The HELICE brand belongs to the house of Ruynat Horlogerie, watchmakers.

Our roots lie deep in the fertile ground of French good taste. Here are a few historical facts to put your new watch in perspective.

The House of Ruynat is the scion of an age-old tradition of fine craftsmanship. Its association with the Royal House of France goes back to the 17th century and a lineage of goldsmiths and weavers of delicate textiles that ornamented the palaces of the courts of Europe. A descendant of this tradition, Ruynat Horlogerie was established in 2014, and the Hélice brand of watches is the most recent product of this long history. The French name “hélice” (helix in English) evokes the propeller of sea and air transport, but also refers to certain renowned pieces of the goldsmith’s art.

Salomon Ruynat was a master goldsmith in the 17th century – a period which Louis XIV’s finance minister, Colbert, sought to stamp with the technical expertise and exquisite taste of French culture. He was a maker of ewers and cruets finely decorated with whorls that quickly came to be known as “hélices”.

In the 18th century, his son, Ennemond Ruynat, was granted by the Governor of the Royal Parliament a hall-mark bearing the crown of France above his own initials and an acanthus leaf. This hall-mark signed his admission to the very closed circle of the Royal Companions or Master Guardians surrounding Louis XV.

The House of Ruynat thereafter developed trading relations with India and China, first by sea and then, from the earliest days of aviation, by air..

With its Hélice brand, Ruynat Horlogerie puts French good taste to work. These timepieces suggest unostentatious luxury, in the age-old tradition of our house, combined with the incontestable know-how of the best Swiss clockmakers.

Ruynat Horlogerie is following the trail laid down by Colbert, but accompanied by the finest skills of Switzerland.

Our first series – all in limited editions – are crafted watches, manufactured and assembled one by one by craftsmen, except their inner workings. Their component parts have been selected to ensure total reliability, so that Ruynat Horlogerie has no hesitation in offering a two-year guarantee.