Alain SilbersteinAlain Silberstein, a born and bred Parisian, has an unusual background: trained as an interior architect and designer, he became a watch-architect when he created his own watchmaking firm in Besançon at the end of the 1980’s. At a time when the disappearance of mechanical watchmaking was considered inevitable, he joined the ranks of a very special group of Swiss makers who were behind the renaissance of the mechanical watch. In 1986 he received an award at the "Tokyo International Gift Show", anin 1988 he won a prize for his watch commemorating the French Revolution.In his workshop on the banks of the Doubs River, Alain Silberstein, along with his 20 collaborators- among them 6 watchmakers- creates and makes almost 3,000 mechanical watches per year. These are exceptional timekeepers, such as the tourbillon, the perpetual calendar, the sports chronograph watches, the watches with cloisonné dials, as well as jewelry watches. They are also watches that are resolutely contemporary, and that, while designed for everyday wear, are also works of art. The exceptionl finish of the movements can be admired through the transparent case back.All of Alain Silberstein’s collections are produced in limited series. For several years, Alain Silberstein has specialized in setting diamonds in steel. This difficult technique requires exceptional accuracy in both the cutting and setting of the stones. The hardness of a diamond set in steel means that the watch conserves its personality while becoming a genuine piece of sports jewelry. Precious stones can be set in all Alain Silberstein watches upon request. In just a few years, Alain Silbersein has proven that research, innovation and quality can allow a French brand name to take its place alongside the famous Swiss watchmakers.Silberstein chose to open a “concept store” in St-Germain-des-Prés, “his” neighborhood, with its own inimitable jazzy ambiance. This serves all at once as a boutique, a “corner stall”, and a marketing entity. “The future of independents lies in ensuring our own visibility” he declares. In his store, Silberstein displays his new timekeepers as well as certain “collector” pieces that attract enthusiasts of fine mechanical timekeeping from around the world. “These are very specific watches that youcan find only in my boutiques”, he states.Generally speaking, this “architect watchmaker”, or “artist”, as he also defines himself, proposes complications with “useful functions” that people can select. “The calendar, for example, is not necessarily universal to all people”, he clarifies. For this reason, Silberstein makes watches with a double calendar function, one that is classic and the other Hebraic or Gregorian. With the opening of his Parisian store and a second one planned for next year in Milan, Alain Silberstein has set himselthe goal of selling 30% of his timekeepers through his own boutiques.Although he may have found a solution to distributing and displaying his products, the French watch creator is nonetheless quite preoccupied with finding suppliers for his movements. Following the recent spate of acquisitions and mergers over the last few years in the industry, some sources of production have dried up. “I would say that this problem is even more serious than distribution”, he states, “In the end, though, I believe in free market competition, so it is up to me to resolve this prolem. There will always be opportunities for freedom of activity. There will always be distributors who do not want to be dependent on the large groups, who want their own liberty”, he insists.Most importantly perhaps, Silberstein is a man who is pleased with his lot in life. As he says, "true happiness is having one’s passion fora profession."