From a student’s job
to a watch company
Dustin Fontaine
Founder of Sternglas
At the age of 16 Dustin Fontaine began a student job at a traditional watchmaking company. An experience that changed his life: He discovered his passion for watches. Soon he realized that he wanted to create his own watch company someday.
In 2016 Dustin finally decided to make a go of it, come what may. He used all his savings, poured all his efforts, contacts and resources into pursuing his goal, and most importantly – he left no room for doubt.
In October 2016 Dustin and his friends set up a crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter which was met with resoundingly positive feedback. And soon afterwards they had greatly surpassed their fundraising target.
To this day Dustin is profoundly grateful to everyone who supported them during this period of uncertainty and excitement. The first timepiece proved to be a great success! And then the unexpected occurred.
Several customers started to complain about broken watch faces. But mistakes are part of the process and are there to be learnt from. It was then that Sternglas began using sapphire glass – only used by luxury watch brands. In terms of quality, hardness and durability, there is simply no comparison with the glass they used at first. And this special glass has been a defining mark of quality for every single Sternglas timepiece
ever since.
Following huge demand they were finally able to release their first mechanical model into the market in January 2018. This enabled the group to secure their place as one of the most ambitious micro-brands in the watchmaking sector.
Sternglas continues to grow, not only as a team but also due to its ever-expanding product range. The team now comprises more than a dozen creative minds, all with one thing in common: an appreciation for watches and a passion for timeless design.