One of a Kind Watch Created by Master of the Watchword Set to be Unveiled at Waterford’s International Festival of Time & Auctioned for Charity
Unique piece to be made by Master Watchmaker Paul Gerber
One of a Kind Watch to be Unveiled; Paul Gerber is recognised in the Guinness Book of World Records for having created the world’s most complicated wristwatch. He commenced the complex career of independent watchmaking in 1976, and after an illustrious and celebrated career, he is now set to retire. Before he does however, following a happy visit to the inaugural Festival of Time in Waterford last year, he has decided to create a unique, one-off masterpiece alongside upcoming watchmaker Anny Weber, which is to be unveiled at the upcoming international Festival of Time in Waterford this September 22 to 24, which will be auctioned for charity by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo Auction House in Geneva.
Paul Gerber was born in Bern, Switzerland in 1950. After receiving his watch-making diploma, he moved to Zurich where he opened a retail and watch restoration shop. In 1976, he established his own independent workshop with the idea of creating unique and complicated watches by either modifying or creating his own movements.
Ever since establishing himself, this highly gifted and creative watchmaker has amazed watch enthusiasts around the world with his unprecedented and complicated mechanisms and works of art.
This unique “Waterford watch” is set not only to be auctioned by one of the most prestigious auction houses in the world, but its creator has deemed that the proceeds should be split three ways. One third will be donated to his apprentice Anny Weber, one third will be donated to the charity Join Our Boys Trust and the final third donated to the Waterford International Festival of Time.
Paul started watchmaking in 1976 and calls it ‘the most beautiful job in the world’.
The second annual International Festival of Time in Waterford will see masters of the watchmaking world fly in from their workshops in Switzerland, France, Germany and even Sweden and Denmark, as well as the UK, and of course our own home-grown Irish talent. The event will offer the public a rare opportunity to come face to face with many of the finest independent watchmakers of our time at a ‘Meet the Maker’ occasion and a chance to view their masterpiece creations in person.
One of a Kind Watch to be Unveiled
This unique event will celebrate the very best of contemporary artisanal horology with the introduction of the exclusive world of hand-crafted mechanical exceptions which will also build on the displays and stories of the Irish Museum of Time, one of the Waterford Treasures visitor attractions.
Among those already confirmed for the 2023 event, the festival will welcome back many of those who made the inaugural event so memorable, including luminaries like Paul Gerber, Andreas Strehler, Marc Jenni, Patrik Sjögren (GoS), Rune Bakkendorff, Zeitwinkel, Sidereus and Schofield, as well as Ireland’s own John McGonigle. In addition to these, making their debut appearances for the very first time on Irish soil will be Kari Voutilainen, Cyril Brivet-Naudot, Luc Monnet, Simon Brette, Kudoke and Garrick, with more still to be confirmed.
In addition to the master craftsmen of the watchmaking world a very special event will be hosted at City Hall where the Time Festival Lecture entitled ‘Establishing the Irish Museum of Time, and a Brief History of Irish Clocks and Watches and their Makers’ will be given by David Boles and Colman Curran the founders of the Irish Museum of Time and another presentation entitled ‘The Music of Time – a Talk with Fun Experiments’ will be delivered by Michael Grehan.
Admission to the festival is available from www.waterfordtreasures.
‘The Music of Time – a Talk with Fun Experiments’ takes place on Saturday 23rd September at 3pm, admission is free but places must be pre-booked by emailing cpurcell@
For further details on Waterford’s International Festival of Time see https://www.
