The Nordic Watch Awards presents the 2026 Jury Special Prize to Sven Andersen 

Stockholm, August 12, 2026

The Nordic Watch Awards is honoured to present the 2026 Jury Special Prize to the internationally renowned watchmaker, Sven Andersen. This award recognises his exceptional craftsmanship, innovative approach, and significant influence on the independent watchmaking scene.

On October 9, 2026, Danish watchmaker Sven Andersen will receive the  Jury Special Prize at the Nordic Watch Awards, which will be presented during a gala dinner at Brygghuset in Stockholm. That same evening, the best watches in the Nordic region will also be selected by a global jury.

Svend Andersen was born in Denmark in 1942. He absolved a four years' apprenticeship as watchmaker before coming to Switzerland in 1963. He first worked at Gubelin Lucerne in the after-sales service. In 1965 he joined Gubelin Geneva. In 1969 he made, as a hobby, his first Bottle Clock and he was named the "Watchmaker of the impossible". Indeed, nobody had ever realized such a clock!

In the late 70's, after almost a decade in the "Atelier des grandes complications" at Patek Philippe, Svend Andersen decided to launch his own collection. His first "Pièce Unique" was delivered to an esteemed collector in 1980. Since then, his work has set new standards and broken records within the horological world. He has been developing complicated watches like the annual/perpetual Calender, and even the Secular Perpetuel Calender that will show the date without adjustment up to and beyond 2400.

He designed his first World Time watch in 1989. Other iconic timepieces are "Automaton's" that can be found in the Eros Automaton & Automaton Joker. Eros watches carry the most complicated erotic Automaton available on the market with up to 15 moving parts.

40 years later and with less than 1'500 timepieces manufactured, the Atelier remains at the same location in the heart of Geneva, next to the Rhône river. This milestone has been celebrated with a timepiece: The Jumping Hours 40th Anniversary.

With a small team, only a few dozen timepieces leave the Atelier every year.