The evolution of watch photography in the Instagram era

Photos posted on social media may not be professional quality, they do "Educate the eye and contribute to a better understanding of watches," comments Claude Joray, a leading photographer for the watch industry, based in Biel for the past 30 years and who has produced work for Audemars Piguet, FP Journe, Hermès, IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre Olivier Müller, a journalist who writes for Le Point and WorldTempus among others, regrets what he sees as a decline in the creativity and originality of watch photography since the 1980s "From the 50s to the 80s, watch photography was hugely creative," says Müller.

"Now we're locked into two visually poor styles: one that shows the watch perched on its strap like a mushroom, and another where the watch is shot front-on, like a soldier standing to attention, both against stark white or black backgrounds." Joray also demonstrates that a good watch photograph is about compromise "Watch photography, a mix of technical skill and an artistic eye, aims to bring all the parameters of the equation - watch science, marketing, economics, news - into one shot Watchmaking is the product of a centuries-old and omnipresent tradition, but the community expects visual innovation nonetheless.

The photographer brings a hint of glamour to these magnificent timepieces Each detail of the shot is then scrutinized by the brand and the photographer This is followed by a positive confrontation or a thought process, depending on the client and their way of seeing each material that makes up the watch" Even then, such a compromise can never exclude a certain degree of fantasy.

The future of watch photography probably lies with a hybridization of experiences whereby each medium complements the others, as in the immersive experience that was part of the Rencontres d'Arles photography festival, or through a fusion of technologies. . Source