Andersen Genève x Applied Art School La Chaux-de-Fonds Cufflinks Project

ANDERSEN Genève announces competition for students at the historic Art School in La Chaux-de-Fonds, to design cufflinks that will be hand-made by the watch brand.

ANDERSEN Genève, the renowned independent watchmaker, has launched an exciting collaboration with the School of Applied Arts in La Chaux-de-Fonds. This unique project invites the school’s talented students to design cufflinks inspired by ANDERSEN Genève’s own craftsmanship and watchmaking heritage. La Chaux-de-Fonds, known as the heartland of Switzerland’s watchmaking expertise, is home to generations of artisans, workshops and skills that have shaped the industry, and continue to do so. This collaboration celebrates this rich story and its ongoing significance.

The initiative will culminate in a presentation of the students’designs at a special event on October 30, 2024, at the prestigious Musée International d'Horlogerie (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Judged by ANDERSEN Genève’s President & CEO, Pierre-Alexandre Aeschlimann, and Ming Liu, the respected jewellery and watches journalist, three outstanding designs will be selected. The winning cufflink designs will then be brought to life, with ANDERSEN Genève creating the selected pieces at its La Chaux-de-Fonds atelier.

Creativity on the wrist

Cufflinks and watches share a unique synergy, as discreet, wrist-worn items of male jewellery and personal expression. This connection is particularly meaningful to collectors, who may one day wear a pair of these cufflinks alongside their cherished ANDERSEN Genève watch.

The School of Applied Arts in La Chaux-de-Fonds offers courses in four disciplines: jewellery, engraving, watch design and fashion. This diversity promises to bring fresh perspectives and creativity to the design of cufflinks: while the project began as a single-class initiative, such was the enthusiasm among students that the entire school became involved.

The competition highlights not only the extraordinary craftsmanship rooted in La Chaux-de-Fonds but also the deep personal connections between the students themselves and the watch industry. Many of the students’ families have been involved in the craft for generations – a link that adds a deep cultural resonance to this competition.

La Chaux-de-Fonds: The Heart of Watchmaking Craftsmanship

La Chaux-de-Fonds, situated high in the Jura mountains above Lake Neuchatel, is a town steeped in watchmaking tradition, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since the 18th century millions of watches have been made here, making the town a flourishing hot bed for craft, design and artistic excellence. This is reflected in its world-famous architecture: laid out in a distinctive grid pattern in 1794, the townscape includes wonderful examples of historicist, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Modernist architecture, including masterpieces by the town’s most famous son, Le Corbusier.

The town continues to be the cornerstone of the Swiss watch industry. It is a home to myriad craft ateliers, technical specialists and skilled suppliers, while brands such as Girard-Perregaux, TAG Heuer, Ulysse Nardin, Jaquet Droz, Montblanc and Zenith are headquartered in and around La Chaux and its sister village of Le Locle. Numerous brands including Patek Philippe, Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Cartier maintain manufacturing facilities in this area, drawing on the expertise that is embedded in the region.

ANDERSEN Genève has maintained an atelier in La Chaux-de-Fonds since 2022, when it acquired the traditional case-making workshop of master craftsman (prototypiste) Marco Poluzzi. Now 82, M. Poluzzi continues to work here, training up and overseeing a new generation of artisan specialists, just as ANDERSEN Geneve founder Svend Andersen, also 82, is doing at the brand’s workshop in Geneva.

Partnering with the School of Applied Arts in La Chaux-de-Fonds represents the next step in the brand’s determination to nurture emerging talent, and to give young creatives the opportunity to gain real-world experience and recognition.

La Chaux-de-Fonds is the mecca of watchmaking,” says ANDERSEN Genève President & CEO Pierre-Alexandre Aeschlimann. “We want to support and encourage the next generation of Artisans who are born into this extraordinary environment. By producing the winning designs, we aim to give these young talents their first steps towards wider recognition, and to celebrate the deep-rooted connection between La Chaux and the watch industry.”

The Musée International d'Horlogerie (MIH), the venue for the award ceremony, is considered the epicentre of horological history, and is itself a Modernist architectural marvel. It serves as a fitting location for the celebration of both traditional craftsmanship and contemporary innovation, in the best traditions of the watchmaking industry.

A Celebration of the Future of Watchmaking

This collaboration reflects ANDERSEN Genève's commitment to hand-crafted excellence and its ongoing investment in maintaining and transferring the ancestral skills of fine horology. The three winning students will not only have their designs produced but will also receive recognition that can serve as a launchpad for their future careers.

The competition highlights the significance of La Chaux-de-Fonds as a watchmaking hub, but more importantly, it emphasizes the creativity, skill, and passion that the town and its inhabitants continue to inspire.

ANDERSEN Genève is proud to be part of this story. “This project is not just about cufflinks, but about passing down the legacy of craftsmanship that has defined La Chaux-de-Fonds and the Swiss watch industry for generations,” says M. Aeschlimann.