I Spent Last Week In Geneva, And The Andersen Geneve Rattrapante Mondial Was The Best Thing I Saw

My only real criticism of the watch, having seen the prototype in person, is that I found the world-time crown, which is recessed into the case at 3 o’clock, somewhat hard to use. Again, it’s a prototype, so I will give the benefit of the doubt here, but just something to consider if you find yourself making an effort to go to see the watch in person. Oh, and while I love the dial finish, I found it can be hard to read in certain lighting. 

Now to the specifics. The watch, as seen here in its production format, is limited to just eight pieces, priced at 184,000 CHF. That said, Andersen told me they are open to direct commissions using the same caliber. They still have a small cache of unused movements to build from—though not many. So while there will be more than eight examples of the Rattrapante Mondial in the world, some may feature custom dials, different case materials, or even a crown positioned on the right side. And that has always been part of the Andersen charm—they’re willing to work closely with clients on highly personalized pieces.

And about that price? Man, I am of a few minds. That’s a big boy number for anything, let alone a watch from a small brand that has had its ups and downs (though I truly believe this watch marks a major step towards a constant and exciting up), but considering other things on the market, it’s somehow not terrible? I suppose it depends on what you’re comfortable paying for. To compare, the Lange 1815 rattrapante in platinum retails for around $165,000, and the Patek Philippe 5370 in rose retails for $318,000; both are fully in-house from major brands. Having said that, there is a case to be made that the Andersen is finished to an equal or higher standard, with more charm, in a smaller, thinner case with a clever world time complication. To compare something a bit more apples-to-apples, Kari Voutilainen’s new steel world-timer (called the 216TMZ) retails for 185,000 CHF, too, without a chronograph. But the quality of architecture and finishing in any Kari is top, top tier (if you can stomach the ten-year wait). Between us, I almost wrote a story called “What’s the best independent world time watch you can buy for 185,000 Swiss Franc?” comparing the Kari to this Andersen Geneve, but I’ll save that for the six people on earth who wouldn’t puke at such a title. Also, I haven’t been able to see that Kari in person yet. So maybe it’ll come down the road, if I can slip that title past the fun police (James).