Rémi Maillat is a Swiss watch design engineer and entrepreneur, best known as the founder of the independent watch brand Krayon. Born in 1984 to a family of scientists—his father was a microtechnology engineer and his mother a mathematics professor—Maillat was raised in an environment that fostered a deep interest in applied sciences. He pursued formal education at the University of Applied Sciences in Le Locle, Switzerland, where he graduated as a micromechanical engineer specializing in movement and complication design.

Maillat began his professional career in 2008 at Cartier‘s manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. During his six-year tenure, he worked within the technical office under the direction of Carole Forestier, contributing to the development of some of the brand’s most complex haute horlogerie movements, including the Rotonde de Cartier Grande Complication.

Driven by a desire for independence, Maillat founded Krayon in 2013 in Neuchâtel. Initially, the venture operated as an engineering studio, providing movement design and prototyping services for various luxury groups and other independent watchmakers. During this period, Maillat began developing a universal mechanical calculator for sunrise and sunset times, an idea reportedly inspired by his personal interests in scuba diving and freediving.

In 2017, Maillat transitioned from a supplier to a brand founder with the launch of Krayon’s first timepiece, the “Everywhere.” This watch gained significant industry attention for its ability to calculate and display sunrise and sunset times for any location on Earth. In 2018, the “Everywhere Horizon” was awarded the Innovation Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG).

Following this success, Maillat introduced the “Anywhere” in 2020, which simplified the user interface for the sunrise and sunset complication while maintaining a focus on slim aesthetics and hand-finished decoration. This model earned the Calendar and Astronomy Prize at the GPHG in 2022. Most recently, the brand expanded its collection with the “Anyday,” a practical interpretation of an annual calendar.

Today, Maillat continues to lead Krayon from its atelier in Neuchâtel, maintaining a “One Watch, One Watchmaker” philosophy. His work is recognized for its synthesis of complex mathematical abstractions and traditional Swiss craftsmanship, positioning him as a significant figure in the modern independent watchmaking landscape.