====== Svend Andersen ======

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**Svend Andersen** is a contemporary watchmaker.

===== Education =====
Svend Andersen was [[1942]] born in Denmark. After primary school, he completed a four-year watchmaker apprenticeship. With his diploma from the Danish School of Watchmaking, which then belonged to the Royal Institute of Technology, Copenhagen, he went to Switzerland in [[1963]] to see how the world's best watches are made. He worked for Gübelin Lucerne and in [[1965]] went to Gübelin Geneva, where he also worked in the store service because of his good language skills.

===== The first bottle watch =====
[[1969]] he built the first bottle watch (watch in a bottle), which was shown on the // Montres et Bijoux //. This exceptional watch aroused attention and earned him the reputation of "Watchmaker of the impossible". Never before had a similar watch been seen, as was reported in the international press.

By this watch the renowned traditional company [[Patek Philippe]] became aware of Andersen and engaged him in [[1969]] for its "Atelier de complications". He remained there for nine years and worked on complicated watches for highest demands.

Equipped with a lot of experience, Svend Andersen in [[1979]] took the plunge into self-employment and opened his own watch workshop.

===== The World timer and other specialties =====
In [[1989]] he created his first [[world timer]] //Communication//, followed by a special series // Communication 24 //, of which the number 1 is worn by the Prince Consort Henrik of Denmark.

Another special watch by Svend Andersen is the world's smallest calendar, which in [[1989]] was listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Another creation from him is the [[1992]] resulting World Time anniversary clock // Christopher Columbus //. This is a numbered series of 500 pieces in cases of [[gold|yellow, white or rosé gold]] or in [[platinum]].

[[1993]] followed the calendar //Perpetual 2000// in Art Déco design. There are no daily, weekly or monthly indications on the dial, only the date is given in a very large window. They say this is the only legible [[perpetual calendar]], which is currently on the market. On the back of the watch is a 4x12-month indicator, by which the calendar can be accurately adjusted.

[[1994]] Svend Andersen worked again at his great passion, the world timer. The result was the //Mundus// series with 24 pieces. This is the world's thinnest world timer; it is only 4.2 mm thick in a [[platinum]] case, [[waterproof]], with two [[sapphire crystal]]s.

In the same year Svend Andersen created, in collaboration with [[Alain Silberstein]], the Jewish [[wristwatch]] with calendar //Hebraica//. This is a world premiere, a real mechanical watch and technics specialty. The ingenious calendar mechanism in [[1996]] received an additional extension, namely the watch [[Perpetuel Secular Calender]] (written by him like this), the first wristwatch that is equipped with a [[perpetual calendar]] which is a hundred percent correct. Because the watch has a gear that turns only once in every 400 years It calculates the missing leap year [[2100]].

In [[1997]] Svend Andersen developed the // Eros //, a [[wristwatch]] with a sophisticated figure machine. This mechanical watch has classic looks and a solid [[gold]] case.

In [[1998]] the // Montre à tact //, the tactful watch, is created, according to an old idea of ​​[[Abraham-Louis Breguet]], to not offend one's opponent by squinting at his watch. Therefore, the watch shows the time in a window on the flat side of the case between the lugs. This idea has been transferred to our epoch and to the [[wristwatch]]. From this new watch in [[1999]] the // Date discrète // was developed, also a watch with a discrete date.

Of course, also in the year [[2000]] something special had to be created, and that was the //Perpetuel Impératrice//, a ladies' watch with [[gold]] case of 32 mm diameter. It is the smallest [[wristwatch]] with [[perpetual calendar]] ever made. According to the system "Perpetual 2000" all unimportant informations are here moved to the back of the watch, so that the dial remains unchanged and is easy to read.

As a result of brisk inquiries the // Jour et Nuit // is now launched as // Jour et Nuit Grande //, with the signature ANDERSEN GENEVE on the dial.

[[2002]] Svend Andersen presents in [[Basel]] the // Orbita Lunae // with a completely new [[moon phase]] indication.

In [[2015]], Andersen passed ownership of Andersen Genève SA to Pierre-Alexandre Aeschlimann, though he remains involved in the company.

===== The foundation of the AHCI =====
Looking for like-minded people, together with [[Vincent Calabrese]] he founds in [[1985]] in [[Geneva]] the [[AHCI|Académie Horlogère of Créateurs Independants (AHCI)]], the Academy of independent watch makers, whose board he is for 17 years.

===== Weblinks =====
  * [[http://watchworld.co.in/perpetual-secular-calendar-the-worlds-most-complicated-watch/|Perpetuel Secular Calender - The world's most complicated watch]], watch world, 20.11.2005


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