Wempe marine chronometers with yacht designer Tim Heywood see historical codes meet curved forms

Fine watches and jewellery retailer Wempe draws on its history of creating marine chronometers in a new collaboration with British yacht designer Tim Heywood. 

‘Ship chronometers are an important part of Wempe's heritage and since 1938, we have equipped seagoing vessels with these special timepieces,’ says owner and managing director of Wempe Jewelers, Kim-Eva Wempe. ‘Tim Heywood is a world-renowned yacht designer, a total expert, so it felt natural to do the project with him. He is a designer with such a keen eye and approaches all of his projects with the same quality and standards as Wempe. While Mr Heywood was already familiar with the marine sector from the incredible yachts he has designed, the chronometer was a new challenge for him, and one that which he mastered; we are thrilled with the results.’

Heywood is inspired by both the natural world and feminine forms in yacht designs which strike distinctive, curved silhouettes. ‘He told us that yachts and ships are the only inanimate objects in the English language given a gender; they are known as “she’’,’ Wempe adds. 

‘Therefore, Heywood has always created soft, athletic, feminine forms for most of his designs, with the occasional turn to a more masculine, faceted look as a visual counterbalance to his work. However, there is also another reason why Heywood chose the feminine curves of the exotic coco de mer nut; the humble coconut variation can traverse enormous distances at sea unscathed, making it a perfect symbol for marine chronometry.’

Two pieces – the Wempe Marine Chronometer Cube and the Wempe Marine Chronometer Coco de Mer – are cradled in warmly drawn cases, staying faithful to the legible marine chronometer codes. 

‘One of the main challenges for all involved parties was to get into the process of rethinking ship chronometers. The chronometers have been constructed visually in the same way for hundreds of years, so it was quite an act to imagine it differently. The doors open to the front, so the owner can see the mechanical movement perfectly – even when sitting at their desk. Another challenge was to create the organic shape of the coco de mer as an appropriately safe package. I am delighted with the overall implementation of the project by Mr Heywood and our team in Glashütte.’

wempe.com