How the Dorigo brothers went from being on the national fencing team to making watches in France
At 22 and 27 years old, Auxence and Clément Dorigo left the sword in the cloakroom to launch their watch brand with the ambition of creating 100% French pieces, certified by the rare hallmark of the Besançon observatory, the Viper's Head.
"Impossible is not French," they used to say. It seems that this may still hold true. The fledgling Atelier Dorigo has just unveiled its first collection, named Accierra. A watch inspired by the world of fencing—what could be more fitting for two brothers, Auxence and Clément, both top-level athletes and former members of the French national fencing team? Their ambition, now realized, is to create the most French watch possible. How? By relying on a network of exceptional artisans spread across France, with Besançon, the historic capital of French watchmaking, as the nerve center of production.
While the hands come from Morteau, the leather straps are crafted in the workshops of Maison Sibra, where each hide is selected, cut, tanned, and hand-stitched. The crowns originate from École-Valentin, and the movement of these watches is produced by France Ébauche, recently relaunched by the owner of the Festina group. The dials are produced in Saulce-sur-Rhône. Finally, it is in Charquemont, at the Herbelin family workshops, that these Atelier Dorigo watches, with their steel cases, as their name suggests, are assembled.
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Thus, each component is machined, cut, polished, or satin-finished by hand, then assembled and inspected by Maison Herbelin. Ultimately, the entire production process—from component to assembly—remains concentrated within a 10 km radius, thereby minimizing transportation and, consequently, the carbon footprint. This commitment to complete transparency inspires confidence: in the watchmaking world, where it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between products from Switzerland, France, or China, here, each partner is clearly identified, each production stage is geolocated, and each component is traceable. Therefore, the purchaser of an Atelier Dorigo watch will know that it truly comes from France, and even from the Jura region, on the French side.
But why stop there? The two brothers decided to take on another challenge: to have each piece certified with the Viper's Head hallmark. This label of quality, reliability, and chronometric precision, created in 1897, is admittedly little used today, given its demanding requirements, its cost, and the rise of its Swiss competitors. Currently, less than 1% of watches produced in France undergo the rigorous testing of the Besançon Observatory. For 16 days, the automatic France Ébauche FE movement of each watch, with its 42-hour power reserve, is tested in various positions and temperature conditions. The tolerances for variation—between -4 and +6 seconds per day—meet the strictest international standards. The Viper's Head hallmark will only be affixed to the watch case if the entire timepiece meets all the technical criteria.
In total, seven different criteria are taken into account: average rate over 24 hours, average rate variation across the five control positions, greatest rate variation between the five control positions, rate difference between horizontal and vertical positions, greatest rate variation among the first ten measurements, temperature behavior (8°, 23°, 38°), and resumption of operation. Each watch that meets all seven criteria will receive a performance certificate.
Offering the same technical specifications for both men's and women's models, the Accierra watch also avoids the pitfalls of simple design: while the vast majority of the market offers round watches, this one boasts a 36mm square, grooved case that is 9mm thick. This size is considered universal, resulting in a deliberately unisex style. Its sandwich dial plays with textures and light, while the signed square crown and engraved screws are another example of the meticulous attention to detail rarely found at this price point. Even the crystal of this 50-meter water-resistant watch is hand-cut.
In terms of movement, the snailed oscillating weight is visible through the transparent case back of both versions, Aurion (day) and Ecliptica (night). These two limited editions of 200 pieces each (100 per model), priced at €3,450, will be delivered at the end of March 2026.
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