In Memoriam: John Byrne, Founder of Byrne, Has Passed Away
The relatively new, independent Swiss watch brand announced on May 12 the death of its founder, John Byrne. Together with his wife, Claire Cohen, he had officially launched the brand in 2022.
Byrne is best known for the so-called GyroDial complication: the watch can mechanically change its dial. The four hour markers at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock rotate automatically at midnight or at the push of a button, revealing different designs or numerals. This gives the watch effectively “four faces.”
“As a passionate creator and a truly independent spirit, John belonged to that rare group of watchmaking innovators who did not merely measure time, but sought to imbue it with meaning, character, and soul. Guided by technical mastery, intuition, and a unique creative vision, he possessed the remarkable ability to combine the time-honored traditions of fine watchmaking with a bold foresight into the future,” says the Byrne brand, which will be led by Claire Cohen. “She will uphold the founding values that defined John’s vision: independence, creativity, boldness, freedom of expression, and mechanical excellence.”
Designer and watchmaker John Byrne
John Byrne was fascinated by the world of watches from an early age and was fortunate enough to meet mentors who opened the doors to that world for him. As a specialist in the restoration of both antique and modern timepieces, he could spend days pondering how to breathe new life into a watch—if only to reveal the full mechanical sophistication of the movement to its owner.
As a trained designer, he had an engineer’s uncompromising eye for objects. From the initial concept to the creation of the first Byrne prototype, he devoted himself to every detail—driven by an obsession to create a watch that would surprise, sit elegantly on the wrist, and be perfectly refined.
