Twenty twenty-five marks Andersen Genève’s 45th anniversary, although founder Svend Andersen’s career as an independent watchmaker has spanned far more than 45 years. For the anniversary, the brand has revived the Communication 45, the tenth world timer wristwatch in its catalogue since Andersen Genève was established in 1990. 

Initial thoughts

Danish horologist Svend Andersen is an important name in independent watchmaking. The 83-year-old was one of the founders of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants AHCI, along with Vincent Calabrese. One of the earliest models he introduced after setting up his brand was a world time wristwatch – powered by a mechanism of his own design – that was inspired by his tenure working at Patek Philippe. Appropriately the brand is marking its anniversary with the very same complication.

The new Communication 45 (left) and its predecessor from 1990

With the Communication 45, Andersen Genève seeks to reinvent its original world timer, without being disruptive. The new model sports a refined case with prominent teardrop lugs and a textured dial in cognac-shaded Blue Gold. Notably, the case employs two peculiar crowns that are flush with the case band, a design which seeks to preserve the symmetry of the case — although it all ends up looking slightly odd.

The dial is well made and evokes the stylistic lavishness of 1990s luxury watchmaking, yet there is one element that doesn’t fit: the hands. Executed in the sharp, lance-like shape often used by Andersen, the coarsely brushed handset contrasts a little too much with the polished case and textured dial. I would have preferred a finer finish.

Overall, the anniversary model is a well-crafted piece, although it is not entirely different from other current Andersen world time watches. The decorated dial and polished teardrop lugs are highlights, though the piece ends up feeling a little pricey for what it delivers. Like most Andersen creations it runs on a hand-decorated “new old stock” movement adapted with an in-house module, but this really shouldn’t be the case at this price point where in-house or sophisticated calibres are common.

A signature complication

Before becoming a pioneering independent watchmaking, Mr Andersen cut his teeth in Patek Philippe’s complications workshop, where he first encountered and restored the brand’s famed world time watches. They were all equipped with the mechanism Louis Cottier developed in the early 1930s, which Patek Philippe then refined over the years.

After having set up his own workshop, Mr Andersen adapted the world time design to his own taste. He set up Andersen Genève in 1980 and in the following years he developed a proprietary world time module measuring only 0.9 mm in thickness. He then crafted a limited edition souscription world time, the Communication 24, which was launched in 1990.

The souscription series from 1990 featured gold cases hand-made by the late Jean-Pierre Hagmann, who would become a frequent supplier to the brand. Fittingly, the Communication 45 features a case made by an artisan based in the La Chaux-de-Fonds region, Marco Poluzzi, an 83-year old, long-time collaborator of Andersen Genève, whose workshop was acquired by the brand in 2022.

The case is among the strongest attributes of the Communication 45. The cases for the 45th anniversary watch were crafted without the use of CNC machines and hand finished to a high degree. Executed in 3N yellow gold, the 38 mm cases feature an understated round form and stepped bezel, with prominent teardrop lugs. The lug profile is somewhat sharper than the classic teardrop shape, leaning more towards a cornes de vache design.  

The case is polished all over — case band, lipped bezel and lugs – reflecting the classic designs of the 1990s. The only questionable choice here are the two crowns, set flush with the case. The symmetrically positioned, slim crowns blend into the case band. The crown set at the traditional three o’clock position winds and adjusts the movement, while the one at nine o’clock sets the world time module. 

The way the two crowns sit flush with the case preserves the symmetry of the watch, but also makes adjustment quite tedious. While Andersen has used the design previously in several models, it still feels off. 

A well-crafted dial

The palette of the dial is mostly nuanced off-white, which serves as a restrained backdrop for the 24 hour ring and the cities disk. There is also a small central disc depicting a map motif crafted from the brand’s proprietary BlueGold. The relief portion of the disc represents the continents, while the recessed section, the oceans. The edition is made up of 15 pieces embellished with a map of Asia, 15 with map of Europe, and 15 with map of the Americas. This is fitting for the world time piece and the execution is appealing.

BlueGold essentially 21K white gold alloyed with iron and then heat blued — hence the name. For the Communication 45 Andersen returned to the same alloy, but adapted the heating process to create a purplish-brown oxidation it describes as “Cognac”. The hue matches the cream rings perfectly and underlines the decoration on the central section. 

There is a subtle wave pattern on the map disc, which was done with a hand-operated tapisserie guilloche engine prior to the heating process. The sunken portion, representing the oceans, is sculpted from the BlueGold alloy after the heat treatment and the filled with a pure yellow gold lacquer. The sunken portions are lightly grained, adding texture to the dial.  

The heat treatment applied to the BlueGold rotor

Vintage movement

Inside the Communication 45 beats a vintage, “new old stock” caliber which Andersen Genève has fitted with a proprietary world time module and a custom rotor. It’s dressed up with a 21k BlueGold rotor that’s also decorated with the tapisserie motif found on the dial, and likewise heated to a brown shade. The movement looks tidy, but is easily overtaken by modern calibers in terms of both specifications and appearance.

The movement is a modified AS-1895 made by the defunct A. Schild manufacture (which was absorbed into ETA). The movement beats at 3 Hz and runs for 40 hours on a full wind — short by today’s standards. The choice of using new old stock calibers is questionable at this price point, but Andersen Genève and Chronoswiss were pioneers in this respect, having started the practice in the 1980s when such “NOS” movements were a novelty.

The decorated rotor and central dial disc in BlueGold before heat treatment to “cognac”

While Andersen Genève was never much involved in building movements, an anniversary edition like this could have employed a better base movement or an existing calibre modified to a greater extent. Apart from the rotor, the movement plates aren’t highly finished.

Key facts and price

Andersen Genève Communication 45

Diameter: 38 mm
Height: 8.97 mm (without the two sapphire crystals)
Material: 3N yellow gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: A. Schild AS-1895
Functions: Hours, minutes and world time complication
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 21 600 beats per hour
Power reserve: 40 hours

Strap: Crocodile strap with yellow gold buckle

Limited edition: 45 pieces
Availability: From Andersen Genève
Price: CHF49,800 excluding taxes

For more, visit andersen-geneve.ch

Breguet celebrates a milestone by looking to the stars with the Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255, which is the brand’s first flying tourbillon and also dressed up with an aventurine enamel dial. The Tourbillon Sidéral is the brand’s latest anniversary edition – and the most complicated so far – coming after the Classique Souscription and more recent Type XX 2075BH.

Initial Thoughts

Abraham-Louis Breguet’s workshop only built between 40 to 49 tourbillons in his lifetime, explaining the mythical rarity of the mechanism in historical watchmaking. Now more tourbillons are built in a single day – possibly even by a single brand – than during Breguet’s entire lifetime. Consequently, the tourbillon is no longer regarded with the reverence it enjoyed for centuries.

Tourbillons aren’t inherently special today, but still have appeal when executed well; the whole of the parts can be more than the sum of the parts. The Tourbillon Sidéral is executed well and appealing. Flying tourbillon aside, the rest of the watch is very good, though not ground breaking.

As with Breguet’s other 250th anniversary models, the Tourbillon Sidéral is more interesting aesthetically than technically since the movement is derived from the longstanding Lemania calibre. That approach will change as the year’s end approaches as Breguet has something bigger in the pipeline. For now, the Tourbillon Sidéral is an excellent watch that may suffer under the weight of expectations, but perhaps unfairly so, since other brands receive kudos for doing less.

Putting the Stars in the Sky

On this day, 224 years ago, the French Ministry of the Interior granted A.-L. Breguet a patent for his most famous creation. Breguet’s invention rotated all the components most relevant to timekeeping along the same axis as the balance, theoretically giving the same rate across all vertical positions. It was a natural fit for chronometry trials using the Plantamour rating system, which emphasised consistency across positions and there the tourbillon built its reputation, certificate by certificate.

Breguet No. 1176. Image – Breguet

Fittingly, Breguet is marking its 250th anniversary with a tourbillon. Despite the name, the Classique Tourbillon Sidéral is largely a traditional tourbillon and not a tourbillon with an astronomical display.

Sidéral is not a reference to sidereal time, but instead the sparkly aventurine enamel dial, a first for Breguet. As an aside, the brand’s aventurine-esque moon phase disks found on its perpetual calendar models are blue lacquer, not aventurine glass.

Most watch brands buy sheets of industrially produced aventurine glass which is then cut and polished like a natural stone dial.

Breguet instead opted to make its own aventurine glass from scratch using a technique akin to grand feu enamelling. Raised rims along the dial perimeter and the apertures for the hands and tourbillon act as walls to contain the powdered glass and copper flecks as the dial is built up, painted layer by layer, and then repeatedly fired in a kiln at 800°C, one strata at a time.

All That Glitters is Gold

The Breguet hands, applied text, and tourbillon aperture frame are all solid 18k Breguet gold, a proprietary yellow gold alloy. Even the eccentric hour ring at 12:00, which carries Breguet numerals and the “secret signature,” is solid gold underneath the blue PVD coating.

The 38 mm case is also Breguet gold, and in return to its usual fare (unlike the Souscription), the case features the cold-rolled fluted case band and straight welded lugs. Each case is individually numbered out of 50.

Despite all of the precious materials on the dial, the centrepiece is the flying tourbillon. Surprising as it may be, this is in fact Breguet’s first flying tourbillon, a concept independently realized by English and then German watchmakers over a century ago.

The brand did have a historical model that resembled a flying tourbillon, but was not. The Classique Tourbillon Messidor 5335 of 2007 sandwiched the tourbillon between two clear sapphire disks, creating a levitating effect. The lower support of the cage was also sapphire, completing the illusion.

Breguet has revisited the Messidor’s movement for the Tourbillon Sidéral, transforming it into the cal. 187M1 with the brand’s first flying tourbillon.

Unlike A.-L. Breguet’s original invention, the flying tourbillon is supported on only one side, doing away with the upper bridge and providing a clear view of the cage. On the Tourbillon Sidéral, the tourbillon sits a full 2.2 mm above the movement, and even stands proud of the very thick dial, adding to the three dimensionality of the face.

An exploded view of the flying tourbillon assembly

The tourbillon cage rotates once per minute, acting as a de facto seconds hand. Inside is a free-sprung, screw-poised balance beats at a stately 2.5 Hz.

While Beguet has been a pioneer in silicon for many years, the Tourbillon Sidéral relies on a Nivachron metal alloy hairspring and escapement. Naturally, the Nivachron balance spring has a Breguet overcoil, and is blue to evoke the blued steel springs of the past.

The bridges and plates of the cal. 187M1 are solid 18k Breguet gold to match the case and dial furniture. The choice of gold is fitting as A.-L. Breguet chose rose gold rather than brass for perhaps his most famous work, pocket watch no. 160 that was allegedly made for Marie Antoinette.

Both the full plate and lower tourbillon bridge are engine turned with the “Quai de l’Horloge” guilloché found several of the 250th anniversary models, including the Souscription’s case back.

Like the Souscription, each Tourbillon Sidéral is accompanied by individually numbered red leather box that is unique to the anniversary editions. And the certificate of origin is signed by both Breguet chief executive Gregory Kissling and president Marc A. Hayek.

Key facts and price

Breguet Classique Tourbillon Sidéral
Ref. 7255BH/2Y/9VU

Diameter: 38 mm
Height: 10.2 mm
Material: 18k “Breguet” gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Cal. 187M1
Functions: Hours, minutes, flying tourbillon
Winding: Manual wind
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 50 hours

Strap: Alligator strap with folding clasp

Limited edition: 50 pieces
Availability: First availability at boutiques, and subsequently at retailers
Price: CHF190,000 before taxes

For more information, visit Breguet.com.