It's a premiere! By choosing to combine the symbolisms, KERBEDANZ opens an unexplored path in traditional Swiss watchmaking. Faithful to its artisanal heritage related to family know-how in high jewelry, KERBEDANZ, based in Neuchâtel, gives life on a mode of unique pieces or ultra limited series to rare and ultimate mechanical timepieces served as a concentrate of initiatory journeys...
Guardian of a family tradition, Tigran Kerbedanz, president and founder of KERBEDANZ, exceeds the mere creation of a brand; by instituting his name in the original cradle of watchmaking excellence, pays tribute to his ancestor, respected blacksmith, renowned for his wonderful ability to shape the metal as well as his legendary generosity.
The fame of this craftsman, due to his love for well done work and quality of his soul, exceeded the borders of his region. The antique clocks he repaired increased his reputation.
Etymologically, the name "Kerbedanz" which means, "the heirs of Karabed", contains the meaning of Leader and Precursor. These predestined dimensions fit within the current vision of the brand.
These two qualifiers are perfectly suitable for KERBEDANZ brand: precursor in the concept and values attached to the product, but also a leader in the sense that its models, unique or in very limited editions, are reserved for an exclusive audience of renowned personalities, the same leaders and precursors in their respective activities.
KERBEDANZ is totally committed in the values of Swiss watchmaking craftsmanship of mechanical obedience and is a precursor in its concept that is to transcend the universal experiences and their immutable symbols.
Even in its graphic representation, the word KERBEDANZ reflects force and legitimacy, able to act with fantasy and inspires stability and reliability. An anchor form with curves reassuring and protective, points both the heaven and the earth by saying what is above is also on earth.
The KERBEDANZ watches therefore have a dual heritage: the abilities and the centuries-old tradition of Swiss Haute Horlogerie and the ethical values that have accompanied a good and righteous man during his whole life, who was attached to the quality and accuracy of his work as well as to the respect of the rules of life.
KERBEDANZ intends to apply these ethical values in its product policy (design, construction, finishing), sales and distribution. Thus, the brand cultivates the quality and accuracy in the creation of his works of art, in the choice of materials used and in the perfectionist finishing of each piece - an ethical approach based on an unwavering respect in the relationship with the audience of connoisseurs who appreciate the value of a perfectly controlled structure.
The motto of KERBEDANZ is "Giving sense to beauty". The brand goes back to the sources of civilizations and searches human values which have erected them, surrounded by the allegories or the mysteries of the symbolism.
These exceptional timepieces, ultimate micromechanical expression, are then transformed into broadcasters of universal knowledge of cultural, ethnic and historical references. Furthermore each creation is accompanied by a luxurious "Book of Birth" which tells the story in depth, with illustrations, of each legend, myth, allegory or symbol that have contributed to the inspiration for its design.
Evidently, the KERBEDANZ audience is in perfect osmosis with the civilization it contributes to shaping. Whatever the level of influence that it exerts, it recognizes itself in the dimensions of leader and precursor underlined in the origin of the brand name. It does not feel the need to show, rather transmit to the one who express sincere interest, the hidden reasons that give a profound relief to passing time, through his wrist.
KERBEDANZ talks to MIPs, these Most Important Personalities, who, due to their power and influence participate through their actions to the evolution of the world.
To transcend its motto and to fulfil its mission, "Giving sense to beauty" KERBEDANZ relies on its family heritage of the most ancient traditions of high jewelry, to which were added the complete know-how of best Swiss watchmakers. Historically born of an exceptional mastery of iron and fine metals, today it moved to contemporary materials.
Micro-sculpture
The masters of micro-sculpture, over long hours of dexterity, which only human hand is able to create, allow to design and produce forms in volume; it could be in low-relief, relief in hollow, high relief or in ronde-bosse, by modelling, in direct carving, in hollow or in relief, by welding or by mechanical assembly.
Bas-relief
The bas-relief is a sculpture or modelling projecting on a background to which it belongs and by which it is detached more or less. It can be painted. The peculiarity of the bas-relief is to present only low relief. The subject is represented feebly from the bottom. The bas-reliefs can be executed in terracotta, stone, marble, ivory, wood, all kinds of metals, vases, jewelry, precious stones, etc. They can be isolated and set in medallions, hollows or other architectural elements.
Used in watches, jewelry and silverware the bas-relief shows extremely fine reliefs sometimes reaching only a few tenths of a millimeter thick (or even only a tenth of a millimeter) on medals, cameos and some watches. This embodiment thus requires a mastery of the art as it is difficult to give a natural look to a figure that has very little thickness in proportion to its height and width. And it is even more difficult to form groups, since we cannot have different grounds away from each other as in the painting. A depth effect can still be created by a simulated perspective, decreasing sizes of characters or decorative elements.
Relief in hollow
The technique of relief is to create volumes by digging depth. The most salient parties normally are carved deeply. It has been widely used by the ancient Egyptians. It also has the advantage of "hook" the light and is often preferred to other techniques for reliefs exposed to daylight.
High-relief
The high relief is a technique of sculpture in three dimensions, intermediate between the sculpture in round and bas-relief. The sculpture emerges very clearly from the bottom, often more than three quarters of volume.
Ronde-bosse
It is a sculpture technique in three dimensions, which, unlike the high reliefs and bas-reliefs, is not physically attached to a bottom, but is placed on a base. It is observable from any angle.
This sculpture technique in bas-relief, also used by some engravers, is applied primarily on materials with layers of contrasting colors or shades. The process is to take advantage of the structure by showing the colors at desired locations to create desired shapes. The artist took advantage of the natural polychrome of the stone to give his subject, with multicolored layers, shades sometimes brilliant, sometimes attenuated. The modern term «cameo» is borrowed from Italian «cameo», which is of the same origin as camaïeu (monochrome).
Glyptic or intaglio
It represents the carving in hollow in the mass, originally in a massive stones. In an intaglio, nothing is raised above the original plan. The most frequently used stones for intaglios are carnelian, chalcedony, agate, jasper and rock crystal, rarely precious stones: emeralds, sapphires as well as gold. The artist works with chisels and reel.
Unlike cameos, which are generally figurative, intaglios have either decor or inscriptions, arms or monograms because they were often mounted to be used as cachets or stamps in the form of rings.
Cylinder seal
Most probably this art was inspired by the cylinder seal of the Sumerian period, related to the art of intaglio. Indeed, as the intaglio, the cylinder seal was originally engraved in the hollow of a pattern with a short text to identify its owner, as a seal signature, for example. It is designed to be held on a clay tablet.
Actually, the printable surface reproduces a frieze, infinitely expandable, and it is larger than that of a normal seal. It increases the narrative and decorative potential of the seal, and makes it a potentially very rich iconographic support. The cylinder can be achieved in a diverse number of materials: stones such as marble, serpentine, steatite, and hematite or in rare and luxurious stones, such as lapis lazuli, chalcedony, agate, carnelian or metal (gold, silver, bronze) etc.
KERBEDANZ timepieces are works of art. The design is everywhere, from the case to the movement, from the dials to the clasp, as well as in the managerial team where the Chief Design Officer, Aram Petrosyan acts.
The artists and craftsmen dedicated to KERBEDANZ create beauty and give the sense. Their expertise allows extreme customization that leads to the unique piece full of attention and ultimate details in finishing.
The enamel is a glaze composed of material including silica, feldspar, kaolin and metal oxides which are in the form of crystals in the raw state. These are different oxides of metal presented as natural or added by the hand of man, giving diverse and infinite colors. The vitrification of this mixture is then done under the action of a very high temperature (800° to 1200° C).
The enamellers of KERBEDANZ master all techniques of enamel. They are the ones to develop a new method called KERBEDANZ Glazing.
Email grand feu
This traditional high temperature enameling is a technique of the Russian school (Fabergé). This artisanal technology allows obtaining the most beautiful colors, unalterable for centuries and requires great accuracy from the artist.
The metal plate on which the enamel is deposited may be previously etched with acid or manually. On the dials named "flinqué" or "guillochés", the transparent enamel covers the metal decorated with lines or curves, which follows the radius of a circle. Colored enamels are obtained by adding different metal oxides. These enamels with splendid colors are deposited on the metal (usually gold) with a quill pen or brush. After a passage in the oven, the operation is repeated as many times as necessary to obtain good colors.
2 main techniques:
Cloisonné
By using gold wire a little thinner than a hair, the enameller executes the drawing on the plate to decorate. It creates small cells in which the enamel is deposited, layer by layer. 60 operations and 12 to 15 passages in the oven are sometimes necessary, because each color has its own temperature.
Champlevé
A master engraver digs in the thickness of the metallic plate to decorate the cells that divide the colors of the drawing. Then the enameller fills these cells with enamel, and after each color, the piece goes in the oven.
Once crushed and reduced to the state of fine powder, the enamel crystals can then be used to complete the previously defined areas. The spaces are filled with different colors carefully selected beforehand, then comes the firing phase. It is a very delicate moment, because on the few final minutes depends the result of long and meticulous work done upstream, sometimes several days, but usually several weeks.
Setting oven between 800 ° and 900 ° depending on the color firing is carried out under the watchful eye of an experienced master. Indeed, only experience will judge the ideal time of firing, because a few seconds too long or too hot and the long hours of work can be erased.
All these operations are repeated several times, and it is necessary for colors to express all their intensity.
Kerbedanz Glazing
This new technology developed by KERBEDANZ is made from a particular composition of colored powders, allowing to obtain shades of dazzling brilliance. The process requires a long preparation, but gives a visual and technical aspect very close to the Grand Feu enamel, as well as a real guarantee of inalterability of colors.
Miniature on enamel
The enamel is grinded extremely fine in order to obtain, after mixing with specific oils, comparable material of painting. This technique appeared in the years 1620-1630 and can be compared to the oil painting. On a support enameled beforehand with Grand Feu technique on both sides, the miniature painter traces the outline of the drawing. The color enhancement by successive applications with insignificant touches of the brush, intercalated with the passages in the oven of more and more accentuated shades, is the longest and most difficult technique to master.
According to many layers and therefore many fires that colors will reveal all their nuances and assert all their beauty. The final firing is generally reserved for soft colors. During this final phase, a shot of fire can still occur and permanently erase all or part of the work.
The enameller will discover the result of his work only at the end of this long process. The final colors will be revealed once cooled. The finished result is unalterable; the enamel is resistant for centuries, maintaining its beauty and brilliance.
This know-how demands a tremendous attention, and often, the miniaturist absolutely dedicates himself to his art.
Guilloché
The guilloché is a decorative technique in intaglio engraving, used on the dials and watch cases. It first appeared in the 16th century, but it is Abraham-Louis Breguet, who in 1786 used it the first in the field of watchmaking.
The guilloché is to make the crossed or interlaced lines or curves using guillochage machine, piloted by hand, consisted of a crank and a chisel. The technique had its heyday age in the 19th century. Nowadays, the hand-made guilloché work is still practiced on high-end watches.
The guilloché decorations are numerous and some have specific names, the best known of which are the guilloché barley grain and clous of Paris. The latter, featuring a series of engravings evoking the form of nails, is one of the most frequent guilloché decorations in fine watchmaking.
To carry out his work, the guilloché craftsman employs two types of machines: the one for the straight lines and the other that allows drawing curved lines, named "tour à guillocher".
Even if the craftsman uses a machine to do his job, it is entirely driven by his hand with a crank, which allows him to move the workpiece. Tension is provided by a spring, and that's the craftsman who exerts by his other hand pressure on the chisel. Thus, the ability to anticipate the effects produced by the machine is paramount and the result clearly depends on the ability of the artisan to feel the tracing through his tool.
Nowadays, although the achievements through the machines can sometimes produce impressive results, the rendering of manual guilloché offers depth and variations, reflections of the light of which remain absolutely unique.
KERBEDANZ creations combine several crafts simultaneously, as guillochage, enameling, setting, engraving etc. providing exceptional touch to pure masterpieces of high watchmaking.
Jewelery and watch decoration
To its traditional heritage of jewelry KERBEDANZ adds the most successful watchmaking decoration arts such as chamfering, circular graining, polishing...
Chamfering (Anglage)
Reserved for the highest-end watch models, the chamfering is a finishing technique of the watch movement aiming to remove edges present between the surface and the sides of the piece and form a polished and inclined at 45° degrees chamfer.
This step in the manufacture of a watch is handmade by master decorators. With the chamfering technique unsightly details are eliminated and the parts of the movement are magnified. This operation, better then necessary, has the advantage of limiting the erosion of parts.
Circular graining (Perlage)
Typically watchmaker, the circular graining is a decoration formed by the concentric circles mainly on dials and, movement bridges and plates. These traits can be very close to each other.
The circular graining may be made industrially by a CNC machines used in large-series productions. The artisanal method uses a graining machine, equipped with a rotating axe, tracing circles on the part. This decorative pattern is also called spotting, bushing and partridge eye.
The human touch, the science of repetitive and regular dosage, make sure the gesture of the craftsman-polisher, an art in its own, typical and specifically related to Swiss watchmakers know-how.
Satin polishing
The surface is perfectly polished, but it is not sharpened...
Brush polishing
The surface is always polished in the same direction using a coarse grain...
Mirror polishing
The surface is polished and sharpened by a fine felt and polishing paste appropriate to the material.
Locked polishing, named "blocage"
Purely inspired by aesthetic intentions, this method of polishing offers the advantage of an excellent flatness.