Guillaume Laidet is one of the key figures behind the modern revivals of Nivada Grenchen and Vulcain, while also co-founding something completely new with SpaceOne.
In this episode of The Micro Collector, Guillaume shares his journey from working at Zenith and Jaeger-LeCoultre to launching his first brand, William L. 1985 — and what he learned when that business went from early success to excess inventory, supplier debt, and having to let his team go.
We get into how those lessons shaped the revival of Nivada Grenchen, what makes a heritage brand worth bringing back, how collector feedback has influenced product decisions, and when a revived brand earns the right to move beyond its archives.
Guillaume also talks about reviving Vulcain, why Excelsior Park proved more difficult, and why he believes independent and microbrand watch companies are gaining ground as the traditional groups continue pushing prices higher.
We then dive into SpaceOne — how it came together with independent watchmaker Théo Auffret, how quickly the brand has grown, and the story of a €1.2 million Kickstarter campaign that effectively disappeared overnight.
We also discuss what’s coming next for Nivada Grenchen, Vulcain, and SpaceOne.
If you enjoy the episode, be sure to subscribe for more conversations with the founders, builders, and operators behind independent and microbrand watch companies.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:27 Meet Guillaume Laidet
02:37 From vintage watches to Zenith and Jaeger-LeCoultre
07:00 Building — and nearly losing — William L. 1985
10:08 The idea to revive Nivada Grenchen
12:06 Why Nivada was a strong revival candidate
14:15 Letting collectors help shape the product
17:48 Reviving Vulcain and the challenge of Excelsior Park
21:08 When does a heritage brand move beyond its archives?
23:16 Is there still room for more watch brand revivals?
24:18 Why independents are gaining ground on the big groups
28:52 How SpaceOne came together
33:16 The €1.2M Kickstarter disaster
38:17 How the crisis tested the SpaceOne partnership
40:00 What comes next for Nivada, Vulcain & SpaceOne
Learn More About Nivada Grenchen
Website: https://nivadagrenchenofficial.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nivadawatches/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NivadaGrenchenOfficial/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nivada.grenchen
Learn More About Vulcain
Website: https://vulcain.ch/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vulcain_watches/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vulcainwatches?_rdc=1&_rdr#
Learn More About SpaceOne
Website: https://spaceonewatches.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spaceonewatches/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArgonWatches
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@spaceone.watches
#nivadagrenchen #vulcain #spaceonewatches #microbrandwatches #independentwatchmaking
