Svend Andersen has spent 45 years refining his craft, cementing Andersen Genève as one of the most influential and enduring names in independent watchmaking. Founded in 1980, the atelier quickly became known for imaginative complications, bespoke worldtime watches, and deeply artisanal craftsmanship.The Communication 45, arriving 35 years after that landmark debut, brings together everything the Danish master has learned about displaying 24 time zones simultaneously.
Limited to just 45 pieces across three regional dial variations, each watch honours both the brand’s anniversary and the enduring allure of horology craftsmanship. Measuring 38mm and entirely handcrafted, it embraces the classical city-ring format while advancing it through techniques exclusive to Andersen Genève’s atelier. The result is a piece that feels both intimate in scale and expansive in concept, a watch that reminds us why collectors still journey to Switzerland in search of the remarkable.
Mapping the World in Time
Three distinct dial variations divide the 45-piece production run equally, each featuring detailed maps of Europe, Asia, or the Americas. The layout follows Louis Cottier’s original 1930s format, with a 24-hour rotating ring surrounding a city disc that represents global time zones. Time is read through yellow gold, skeletonised sword hands that sweep across a cartographic centrepiece
The dial construction reveals the depth of craftsmanship in this anniversary piece. Each centre section begins as 21-carat BlueGold, achieved through heat treatment that creates permanent oxidation layers on the gold surface. The cognac tone required extensive kiln experimentation, with temperature, timing, and atmospheric conditions all contributing to the final result. Every dial emerges slightly differently, creating individual character within each piece.
Waves of Belle Époque Craft
The textured surface beneath each golden continent carries its own layer of history. Its wave-like pattern originates from a tapisserie-guilloché template Andersen discovered more than three decades ago in the workshop of master engraver Mr Mayor. First conceived during the Belle Époque to decorate pocket watches, the antique disc now guides a 19th-century machine that imprints its design onto every 21-carat gold blank.
The continents themselves receive equally meticulous treatment. Each landmass is hollowed to a precise depth of 0.2mm before being inlaid with liquid lacquer infused with unalloyed gold. Once cured and polished, the pure gold forms rest subtly recessed within their guilloché seas, creating a gentle relief effect that shifts with the play of light across the dial.
Handmade cases from La Chaux-de-Fonds
Each 38mm case is produced in the workshop of Marco Poluzzi, now 83, who continues to craft entirely by hand after more than five decades in the industry. The three-part construction in 3N yellow gold features distinctive teardrop lugs that blend Jean-Pierre Hagmann’s 1990 Communication design with more sculptural silhouettes. Viewed in profile, they adopt an elegant cornes de vache form that required multiple prototypes to perfect.
Achieving the flawless mirror finish across every surface demands a rare level of skill. Working without CNC machinery, Poluzzi relies solely on traditional methods he first mastered decades ago. Since 2022, his La Chaux-de-Fonds atelier has also served as Andersen Genève’s second production site, where he now passes on the intricate art of case-making to a new generation of craftsmen.
Vintage Calibre, Expertly Finished
Inside, a carefully selected vintage automatic calibre provides the foundation, chosen for its slim profile and proven stability. This same base movement has underpinned several of Andersen Genève’s recent worldtimers, here paired with the latest generation of the brand’s in-house worldtime module. First conceived by Svend Andersen in the 1980s at just 0.9mm thick, the mechanism has been continually refined over the past 35 years.
Finishing is executed to an exceptional standard. Bridges and plates are gently frosted rather than striped, a matte treatment that recalls early 20th-century movements and sets off the polished, chamfered bevels. The rotor receives the same BlueGold cognac finish and tapisserie guilloché pattern as the dial, creating a visual dialogue across surfaces. Even the screws, mirror-polished by hand, and the precisely defined wheel teeth reveal a philosophy that prizes both function and finesse.
35 Years of Horological Artistry
The Communication 45 represents the tenth exclusive worldtimer series since 1990, building on techniques and insights gathered across multiple limited editions. From the original subscription-based Communication 24 through the record-setting ultra-thin Mundus to recent enamel collaborations, each iteration has advanced a different facet of the complication.
This anniversary model draws together the most successful elements of its predecessors while introducing processes developed specifically for the occasion. The gold inlay technique used for the continental maps required months of collaboration with Swiss suppliers, while achieving the cognac BlueGold tone demanded meticulous control of kiln conditions refined over time. Such investment in craft explains why collectors willingly wait for pieces born from this Geneva atelier.