French watchmaker Lilian Thibault visited West Palm Beach on Oct. 29 for an evening hosted by the Palm Beach Watch Club, a South Florida group of watch collectors and enthusiasts. Guests were able to see AWAKE watches up close and talk with the founder about his work.
Thibault spoke afterward with Douglas Heizer, publisher of The Boca Raton Tribune. He said that becoming a father led him to rethink luxury, which he now sees as tied to culture and meaning rather than status. He began the brand in 2019, after learning his wife was expecting twins.
The brand’s dials use Sơn Mài, a traditional Vietnamese lacquer technique that layers lacquer, pigments and precious metal leaves. Thibault said adapting the method to the small size of a watch dial took two years of research and testing. AWAKE’s dial lines include Silver Leaf, Frosted Leaf and Fragments.
Thibault said no two dials turn out identical, because each one carries the mark of the artisan who made it. He argued that traditional crafts should stay in active use rather than sit in museums.
The Palm Beach Watch Club, which connects members with independent watchmakers, has become a meeting point for South Florida collectors who want to learn how small brands are built.
