After working for decades at Patek Philippe, Svend Andersen had the courage to set out on his own in 1980 in the midst of the quartz crisis with an aim to create unique bespoke timepieces. In 1985 with Vincent Calabrese – he co-founded the AHCI (Académie Horloger des Createurs Independent/ Horological Academy of Independent Creators) for which the duo received the Achievement Award at the GPHG in 2023.

The present Jour et Nuit (Day and Night) model features an original and playful manner of reading time. This unusual jumping 24-hour display is indicated by a large hand with both sun and moon motifs on opposing ends. Much like the natural courses of the two celestial bodies, night and day are differentiated as the moon-hand sets past the 6th hour on the lower bow, and the sun-hand rises on the upper scale indicating the hours between 6 to 18.

The Jour et Nuit was originally made upon commission from a private client (Walter Haselberger, whose initials are on the case back) in 1995 and featured not only this original method of indicating time but also a minute repeater. Andersen then developed the movement for Cartier which used it in its Pasha models.

Between 1998 and 1999 Andersen made less than 10 pre-series Jour et Nuit models of which the present example is number 2.

It wasn’t until 2000 that Andersen introduced a “production series” of the Jour et Nuit called the Grand Jour et Nuit as the case was enlarged to 42mm.

A historically important, technically interesting and playful timepiece, the present Jour et Nuit pre-series number 2 is a must-have for the collector of rare independent timepieces.