Today, I would like to talk about a brand that combines Swiss craftsmanship with a singular design language. If I say Los Angeles, F.P. Journe and eternity, you will have recognized Havid Nagan. Before presenting its latest model, I would like to look back at the journey of its founder and creative director, Aren Bazerkanian, whom nothing seemed to predestine to such a rapid rise.
Aren Bazerkanian was born and raised in the United States. Coming from an Armenian middle-class family, Aren Bazerkanian had always been interested in art and design from a very young age, spending his time drawing and doing something creative. Kaleidoscopic imagery and graffiti art helped shape his world. Yet, as he did not come from a family of watchmakers or jewelers and knew nothing of this universe, Aren Bazerkanian, after completing his studies and earning his university degree, began working in real estate and mortgage lending.
He started becoming interested in watches at around 20 years old, with the famous brands that need no introduction, namely Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. As an aside, his father wore a Tabbah watch, but he had not even noticed it until he began researching watches. It was a song by his favorite artist, played on repeat in his car, that in some way changed his destiny. In that song, the name Franck Muller was shouted out. It was after looking it up online that Aren Bazerkanian discovered a new universe that he decided to explore wholeheartedly. It truly opened his mind to what watches could be, freed from society’s standards and shaped by atypical designs.
He discovered independent brands and watchmakers by watching the early videos of Tim Mosso and Andrew Morgan. Then, as his interest kept growing stronger by the day, his wife gave him tickets for the WatchTime event in Los Angeles for his birthday, where his favorite brand, F.P. Journe, was exhibiting. After discovering brands such as De Bethune, Romain Gauthier and Urwerk, he went to the F.P. Journe stand and introduced himself to Pierre Halimi, the brand’s managing director. After a conversation, Pierre Halimi gave him his card and two months later, he interviewed with Laurent Journe to become Boutique Manager of the Los Angeles boutique.
At F.P. Journe, he learned every aspect of watchmaking, from logistics to operations and CRM, all the way to building a trusted network with collectors. During his spare time, an idea began to grow: creating his own brand. Working on designs and looking for funding, it took him nearly two years to establish contacts with manufactures in order to produce the first prototype of the HN00. Enriched by this experience at F.P. Journe, he stayed there for three years before launching his own vision of watchmaking with Havid Nagan in 2022. He was dreaming of something that did not exist, paradoxical watches with architectural forms.
As for the name, he decided not to give the brand his own because he is not a watchmaker. He wanted to create something lasting, which is why he chose words meaning eternity in Armenian, “havidenagan.” The flower-shaped logo is also a symbol found in ancient engravings throughout Armenian history. His primary mission with this brand is to create a link between watch enthusiasts, those who appreciate the dynamism of the brand, the community that supports it, and atypical designs, while making watchmaking more accessible to a broader audience of collectors.
It is within this approach that, alongside his career first at Louis Vuitton and then within high-end ready-to-wear brands, he launched three models. He succeeded in creating a strong sense of belonging to a community and a genuine closeness with the brand’s collectors. The brand began with the inaugural HN00 series, a cushion-shaped titanium watch fitted with a guilloché dial and powered by a Schwarz-Etienne micro-rotor movement. Then came the HN01 Lucine, where things did not go as planned. According to Aren Bazerkanian, production proved problematic. Strengthened by that experience, Havid Nagan entered a new phase. Supported by new manufacturing partners and built around a clearly defined établisseur concept with Guillaume Tetu and his company GLS2F, the brand launched a new watch: the Havid Nagan Classic One. This traditional system consists, for an établisseur, of relying on local artisans specialized in producing specific components and assembling the finished product in-house.
The idea for the Classic One came to Aren Bazerkanian during a trip to Dubai, where he was visiting his partner, Perpétuel Gallery. In the showroom of Hamdan Al Hudaidi, founder of Perpétuel Gallery, in front of a table displaying watches ranging from Philippe Dufour to Baltic, Aren Bazerkanian was struck by the purity of the lines and the perfect proportions of a rose gold Patek Philippe 96. Aren Bazerkanian began designing what would become the Classic One as soon as he returned from that trip. The Classic One features a resolutely modern dial and a case with harmonious lines, with elongated lugs and ideal dimensions. Now, let us move on to the presentation of this watch.
Table of Contents – Havid Nagan Classic One
What are the features of the Havid Nagan Classic One?
Case
The Havid Nagan Classic One is the first model from the brand to feature a round case. Made of 316L stainless steel, this complex case composed of 29 parts has ideally classic proportions: a 38 mm diameter, a 9 mm thickness, and a 47 mm lug to lug measurement. With a highly worked look, the 5 ATM water resistant case conveys no sense of fragility and evokes the tactile feeling of neo vintage wristwatches. The case and bezel display a stepped architecture with polished and brushed finishes, which adds an extra touch of dynamism.
This construction reminds me of vintage creations from Parmigiani Fleurier, especially the Toric case. What I preferred about this case is of course its wearability and its discreet prima bord character. That was before taking into account the unique lugs, long, slender, and highly sculptural, which changed my perception of this case. They are enhanced by partially concave polished sides and reflect real thought and artisanal work. Although they catch the eye, they harmonize perfectly with the other components. I liked slightly less the polished areas of the case, which, due to the inclination of the surfaces, create a great deal of reflection from the objects around us.
Dial
The Havid Nagan Classic One is adorned with a timeless dial made by Cadranor in order to create a universe that is both dynamic and multilayered, while maintaining maximum refinement. The black central section is composed of a finely grained galvanized traditional brass piece, displaying a subtle gradient and applied diamond cut, faceted hour markers. The lower section, also in brass, is decorated with a glossy “Clous de Paris” guilloché pattern whose pyramid tops are truncated. Finally, a transparent sapphire disc, on which the applied cabochon minute track is fixed and whose quarters are highlighted, extends from the central section to the inside of the case. The print therefore seems to float 0.2 mm above the guilloché layer.
Time is indicated by two large faceted Alpha hands, with a small seconds display at 6 o’clock. This dial revisits the classical watch with modernity. The beaded minute track, inspired by the Patek Philippe 96, has been modernized and printed on a transparent sapphire ring, framed by two brass discs. Its round design takes up the typical layout of Calatrava watches: baton markers, central hours and minutes, and small seconds at 6 o’clock. Although its appearance is traditional, this watch also integrates more contemporary elements. This unique style gives the watch an aesthetic that is both sporty and classical. This dial likes to play with light, projecting the shadow of the minute and seconds track onto the guilloché.
Movement
The Havid Nagan Classic One houses the modified AMT6600 movement. It is worth noting that this movement also powers the Massena LAB Magraph and Raúl Pagès. AMT is a movement manufacture you may not yet be familiar with, but it is the high end custom movement division of Sellita. The project originally began with the intention of using a La Joux-Perret 7380 calibre, but Aren Bazerkanian wanted greater visual depth than what that ultra thin movement could offer.
This hand wound AMT movement, relatively large and extra flat, reuses the gear train calculation, assortment, and kinematic chain of a Valjoux 7750, but benefits from deep modifications. This movement displays a more modern aesthetic, faithful to the brand’s motto: “paradoxical design.” Beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), this COSC certified chronometer movement (accuracy: -4, +6 s/day) features hacking seconds and a modified barrel that provides a strong 62 hour power reserve.
Its design is inspired by an Oval pocket watch created by one of watchmaking’s emblematic figures, Derek Pratt, for Urban Jürgensen. In terms of finishing, this movement is built around contrast. It was deeply modified for Havid Nagan, with a main plate featuring a soft hammered, grained, and 5N red gold galvanized finish, a decoration deliberately aged in appearance. In addition, the bridges have been skeletonized, coated in ruthenium, and finished with hand applied anglage. One should also note the sunray finished ratchet wheels and crown wheel, as well as the beautiful polished screws. This stripped down movement design gives it a resolutely contemporary look, both technical and highly sculptural.
Strap
The Havid Nagan Classic One is presented here with a very comfortable alligator strap, custom made by the Maison Jean Rousseau. On request, an alternative textile strap is also offered. It is then up to the client to personalize the strap color according to their preferences. All straps are secured by a highly original and fully polished 316L stainless steel buckle.
What is the price of the Havid Nagan Classic One?
The Havid Nagan Classic One is offered in a non-limited edition at a price of $9,000 (excluding VAT). At this price point, I find that this watch offers a great deal for those who wish to acquire a first piece of independent watchmaking.
Havid Nagan Classic One: a dress watch reimagined in a contemporary way
The Havid Nagan Classic One is the brand’s first round watch, and it reinterprets the original DNA of its earlier models. You can clearly see a stylistic language of shapes and curves that is distinctly atypical and rooted in Aren Bazerkanian’s creativity. The Classic One represents an interesting evolution for Havid Nagan. Very different from its previous watches, it nevertheless succeeds in translating its vision of a traditional aesthetic into a resolutely modern style.
I really liked this watch, which I found very compelling for what is, at its core, a simple dress watch. It obviously takes up all the codes we expect from a dress watch, but it also includes all the small touches from the brand that make this piece a success. That said, I am personally more drawn to Havid Nagan’s half-round, half-cushion shaped creations, which seem to come from the future.
You will not be surprised to learn that Aren Bazerkanian does not seem to want to focus indefinitely on the Classic One and the HN02. When I asked him about his plans for the brand, he surprised me by sharing a multi-year strategy stretching over more than a decade. Once again, that level of confidence is truly impressive. More precisely, he seems to have clarified his vision for the future of Havid Nagan, and it goes without saying that this is a very good thing.
He recently made a decision that will fundamentally change the company’s dynamic. At first, he believed that positioning Havid Nagan in the mid-range segment was the best solution, offering collectors with more modest budgets a model to aspire to, while giving collectors with higher budgets an interesting addition to their collection. However, he believes the result is that he is asking collectors with smaller budgets to aim higher, and those with larger budgets to aim lower. To find a fair balance, Aren Bazerkanian plans to offer watches at two distinct price levels, in the same way as brands such as Ming and Atelier Wen.
He plans to launch a new diffusion line soon, called Origins, with an exploration of Super-LumiNova. Within it, there will be an entry-level piece around $5,000 to $6,000, offering exceptional value for money with Sellita or La Joux-Perret movements, as well as a new limited edition with high-end finishing, complications, and more, around $20,000. For him, this brand is a difficult journey, but an immensely rewarding one. I wish Aren Bazerkanian every success, because he deserves it. The watches offered are coherent, highly original, and backed by a long-term vision. Bravo to him, and I hope I will have the opportunity to meet Aren Bazerkanian again soon, whom I had the chance to meet in Dubai, the city of miracles.
Havid Nagan Classic One – Watch Specifications
- Brand: Havid Nagan
- Model: Classic One
- Case Material: Stainless Steel
- Dial: Fine textured finish center, diamond-cut and faceted applied indices, applied minutes track on sapphire ring, underlying Clous de Paris tronqué guilloche
- Functions: Hours, Minutes, Small Seconds
- Movement: AMT6600, Manual-Winding, 28’800vph frequency (4Hz) and 21 jewels
- Power Reserve: 62 Hours
- Water Resistance: 5 ATM
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Caseback: Sapphire
- Case Dimension: 38 mm (Diameter) × 9 mm (Thickness)
- Strap: Custom Jean Rousseau Strap with Stainless Steel Pin Buckle
- Retail Price: 9 000 $ (excluding VAT)
Did you already know the Havid Nagan brand? Do you appreciate this type of watchmaking, bringing together atypical design ideas produced by established players in the industry? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
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For more information about Havid Nagan, click here.
