Spend some time chatting with Thomas and Baptiste, the co-founders of Auteur, and modern architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe will inevitably come up in the conversation. It’s clear that they are firm believers of the modernist ethic “less is more”.

The Circles collection features a watch case structured of four circles that each symbolises a social element: family, friends, community and society. The case is also clearly inspired by the appearance of the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The watch’s outline is a perfect circle without any lug or crown. The time is set at the back of the watch by pressing the tongue of the strap buckle onto the tiny button at the centre of the case back. Another Auteur collection, Revolution, is outlined by a solid walnut wood bezel, adding a soft and natural feel. Most of the collections from Auteur are designed in minimalist style with just the index markers on the dial – they don’t even include the seconds hand. While the watches are equipped with either a Swiss ETA or Japan-made Miyota quartz movement, the accuracy of the watches are not the primary selling point. The founders of Auteur would like you to rather take your time to appreciate the beautiful design.

Both Thomas and Baptiste are from France and now living in Hong Kong. Thomas previously worked in creative and design roles in international brands such as Chanel, Cartier and Louis Vuitton, while Baptiste has been the chief buyer of local lifestyle store Kapok for six years. With Thomas’s international exposure and vision and Baptiste’s extensive retail and marketing experience, Auteur has quickly grabbed the attention of New York MoMa Design Store, for which the Frenchmen have designed an exclusive edition for. It is worth mentioning that while Swiss or Japanese movements and parts from various countries are used on Auteur watches, the assembly process takes place in Hong Kong.