Linde Werdelin is a company founded in 2002 by Morten Linde and Jorn Werdelin specialised in producing limited numbered watch and instrument series. Linde Werdelin is made in Switzerland; its designers are Danish. By combining both analogue and digital technologies, Linde Werdelin, produces and manufactures mechanical watches, along with instruments for skiing and diving that clip on top of the watch. Linde Werdelin produces from 22 up to 222 limited numbered watches.
Morten Linde and Jorn Werdelin
Contents
The Idea
SpidoSpeed Steel Chronograph
Linde Werdelin is a watch & instrument company founded by two Danes, Morten Linde and Jorn Werdelin.
In the winter of 1996, Jorn Werdelin, a keen mountaineer and off-piste skier, was taken by surprise in a bout of bad weather, got lost, skied off a cliff and broke his back.
In 2002, Jorn Werdelin and Morten Linde partnered to develop a new idea: a highly crafted sports watch, when required, can be combined with a professional digital instrument to provide the right level of information at the right time for skiing and diving.
The 'Watch + Instrument' idea would take 5 years in R&D to perfect before the first Linde Werdelin watch collection went to market in 2006. Linde Werdelin is the only luxury watch company producing sophisticated digital instruments for skiing and diving. They work with professional mountaineers and divers for product testing and development.
[1][2]
Their watch and instrument were used on the first ever confirmed free climb to the summit of
Mt Everest in 2007.
[3]
Collections
SpidoLite & The Rock
SpidoLite SA All Black Titanium DLC
Linde Werdelin collections are based on mechanical watches, designed to carry The Reef (the Dive Instrument) or The Rock (the Instrument).
While all Linde Werdelin watches are entirely
Swiss made, the instruments are developed in-house in
Denmark.
Since 2002, Linde Werdelin has produced 43 different watch models and 10 various instruments.
[4]
The main singularity of Linde Werdelin watches, is the case construction in 3-Dimension. More than a skeletonised watch where the mechanism is visible trough the back case, Linde Werdelin crafts a skeletonised case, drilled and shape to lighten the watch, increasing the watch sport aspect. Jorn and Morten directly found their inspiration in the
Formula 1 car industry.
[5] The reference to the racing car industry is evident in the SpidoSpeed. From the detail of the material used on the dial (previously used as dashboards in racing cars from the 1940's), to the small holes visible on the sub-dials resembling the brake discs and the round cut-out details on the strap as a reference to the driving gloves.
[6]
Linde Werdelin is also known for their
DLC (
Diamond-Like-Carbon) watches. Their first series of Hard Black
DLC watches was launched in October 2008 and sold out instantly
[7][8].
Linde Werdelin produces only small watch series, from 22 pieces up to a maximum of 222 pieces for each model.
Mechanism
Linde Werdelin watches are exclusively
Swiss made. At the beginning
ETA SA provided
2892.A2[9] to implant on classic 3 and 4 hands models, from "The One" to "The 3-Timer". This movement is the high range of
ETA SA, very accurate and reliable (less than 4 second/day during the quality control)
[10]. The 2892.A2 is regarded by many horologists as being in the same 'quality' range (accuracy and reliability) as the in-house produced Rolex movements.
[11]
SpidoSpeed - Concepto 2251 LW03
However Linde Werdelin is perpetually evolving to complication watches, so Morten and Jorn have decided to upgrade their mechanism.
At
BaselWorld 2009, Linde Werdelin presented the SpidoLite
[12], which comes with a vintage movement modified by Svend Andersen of Andersen Geneve and founder of AHCI
[13]. This marks the beginning of their collaboration with well respected independent watch makers, and has sparked great interest in the world of watch aficionados
[14][15][16].
In
BaselWorld 2010 was launched another movement to realise the first high-end mechanical diving watch with a moonphase, "The Oktopus Moonphase". Linde Werdelin launched a series of 29 pieces of the Oktopus diving watch with a moon phase complication built be the Danish watchmaker Svend Andersen. The moon phase was built on a
Frédéric Piguet 1150 movement.
Frédéric Piguet is well known to produce high range quality complications. Prestigious brands like Breguet for example are using
Frédéric Piguet complications on their watches.
[17]
In
BaselWolrd 2011 was launched for the first time the Concepto 2251. This mechanism is made by an independent Swiss manufacture called Concepto, realised by Valérien Jaquet. From a watchmaker family, Mr. Valérien Jaquet has realised this mechanism only for Linde Werdelin, to carry the SpidoSpeed Chronograph. The Concepto 2251 carries this time a calendar and a small second. Accruracy [sic], reliability and polyvalence are the three aims covered by Concepto 2251.
[18]