Atelier Jalaper uses the bonnet of an authenticated Aston Martin DB5 to craft stand-out timepieces.
Founded by young and passionate entrepreneurs, Simon Szleper and Louis Jalaber, Atelier Jalaper is the latest luxury watch brand to launch in the UK, giving consumers a chance to wear a legend on their wrist. The goal behind these stunning timepieces is to subtly evoke the emotions inspired by the world-renowned automobile, perhaps one of the most iconic cars ever created, both in the UK and worldwide.
The Aston Martin DB5 was manufactured for just three years, back in the 1960s, with less than 1,100 ever made (until production restarted in 2020), inspiring Simon and Louis to take this legendary status and, over the span of two years, craft watches worthy of the same prestige.
The founders’ aim was to unite the innovation and sophistication of their two favourite things; classic cars, and luxury timepieces, meaning every Atelier Jalaper watch is crafted using metal from the bonnet of an authenticated Aston Martin DB5, which is a visible part of the eye-catching design.
After years of research, design and finding the right partners (plus of course an Aston Martin DB5 itself!) to bring their dream timepiece to life, Atelier Jalaper launched in France and Belgium in 2019. A 30 day kickstarter campaign for the project raised €125,000, and since then, whilst focusing on the French and Belgian markets, the brand has proved popular amongst watch lovers across the globe, including the US, Australia, Japan and most recently the UK.
The pair collaborated with Constantin Sohier, a talented industrial designer, with past experience in the luxury world, including with Land Rover and Jaguar. He incorporated references to the DB5 throughout, including guilloche at 6 and 12 o’clock in the shade of the car’s iconic front grill, and indexes inspired by the DB5’s speedometer.
The AJ001 retails for €800 in silver and €880 in black, whilst the AJ002 is available for €1080 in silver and €1150 in black. The collection is available to purchase from the Atelier Jalaper website, along with further details on the brand: https://atelierjalaper.com/