Working in the studio.
The universe on your wrist Watches made of rocket parts: that is a truly new league of Swiss timekeepers. With a great deal of passion and persistence, Werenbach founder Patrick Hohmann has succeeded in bringing the emotion of the universe directly onto the wrist. The rocket parts have been on a journey like no other materials, and it’s that poetry of the universe which these unique watches capture. TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE I PHOTOS: WERENBACH
The idea to craft watches from rocket parts came out of nowhere, a little bit like the special material itself when it falls down from the sky. “I got the idea while I was running,” the 45-year-old brand specialistturned-watchmaker from Switzerland says. “I will never forget that moment. The vision to create watches from space rockets promised a grand adventure: an impossible project – my speciality!” This spirit of discovery merged with the pursuit of innovation brought Hohmann to Baikonur in Kazakhstan in 2010. That’s where the Russian spaceport is located and Hohmann knew that the stage one parts of the rocket type Soyuz would fall back to earth in this location. 70 | Issue 80 | November 2019
Against the odds, he indeed managed to recover some rocket parts and bring them to Switzerland. The crafting process that followed, turning rocket debris into quality watches, turned out to be another big challenge. But for Hohmann, it was always clear that his vision of a space watch would become reality, and he therefore met every obstacle with positive energy. His watch label Werenbach is based firmly on this unshakeable enthusiasm. “My watches are about much more than just measuring the time. It’s about emotions: there is a rocket in there! Material, which left our planet, came back and was carefully turned into high-quality watches,” he explains. “That’s the special part for
me: the material comes back from space and has a story.” There are three collections available at Werenbach. The Soyuz collection realises Hohmann’s vision without compromise. These watches are made from melted rocket engines and the dial has been milled directly from the rocket’s outer shell. Hohmann’s personal favourite is part of this collection, the Soyuz 86’Chronograph. “For me, it’s the space watch par excellence because the case is also made of melted rocket engine.” Then there’s the Leonov collection, which also uses Swiss clockworks and rocket dials, while the beginner’s collection has an incorporated rocket platelet in the dial. No matter which watch you choose, one thing is clear: the space-born watches bring a real piece of the universe into our daily lives on earth. www.werenbach.ch