Andersen Geneve

Svend Andersen was born in Denmark in 1942. Armed with the watchmaking credentials he had earned in Denmark, he went to Switzerland in 1963 to further his learning. He started his career at Gübelin Lucerne in the after-sales service before moving to their Geneva office.

In 1969 he made a a unique Bottle Clock which was displayed at the “Montres et Bijoux” Show. This Bottle Clock brought him widespread acclaim and as word of his talent spread, he was snapped up by Patek Philippe to work in their Atelier des Grandes Complications. After spending nine years making high complications for the renowned Geneva brand, he set out as an independent watchmaker. Andersen Genève today is known for complicated watches like the Annual Calendar, Perpetual Calendar, and Jumping Hour Calendar.

Andersen co-founded the influential AHCI (Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants) in 1985. He also holds a Guinness World Record to his name – in 1989 he developed the smallest calendar watch (6.5 x 17.4mm); roughly the size of a match head. To his immense credit, he also helped nurture the talent of a new generation watchmakers including Felix Baumgartner, Franck Muller, and Philippe Quentin.