In 1963, after graduating from the Danish Watchmaker School, Svend decided to leave for Switzerland to get closer to what he loved most: watches.
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Andersen Geneve. Andersen Geneve. Andersen Geneve. Andersen Geneve
12 December 2025
The Quirky Backstory Of Andersen Geneve
For once, our story doesn’t start in Switzerland but in another small European country, Denmark. Born in 1942, Svend Andersen is a rather unique master watchmaker who has developed some highly interesting pieces throughout his career.
He first worked at the famous Swiss watch retailer Gubelin in the after-sales service department.
However, in order to nourish his infinitely creative mind, Svend began developing watches, clocks and mechanical marvels during his free time.
In 1969, he created the first Bottle Clock, giving him a surge of credibility within the industry.
He then joined Patek Philippe in their Atelier des Grandes Complications.
In the late 1970s, he began his career as an independent watchmaker, initially by manufacturing cases for Italian collectors.
Svend Andersen later specialized in complications that made him famous, such as minute repeaters, annual calendars, perpetual calendars, jumping hours, and especially worldtimers.
As an admirer of Louis Cottier, inventor of the modern world time display, Svend placed this complication at the center of his work. In 1988, he presented the MUNDUS, the world’s smallest world-time watch (4.2 mm case – 0.9 mm module), allowing instant reading of all 24 time zones.
In the purest tradition of fine watchmaking, all his creations are hand-finished and offered with various complications, shapes and crafted dials — including his latest Celestial Voyage with Benjamin Chee Haute Horlogerie.
FUN FACT:
Svend Andersen is also renowned for his erotic automatons — feel free to look them up.