Svend Andersen & Paul Gerber

Since establishing his own workshop in Geneva in 1980, Svend Andersen has focused primarily on serving the collector community. Many of his watches are well known, particularly the world-timer models in the Worldtimer collection, the Eros automaton watches, the Jumping Hours timepieces, the Secular Perpetual Calendar, the day-and-night models, and the Montre à Tact with its hidden time display. However, another significant aspect of his work as an independent watchmaker – the creation of private commissions for collectors – remains largely shrouded in secrecy, as many of these timepieces have entered private collections and have never appeared in the public domain or on the secondary market.

Before founding his own company, he worked for nine years at the Atelier des Complications at Patek Philippe. Likely for this reason, from many of his early projects to modern limited editions, he often prefers to use antique and vintage calibres. By restoring and adjusting antique movements, he demonstrates the skills and experience he has accumulated over many years working with complex mechanical watches at the Atelier des Complications and later throughout his independent career.

The Svend Andersen & Paul Gerber No. 499 Minute Repeater and Retrograde Seconds is a genuine treasure from the early era of independent watchmaking. As one of its founders, Svend Andersen showcases in No. 499 the most valuable and attractive qualities of the craft, highlighting the highest level of workmanship in every detail. This starts with the exterior,
featuring a platinum case and folding clasp made by Jean-Pierre Hagmann, continues with the distinctive retrograde seconds complication by Paul Gerber, mounted on a vintage Patek Philippe minute repeater movement from 1880, and culminates in the meticulous hand-finishing of all components.

Moreover, No. 499 is extremely interesting in at least one other respect. As noted on the dial, the watch is a collaboration between Svend Andersen and the independent watchmaker Paul Gerber, based in Zurich. Paul Gerber, primarily known for his watches with retrograde seconds, supplied the seconds drive module for this watch. Thus, Svend Andersen offered customers the opportunity to own a watch with an unusual and, at the time, unique combination of a minute repeater and a retrograde seconds complication. This further confirms the inventive nature of Svend Andersen, who initiated the collaboration in the 1990s, when such partnerships between watchmakers or brands were almost unheard of.