If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, then the name seconde/seconde/ may have passed you by.
Who or what is a seconde/seconde/? Well, if the truth be told, he’s a man that goes by the name of Romaric Ándre, seconde/seconde/ being his pseudonym. Romaric is a Frenchman with an amazing talent for paronomasia, the art of playing with words and applying that to watches.
He’s now well known for his collaborations with various watch brands, using his wordsmith concepts to come up with some very fresh and unique design ideas.
But this is not where Romaric first entered the Watch playground. It was 2018 when he first came up with the idea of giving vintage watches a unique upgrade, by a simple hand exchange. Swapping the seconds hand with one of his own.
Romaric’s “eureka” moment happened while he was working on a vintage "Champagne dialled Chronograph Suisse." He imagined it with the chrono seconds hand painted in a bright, clean white. In his mind, the contrast was perfect—the crisp white of the second hand standing out against the aged, patinaed dial. That's when he knew he was onto something special.
These aren’t just makeshift hands crafted in a home workshop, though. Romaric sought the finest craftsmanship and partnered with a hand manufacturer in the French Jura, a family-run business that’s been perfecting their craft for over a century, since 1907.
Each hand design is meticulously engineered and produced to exacting standards. The weight, balance, and inertia of the hands must be precisely calculated to avoid damaging the movement. For each calibre, the hand tube’s length and diameter are machined with incredible precision, often within tolerances of +/- 3 microns. There’s no room for guesswork here—Romaric and the manufacturer adhere to this science with unwavering discipline.
Romaric recognises that his work doesn’t cater to the masses, and that’s exactly what he cherishes. He prefers to nurture his distinctive vision away from the mainstream, attracting an audience that finds joy in the quirky and playful nature of his unconventional timepieces.
Through seconde/seconde/ he channels his humour and imagination, infusing the watch industry with a touch of clever satire. In doing so, he forges his own unique trajectory in the world of horology, offering something truly original.
His website seconde/seconde/ proudly announces, ‘I vandalise other people’s products,’ which I’d argue isn’t necessarily the case, it’s more of an enhancement. He’s making his mark and in demand, although he loves to keep proposing ideas to brands and people in the industry who know nothing of him. He feels he “needs to work his furrow” while trying things outside of it, but it’s all about balance.
Romaric has a unique style, often sporting cricket jumpers—a surprising choice for a Frenchman living in Lille. He’s fascinated by their timeless, vintage aesthetic, which inspired his early collections. Interestingly, he's also drawn to the dynamics of both baseball and cricket, particularly the unpredictable nature of the pitches in each sport.
The inspiration for his work comes from the “snooker” metaphor: “That snooker ball constantly colliding with the rest of the pack. A small particle which is desperately trying to find its own voice but is obviously impacted and influenced by many other particles”. He calls this that hybridation.
At times, the imposter syndrome kicks in, so he tricks himself into “You’re not making a new product, you are playing at twisting something already created…hence the wordplay…twisting words/names/logos can sometimes be the initial spark of creativity that leads to a “non-from-scratch creation” but a derivative one.
As far as his own favourite collab is concerned, Romaric states that fundamentally, he has real difficulties in making a hierarchy of things. “In every collab I did, I can extract a personal interest, a challenge, a turning point, or a continuity that consolidates my “creative journey”.
His dream is his obsession, that one day he would have his own name on a watch. Although some way off and maybe unachievable, he constantly procrastinates about this dream so that it remains intact. This contradiction, he loves, keeping the furthest away from something you long for.
His latest drop is the MAD x seconde/seconde/ A "Royal Order" Limited Time-Teller, from big hitter Audemars Piguet, pictured above.
Now with over 36 individual brands and models with the seconde/seconde/ tag, what are my own Top 5?
Best Seconde/Seconde/ Watches
At No. 5, LA Petite Seconde Louis Horror
No. 4, H. Moser & Cie. Minimalist Humour
No.3, Lange The Sun
No. 2, Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase Date
No. 1, Atelier Wen x Wristcheck x seconde/seconde/
I have to admit, I'm a massive fan of seconde/seconde/ and have had the pleasure of chatting with Romaric a few times. I love the creativity he brings to the table, his pieces are thought-provoking and evocative. I’m determined to add one of his pieces to my collection eventually. Ideally, it would be one of his vintage models—if I ever manage to track one down. But if I were to choose my favourite, it would be the Atelier Wen, something about it just resonates with me. Until then, I’m excited to see the delightful chaos he keeps stirring up in the watch world!
Meanwhile, Romaric, que la folie continue...
