Far away from the Swiss cradle of horology, in the landlocked Russian republic of Ingushetia, midway between the Caspian and Black seas, a young watchmaker called Rashid Tsoroev can also be allowed to feel pretty pleased with himself.

Self-taught and still only twenty-three years of age, his first year’s production has also just been swept up and sold out, well ahead of any formal launch. It’s a sign of the times in a way, but considering the challenges in his way, and with no formal campaign to promote what he has been doing, it is a very impressive feat.

With independent watchmaking enjoying ever increasing popularity over the past decade, so its tentacles have been spreading around the world, and away from the traditional heartland which has been the seat of all things horologic over the last two centuries. No longer does a brand need to rely on the ‘Swiss made’ moniker as a means of somehow verifying the authenticity, quality and reliability of its watches, and indeed around the world, from France to Holland and on up into Finland and Sweden, in the US, China and Japan, small independent companies are putting down their roots.

While the devastating pandemic lockdown of 2020 has laid waste to at least six months of bricks and mortar commerce, throwing all sorts of plans for launches, growth as well as the established exhibitions into chaos, there has been something of a quiet phenomenon which has occurred among a small number of independent watch brands, which by their very nature, have to exist by a different set of rules to the ubiquitous high street marques.

In the spring months new collections from Ming, Laventure, Czapek and AHCI member Hajime Asaoka, with his offshoot Kurono brand have all completely sold out, and in the cases of Ming, Laventure and Kurono, in the space of a matter of minutes, Czapek taking a few weeks (although at a significantly higher price point to the others). It should be said that all three brands are fundamentally well set up, and little has been left to chance, but still, clearing the shelves is quite the achievement.

The relative prevalence of good watchmaking courses, or indeed dedicated centres of learning has provided an excellent route for many of today’s budding watchmakers, but for Rashid there has been no such luxury as a formal education, and it’s that which makes this true story so noteworthy. His interest in watches, like many, goes back to his childhood, and in the watch his father wore. Aged fifteen, he made a startling discovery that all watches were not made equal while on a visit to a watch seller’s store. Assuming that all watches were manufactured on a fast-moving production line, he was surprised to learn that some were actually made by hand. He also realised that the watches he liked were the ones he could not afford, and that the those he could afford were not to his liking

These discoveries soon led to others, including the existence and career of the patron saint of modern independent watchmaking, George Daniels, and suddenly the young man’s path was determined. Bearing in mind all the time that in Ingushetia he had no access to any formal education, complete with the tools and training in how to use them, he took to studying online and in books, learning from others at a distance about this consuming passion (a word often used in watchmaking, but in this case, what else could you use to describe this kind of obsession - in a teenage boy?).

Buying old watches and taking them down to their component parts is one thing; putting them back together a different kettle of fish altogether, but when necessity becomes the mother of invention, it’s a good way to learn. Like his new found mentor Daniels, Tsoroev’s next step beyond this self-teaching was when he started to accept work in repairing watches, gaining that understanding of mechanical movements and building confidence with every passing day.

By 2018 he embarked on his most ambitious undertaking; to create what he would come to think of as his own ‘school’ watch. Using a tired and inadequate lathe in a relative’s workplace he persevered for almost five months, grappling with the machine to create his own case. as well as a dial, hands and buckle. Soon after, he shared images of his accomplishment on a Russian watch forum, where his watch and his story attracted a lot of favourable feedback and encouragement, and so any doubts about his calling were banished.

Released in 2019, his first customer watch is inspired by the form of an arrow head, and is simply called Arrow. Powered by an ultra-reliable Swiss ETA 6498 manual winding movement, it is a remarkably mature piece, and one in which Tsoroev has demonstrated a keen eye for being able to hit that elusive sweet spot in terms of its design. In other words, it is simple and understated, yet intricate in its minimalist detail throughout.

The flat dial is available with gold or rhodium-silver options, and its surface is finely sandblasted to a matte finish. Around the dial, the indices are like elongated teardrops, whose rounded shape have been polished and flame-coloured to a gorgeous purple-blue, and then applied individually onto the dial. The only other feature on the dial is the brushed steel ring at the six o’clock for the small seconds. Setting it all off are the hour and minute hands, which end in elegant arrow tips. Like the indices, they have been crafted entirely by hand, and have the same colour, which changes between blue and purple, depending on the way they reflect the light. Also the rounded edges complement the hour markers, and all these little details come together to create a strikingly handsome dial.

The stainless steel case measures 42mm across and just 11.2mm tall, and again, the arrow influence can be seen in the lugs. It features upper and lower sapphire crystals, revealing the hand winding mechanism within. Here the watchmaker can offer a choice of undecorated ex-works or premium finishes, with Côtes de Genève stripes and blued screws adding to the overall aesthetic. The balance oscillates at a pedestrian 18’000 vib/h and a single wind will provide 52 hours of power reserve.

In these first editions, Tsoroev has planned five pieces in the gold dial option and five in the silver, and while still to be delivered, all ten pieces have been sold to collectors in advance, a good indicator that without fanfare or much more than social media posts, they have obviously seen something special in the young man’s work.

The successor to the Arrow, or perhaps a new sibling to what will become a collection, is a very different piece indeed and is equally impressive, and highly distinctive with a number of novel details. The first and most obvious feature is a round shield inserted right in the middle of the sapphire glass, which completely dominates the display, and conceals the centre of the dial. This is his Shield watch, and it is inspired by his study of ancient Roman and Greek culture.

This type of motif has been done before, but it’s usually found on the dial itself, or alternatively on the caseback. Seeing as how the shield was always something that was held in front of its owner, the glass was the obvious place to put it, and this gives the watch its most distinctive appearance. It is also unusual in that it is a single hand watch as well, although it is a hand with one large tip at one end, and a smaller tip at the other. The hand protrudes from opposing sides of the shield with the larger tip indicating the hours, but Tsoroev has added a chapter ring around the outer edge of the dial as well, with six ten-minute segments in between each hour marker, so the narrow tail end of the hand can show the minutes with reasonable accuracy too.

Once again, the watch is powered by ETA’s 6498-2 beating at 18’000 vib/h and delivering some 52 hours of power reserve. As with the Arrow, a sapphire caseback reveals the hand winding movement, which is also available with ex-works or premium manufacture finishes.

With the explosion in interest in independent watchmaking over the past two decades, it has been accompanied by a renewed interest in the profession of the artisanal watchmaker, and many fresh young faces have been a welcome sight to an sector of the watch industry which not so long ago was in danger of becoming a forgotten art. Most of these emerging prodigies have devoted themselves to preserving the most traditional of techniques, which are only possible by working by hand, while using state of the art technology to aid with component design and testing. Not having access to the institutionalised education which is available in most Eurtopean countries, and working with only the most rudimentary tools and equipment, and still being able to do what he has done makes Rashid Tsoroev a little bit different to many of his peers, and perhaps closer to his late mentor, and master. Only time will tell.

Like the Arrow, all three first edition Shield models have been sold ahead of delivery, although enquiries are welcome through The Limited Edition in the UK, exclusive worldwide official retailer.

Fact File: Tsoroev Rashid Arrow

MANUFACTURER: Tsoroev Rashid
REFERENCE: Arrow
LIMITED EDITION: Production limited
CASE: Polished stainless steel
CASEBACK: Sapphire crystal
SIZE: ø 42mm
THICKNESS: 11.2mm
DIAL: Gold or rhodium-silver sandblasted
FEATURES: Flame blued hands and indices, small seconds
MOVEMENT: ETA 6498 manual winding, 18’000vib/h
FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes, small seconds
POWER RESERVE: 52 hours
BRACELET/STRAP: Crocodile leather
BUCKLE: Stainless steel buckle
WATERPROOF RATING: 30m
PRICE (Subject to availability): USD$1,550 ex-VAT

Fact File: Tsoroev Rashid Shield

MANUFACTURER: Tsoroev Rashid
REFERENCE: Shield
LIMITED EDITION: Production limited
CASE: Polished stainless steel
CASEBACK: Sapphire crystal
SIZE: ø 44mm
THICKNESS: 11.2mm
DIAL: Blue
FEATURES: Single hand pointer for hours and ten minute indications
MOVEMENT: ETA 6498-2 manual winding, 18’000 vib/h
FUNCTIONS: Hours, ten minutes
POWER RESERVE: 52 hours
BRACELET/STRAP: Crocodile leather
BUCKLE: Stainless steel buckle
WATERPROOF RATING: 30m
PRICE (Subject to availability): USD$2,700 ex-VAT