not gone looking for Louis Moinet. As he put it simply: Louis Moinet looked for him.

The Discovery That Rewrote History
For the first eight years, Ateliers Louis Moinet built its reputation quietly through exceptional limited editions, often using rare vintage movements, working in the margins of the independent watchmaking world with a clarity of vision that attracted a devoted collector base. Then, in 2012, everything changed.

During his research into the historical Louis Moinet, Schaller had discovered that Moinet had written, in a book begun in 1848, of creating a Compteur de Tierces, French for a device that counts every sixtieth of a second, that beat at 216,000 vibrations per hour, ten times faster than any watch of its era. Schaller spent years trying to locate the piece. In May 2012, he heard via rumour that it was to come up at a Christie's auction in Geneva, estimated at CHF 3,000 to 5,000, a modest sum for what he already suspected it might be. He started bidding at CHF 9,000. A man behind him kept pace. They went up in increments of CHF 2,000 until Schaller bid CHF 50,000, closed his eyes, and prayed. The hammer came down. He had it. 

What followed was a revelation announced on March 21, 2013, at the Observatoire in Neuchâtel. Expert examination confirmed what Schaller had suspected and what the industry had not believed: the Compteur de Tierces, completed by Louis Moinet in 1816, was the world's first chronograph, five years earlier than the Nicolas Rieussec piece that had held the title for nearly two centuries. The day after the announcement, Wikipedia changed its definition of the chronograph. Market Research Future
The implications extended further still. The Compteur de Tierces beat at 216,000 vibrations per hour, 30 Hz, making it not only the world's first chronograph but the world's first high-frequency stopwatch. It measured sixtieths of a second, making it the most precise measuring instrument of any kind in its era, six times more accurate than the standard of the time. Its reset function, which until then had been attributed to Adolphe Nicole's 1862 patent, had in fact been invented by Moinet half a century earlier.

Mordor Intelligence
Guinness World Records certified the first record in 2016, confirming Louis Moinet as the inventor of the chronograph. In 2021, a second record was awarded: the Compteur de Tierces was officially recognised as the world's first high-frequency stopwatch. Two world records for one pocket watch purchased for CHF 50,000 at an auction where it had been estimated at CHF 5,000. Schaller described the moment of acquisition with characteristic directness in an interview: "Finding this Compteur de Tierces gave us confidence. Of course, we were still vulnerable, but it gave us inner strength and the sense of a mission. Louis Moinet was the inventor of the chronograph, this proved to be a fantastic starting point and opened the door to create the right products. We knew what our mission was." 

What He Built on That Foundation
Armed with the heritage, he created timepieces with a truly distinctive signature: haute horlogerie combining craftsmanship, history, and extraordinary materials. He was a collector of meteorites and cosmic objects for more than twenty years, and his Cosmic Art works took meteorite dials further than any watchmaker had before. His creative vision was inseparable from his human philosophy. He maintained strong ties with artisans, watchmakers, partners, and clients alike, convinced that the creative process had to be a shared adventure. He accorded the same attention and respect to everyone equally. His wife Micaela supported him from the very first days with unwavering commitment. His daughter Raphaëlle stood by his side on ventures that were particularly dear to him. For the past six years, his son Nathanaël worked alongside him at the Ateliers, receiving what Schaller passed on most carefully: his philosophy, his creative vision, and the freedom to write the next chapter with his own sensitivity and talent.

The Story Continues
Nathanaël Schaller continues along the same path today, supported by a team deeply committed to the values that have driven Les Ateliers Louis Moinet for over twenty years. Kurt Kupper, member of the board and acting CEO, contributes his experience to the Ateliers' future ambitions. The foundations, the momentum, and the responsibility to continue what Jean-Marie built remain.
Those who knew him remembered a man who wore the most extraordinary patterned suits, in vivid colours, with a calm that prevented them from ever reading as garish. He was simply true to himself, in a personal, sartorial, and horological way. His enthusiasm and dedication inspired everyone closest to him. As he said of his own work: "My love for fine watchmaking is my greatest and only treasure." The Schaller family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to a charitable organisation of your choice. They also ask that those joining the ceremony honour his love of colour and joy in their choice of attire. The story Jean-Marie Schaller began will continue to be written in the creative spirit he always championed. That, in the end, is the most complete portrait of him anyone could offer.