About Andersen Genève
45 Years of Independent Watchmaking
The ANDERSEN Genève story began in 1980, when our founder Svend Andersen decided to establish his own bespoke horology studio in the heart of Geneva. By then, Svend was already a highly respected watchmaker: he’d spent the previous decade in the elite Grand Complications department of Patek Philippe, and in the 1960s had earned himself the nickname ‘Watchmaker of the Impossible’ in the Swiss press. Encouraged by collectors who held his talents in high esteem, he now embarked on an exciting new chapter in the story of Swiss independent watchmaking – one that we're proud to continue writing today. And of course, Svend is frequently in the workshop with us still, inspiring and guiding our team.
Watchmaker of the Impossible
Born in Denmark in 1942, Svend Andersen completed his apprenticeship and diploma at the Danish Watchmaker School in Copenhagen. In 1963, he moved to Switzerland, working at Gübelin in Lucerne and later Geneva, where his language skills made him a valued customer liaison. In 1969, he created the famed Bottle Clock—a clock built entirely through the neck of a glass bottle—earning him the nickname “Watchmaker of the Impossible”. This achievement led to his recruitment by Patek Philippe, where he spent nine years in the prestigious Atelier des Grandes Complications, working alongside Roger Dubuis and Max Berny. By the late 1970s, as the Quartz Crisis loomed, Svend was already attracting collectors seeking bespoke timepieces.
From his bench at Patek Philippe, Svend Andersen had observed a new building rising across the Rhône on Geneva’s Quai du Seujet, in the historic heartland area of the cabinotiers, Geneva’s independent watch artisans of a century earlier. Svend took over a unit in that very building and in embarked on his new adventure, launching his own workshop in 1980.
A Legacy of Independence
Since then, ANDERSEN Genève has specialised in highly complex, collector-focused watches, blending ingenuity with profound craftsmanship and artistry. In 1990, Svend produced his first worldtimer, the subscription-based Communication 24, inspired by the Louis Cottier-made worldtimers he'd encountered at Patek Philippe. This evolved into the Communication, the first serially-produced ANDERSEN Genève watch, and the launching point for the brand's legacy of stupendous worldtimer references over the past 35 years.
Other signature collections include the Montre à Tact, Secular Perpetual Calendar, Eros automata, and ultra-refined Jumping Hours models, alongside collaborations with prestigious partners like Cartier, Chopard, Asprey, Mr Porter, and Konstantin Chaykin. The art of personalised or entirely bespoke watchmaking has also remained a core pillar of our work.