The spirit of the craftsman engraved in time
Exceptional know-how
RBaptiste: High watchmaking and exceptional hand engraving in Belgium. Independent designer and master engraver, I shape in Verviers unique timepieces and collector's pieces entirely chiseled with a chisel.
Roland Baptiste is not just a watch creator.
Always driven by a deep passion for watchmaking, mechanics and crafts,
he became one of the last master chisel engravers to devote his art to exceptional watchmaking.
Coming from the world of fine armory and precision work, it perpetuates ancient gestures where each line is engraved by hand, slowly, in the material.
In his workshop in Verviers, each piece comes to life around Swiss reference movements, transformed by engraving, artisanal finishes and the craftsman's gaze.
Some creations are born from his personal universe. Others begin with a story, a symbol, a memory or an emotion entrusted by their future owner.
Each watch then becomes a deeply singular piece, designed to cross time as much as to measure it.
Dozens, sometimes hundreds of hours can be devoted to a single creation.
Because what we acquire at Roland Baptiste is not only a watch, but also a story, a fragment of inheritance and the unique trace of a know-how that time is gradually disappearing.
THE COLLECTION
Six models, one hand.
Each RBaptiste watch is engraved by hand, in the workshop of Verviers, according to a tradition from the Liège armory.
The work requires several days of chisel, and each piece remains, by nature, unique.
The collection brings together six creations built around the same principle:
A 316L stainless steel case, a Swiss movement with a high watchmaking finish, and a fully hand-engraved build.
The prices indicated correspond to the collector’s items.
Any order is subject to a prior dialogue with the workshop a! N to adapt the pattern, finish and details to the future owner.
The six creations
Each model has its temperament: the purity of the Leopold, the audacity of the
Offset dial, the a#rmé character of the Marquis and the Viscount.
Six faces, only one signature.
Full surface engraved square, visible and decorated movement,
Possibility of manual engraving of the bridges as an option.
Price on request
A freer, more contemporary writing. The pattern runs on the
Build in a design freed from
Classic codes.
Price on request
Disaligned dial, current engraving on the outside of the frame.
A singular reading of time.
Price on request
More discreet format for the same offset architecture.
Refined presence, for thin wrists or
Lovers of tight proportions.
Price on request
Affirmed elegance, structured lines, wrist presence.
For those who like the watch to tell something clear.
Price on request
Character confirmed by these wider forms.
More opulent horns, rounded lines.
Price on request
THE FINISHES
Six cases, two finishes.
The idea is to present these two finishes not as price options, but as two different artistic intentions based on your 6 architectures (Léopold, Voltaire, Marquis, Vicomte, Audace 34 and 40).
Finition “SIGNATURE“
Here, steel becomes my canvas. The Signature Finish is based exclusively on the work of the chisel and the shop.
It is the art of sculpting matter by withdrawal, of creating contrasts of shadow and light by the sole force of the gesture.
Volutes of acanth leaves, Art Nouveau motifs or heraldic coats of arms: each chisel stroke is a definitive imprint of my know-how on the case.
Finition “MAITRE GRAVEUR“
Beyond engraving, this finish is the culmination of my legacy as an art craftsman.
As a Master Engraver, I practice the inlay of precious metals – damasking – where solid gold threads are struck in the steel to emphasize a pattern or contour.
Enhanced by diamond setting, this finish transforms your watch into a piece of High Watchmaking of absolute complexity.
TAILOR-MADE PROJECT: ABSOLUTE EXCLUSIVITY
Beyond our collection, each watch can become the support of a totally new creation.
Custom-made at RBaptiste is not a simple option, it is a dialogue between the future owner and the workbench.
Freedom of Reason: From one of our 6 architectures, we study any specific project (heraldic coat of arms, animal themes, contemporary motifs) on the basis of a previous drawing.
Personal Support: Roland Baptiste accompanies you personally in the definition of your project, from the first sketch to the last chisel stroke.
From Idea to Object: Each request is the subject of a precise estimate after studying the complexity of the engraving and the desired materials.
Does a play speak to you or does a project animate you?
Initial exchange by message or phone.
Possibility of meeting at the workshop of Verviers (Belgium) to refine the details.
Price: From €500 for the study and creation of a personalized original drawing.
Explore time with elegance, discover our watch collections and find the one that will tell your story.
The RBaptiste universe in images on Instagram.
To go further, dive into the heart of my journey told in a printed book<br> 120 pages, French and English text, A4 format
A story of passion and reinvention.
“I didn’t want to engrave objects anymore, I wanted to create stories.”
Story of my transformation, from the craftsman who masters a gesture to the artist who creates a brand.
Through these pages, you will discover how each technical and artistic choice is guided by the desire to tell a unique story on the wrist.
This book is for those who love crafts, watchmaking and stories of passion. It celebrates evolution, creativity and the determination to reinvent itself to bring a vision to life.
