Minimalism. It’s a word that gets used a lot in design spaces, whether that be watches, architecture, interior design, fashion or anything else. However, it’s a word that in many ways has two meanings. On one side you have the minimalist movement as exemplified by Bauhaus and other artistic schools, which tackle minimalism as a concept and create designs that can be highly stylised and intricate in their own way. Then you have minimalism as the literal interpretation of the word, which is to say a design pared back to the absolute minimum. It’s this latter form of minimalism that informs the new ANDERSEN Genève Jumping Hours Black Jade.
It’s breath-taking in its simplicity. The dial features the name of the brand, an aperture for the hours and a 60-minute subdial featuring a single hand and numberless scale. That’s it. Compare it to a watch like the Junghans Max Bill Bauhaus with its markers of different lengths, multi-coloured hands, lumed dots and (heaven forbid) five words and tell me which one is genuinely more minimal and restrained in its design.
The ANDERSEN Genève Jumping Hours Black Jade is captivating in its ability to distil time into its core component parts with the barest effort. Although to describe it as such is perhaps a disservice because a lot of effort has gone into making it appear effortless. The 38mm case is made from platinum, a notoriously difficult metal to work with and the dial is made from jade stone with a lacquer coating, which has to be carefully cut so as not to crack or create the slightest imperfection. Execution is everything and anything short of flawless is not acceptable.
I think the really incredible thing to me is how the style of this watch feels completely different to the Rising Sun edition from last year. It’s the exact same model, right down to the Frédéric Piguet 11.50 movement with double barrel, but the contrast between the smooth jade dial and the intricate guilloché makes them feel worlds apart.
As for pricing and availability, it’s a limited edition of 50 pieces available globally at a price of CHF 52,800 (approx. £46,900), making it very exclusive. It would be a real jewel in the crown of a refined and elegant collection.
Price and Specs:
More details at ANDERSEN Genève.
