If independent watchmaking had a poet laureate, it might just be Vianney Halter. The French master watchmaker made his name in the late 1990s with the Antiqua, a steampunk-inspired perpetual calendar that looked like it was a piece taken off Captain Nemo’s Nautilus. A graduate of the Paris watchmaking school, Halter honed his skills restoring 18th- and 19th-century timepieces before turning his imagination loose on his own creations. His bold aesthetic and technical ingenuity earned him acclaim, including the 2011 Prix Gaïa and the 2013 GPHG Innovation Prize. So, if you’re new here, consider this your introduction. What you need to know is that Vianney Halter is among the watchmakers who redefined “independent” long before it was cool, a man whose watches are as much mechanical odysseys as they are, well, watches defined on his own terms.
So when William Massena, founder of Massena LAB, joined forces with Vianney Halter, the result is rarely conventional. Their new collaboration, Old Soul, is a wristwatch that looks backward and forward at once: powered by a century-old Minerva movement, wrapped in Halter’s signature steampunk-inspired design language, and layered with Massena’s historical touchpoints.
Vianney Halter
The movement in question is from a stockpile of vintage Minerva 17’22 calibers, pocket watch movements originally designed in the 1920s and produced until 1942. Massena and Halter reimagined these rediscovered relics for present day, modifying them with a transparent minute disc to create a “mystery” dial complication. This marks the first time a vintage Minerva movement has been used in this way. Hand-finished with Côtes de Genève, anglage, and black polish, the caliber beats at a stately 18,000 vibrations per hour, carrying the rhythm of its pocket watch past into a new age.
Arabic numerals in Halter’s distinct typeface nod to tradition, while chemin de fer railroad tracks echo late 19th- and early 20th-century design. Hours, minutes, and seconds each occupy their own registers — hours at three o’clock, seconds at nine, minutes on the outer track — gestured by a mysterious blued arrow hand, floating seemingly without connection above the surface, thanks to Halter’s hidden disc system. All of these happen within his hallmark steampunk architecture.
Vianney Halter × Massena LAB “Old Soul”
Minutes are tracked on the outer chapter ring, which is radially brushed and rhodium-plated
The 42mm stainless steel case blends polish and brushed finishing while keeping the watch contemporary. Its stepped lugs ground the design in classical proportions, while the concave bezel flows smoothly into the case profile. Even the crown doubles as a design element — adorned with studs that enhance tactility while mirroring the steampunk motif.
Look closely at the caseback and you’ll find a quote: “Time is the fire in which we burn.” The line is borrowed from poet Delmore Schwartz but entered pop culture lore in the 1994 film Star Trek Generations. The villain Tolian Soran (played by Malcolm McDowell) utters it before facing off with Captain Kirk. Halter, long known for his passion for science fiction (and apparently for Star Trek in particular) makes the reference a personal signature.
At the top of the case, between the lugs is a fine engraving: “Time is the Fire in which we burn,” borrowed from the American poet Delmore Schwartz (1913-1966)
The crown is dotted with functional studs that not only enhance the steampunk aesthetic but also improve tactility
The dial is multilayered dial with notable steampunk influences — a Vianney Halter calling card
This release follows Old School, Massena LAB’s collaboration with watchmaker Luca Soprana. While Old School explored the beginnings of a watchmaker’s craft, Old Soul wrestles with its end: themes of mortality, immortality, and the persistence of mechanical objects beyond human lifespans.
Old Soul is available to order starting August 26, 2025, exclusively via MassenaLAB.com. The watch will also be shown at Geneva Watch Days 2025 beginning September 4, where collectors can book private viewings. Pricing remains available upon request.
Tech Specs: Vianney Halter x Massena Lab Old Soul
Movement: Vintage Minerva caliber 17’22; 36-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; small seconds
Case: 42mm × 12mm; stainless steel; water-resistant to 30m
Dial: Three dimensional, multilayered dial with time in a regulator display
Strap: Midnight blue with tone on tone stitching; stainless steel Massena LAB pin buckle
Availability: Limited to 47 pieces
