Discovering The Work Of Rune Bakkendorff, A Younger And Upcoming Danish Watchmaker

In our exploratory journey around the globe to uncover a few of the most attention-grabbing unbiased watchmaking tales, we make a cease in Denmark this time round. The work of Rune Bakkendorff, a younger and upcoming watchmaker from Denmark has not too long ago been dropped at our consideration by way of our associates of The Restricted Version. Curious to study what Rune has been doing up to now, and goes to do into the long run, we reached out to him and requested him a collection of questions. Because it seems, we get some perception into Danish watchmaking historical past, in addition to the very attention-grabbing concepts Rune has on the subject of the craft.

Robin, MONOCHROME Watches – Rune, you’re a brand new identify to our readers, are you able to briefly introduce your self?

My identify is Rune Hjorth Bakkendorff, and I’m a watch- and clockmaker from Denmark. I do quite a lot of conservation and restoration of historic and essential timepieces, for each non-public and public collections, and for some time now I’ve been making my very own watches. These two “legs” of watchmaking, the historical past of horology and preserving it for the following era, and making new horological objects are in my thoughts very a lot intertwined.

Rune Bakkendorff engaged on a Jaquet Droz Birdcage

Rune Bakkendorff behind his Schaublin lathe

The masters earlier than us have made numerous discoveries and created masterpieces, which might be an infinite supply of inspiration. That’s the reason I really like conservation. To have the ability to carry these items to the long run, and encourage the following era of watchmakers, clockmakers, collectors and followers. This may also be the place my inventive drive is rooted, to have the ability to set somewhat dot within the lengthy historical past of horology. And who is aware of, it may be preserved sooner or later.

What made you fall in love with watches and watchmaking? The place did the fervour come from?

This may be mentioned very briefly: I at all times beloved clocks and watches. Since I used to be a child, I’ve been fascinated with the palms of clocks, watches, and devices, so I’ve at all times recognized I needed to work with watches. Since then, I notice what an amazing area horology is and that may be a motive why I maintain working with horology. It truly is a whole area and craft. You’ve got science, historical past, craftsmanship, design, and philosophy. Creating, sustaining, and preserving clocks and watches actually is a whole endeavour. However my fascination has at all times been there, so I actually really feel like that is my métier. I need nothing else.

You’ve studied on the Danish Faculty of Watch- and Clockmaking. Are you able to inform us extra about that?

The training in Denmark may be very a lot aligned with a restore/retail watchmaker. So though I loved each second of studying concerning the craft, I additionally needed to go uncover extracurricular topics if I needed to really make watches. Fortunately, each academics, my grasp and nearly all people I talked to, had been glad to level me ahead in my training. Though Denmark has fairly a wealthy heritage of watch and clockmaking, this can be a bit ignored normally, however assembly folks like Søren Andersen throughout my apprentice time, was an early inspiration.

Throughout my apprenticeship, I did an change with the A. Lange & Söhne college in Glashütte, and a examine journey to Switzerland. Throughout this journey, I noticed each high-scale manufacturing and artisanal ateliers. It was additionally right here I met Thomas Prescher. Mr. Prescher was very useful and answered numerous questions from me, whereas I labored on extracurricular tasks, like a moonphase complication on a Unitas pocket watch, and a small desk clock based mostly on the wheel practice and escapement from a Unitas motion.

All this culminated with a last examination, the place I scored an ideal grade. This, mixed with the truth that my Grasp was a member of the Copenhagen Guild of Watch- and Clockmakers, meant that I obtained the Copenhagen Affiliation of Craftsmen’s Silver Medal and obtained to fulfill the Queen. It is a very formative time in my profession.

What did you do after your training was accomplished?

After graduating, Mr. Prescher supplied me a job, and I began working with him in Twann. This was fairly an eye-opening expertise. I obtained a lot new information, my pocket book was burning with all of the notes I took, however I additionally needed to take part within the day by day operating of a small artisanal atelier. This has set me up for the work I do now.

After working with Thomas I went again to Denmark and began working with SAV for small watch manufacturers, doing commerce work and restoring clocks. That is the place I fell in love with conservation and restoration, and I slowly centered increasingly on this work. Slowly working into the small world of antiquarian horology and museums.

When did you determine to start out making your individual watches and clocks, and may you clarify extra about your first creations?

Since I started as an apprentice, I needed to create my very own watches and clocks. Nevertheless I noticed how a lot information and expertise had been wanted, so my focus was on changing into an amazing watchmaker and clockmaker and seeing as a lot of watches and clocks as I may. However early on I did strive issues and concepts out. I constructed a watch, with retractable garotte string, for a 007 collector and really through the early time of my being self-employed this primary iteration of what turned the Byrja, was tried out.

The Byrja you simply talked about, was your first serially produced watch, how did that come about?

I had performed with the design and case development for a number of years. However then, by a stroke of luck, I used to be supplied a field of NOS Peseux 7001 actions. These had been left because the 60’ies/70’ies in a basement, simply ready for use, so I noticed these wanted to fulfil their function. That’s once I took my previous thought and created the watch known as Byrja. Byrja is the previous Norse phrase for “beginnings”, which I discovered fairly becoming for my first collection.

The place did you discover inspiration for this watch?

There are a number of formative inspirations seen in Byrja. The mix of stainless-steel and bronze is a homage to my first job at Mr Prescher’s workshop. I labored on the Nemo Sailor watches, the place bronze and stainless-steel had been the color scheme. I fell in love with these supplies and the residing nature of bronze. The simplicity of shapes and surfaces lies very a lot in step with Danish and Scandinavian aesthetics. The form of the palms is developed from finding out the form of Norse ornamentals, instruments and weapons. An homage to the previous Scandinavia.

You don’t restrict your self to watches but additionally make clocks. Are you able to elaborate on that?

For the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers Autumn Exhibition, I teamed up with my good associates, and the loopy proficient design duo Ahm&Lund, to create a sculptural clock, and experiment with the form, perform and feelings of the clock. We have now lengthy talked concerning the waning curiosity in clocks in fashionable inside design, and my hunch is that it’s as a result of it has not had too many severe makes an attempt at a contemporary take.

By a stroke of destiny, that yr’s topic was “Time, Tact and Tone”, the place a clock would match fairly effectively. The issue is we solely had 8 months to the exhibition deadline, so the work was reduce out for us. It was a summer season of LONG nights.

We created a regulator clock solely indicating the phases of the moon, each as an aesthetic grip, however primarily a philosophical and emotional one. We obtained to experiment with one among my nice pursuits: the philosophical tackle time that horology has, and is, taking part in creating. Watchmakers and clockmakers not solely made scientific discoveries and navigation at sea doable but additionally made the coordination of the Industrial Revolution doable. And by doing that, it made the anxious fashionable seconds-hunting society doable. What if the clock may very well be a timekeeper, but additionally make you step again, and affiliate with a extra nice or pure timeframe? The pure timekeeper given to humanity is the moon, and its tempo may be very intertwined with the human thoughts. It ended up being a really interesting, nearly monumental clock, standing 2 meters tall, in stone, ceramic, metal and porcelain.

Your newest watch known as the Ætt, are you able to inform us extra?

Ætt happened as an inspiration from antiquarian horology. I noticed a turret clock, made by well-known clockmaker and astromechanic, Jens Olsen, within the early 1900s. There’s a mechanism on the motion, permitting the clockmaker to set the time, from contained in the tower. These two revolving dials, and the inflexible palms, actually caught with me. It could make a good time show! It began out, as an thought for a module, so as to add to an current motion, however I quickly realized that if I needed a chic case, round 38-39 mm and never too thick, I would wish to assemble a calibre for this new time indication.

This additionally allowed me to experiment with the Copenhagen type of watchmaking, which was flourishing within the 1800’s. On the finish of the 1800s, it was all however gone, due to a budget ebauches from Switzerland and France, however what if it hadn’t died? How would the artisanal Haute Horlogerie watch look if Copenhagen watchmaking had survived?

That is one thing I’m making an attempt to rediscover, and the primary iteration of this work is the motion of Ætt. The identify Ætt is Previous Norse and may translate to household, lineage, or course. A reputation I selected, as a result of the core of this work is the lineage of the craftsmen I originate from. There may be a lot lovely work achieved within the type of Genevan craftsmen, of French and of English… However all these don’t really feel very genuine to me as a craftsman.

A rendering of the entrance of the motion for the Ætt.

A rendering of the again of the motion for the Ætt.

I used to be educated by a grasp from the Copenhagen Guild, I, myself am the vice-alderman of the Guild and I’ve examined and restored so many Copenhagen Pocket watches, clocks, and Danish clocks normally. That is my viewpoint on this craft, and it solely feels proper, for me to seek out inspiration there. However you additionally see different influences which might be extra private to me, like the mixture of bronze and stainless-steel and the development with a give attention to longevity and repairability.

The prototype was introduced at The Worldwide Pageant of Time in Waterford, and the reception was so nice, and with quite a lot of curiosity from collectors. It actually inspired me to discover this facet of the enterprise. To start spending extra time on creating an atelier and to dive down into the inventive facet of my thoughts. To start forming my visions and concepts “within the metallic”.

What do you purpose for by way of watches and clocks? What do you envision for your self as an unbiased watchmaker?

To create a big portfolio of various watches and clocks, in restricted portions. To check out and experiment with methods of perceiving time by way of novel time indications, to rediscover the Copenhagen watch DNA, and attempt to give life to forgotten mechanisms and escapements and my very own.

And naturally, to assist preserve former masters’ work for future generations to be impressed by the good expertise, minds, and palms of its makers. Horology is a foundational craft, that has formed energy, our society and our relationship with troublesome topics like time and dying. That’s value preserving… And including to!

What can we anticipate within the coming years?

Much more haute horlogerie. Each massive and small, however at all times centered on the very best customary of horology and a philosophical or historic take.

How can folks get in contact with you?

Via my web site, it’s doable to ship me a message, and I’m on Instagram beneath the deal with @Bakkendorff. I’m at all times fascinated about enquiries, concepts, recommendations and simply speaking watches so be happy to attach with me!

For extra data, please go to Bakkendorff.com.

Editorial Be aware: The photographs portrayed on this article are sometimes pc renderings and prototypes, so it’s doable some minor modifications or imperfections will be noticed upon shut inspection.