Two watches created by ANDERSEN Genève have been nominated for the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix or Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) awards. ANDERSEN Genève X Benjamin Chee Haute Horlogerie’s (BCHH) Celestial Voyager Sakura is nominated under the Ladies’ Complication category. ANDERSEN Genève’s Jumping Hours Black Jade Stone is nominated under the Artistic Crafts category. The GPHG awards ceremony will be held at the Théâtre Du Léman in Geneva on November 13, 2024. The GPHG awards are the equivalent of the Oscars in horology.
First and second image: Celestial Voyager Sakura. Third, fourth, and header image: Jumping Hours Black Jade Stone.
ANDERSEN Genève
ANDERSEN Genève was founded in 1980 by Svend Andersen, a master watchmaker and co-founder of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI). He spent nine years at Patek Philippe before he founded his namesake watch brand. ANDERSEN Genève is known for watches of “significant complexity, innovation and beauty.” They are among the original independent watch brands. Svend Andersen, now 82 years old, continues to share his passion and expertise of horology with a team of five watchmakers, aged 22-44, at the ANDERSEN Genève ateliers in Geneva city centre and La Chaux-de-Fonds. At La Chaux-de-Fonds, they have Marco Poluzzi, aged 82 years old, who is a master case maker. Cloisonné enamel dials and guilloché work are performed by craftsmen in the canton of Neuchâtel. Pierre-Alexandre Aeschlimann is the President & CEO since 2015.
Benjamin Chee Haute Horlogerie
Benjamin Chee Haute Horlogerie (BCHH) was founded in 2019 by Benjamin Chee, a Singaporean national, who is “a watch collector, connoisseur and entrepreneur, who established BCHH as a flagship endeavour representing his ultimate passion for contemporary high-end watches.” It is his flagship brand, and “has united the greatest artisans around the world in one august cause – to create the finest watches in existence.” He is the founder of two other watch brands – Celadon and Milléchron.
Key Features of Celestial Voyager Sakura
Image: Among the most beautiful world time watches in the world.
ANDERSEN Genève and BCHH unveiled the first Celestial Voyager timepiece in 2021, giving birth to a Swiss – Singaporean partnership in horology, “celebrating the ultimate expression of world timer watches with decorative cloisonné enamel dials – a traditional and highly coveted format in haute horlogerie.”
Functions
Central Hours and Minutes.
World Time function. It is based on the “classic tradition of Louis Cottier, the complication’s inventor.” Cottier’s world time function displays the 24 time zones simultaneously. It does not account for cities and countries that adhere to quarter time zones (for example, Nepal) and half time zones (for example, India and Adelaide, Australia). However, ANDERSEN Genève’s world time includes India, with “Bombay” displayed between “Male” and “Bangkok.”
The crown at 9 o’clock rotates the city disc, until the preferred city or home time is set at 12 o’clock. The crown at 3 o’clock is used to set the time in the preferred city. The rotating time-zone disc is synchronized with the hour and minute hands.
Let us assume home time is selected as London and time set at 14.00. The wearer will have to rotate the 3 o’clock crown until the time-zone disc is set at “14” below London on the city disc. Once this procedure is completed, the time-zone disc rotates anticlockwise (coordinated with the hour and minute hands), allowing the wearer to glance at the time across 24 time zones.
This world time function “is a competency that grew out of founder Svend Andersen’s work with Cottier-derived world timers in Patek Philippe’s Grand Complications workshop in the 1970s. Through multiple series and innovations, this beloved and elegant complication has become a cornerstone of ANDERSEN Genève’s watchmaking.”
Dial
Images: Cloisonné enamel dial of the highest possible level. Combined with a haute-horology world time module.
Three-part dial.
Centre cloisonné enamel dial depicting “the famous blooming of the cherry blossoms, which occurs each spring. These blossoms are highly celebrated in Japanese culture for their beauty and their fleeting nature, symbolizing the transient nature of life: the season is marked by festivals and Hanami (flower-viewing) parties, where people gather to appreciate the blossoms and enjoy picnics under the flowering trees.”
“In a depiction heavily influenced by the aesthetics of traditional Japanese art, we see an arching bridge over a river, against a background of pink Sakura blooms, with snow-capped Mount Fuji rising on the far horizon. In the foreground are a trio of delicate cherry blossoms in close-up.”
The enamel is secured by “microscopically thin strips of gold wire. These are bent and soldered to the dial to form compartments (cloisons) that are filled with powered enamel, which is then fired in a kiln to fuse it into a smooth and vibrant surface.”
“For the Celestial Voyager Sakura, the wire provides an outline for the traditional ‘soribashi’ bridge, the snowy mountain peak and, in incredible detail, the individual petals and stamen of the blossoms, against an almost pointillist background of Sakura blooms. Since each colour requires a different melting temperature, dozens of firings in the oven are required – any mistake puts the entire dial at risk of warping or cracking. It is an exhaustive process requiring immense patience and experience, conducted at a level accessed only by very few watch brands.”
A rotating time-zone disc in a 24-hour format surrounds the cloisonné enamel dial. To celebrate the pink cherry blossom, a pink ruby stone (as used in the movement) is placed at 12 PM, the position of the sun.
A city ring, made from mother-of-pearl and embedded with gold letters, surrounds the rotating time-zone disc.
The leaf or feuille shaped hour and minute hands are skeletonised and made from pink gold.
Case
Images: Case details that will take your breath away.
Case is made from pink gold. It features extensive hand finishing, satin brushed sides, and polished scalloped or ‘eagle wings’ lugs.
Case diameter 37.80 mm. Thickness 10.10 mm.
Dial and case back feature a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides.
Two thin symmetrical crowns at 3 and 9 o’clock. Crown at 3 o’clock, embossed with the ANDERSEN Genève seal, is for time setting. Crown at 9 o’clock, embossed with the BCHH seal, is for rotating the city disc.
A mother-of-pearl ring divides the pink gold outer ring and the sapphire crystal, offering a view of the movement. The mother-of-pearl ring displays the name of both brands prominently in black.
Case features ‘eagle’s wings’ lugs, a design feature of both ANDERSEN Genève and BCHH. The lugs are made individually by hand, and then soldered to the case, “a traditional method that is rarely found in modern watchmaking.”
Water resistant up to 30 metres.
Watch comes with a shiny burgundy baby crocodile double-sided leather strap attached to a pink gold buckle.
Movement
Images: ANDERSEN Genève’s exemplary movement finishing and their renowned 21K BlueGold automatic winding rotor, heated to a shade of pink-purple.
Powered by a mechanical automatic high-quality vintage movement upgraded by ANDERSEN Genève.
The complex world-time module was developed at ANDERSEN Genève, made in-house, and refined over the years.
Jewels 17 jewels. Frequency 21,600 vph or 3 Hz. Power reserve 40 hours.
The Movement features an automatic winding-rotor made of 21K BlueGold, “that has been heated to a dramatic, shimmering shade of pink-purple, and decorated with an intricate, interlocking wave-form guilloche.” BlueGold is a specialty of ANDERSEN Genève and is extremely difficult to work with.
The Movement’s exemplary hand-finishing includes chamfering, Geneva stripes, snail decoration of the wheels, mirror polishing of the screws, and polishing of the teeth of its crown wheel.
Key Features of Jumping Hours Black Jade Stone
Image: Minimalism combined with an elite horological complication.
ANDERSEN Genève launched the Jumping Hours complication in 2020 to celebrate the brand’s 40th anniversary. A minimalistic complication, it holds a special place for the brand.
“In 1995 Svend Andersen was first commissioned to create a watch with such a display, combining it with a minute repeater. It subsequently became requested in a number of “pièce unique” commissions, and famously gave rise to one of the most recognisable ANDERSEN Genève inventions, the “Jour & Nuit.” This ingenious design, which used the Jumping Hours module to carry a double-ended ‘jumping’ 24-hour hand, led to a series of watches made for Cartier in 1998, as well as well-known editions for ANDERSEN Genève.”
“In recent years, ANDERSEN Genève has taken the Jumping Hours complication to new levels of artistry and beauty, as a platform for watches that emphasise traditional craft above all else. Its Jumping Hours watches were nominated at Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) awards, in the Artistic Crafts category, in 2020, 2021 and 2023.”
Functions
Image: Beautiful in its minimalism and simplicity. Underneath the dial, it is anything but simple.
Hours – displayed through an aperture at 12 o’clock.
Minutes – displayed by hand on a subdial at 6 o’clock.
Dial
Dial is made from a jade stone cut to 0.40 mm thick. Hand applied with black lacquer coating. It is “worked to a perfectly flat, flawless finish. This requires incredible skill to create without breaking it: at its thinnest point, where the hour wheel is recessed beneath it, the dial is just 0.15mm thick.”
“The effect is bewitching. Seen from afar, the dial seems a deep, alluring black, forming a rich contrast with the minutes hand, chapter ring and brand logo in powdered pink gold. Close inspection, however, reveals the veins and details running through the jade – the unique qualities of the stone. It is a watch that showcases both the minimalistic elegance and the high craftsmanship of the Jumping Hours, in the most luxurious and alluring way.”
Railway-style minutes scale printed in pink gold. Minutes hand made from pink gold.
ANDERSEN Genève lettering at 12 o’clock printed in pink gold.
Case
Image: Lovely contrast of platinum 950 case, pink gold crown, and 21K BlueGold plate encircling the movement.
Case is made from platinum 950. It features satin brushed flanks and a mirror polished bezel.
Case diameter 38 mm. Thickness 9.22 mm.
Dial and case back feature a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides.
Crown at 3 o’clock is made from pink gold.
Curved lugs made individually by hand, and then soldered to the case.
Water resistant up to 30 metres.
Watch comes with a hand-stitched black suede strap attached to a platinum 950 buckle.
Movement
First image: Jumping hours module plate. Second image: Jumping hours bridge plate. Third image: Jumping hours disc. Fourth image: View underneath the black jade dial. Fifth image: Automatic winding-rotor made from 18K pink gold showcasing a “grains d’orge” hand-guilloché pattern. Sixth image: Caseback view.
Powered by Frédéric Piguet 11.50, a mechanical automatic movement. It acts as a base for the jumping hours mechanism, developed and made in-house by ANDERSEN Genève.
Jewels 28. Frequency 21,600 vph or 3 Hz. Power reserve 70 hours.
The Frédéric Piguet 11.50 is “an exceptional, artisanally-made Swiss calibre. Its ultra-slim dimensions make it a perfect base to carry the jumping hours mechanism developed and assembled in-house by ANDERSEN Genève, while its two-barrel architecture ensures a long power reserve of up to 70 hours.”
The Movement features an automatic winding-rotor made from 18K pink gold showcasing a “grains d’orge” hand-guilloché pattern. It is “topped off with a small plate on the bridge where one can see the “A” ANDERSEN Logo (A, in pink).” This plate is screwed to the movement with a tiny, blued steel screw.
A 21K BlueGold plate encircles the movement. (ANDERSEN Genève’s BlueGold is explained above under the Celestial Voyager Sakura.) “ANDERSEN Genève” and the watch’s individual number “X/50” is engraved on the plate.
The Movement’s exemplary hand-finishing includes chamfering, Geneva stripes, mirror polishing of the screws and satin finished (brushed) plate and bridges.
Our Thoughts
The Celestial Voyager Sakura uses a cloisonné enamel dial to depict a Japanese cultural event, the blooming of cherry blossoms each spring, and combines it with a sophisticated world time module. Based on images, it is achingly gorgeous and universal in appeal. Though nominated in the GPHG Ladies’ Complication category, word on the street is that male customers have purchased it for themselves as well.
Image: Celestial Voyager Sakura. Not only a ladies watch.
The Jumping Hours Black Jade Stone is a master of minimalism and deception. Its dial is a minimalistic work of art, extremely difficult to create, and as beautiful as it is uncluttered. Deception, as only the aperture at 12 o’clock reveals what lies underneath the dial – the jumping hours complication. The jumping hours is an elite horological complication, and few watch brands have expertise in it. A. Lange & Söhne, Chopard L.U.C, Audemars Piguet, IWC Schaffhausen, Patek Philippe (no coincidence that Svend Andersen spent 9 years here), and Vacheron Constantin are few watch brands that have created this complication in the past or have them in their current catalogue. ANDERSEN Genève masterfully combines an artistic dial with an elite horological complication, resulting in a watch that I am in love with.
Image: Jumping Hours Black Jade Stone. A thing of beauty.
I wrote about ANDERSEN Genève X BCHH’s Celestial Voyager “Sunset over Cappadocia” – Version 2, a few months ago. Its combination of cloisonné enamel dial, hand craftsmanship and overall horological details left me amazed. I wrote that it is artisanal craft of the highest level, that it is for collectors who love horology for horology’s sake, a passion investment and a worthy heirloom. The same holds true for the Celestial Voyager Sakura and Jumping Hours Black Jade Stone. Both these watches will brighten any watch collection. From all of us at The Cornea Impression, we congratulate ANDERSEN Genève and BCHH for their GPHG nominations and wish them all the best for the awards ceremony on November 13.
Additional Details
Name: ANDERSEN Genève X Benjamin Chee Haute Horlogerie (BCHH) Celestial Voyager Sakura
Price: Swiss Franc (CHF): 59,800 (excluding taxes)
Limited edition of 20 pieces.
Name: ANDERSEN Genève Jumping Hours Black Jade Stone
Price: Swiss Franc (CHF): 52,800 (excluding taxes)
Limited edition of 50 pieces.
Please visited the ANDERSEN Genève website and Instagram page for more information. Please contact them at [email protected] if interested in these models or others.
