We are welcome by Sky at BaselWorld to check out the products of Linde Werdelin:
The concept of instrument that is recurring in watch industry as so called toolwatches - those ones devoted to aviators, divers, racing drivers, etc… An exercise of style being constantly renewed, however, always somehow limited by the rules of mechanics.
At the time of quantum calculators, the flying drones at speed of Mach 11, a purely mechanical instrument seems to be completely obsolete compared to the complexity of exponential data processing.
Moreover, the implementation of electronic modules into the mechanical watch movements is always badly perceived by those passionate collectors, remember the Panerai PAM193 and its electronic depthmeter …
Until now, nobody has brought a viable solution to this technical paradox.
Nowadays, it’s Linde Werdelin, that finally proposes an acceptable solution in all respects: a technical solution, an aesthetic solution, and a watchmaking solution.
Rather than to integrate an electronic complication to a mechanical movement, which would denature its “Helveticas nobleness”, LW comes with an optional module that is put on the top of its watches. Module dedicated to a moment, whether it is the sport one in the mountains (The Rock), or the one devoted to the diving (The Reef). The prices of the modules are starting at 1000€. LW thus proposes an elegant solution considering the limitations of watchmaking mechanics.
This new vision of a watchmaking object is also expressed in the com', surfing on the revival of Franco-Belgian comics, LW creates an important storytelling centered around 4 female characters, dedicating each one an comics opus.
This linking with the comics remains certain things connected to Soleil, or SerieB from Delcourt, in particular in Golden City, Golden cup, Artica…
All in all a kind of literary halfway between the anticipation and the post-Cyberpunk, tending to Care Bears, all mixed in many gunshots, spectacular cascades and mountains and diving sceneries at the best implementing into the modules and the watches of LW.
Courageous choice, and very Geek, Linde and Werdelin (the creators) have obviously understood how to communicate towards the young generations of collectors and enthusiasts.
With such innovative choices in com', the design couldn’t be but radical, it takes so much from Royal Oak Offshore by Audemars Piguet, as well as from the Hublot Big Bang, watch "without lugs", technical materials, excavated cases.
With alighted cases (thanks to the use of titanium) that are in the fact exo-skeletons (one could say excavated, but it would not be enough SF) and with the integration of the lugs to the case, comfort is optimal, in spite of the case size of 44*46mn, they make themselves completely forget on the wrist. Despite the size on paper, 44mm, the watch opens less, and the dials are charged enough, finally one has an impression to have a watch of 42mm on the wrist.
The collections turn around the characters of comics.
The One is the basic model of LW that allows you to have Linde Werdelin watch + one module for less than 5000€:
The Octopus, with an engraved case, it has a dedicated module, “tattooed” as well with a notable feature, it embarks Piguet 1150:
Then the Three-Timer, GMT with rather traditional features, second hand, rotating bezel, and with a remarkable dial – a clear success:
Very interesting SpidoLite inherited its name of the heroin of the first volume of comics. Here with the module:
Finally SpidoSpeed, a chrono watch and new fore model of the collection, assembled with a “Custom” movement, a “Concepto” chrono watch:
The novelty of 2011, SpidoSpeed Black, with its appropriate module (there are 6 versions of modules according to the colors/dressing):
We could define LW as European Watch Company, based in London, with employees coming from 4 different corners of Europe, in particular with Aphrodite from Greek, the Danish owners, and obviously the Swiss movements.
Thus, with the image of Europe, the ideas and the concepts are revolutionary, and the old ones are remade in respect to the up-to-date style, since the force of Linde Werdelin is the freshness of its concepts and its products in Helvetico-Swiss production, sometimes very conventional.
New vision of the com’, new vision of the tool watch, I’m waiting for the next surprise of Linde’s adventures.
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