Andersen Genève has unveiled the Split-Seconds Worldtimer, the first rattrapante chronograph with worldtime function. Price CHF 184,000
Andersen Genève has unveiled the Split-Seconds Worldtimer, an exclusive creation that, for the first time, unites two of watchmaking’s most sophisticated complications: the rattrapante (or split-seconds) chronograph and the worldtimer.
Housed in a 38.8 mm by 11.95 mm round case made of 950 platinum, the watch pairs a vintage Venus 179 split-seconds chronograph movement with Andersen Genève’s ultra-thin worldtime module.
This combination is unprecedented. While worldtime functions have occasionally been paired with standard or flyback chronographs — such as the Patek Philippe Reference 5935A-001 — this marks the first integration of a split-seconds chronograph within a worldtimer.
The concept was devised by founder Svend Andersen and director Pierre-Alexandre Aeschlimann in 2017, and has been prototyped and refined over the last two years with the help of in-house watchmakers.
The case has been crafted using traditional techniques, without CNC machines, featuring a slim, three-part construction and softly curved lugs. It is then hand-polished to a mirror finish in Andersen Genève’s traditional case-making atelier in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
The chronograph pushers and crown are unusually positioned on the left side of the case. While not specifically designed for left-handed wear, this layout allows operation of the chronograph with the thumb. A second crown, recessed into the case on the right side, is used to adjust the city disc.
At the centre of the dial is the chronograph display, with subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock for the 30-minute counter and running seconds. Surrounding this are the worldtime elements: a rotating 24-hour ring and a sapphire city disc that displays the 24 time zones.
For optimal readability, the Split-Seconds Worldtimer introduces a fresh take on the traditional worldtime layout.
Instead of the usual setup with a 24-hour ring surrounded by an outer city ring, the two elements are combined. The city names are printed on the underside of a thin, 0.5 mm sapphire disc that sits just above the 24-hour ring. This layered construction keeps both elements legible and functional while maintaining a slim profile.
The central chronograph dial is made of solid white gold with vertical brushing and features hand-applied blue grand feu enamel for the hour markers, minute track, and chronograph scales.
The 24-hour ring is crafted from silvered brass and split into day and night sections using texture rather than colour. The night side is black-polished with matte numerals, while the day side has a satin finish, creating subtle shifts in appearance as light moves across the dial.
The chronograph hands are hand-blued steel, while the time display uses mirror-polished white gold sword-shaped hands.
Visible through the sapphire caseback, the Venus 179 is a hand-wound, column-wheel chronograph movement produced from the 1940s to the 1960s. Based on the Venus 175, this version includes a split-seconds function, allowing the timing of intermediate events using a second chronograph hand that can be stopped and re-synchronised.
Each vintage calibre is sourced in New Old Stock (NOS) condition, then carefully inspected, refined, and regulated by Andersen Genève’s watchmakers. It is then paired with the brand’s in-house worldtime module, a hallmark of its expertise since the first Communication 24 model in 1990.
Operating at 18,000 vibrations per hour, the movement offers 50 hours of power reserve.
The Split-Seconds Worldtimer introduces a new category in Andersen Genève’s collection: the ‘AAA’ tier. Discreetly engraved inside the caseback, alongside the names of the contributing team members, this designation marks a new standard where high complications meet exceptional finishing and decoration.
Decorative techniques include black polishing on several components, such as the arms of the split-seconds clamp, the column wheel, screw heads, and balance parts.
The sides of the bridges and plates are smoothed using fine emery tools, while the angles are polished to a mirror shine. Satin finishes are applied with pierre de Paris stone, a rare material valued for the refined texture it imparts. Sinks are polished using ruby cutters, and even the gear wheel arms are precisely chamfered by hand.
Limited to just eight pieces, the Andersen Genève Split-Seconds Chronograph Worldtime is priced at CHF 184,000. andersen-geneve.ch
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