Fine Art of Watch Making, The

Director and Producer: Niels Birkemose
Produced by: The Compound
Duration: 58 min.
Year of Production: 2007
Original Title: Kunsten at Lave et Ur

The Fine Art of Watch Making takes us to Dresden, Germany and the hometown of watches, Geneva, Switzerland to visit some of the finest and most expensive watch factories in the world; A. Lange & Söhne, Patek Philippe, Jaeger le-Coultre, Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet. The programme follows the making of a watch from the carving and polishing of tiny, almost invisible parts, to the finished work of art, thereby giving a fascinating insight into the production of these mechanical micro masterpieces.

Some consider the mechanical watch to be the only appropriate jewellery accessory for men, and the wristwatch has never been more popular than it is now. Interestingly, the mechanical watch began to fade from the market during the 1970s, with the onset of cheap, Japanese quartz models. Fortunately the passion for  state of the art mechanics was greater than the lust for modern technology and precision.

This documentary sheds light on the making of these micro me-chanical wonders and illuminates this special tradition and craft, which has miraculously survived against all odds.