~ Morten:
I'd say, every piece we create is special. So why do we have Special Editions?
For the uninitiated, you may think creating a new model in one of our existing watch families is just a matter of changing the colour of the dial, changing small details, then 'voilà!'...or the Brits would say 'Bob's your uncle!'
The truth is, it doesn't get easier and there is no short-cut. Not for Linde Werdelin anyway. A lot of our designs are done through hands-on development. Every piece requires a full technical study from scratch. Each goes through the same process from R&D to final tests before it hits the market.
Recently we have produced the Racing Series for our retail partner, E’Collezione, for the Singaporean customers. Consider it a fun project on the side for LW. The design was inspired by the leather pattern for a race car’s steering wheel and driving gloves, when 3-Timer was chosen for this special series to be launched in August/September. The red and yellow colours are typically seen in F1 races. So you can see, it’s just a special project inspired by a timely event, not a LW creation for the event.
Let me show you a quick run through of the design in a short video below.
We will be doing more commissions for our partners. They are not part of our Collections and are only available through specific partners, hence Special Editions. They are fun to do as they bring in fresh inspirations from outside The Lab and create the challenge to maintain the LW DNA beyond our Collections.
Check out the 360º of the Racing Yellow and Racing Red. Enjoy!
~ Morten:
The 3-Timer dark green dial complements our GMT series particularly after the successful launch of the brown dial version, now sold out. The idea of using different colour dials appeals to me, especially for a model like the 3-Timer the most refined watch of our collection, as I love the way the dial pattern reflects light.
On this note, I will leave you with a video we’ve done here in Copenhagen I hope you will enjoy watching… and as always I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions.
Related Posts:
'Click' to Perfection
Ending on a High Note
~ Morten:
Quality is always found in the detail… one can really feel - or rather hear(!) - the level of quality of a timepiece by closely listening to the clicking sound of the turning bezel.
When I first started working on the design of the 3-Timer and Oktopus it was clear to me I wanted to find the best bezel mechanisms for those models.
Under the 3-Timer bezel lies a metal mechanism comprised of a roller type of ball and a spring. When turning the bezel, the ball ensures a smooth movement as well as durability of the mechanism itself.
[Above: a cross-section of the 3 Timer case]
For the unidirectional bezel of the Oktopus I chose the solid ratchet mechanism. Made of metal parts only, this mechanism is perfect for our diver watch series.
So, next time you turn the bezel of your LW Oktopus or 3-Timer do take a minute to actually feel and listen to its ‘clicks’!
Related Posts:
Linde Werdelin DNA
Precision, Precision, Precision
~ Morten:
You may not know this, it took us 4 years in design and development before our 'watch + instrument' idea could be realised. Apart from how everything would fit inside a mechanical watch case, how the case would work with a digital instrument posed a huge challenge. Or, shall we say, a headache. Whose idea was it?!
When it almost felt like an impossible idea, we came up with a clip-on system. There may be a zillion ways to make a watch look good. But we no longer had the free rein, having to allow this system to work.
If something stands against you, you either fight it, or you work with it to your advantage. We did the latter. And it gave rise to yet another part of our DNA - the LW angular case design, distinguished with multi-facets and indentations at 3 and 9 o'clock to hold the instrument in place.
Precision is key. There is no room for error when it comes to producing the watch case. Each facet, each angle, and each edge of a facet must be 100% where it should be. If a facet is 0.02mm too wide, an angle is deviated in the slightest, or an edge is not dead straight, an instrument won’t hold on.
You can see in the photo above how the watch fits seemlessly into the back of an instrument.
Producing straight edges with such precision in the finest material is a technical nightmare. When machining a watch case, the high temperature hardens the steel and makes it very difficult to be carved into shape. If a line is not carved properly, it won’t show on a curved surface. But you cannot hide it on a flat and edged surface.
Not to mention the polished and brushed facets of our watch cases. The facets are so small it is easy to brush or polish over the edge. It takes years to train a craftsman to have the skill to achieve such precise finish for each watch case.
We like that the polished and brushed facets make the angular case more interesting to look at. Next time you look at it, you can also appreciate the quality of craft that goes into making our watch case, which is extraordinary.
Related Posts:
Linde Werdelin DNA
Click to Perfection
~ Morten:
Summer is here. You and I may have different ideas as to where we want to spend our summer holidays, but we are likely to agree that time is luxury. Everytime I look at my watch, I am reminded of not just what we have created at Linde Werdelin, but also how I spend my time.
This thought process goes into our design. Many of our fundamental design elements are inspired by our lifestyle. You already know about the instruments. Another part of our DNA is a strap-changing system to allow a LW watch to be worn in any way we would like to spend our time, be it urban or sporting.
Say, you have an Oktopus, you can wear it with a rubber strap for 100% water resistance when you're diving, and you can wear it with an alligator strap for urban elegance when you're out in a wine bar. I think most of our customers understand the benefit pretty well as they often have multiple straps to suit different occasions.
Changing the straps is easy, takes 2 minutes. Coming up with a system that would work well was not. Because we had the design constraints imposed by having to carry an instrument. The outcome, however, makes our lugs as part of the case design unique to us. It also means our straps have to be specially designed. All of our straps have been given serious technical studies. They are one of the most complicated to produce on the market. Each material used for our straps has been tested for 2 years before being considered.
I do offer my desired combinations as to which models should pair with which straps. But customers' choices of pairing, which reflect their individual styles, often blow me away. Above photo is an example, courtesy of Mr. Bloore. It works when it works for you. And that's the spirit of LW.
Related Posts:
DNA Part II: Precision, Precision, Precision
Click to Perfection
Ending on a High Note
~ Jorn:
The story has begun. It is a mystery. There are four main characters. The story title is "The Perfect Five".
Confused?
The perfect five are not people. They are five LW watches and instruments containing five perfect microchips. The mystery lies not in the characters, but "the perfect five".
It makes sense that the story revolves around our watches and instruments afterall.
Let me give you the background of the story. A glitch has occured in producing the microchips. The glitch turns out to have created five "perfect" microchips which will generate unprecedented calculating power when put together. Needless to say, we need to locate the watches and instruments.
These "perfect" pieces have been purchased, but we have only been able to identify and contact two of the customers...
To see who they are, watch this 2nd part of the trailer video, which I promised you a few weeks ago:
The characters are born, their identities revealed.
It's always nice to put faces to names. So there you have it.
It's not clear what twists and surprises we have in store for you yet. Watch out for the next episode which will be coming in Autumn. You can also join us on LWuniverse and be the first to know when it's out.
Related Posts:
Another Form of Craft - including trailer clip Part I
The Illustrative Side of LW
LW Universe Story
~ Jorn:
This is our new creation - neither a watch, nor an instrument.
This is another form of craft. A hand-drawn graphic novel of the LW Universe, The Perfect Five, by two renowned French artists. Craftsmanship is something very close to our hearts. The challenge is to present craftsmanship to a digital audience. Yes, that includes you, as you are reading this either on your computer or a mobile.
We have put together a video trailer of the LW Universe graphic novel, by using the original hand-drawn illustrations, not by computer-generated images. Anyone who has used 3D graphic software should know, the creative process and the skills required are completely different to those in hand drawing.
It's been a long time coming, but we are pleased to be able to preserve the originality of the illustrations. Collaborating with artists is like working with artisan watch-makers, there's a kind of romance and integrity in it. You can't force it and you have to respect it.
Previously, I gave you the lowdown on how we started this creation here: The Illustrative Side of LW; now I can stop being a tease and just show you a clip...
Ok, some people may call the video clip a teaser, so technically I am still being a tease. There is a second part coming in a couple of weeks, the story then continues in the magazine version.
True to our form, we have produced a small limited run of Episode 1 in hard copies, complimentary to customers. Just a small gesture and another way to share what we do.
Related Posts:
The Born Identity - including trailer clip Part II
A Stroke of French
The Illustrative Side of LW
LW Universe Story
~ Morten:
We love being creative and experimental. In The Lab, we constantly play with new and interesting materials, new functional designs that will serve a purpose to the LW watch owners. In the fall of 2008, we took our first step into working with the surface material DLC. And the first Hard Black DLC Limited Edition was born [picture below]. The series was sold out instantly and the positive feedback was overwhelming.
What makes the Linde Werdelin Hard Black watches so sturdy and durable is not only the black DLC coating. Before the coating, our cases are heat treated to several hundred degrees, thereby hardening the steel before coating the case with DLC. The DLC is applied in a vacuum vapour chamber where the watch case is bombarded with thousands of small carbon particles that is absorbed into the surface of the case, thus creating the very hard black coating with a thickness of only a thousandth of a millimetre, but with the hardness second only to diamond.
The Hard Black II watch is limited to 88pcs. and is ready for delivery in a few weeks. We are looking forward to hearing the feedback from many of the lucky owners who have already pre-ordered this watch… we know you have been waiting for quite a while, but we promise you, its definitely worth the wait.
Related Post:
The Rock Steady Partner
A Second Run Of Black
~ Morten:
Once again, I have been playing around with the camera. One thing is showing beautiful pictures of a watch, but with a 360-degree video, you are able to give a view of the watch from all sides. This week I have for you a video of the Oktopus Tattoo, which was also presented as a novelty at BaselWorld.
This watch is very special to me. I must say it has been very interesting, extremely difficult, and amazingly fun to work on. With this watch, we wanted to do something out of the ordinary… something you would not expect from a luxury watch brand. My idea was to challenge the boundaries of high precision craftsmanship in watch making by combining it with the artistic skills and traditions from tattooing.
Essentially, we took the Oktopus case and tried pushing the design further… what was technically possible to do with the case engravings, and how could the artistic language of the tattoo artist be transformed into a watch design. We also changed the design of the hands, which is inspired by the tentacles of an octopus. Additionally, we added the exclusive movement cal. 1150 from Frederic Piguet. To give a more exotic look of the watch and make it stand out in a crowd, we also added orange SuperLuminova on the dial and hands.
[...continued from Part I]
~ Morten:
The curtains have come down on ten days of watch-mania in Switzerland. This year at BaselWorld, our stand was located in The Palace, which was just the right place. The Palace simply buzzed with creativity from the small independent watch companies. In my opinion, this was where the most innovative and exciting companies were presenting their creations.
Related Post:
Oktopus Moonphase - Behind The Scenes
~ Morten:
We have arrived at this year’s BaselWorld. As always, we are keeping very busy with meetings with journalists, agents, retailers, and interested watch aficionados. It is our second year at BaselWorld and we can really feel the huge interest in our watches and instruments and our special LW illustration universe.
I know that you have been waiting in anticipation to see the Oktopus Tattoo, which I have been sharing with you for the past six months. We have spent a lot of time on developing this watch… numerous case prototypes have been done to find just the right look of the tattoo engravings on the case.
As we decided to use the F. Piguet cal. 1150 for this watch, we also had to change the inner case, and adjust the design of the hands. Because of this, we did not receive the final prototypes until the opening day of BaselWorld two days ago… and here are pictures to show this avant-garde LW creation, which is creating a lot of talk and interest down here.
Last week we gave you an in-depth review of our Oktopus Moonphase and the ideas behind this creation. This week I can show you a live picture of this beautiful piece, with the very special moonphase-indicator with countdown function.
Next week we will have some more pictures from BaselWorld and a video as well, so stay tuned. Back to the fair…
[Continue to Part II...]
Related Posts:
Oktopus Tattoo: A Quick Tour Through The Lab
Oktopus Tattoo: A Quick Tour Through The Lab (Part II)
How Body Art Meets Horology
Revealed: Body Art Meets Horology
~ Morten:
The Oktopus Moonphase is one of our novelties for BaselWorld this year, and we are looking forward to presenting it next week. Before this happens, I want to share the ideas behind this unique creation and give you some more background information on the functionality and design.
At LW it is important that both functionality and design go hand in hand and transcends everything in our creations – both watches and instruments. Therefore, for me to proceed with this idea, I needed to create a design, which would compliment the Oktopus. A design which would make the dial easily legible, and a complication which is simple and easy to operate.
Having collaborated with Mr. Svend Andersen on our SpidoLite project, we approached him again with our design and idea for the Oktopus Moonphase, and asked him to build a complication, which could work with our design; he was thrilled with our idea. Based on a simple design, we opened up the Oktopus dial, to give room for the moonphase display, in which you can read the moons waxing and waning. This allows you to read the current position of the moon and the moons to come, in a fast, easy and efficient way. Beneath the phases you have the countdown function, enabling you to read the time elapsed from the last moon or the time until the next moon.
For the movement, we chose an automatic Frederic Piguet cal. 1150 with a power reserve of 72 hours, onto which Svend Andersen built his moonphase complication in correlation with our design. The ingenious idea is to exchange the date wheel for a moonphase wheel, which changes the moon at midnight like a date function would change the date. This is a simple, yet precise construction for the moonphase complication. The moonphase can be adjusted manually with the use of the crown. This allows for a fast and easy way of setting the moon disc to the current moon, even if the watch has not been worn for some time and has stopped. No need to send it back to our service centre for regulation…
Related Post:
Oktopus Moonphase short video presentation
~ Morten:
Who is this mysterious lady? You may not know this, but our Special Project is the inspiration for her being. If you haven’t seen her from some of our brand materials, you soon will. And a story involving this lady will unfold.
Back to the special project, our Oktopus Tattoo. It is hard to believe 2 years has passed since we first discussed developing a diver’s watch and its design conception.
In a normal design process, one would use hand or computer drawings to get as close to the ideal and final design as possible before building a prototype. Anyone with the knowledge of product development would know that building commercial prototypes is a costly exercise, so you don’t want to have to build too many of them before production.
To create an original design, we give thoughts to everything. During the Product Development phase, all design is done in house (in The Lab!)…down to the smallest detail of the numeric font on the Oktopus dial. Every time we come up with an idea or adjust a design, we need to validate its feasibility with watch-makers and part-producers in Switzerland before we carry on further.
[Continue to Part II...]
[...Continued from Part I]
Housing a movement within such a small space of the watch case requires much technical study. Although it helps to use modern technology and computer design tools to simulate the possible results, a lot of fine-tuning needs to be done on the physical pieces.
For example, on the F. Piquet movement, we give 80% of the weight of the hands to the second hand as a counterweight. Just 1/10 of a gram’s difference would shift the weight and tip the balance, and the watch would not work properly. When you are producing limited editions like us, and not mass producing thousands or millions of pieces, you don’t get a standard cookie-cutting finish for all pieces of a small part. Which means, no computer can simulate the end result and we test every step by assembling physical pieces.
This is a long process to the final prototype. More often than not, I review the design constantly till the last minute to push for the best possible outcome to show you at BaselWorld.
So, we are definitely not seeing the finished designs for our novelties until BaselWorld, which is 3 weeks away, starting 18th March. But I should have more to show you here in two weeks time.
Henning Jørgensen's works of art are highly respected and admired. He is booked up for the next two years. It is exciting to have the opportunity to work with Henning, because we are bringing two very different art forms together.
It is a huge technical challenge to tranform the tattoo drawings, which we showed you here in August, into our Oktopus watch case design. Each tattoo line he drew would have to be shrunk to 1/10 of its size for our watch. We have done endless tests to find the perfect method to achieve the perfect result.
To "tattoo" the Oktopus, we need to use a needle that is so fine it would drill no more than 0.05 to 0.08mm each line. Otherwise, it would cut over another tattoo line and ruin the intricate design.
Next time, I will show you how the Oktopus Tattoo is turning out.
Related Posts:
Body Art Meets Horology
Oktopus Tattoo: A Quick Tour Through The Lab
~ Morten:
We participated in Geneva Time Exhibition (GTE) last week. For the uninitiated, it was a watch fair organised for the first time for the independent brands, running alongside SIHH in Geneva. There was a lot of interest. Everyone who came to see us had heard of us and wanted to meet us in person to find out what we had in store for 2010. It was a great success.
Here are a couple of images, courtesy of Hodinkee.
If you follow The Lab, you should know that I made some adjustment to the design of the Oktopus last year after BaselWorld. So it was good to show everyone the final design in the flesh at last. In two weeks time we will post some images of the Oktopus DLC and Titanium for you here.
Another highlight ought to be the SpidoLite. We presented the SpidoLite SA Rose Gold, along with SA All Black and SA Titanium. It is a complete family of the SpidoLite SA.
Through an interview with Hodinkee, you can see this complete family. Oh, by the way, they are not my hands...
We welcomed a lot of guests from the press and media at GTE. But speaking of Hodinkee, I must say it was very interesting to learn of this New York based website. I like their website. They target the city folks who are urban dwelling, international, and very style conscious. They have a unique following and set themselves up to be a "trend-spotter" for the watch industry.
Good job that they love skiing too. They recently took LW skiing with them and made a video.
Now that makes me want to be in the mountains!
~ Jorn:
The New Year has got us all in high spirits. Not least because the ski season is our favourite time of the year. It was quite a bash when Linde Werdelin, Beautiful Books & SQUA.RE celebrated the launch of the Linde Werdelin 2010 Ski Guides in December. You can now see the highlights in this stylish short video: http://squa.re/LindeWerdelin
Today, we launch an online version of the Ski Guide in partnership with SQUA.RE, as well as the LW Ski Guide App for iPhone. The online platform, is aimed and designed to constantly receive users' feedback so the guide is updated throughout the ski season and until the next annual guide is out.
So, from today onwards you are most welcome to visit it, post comments, and engage into an ongoing interaction whether you are simply researching or actually planning your trips for this winter and years to come.
Ski Guide on SQUA.RE: http://blog.squa.re/ski-guide
The iPhone app, on the other hand, is something out of personal needs. And I can imagine many out there will find it useful. It just makes sense to have the added-value of the iPhone in our Ski Guide providing location-based and real-time services, such as up-to-the-minute weather forecasts, snow alerts, and Geolocations. I can now carry the Ski Guide in my pocket as part of my phone.
LW Ski Guide App: http://app.LindeWerdelin.com
Our initial decision to produce the Ski Guide was because of our great passion for skiing. When we choose and write about the several different places to visit, stay, eat and so on, it is because we want to share our own experiences with these areas. Not because some places are better than others.
Every destination has its own soul - and something different to offer. That's why we believe that some places should be visited with friends, others with family, while some are better for certain types of skiing than others. And do keep in mind that a skiing trip doesn't have to last a week. Three or four days can easily do the trick if you have the right information for your dos and don'ts.
Our guide contains our own recommendations from decades of travelling and from our best experiences - you'll find the essential information on the top skiing destinations in different areas, restaurants for lunch and dinner, nice hotels and so on. In other terms, we've done all the research so you don't have to spend time or money on bad or disappointing choices.
In our opinions skiing is just skiing - it all depends on what you want. We do recommend that you try some different places every year, and try to spend three or four days in each place instead of a whole week. We believe five or six days a year with perfect conditions will make you feel complete when it comes to a skiing experience - and we're convinced that our Ski Guide can give you the information needed.
See you on and off piste!
~ Jorn:
Morten and I are both keen skiers, as I mentioned a few weeks ago. We have been skiing in the Alps since the age of six without missing a season. Our passion for skiing was one of the inspirations behind the founding of Linde Werdelin in 2002. Over the years, we have come to know many fantastic ski routes, hotels, restaurants, and people in various resorts first-hand. We often get the question, “Where do you recommend…?” Naturally we are delighted to offer our suggestions. But when you are known to have a lot to say on a subject, you get asked all the time…
So we thought, why not put it all in a guidebook!
This year we are making our annual LW Ski Guide available for the first time online on SQUA.RE (launch to be announced next week) and in major bookstores and Paul Smith stores in the UK, as we know there are many out there who enjoy skiing and the mountain lifestyle as much as we do. An iPhone app will follow with interactive features. We are doing a launch party at Paul Smith's flagship store this week. Should be fun. Now the ski guide is ready, the snow conditions are promising...
Let the ski season commence!!
~ Morten:
The much anticipated SpidoLite SA All Black has just arrived. It is always delightful to see a design being realised. And in this case, I would say it was exciting. We have taken months to perfect the original SpidoLite SA version in titanium. It was technically not an easy design to produce, to say the least. Adding a DLC (Diamond-Like-Carbon) coating on top of the already intricate titanium case structure to achieve the ultimate All Black look was twice the challenge. If you are not familiar with our DLC procedure, you can refer to an old posting by clicking the DLC link above.
We have a reputation for being the most creative with our DLC procedure and have received amazing response from the market to our Hard DLC series. I couldn't see why we shouldn't try to give our signature watch, SpidoLite, another Linde Werdelin twist. The black DLC coating has accentuated the depth of the drill-out watch case, so you can get a better sense of its architecture.
I also think the black dial and the shiny components in the movement have created a very nice contrast. The result is this stunning All Black piece with a unique vintage movement from Andersen Genève. It has a very cool and macho look when you wear this watch.
Adding an electric blue to the hands was an inspiration from the one of a kind Blue Gold rotor. Our clients seem to agree with me and love that hint of blue. The SpidoLite SA All Black was unveiled last week at SalonQP, the first luxury watch event of its kind in London, to a discerning audience and received very favourable response. If you have missed the event, here's an independent report: SalonQP 2009
I didn't forget I owed you a video, to show you The Reef in action during one of the real-world tests. We have spent a couple of years to develop both the hardware and the software in-house. The software alone is written with hundreds of thousands of programming lines. It may sound complicated, and it is indeed technologically advanced, but the end result is the highest quality dive computer that is also one of the easiest to use on the market. It has a very friendly user interface and a LCD colour screen, so it's easy to read even in dark and murky conditions underwater.
The numerous tests performed were no mean feat. There are many safety and security measures we put in place which you won't know as a user. We did whatever it took to get them right. The Reef employs Bühlmann 16 algorithm. If you are not a diver, that means the most reliable model to use to avoid decompression sickness and hazard. There is also a system log on each instrument to record every single step a diver makes using The Reef, allowing us to see activities and run analysis.
Here's quick video taken by one of our test divers along with some static shots:
Back in August, I mentioned a special project we were working on in collaboration with Henning Jørgensen of Royal Tattoo. What does body art have anything to do with watches? Since things have been progressing nicely, I thought it might be time to reveal more.
More about this project will be revealed in two months. And I can promise that we will show you something VERY special, VERY unique. I am thrilled about every single watch we create, but this future attraction really makes the whole LW team smile in pure thrill and excitement. Watch this space!
Related Posts:
How Body Art Meets Horology
Oktopus Tattoo: A Quick Tour Through The Lab
The first lot of fully assembled SpidoLite just arrived at the Danish Linde Werdelin offices in Charlottenlund this week. It was quite thrilling to finally get a good look at the fascinating blue gold rotor that is a signature construction from fellow Dane, Mr Svend Andersen.
Mr Andersen is the man behind the movement in the SpidoLite SA and famous for not only his amazing watch making skills but also for his blue gold rotors.
Today is a good day. The new Hard Black II just arrived and we are thrilled! Our first run of Hard Black was an instant success and all 22 watches were sold really fast. Due to popular demand we decided to launch a slightly different version with the updated dial, black hands and bright coloured hour markers with black trimming.
As you can see on the picture below we decided to match the stitching in the strap, adding a distinct look to the watch.
Our talented strap supplier developed a brilliant new technique for our alligator straps. The new technique offers a water resistant surface which also protects the strap from dirt and sweat.
We had a good look at the SpidoLite case again and realized that we could actually remove a little more material in order to make the whole watch even lighter. This will be done by milling out as seen on the drawing below.
In other words this is what future SpidoLite owners should expect to see when turning their watch. Unless of course they opt for the version with the Svend Andersen movement. They will of course be looking at the wonderfully decorated movement plates and blue gold rotor.
Well, Basel World is almost over. Our very first attendance at the world’s largest watch show. Another two days to go until we head home, hopefully with full order books.
