Aaron Sarauer Builds Traditional Watchmaking in Saskatoon
The Sarauer Ref. 119C brings traditional watchmaking to a Saskatoon atelier through an offset guilloche dial and the hand-wound SH1. Its reworked Unitas foundation, bespoke regulating parts and tiny annual capacity make workshop authorship central to the watch.
In brief. The Ref. 119C is useful now as a benchmark for geographic independence: Sarauer adapts a proven gear train into a personal movement and makes scarcity a consequence of workshop capacity rather than a marketing number.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
From WOSTEP to a Saskatoon Atelier
Aaron Sarauer trained at WOSTEP, worked in prototype development and founded his company in Saskatoon in 2020. The Ref. 119C case measures 39.5 mm by 10.8 mm with a 48 mm lug span and 100-metre rating.[1] [2]
Aaron Sarauer’s WOSTEP training and prototype experience provide a technical path to the Saskatoon company founded in 2020. Geography matters because the workshop sits outside the established centres, but the stronger evidence of independence is the sequence of design, prototyping and making described by the sources.[1] [2]
Classical Craft With an Offset Display
Its dial combines hand-turned guilloche, handmade applied markers and an offset time display. The SH1 movement starts from the Unitas 6498 gear train but uses a reworked mainplate and new bridges.[3] [4]
The 39.5 mm case frames an offset time display built from hand-turned guilloche and handmade applied markers. A 10.8 mm thickness, 48 mm lug span and 100-metre rating combine classical craft with practical dimensions. The asymmetry gives the dial an identity without requiring a novel indication.[3] [4]
How the SH1 Rebuilds a Unitas Gear Train
The movement adds a bespoke balance, hand-formed Breguet overcoil and an 18-karat gold plaque. The hand-wound SH1 runs at 18,000 vibrations per hour and provides 46 hours of reserve.[5] [6]
The SH1 begins with the Unitas 6498 gear train, then replaces the surrounding architecture with a reworked mainplate and new bridges. A bespoke balance and hand-formed Breguet overcoil deepen the intervention. Independence here is a matter of transformation and control, not pretending the inherited foundation does not exist.[5] [6]
Hand Finishing Without Hiding the Architecture
Production was announced at 29 pieces with capacity of three to six watches per year. The 2023 listed price for steel was USD 29,900 before taxes.[7] [8]
German-silver architecture, the gold plaque and the rebuilt movement create a visible language for the workshop’s labour. The 18,000-vibration rate and 46-hour reserve keep the mechanism traditional. The finishing proposition can be inspected, but no independent chronometric results are available to translate craft into measured precision.[7] [8]
Twenty-Nine Watches at Three to Six a Year
Aaron Sarauer trained at WOSTEP, worked in prototype development and founded his company in Saskatoon in 2020. The Ref. 119C case measures 39.5 mm by 10.8 mm with a 48 mm lug span and 100-metre rating.[1] [2]
The announced 29-piece production and capacity of three to six watches per year make scarcity a workshop consequence. The 2023 steel price of USD 29,900 is historical evidence, not confirmation of current availability. Buyers still need current order, delivery, service and completed-production information.[1] [2]
The Dial Brief view
The project gives collectors a concrete view of what regional independent production means when one maker controls design, prototyping and finishing. Aaron Sarauer’s WOSTEP training and prototype experience provide a technical path to the Saskatoon company founded in 2020. Geography matters because the workshop sits outside the established centres, but the stronger evidence of independence is the sequence of design, prototyping and making described by the sources. The 39.5 mm case frames an offset time display built from hand-turned guilloche and handmade applied markers. A 10.8 mm thickness, 48 mm lug span and 100-metre rating combine classical craft with practical dimensions. The asymmetry gives the dial an identity without requiring a novel indication. The SH1 begins with the Unitas 6498 gear train, then replaces the surrounding architecture with a reworked mainplate and new bridges. A bespoke balance and hand-formed Breguet overcoil deepen the intervention. Independence here is a matter of transformation and control, not pretending the inherited foundation does not exist. German-silver architecture, the gold plaque and the rebuilt movement create a visible language for the workshop’s labour. The 18,000-vibration rate and 46-hour reserve keep the mechanism traditional. The finishing proposition can be inspected, but no independent chronometric results are available to translate craft into measured precision. The announced 29-piece production and capacity of three to six watches per year make scarcity a workshop consequence. The 2023 steel price of USD 29,900 is historical evidence, not confirmation of current availability. Buyers still need current order, delivery, service and completed-production information. The principal profile dates to 2023, current order status is not confirmed, and the sources provide no independent chronometric results, completed-delivery count or service-cost history.
What we know, and what remains unconfirmed
The principal profile dates to 2023, current order status is not confirmed, and the sources provide no independent chronometric results, completed-delivery count or service-cost history.