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Soyuz 02 Raw II Superlative. Photo: Werenbach
Dissembling of the rocket in the steppe. Photo: Christian Frei
THE UNIVERSE ON YOUR WRIST A Swiss timekeeper meets space? It sounds just as fascinating as it does unbelievable. But Werenbach founder Patrick Hohmann couldn’t let go of such an incredible thought and turned his pioneering vision into reality. The result? Sophisticated watches made from authentic rocket material that capture the poetry of infinity. TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE
Capturing the emotion of the universe, always carrying a part of the exploration of it with you; that idea has been made possible with the rocket watches by Werenbach. Each watch starts its adventure in the steppe of Kazakhstan, where the Russian spaceport is located and where the stage-one parts of the rocket type Soyuz fall back to Earth. Although Werenbach founder Patrick Hohmann has been able to bring space treasures from those heavily guarded military grounds to Switzerland for ten years now, each journey bears new obstacles. The crafting process from rocket debris into quality watches is another challenge in itself. But again, Hohmann’s continuous hunger for innovation leads him to success. Currently, there are two next-generation collections. The starter collection, Soyuz 01, features dials made from melted rocket material. The dials for the Soyuz 2 Collection, 24 | Issue 88 | December 2021
however, are cut directly from the rocket’s outer shell and original parts of the rocket’s surface are used within.
attractive retail prices and pre-manufacturing conditions, the watches have become quite affordable. Regardless of which watch you may ultimately pick, you can be confident that Werenbach stands for space-born pioneering. You certainly won’t find a more exciting watch on Earth. www.werenbach.de
These watches are also available in the Superlative Edition, the personal favourite of Hohmann who wears the Soyuz 02 Raw IV Superlative himself. “The dial of this watch comes straight from the rocket nose,” he explains enthusiastically. “The material has reached a height of 85 kilometres, which is twice as high as Felix Baumgartner’s jump to Earth from the stratosphere. Inside is the high-end Soprod manufacture movement, an engineering gem. It makes the watches comparable to the best Swiss timepieces.” This month there will be a brand-new addition at Werenbach: the BTO (Built To Order) watches. Here, the different dials feature burn marks and scratches from their space missions. Each watch is individually assembled through the web-configurator and, thanks to
Successful retrieval of the rocket nose. Photo: Marco Vannoti
