Andersen Genève Sakura Andersen Genève X BCHH: A World-Timer with a Poet’s Heart

The 37.8mm case is crafted from pink gold, but this isn’t your average luxury housing. The flowing ‘eagle wings’ lugs – Andersen Genève’s signature – aren’t stamped out by machines. They’re hand-finished, individually soldered, and polished to perfection, creating a silhouette that feels as dynamic as the watch’s story. Twin crowns sit symmetrically at 3 and 9 o’clock, engraved with the Andersen Genève and BCHH seals – tiny emblems of a partnership driven by a shared respect for traditional watchmaking.

And then, there’s the dial – a miniature world unto itself. Inspired by Japan’s sakura season, it features a soribashi bridge arching gracefully over a river, framed by delicate cherry blossoms and a distant, snow-capped Mount Fuji. Achieving this scene is no simple feat. Cloisonné enamel, one of horology’s most revered art forms, is as intricate as it sounds. Ultra-thin strips of gold wire form outlines for each element, creating tiny compartments – or cloisons – that are filled with powdered enamel. Then comes the high-stakes part: firing. Each hue has its own melting point, so the dial must be fired repeatedly, sometimes dozens of times, at over 800 degrees Celsius. A single imperfection and the entire work of art is lost.

The result is a dial that shimmers with depth and vibrancy, as though the blossoms are glowing in the early spring sunlight. Surrounding this scene is a mother-of-pearl city ring etched with gold lettering, showing 24 time zones, and a rotating 24-hour ring with a pink ruby marking noon – a nod to the vivid colour of the sakura bloom.

Flip the watch over, and the magic continues. The case back features a stunning rotor made from BlueGold, a material known for its difficulty working with and striking hue. In this piece, the gold has been heat-treated to a unique pink-purple shade and engraved with an interlocking wave-pattern guilloché.

Inside beats a world-timer movement designed entirely in-house by Andersen Genève. Known for their expertise in this complication, dating back to the legendary founder Svend Andersen’s work with Patek Philippe, the team has refined their approach over decades. The movement features meticulous hand-finishing, from chamfered edges and Geneva stripes to mirror-polished screws. Despite its complex architecture, the watch remains impressively slim at just 10.1mm.

Each of the 20 pieces is customisable, allowing clients to personalise elements and make their watch truly one-of-a-kind. This bespoke approach speaks to the heart of Andersen Genève, a maison that has produced fewer than 1,300 watches since its founding in 1980. For Benjamin Chee, on the other hand, this collaboration represents the pinnacle of his passion for haute horlogerie – watches that are not only functional but heirlooms infused with meaning.