(To our readers: the Paperjam editorial team was in Dudelange on Thursday and Friday to meet the political, social and economic players in this municipality of 22,000 inhabitants. This article is part of that “concentrated” approach. We hope you enjoy reading these articles.)

A luxury watch factory in Luxembourg? In Dudelange? In a discreet location, but one that is well known to major watch and art collectors? Yes, it exists. And it’s growing. The idea for Duke Horlogerie was born in 2018 in the mind of Alessio Muller. At the end of 2024, the brand had launched two models, the Duke First Edition and the Duke by Vianney Halter.

These two models featured the hallmarks of the manufacturer: an octagonal case and a tourbillon that floats thanks to an ingenious invisible sapphire bridge system. These two limited-edition models were quickly snapped up and contributed by word of mouth to the brand’s reputation in the small world of watch collectors and art lovers.

New models at the end of the year

As soon as these models were launched on the market, Alessio Muller was already thinking about his next move: a third generation of timepieces with a smaller diameter (41 mm compared to 44 mm) and a thinner profile (10 mm compared to 14.5 mm). In the end, two models will be officially presented at Dubai Watch Week from 19 to 23 November 2025, a key event in the industry to which the manufacturer has been invited.

The first model, “a reinterpretation of the Duke First Edition,” is a self-winding two-hand model with a tourbillon and the distinctive feature of being made entirely of titanium, including the dial. Only the technical parts that do not lend themselves to the use of titanium will be in steel: the barrel spring and the balance-spring. A second three-hand automatic model without tourbillon will also be offered. “This will be a more entry-level model, costing around €50,000 to €60,000, which will enable us to broaden our customer base.”

Teamwork

Launching two models together is an operational challenge for the manufacturer, where until now, with the exception of polishing, only Alessio Muller has been in charge of production. A limited series model production. “This small, exclusive production approach will be maintained. But we will no longer be making limited series. From now on, the only limit will be production capacity.”

That means eight tourbillon models and 18 non-tourbillon models per year, limits which still represent a near tripling of production for the brand. Alessio Muller admits that tripling production has been a major challenge: “You have to learn to work as part of a team.” This team now includes two milling programmers, a materials engineer and a watchmaker in charge of research and development. “They work on machining, which allows me to concentrate on designing the movement and assembling it.”

How do you recruit such specialised people here in Luxembourg? “First of all, you have to find people who are passionate about watchmaking without necessarily having worked in it before. Our two programmer-machinists come from the medical sector. This is a sector where titanium is used, particularly in dentistry. They do the same thing here, but it’s more fun. That’s why they all agreed to join us. Our watchmaker comes from a very large luxury group. There were four watchmakers for the whole group, which included around 20 brands. He felt like just another number in the group, never in the limelight. With us, it’s quite the opposite. When customers visit us, they know who he is and what he does. The challenge is to include them all in the adventure.”

In addition to this ‘technical’ team, there is one person in charge of administration, one in charge of developing the IT tool, and Denis Muller, Alessio’s father, in charge of marketing. All are based in Dudelange and the team is set to grow even further. By the end of 2026, two watchmakers and two polishers will have joined the team, as well as a second sales representative.

One new calibre per year

What can we expect in terms of developing the range? “Our philosophy is to release one new calibre a year over the next five to six years, this year being the exception with two models. And of course, we’ll be adding complications as we go along, such as a perpetual calendar and astronomical complications.” 2026 will also see the launch of a ladies’ watch.

Reducing the size of the case is a market demand. “Our first two models were pre-series made to test the market and see what customers wanted from us. Reducing the diameter of the case and, above all, refining it is something our customers want.”

Discreet visits to Luxembourg

Duke Horlogerie’s customers are mainly located in the Middle East, Asia, North America and South America. “Europe is a slightly more conservative market. A lot of people are already interested in us here, but they will probably wait for the third or fourth model to acquire one of our products,” explains Denis Muller. “Our clientele also includes art collectors who find our watches very interesting in terms of design.”

This is an international clientele that frequently comes to Dudelange to visit the manufactory, or even to request customisation elements for their timepieces. And they also take the opportunity to visit the grand duchy.

Last September, Alessio Muller was awarded the Prix Innovation Artisanat in the design category, organised by the Chambre des métiers and the Société Nationale de Crédit et d'Investissement (SNCI), Luxembourg’s public investment bank.

This article was originally published in .