Are you ready to discover Marc Jenni’s third watch collection at the upcoming Baselworld watch fair? You are welcome to find out more at the booth of the AHCI (The Horological Academy of Independent Creators) in hall 5.1.

Hall of Emotions 5.1
Stand B01

www.baselworld.com

Die GTE in frischen Räumen und mit neuen Ausstellern…
Artikel lesen

The Caliber 11 is a unique and heavily jeweled timepiece with a 360° time indicator and a chiming mechanism. The hand fitted movement features a special winding/time setting mechanism entirely made by hand.

The speciality of this setting device is the fact, that three functions need to be executed with one winding key. The less manipulation the customer needs to take care of the better for the clock’s future condition.

Turing the winding key clockwise and the chiming mechanism is being wound. Turning the key counter-clockwise, the setting device turns around its fixed axe and ensures a perfect transmission to the movement barrel. If you push the winding key towards the clock case, the time can be set while turning the key in both directions.

Back in those days, the entire construction was established using a 2D CAD program named Autocad. 3D programs were in the very early stage of development and too complicated for a simple use.

The hand drawn pictures were simply used for illustration purposes and were not meant for production. Most of the time the 2D drawings served as a roadmap for the manufacturing process.

Usually the watch movement shapes the watch case or watch face but sometimes the watchmaker needs to adapt the watch or clock movement to fit a specific design! In the case of the Caliber 11, the movement needed to be shaped and adapted in order to fit the jewelers design and technical approach…

Next week’s chapter : Period 2.3 – «Pimp my Ulysse Nardin»

Welcome to the 2nd year of apprenticeship, more precisely in the second half of the year 1994! The necessary tools were manufactured, the basic skills acquired. It’s time to deepen the knowledge about clock mechanisms and to dive into the world of pocket and wristwatches…

Wear and tear of old and vintage timepieces call for appropriate care and handling. After all, they deserve a general overhaul after years, sometimes even centuries of loyal service to humanity.

Whilst one needs to visit a dentist for broken teeth, watch- and clockmakers around the world take care of defective wheels and pinions and sometimes replace tooth after tooth for the well being of their respective patients.

The surgery in this particular case was necessary because the center hole was completely out of center and dramatically enlarged. The chain inexorably plunged every time the wheight was raised up causing additional damage to the weight and teeth of the chain wheel.

With fitting this new and spiky chain wheel, the clock finally found a new youth and may face again other decades to come…

Next week’s chapter : Period 2.2 – «Caliber 11»

Marc Jenni’s “JJJ” in 18 karats white gold featured in the article “Independent Watchmaking by Elizabeth Doerr” in Wristwatch Annual 2012.
Read article

“Independents whose passion makes them tick…”
Online version: Independents Do It Their Own Way on www.nytimes.com
Read article

Parution de l’article “Geneva Time Exhibition ouvre ses portes au public” sur la page 3 du quotidien Suisse francophone La Tribune de Genève.
Lire l’article

Parution de l’article “Place aux œuvres d’art et au prestige” sur la page 3 du quotidien de Suisse romande 24heures.
Lire l’article

Geneva Time Exhibition’s third edition welcomed four members from the Horological Academy of Independent Creators (AHCI) at the Espace Hippomène in Geneva.

Svend Andersen, Marc Jenni, Jean Kazes and Antoine Preziuso presented their latest collections and art pieces on the same exhibition space. “It is a real honor to welcome these prestigious watchmakers,” said Florence Noël, Show Director. “The AHCI coming to GTE is part of the logic and continuity of our mission: promoting the art of making time in Geneva and beyond its frontiers.”

A personal highlight was the 3rd design price received for the design of the „JJJ“ at the GTE Superwatch Awards 2012!

„Third place went to a real newcomer in the watch industry: Marc Jenni is a third generation watchmaker and member of the prestigious A.H.C.I. (Académie des Horlogers Indépendents). His second watch is based o the crown-less mechanics of his first, but boasts a refined dial created in sapphire crystal with metallic and tinted effects making for a homogenous whole.“ – Elizabeth Doerr for Worldtempus 17.01.2012

Paul Gerber’s little big wall clock is a one foot high pendulum clock with an hourly striking mechanism, moon-phase and equation indication. The movement measures approx. 3 x 4 cm…! And yes, Paul loves small mechanisms!

A small production of cannon-pinions (chaussées) needed to be manufactured. You want to know how?

1. Take a steel bar, turn the 3 steps and drill the hole

2. Mill the square part and turn the recess

3. Mill the teeth, cut the pinion and turn the back steps

Then place the pinions into a brass piece with a center hole and harden both together. This prevents the tube from going out of shape during the sudden cooling process.

The last process is the most delicate; grinding and polishing of the pinions and teeth. This point is essential to the long term functionality of the item. The better the surfaces are polished the less friction the pieces show.

I was using an old machine which polishes pinions using wheels made out of wood. The shape of the wooden wheel is crucial for a perfect polishing of the teeth and the automatic stepping of the cannon-pinion.

With this note I’m ending the highlights of my 1st year of apprenticeship with Paul Gerber. I hope you enjoyed the journey and are ready for the 2nd year. Fabergé will feature among other interesting topics…

Next chapter : Period 2.1 – «Spiky chain wheel»