Keeping Time S8, E05: Olivier Gaud, CEO TAOS Watches

TAOS Watches was unveiled to the world, somewhat discreetly, at the Beau Rivage hotel in Geneve, during this year's Watches & Wonders.

After being approached in the Beau-Rivage hotel hallway by Fei Meillat, the co-founder of Krayon Watches, Jeremy Oster was told that there was something very special to see and discover: the incredible TAOS watches. Knowing the phenomenal quality of Krayon watches, this was clearly going to be something very special if Fei was impressed. What a wonderful discovery this proved to be! The new independent watch manufacture brings to life the vision of CEO Oliver Gaud with the creativity and ingenuity of Olivier and Dominique Vaucher, renowned dial artists of Atelier Olivier Vaucher. The Métiers d'Arts workshop, located in Genève, boasts more than 40 years of know-how and expertise in over 15 distinct crafts ranging from enameling to engraving and the beautiful art of paillonné, as well as hand-painted mother-of-pearl and many other decorations that are found at the pinnacle of Haute Horlogerie.

Olivier Gaud presented a clear vision to his partners for an extraordinary collaboration. The few, rare watches produced each embrace an extraordinary artistic vision, both on the movement and the dial. TAOS creates only Unique Pieces that are stunning conversation pieces with a level of artistry that is a joy to discover and will undoubtedly be cherished, museum-quality collector pieces. 

Join us as Doug and Jeremy interrupt Olivier Gaud's summer vacation for an incredible deep-dive into the true meaning of Métiers d'Art and the depth of talent and skills employed to create the TAOS Watches masterpieces. Listen in as we hear the story behind the brand. We then discuss the approach and art-forms employed to create each of the 7 incredible pieces produced to date by TAOS Watches . We explore and discover the techniques employed, the challenges and attempt to understand how such impressive works of art are brought to life. We discuss every aspect of watchmaking including the partners selected for the manufacture of the cases and the special movement which serves as a canvas for the unique talents of Atelier Olivier Vaucher.

We hope that you enjoy learning about the rarest of the horological arts as much as we enjoy engaging with the most creative talents in the industry. TAOS Watches is creating truly special works of horological art. We are so thrilled that Olivier took the time to join us on Keeping Time to discuss TAOS Watches. As always, thank you for downloading and enjoying Keeping Time podcast. You are the reason that we do what we do. Visit the Oster Jewelers blog for photos and more Keeping Time with Oster Watches podcasts.