On the occasion of Milan Watch Week, the booth that most left me speechless was that of Andersen Genève. The incredible quality of the brand’s creations, which has made Svend Andersen one of the best watchmakers of our time, we certainly do not discover today.
During the event I was able to touch some of his most recent creations, and as a lover of the world’s time complication, I was incredibly fascinated by the enameled specimens.
In this article, by describing their characteristics and the creative process, I will try to convey the emotions that these watches have given me.
Andersen Genève’s connection to the complication hours of the world
Svend Andersen, founder of Andersen Genève, was born in Denmark in 1942 and became passionate about mechanical watchmaking at a very young age, beginning his first apprenticeship at the age of 15. At 21, he moved to Switzerland to further his knowledge in the field.
After a few years as a watch repairman at the Gübelin dealership, he began working in Patek Philippe’s Atelier des Grandes Complications, where he discovered and fell in love with the universal hour complication, designed and patented in the 1930s by Louis Cottier specifically for Patek.
After founding his own independent business, Andersen did not lose interest in this function and, in 1989, made his first wristwatch with world time display, designing a module to be integrated on an old Frederic Piguet caliber.
Its most famous vintage creation is undoubtedly the World Time “Mundus,” launched in 1993 and still holding the record for the world’s thinnest watch with this complication, at only 4.2 mm thick.
The Celestial Voyager, Andersen Genève’s new interpretation of world hours
In Milan I had the chance to touch some of his most modern interpretations of the world’s hour complication, the Celestial Voyager enamel models, and I was simply enraptured.
For the creation of this collection, the Andersen Genève brand collaborated with Benjamin Chee, for a project (Benjamin Chee haute horlogerie) launched in 2019 by the eponymous watchmaker from Singapore. The goal is to support various haute horlogerie brands in creating exclusive watches, such as this series dedicated to the hours of the world by Andersen Genève.
The case dimensions of these models are 37.3 mm in diameter by 10.1 mm thick; they are made of precious metals, mainly platinum and rose gold, but leaving the customer the option to choose-and possibly prefer-contrasting elements, such as the bezel.
Just as in some of master Andersen’s earlier creations, or in iconic references such as Patek’s 2523, the watch features a double crown: the one at 3 o’clock is used to set the time, while the one at 9 o’clock is dedicated to the 12-hour ring and the world time mechanism. To adjust the 12-hour ring to a new time zone, one must press one’s finger flat against the crown at 9 o’clock and turn it, somewhat as one would a worn Allen wrench, until the desired position is reached.
In this case, however, the crowns are particularly thin, mainly so as not to clutter the wrist and to focus all the attention on the dial and the complication.
Indeed, what is most striking about this collection is the dial: the central part is made with the cloisonné enamel technique, entirely painted and finished by a small group of artisans based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and each edition depicts different subjects.
Surrounding this central section is the 24-hour ring; by aligning the hour and minute hands with the desired city listed on the outer edge of the dial, one can read the time in each of the 24 time zones indicated. What makes these creations even more special is the material used to make this ring: aventurine, with tiny particles of gold inside, which gives the watch a truly unique and elegant touch.
The brand also offers extensive customization options, from the ring of cities-allowing one to choose favorite locations to include-to the engravings on the winding rotor, typically made in “BlueGold” and visible through the sapphire case back. On the back of the watch, it is possible to further capture the attention to detail reserved for these masterpieces: an outer ring, often made of mother-of-pearl or other fascinating materials, bears the inscription “Benjamin Chee Haute Horlogerie by Andersen Genève,” or the name of the two partners who started this collection.
The different glazes of the Celestial Voyager
Ever since the launch of the first series of watches in the collection in 2021, interest from independent watch enthusiasts (and others) has been high.
Over the years, the enamels have depicted different scenes or areas of the world, demonstrating the great demand for these timepieces and the extraordinary variety of possible designs.
Some examples reproduce entire continents or the map of the globe, similar to what we often see in Patek’s collections. Others, on the other hand, leave even more room for artists’ inspiration and customers’ requests: this is the case with the “Arctic Sunrise & Aurora” models, the “Supersonic” – which depicts the legendary Concorde airplane and the Empire State Building – or even the “Sakura,” made for the Japanese market, in which cherry blossoms create a perfect harmony with the ring of cities, made of mother-of-pearl and with a rose gold case.
Now it is time to reveal my favorite, namely “Sunset over Cappadocia.” Inspired by the evocative image of hot air balloons flying over the famous Turkish valley, this model captivates with an incredible mix of colors and shades, transporting the wearer – if only for a moment – directly to that magical place.
Price and availability
All watches in the collection are made in limited series, spread out over a period of several years, so that artisans can work on multiple projects throughout the year.
As for prices, it depends on the customer’s requests and any customizations (such as the city disc or rotor). Depending on the metal chosen for the case, the starting cost varies between EUR 60,000 and 70,000, in my opinion a very attractive figure when considering the value of the watch.
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