The Life And Legacy Of Master Casemaker Jean-Pierre Hagmann

It all starts with an empty shell.

Not unlike the words that you’re reading now, a watch case begins its life as a blank form - sometimes gold, sometimes platinum, but always with some soul and substance. It’s not the movement that first meets the eye, nor the complications that chime the fleeting passage of hours, quarters and minutes. No, the case is the first point of contact - a tangible realization of the many micro-mechanic wonders that get packed in a petite circle that struggles to exceed a diameter of four centimeters. In that metal shell, an exacting standard of artistry and mechanical awe gets drawn not merely with tools, but with emotion, intention, and a legacy of the craft.

Jean-Pierre Hagmann understood this better than anyone.

In a world brutally overrun by machines and mass production, Mr. Hagmann remained a sentinel of the old ways. When he passed away on March 10, 2025, at the age of 85, the world of fine watchmaking lost not just a man, but a philosophy - a humanist approach to horology, forged in flame and finished by hand. In the sentiment of many purists, the wondrous tale of Swiss watchmaking lost a very fine page to the inevitability of finite existence.

In this piece of writing about a man whose hands could bend metal at will, shape the raw into the remarkable, and whose obsession with perfection redefined what a watch and its case could actually be, and as an ardent applauder of his revered craft, I will strive to be the least imperfect in my tribute to the most perfect case maker of all time, and a sworn classic motorbike enthusiast!

The Makings Of A Case Maker

Born in 1940 in Geneva, Switzerland, Jean-Pierre Hagmann was destined for a life in watchmaking. The tender years however, were a challenge. As a young boy, Jean-Pierre had to attend a special school for the hearing impaired. Simultaneously juggling his academics with delivery boy duties, a young Hagmann was already hustling for the good. Later in 1957, he joined an apprenticeship in Geneva at the jeweler Ponti Gennari, which is now the address for the Patek Philippe Museum. For four years, he worked there as a jeweler-goldsmith under the tutelage of master craftsmen, and graduated as one of the best from his class.

After brief stints of employment in Zurich, Mr. Hagmann returned to Geneva to work, for a period of almost a year, at the watch bracelet department at Gay Frères, a renowned manufacturer of chains and watch bracelets.

At this stage, Mr. Hagmann, a serious motorcycle enthusiast, sought employment at a Genevan motorbike dealership. Later in 1971, Jean-Pierre was appointed in charge for the watch case division at Jean-Pierre Ecoffey, which acquired the case maker Georges Croisier. Here he also endeavored to mechanise much of the manual work involving making bracelet or chain links by creating bespoke tooling as well as automated machinery. He did the same for the watch case division as well to introduce better quality and efficiency in the trade.

Before establishing his eponymous case-making workshop in 1984, Mr. Hagmann did brief stints with Stern Création, the renowned dial makers in Geneva. Betting his pension to acquire the right equipment and finding a suitable place to establish his workshop, Jean-Pierre Hagmann finally ‘settled’ in a craft after a phase of professional variety.

A Distinguished Maker Of Watch Cases

With the establishment of his own workshop in Geneva, Jean-Pierre Hagmann swore a commitment to his own exacting standards, unfettered by the pressures or compromises of larger corporate structures. Hagmann’s philosophy was simple yet profoundly impactful, as he remarked, “I believe anything complicated is unnecessary, and everything necessary is simple - proportional to the problems to be solved.”

Mr. Hagmann’s first customer was Svend Andersen, for whom he accomplished a high volume of works. Alongside serving Andersen Genève, he undertook works of other independents such as Roger Dubuis, Frank Muller and Rexhep Rexhepi. Jean-Pierre Hagmann also supplied cases to prominent brands including Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Breitling, Blancpain, Longines, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Gerald Genta, Omega, Breguet, and later, Akrivia.

While the extent of Mr. Hagmann’s clientele is vast, his most significant and long-standing partnership was with Patek Philippe. For the Genevan Manufacture, he supplied cases for both wristwatch and pocket watch grand complications. The chief of all creations remains to be the Patek Philippe Star Caliber 2000.

While the Star Caliber 2000 is a monumental creation emanating from Mr. Hagmann’s partnership with Patek Philippe, his impact is literally resonant in the minute repeater cases for the Ref. 3974, Ref. 3979, and Ref. 5029. Among the non-repeater JHP-signed Patek Philippe cases he conceived, notable is the Ref. 3448 and some cases for early Ref. 3970 examples.

In 2016, when Vacheron Constantin acquired his workshop, Jean-Pierre Hagmann stayed on, not as a contractor, but as a mentor to young artisans. Post his tenure as a tutor, he went into retirement, but temporarily.

The Case Is Never Closed

It’s easy to speak of Mr. Hagmann in terms of achievements. But to reduce him to a list of clients and creations would be to miss the point. Jean-Pierre Hagmann stood for something deeper - a philosophy of human-scale craft in an industrial age. As a man of quiet dignity and distinctive character, Mr. Hagmann commanded immense reverence. In recognition of his monumental contributions, Jean-Pierre Hagmann was awarded the ‘Prix Gaïa’ in the Artisanat et Création category by the MIH - International Museum of Horology. He was also awarded the ‘Special Jury Prize’ at the 24th Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève in 2024, an accolade honoring his life’s work.