About Werenbach
When the idea of crafting watches from space rockets came about in April 2010, it was nothing more than a wild and seemingly impossible notion. But despite the odds, the endeavour of working with genuine rocket material was not one that could simply be pushed aside. It promised to create adventure and inspire genuine emotion.
By September 2013, the first rocket watch was complete. Today, Werenbach produces two distinct collections: the “Soyuz†and the “Leonovâ€. The B.T.O. editions are exclusive versions of these collections with special, custom-selected faces.
Werenbach is a public limited company under Swiss law and has its registered office in Zurich.
WERENBACH
LEONOV COLLECTION
The faces of this collection are cut directly from the rocket’s outer shell and incorporated into the watches in their original form. As a result, each face displays its own unique traces of use.
WERENBACH
SOYUZ COLLECTION
The casings of this collection are made from melted-down rocket engines, while the watches themselves are assembled in small batches in our workshop using premium-quality components. Since both the casing and face are made from genuine rocket material, we like to think of this as the ultimate rocket accessory. Exclusive timepieces for the discerning watch owner.
WERENBACH
B.T.O. EDITIONS
B.TO. Editions are available for both collections and feature watch faces that are highly distinctive in appearance or made from a rare type of rocket material. The faces can be selected in our online configurator. Once a customer has made their choice, each watch is assembled to order.
FROM REAL SPACE ROCKETS
ON THE SEARCH FOR A WATCH WITH ITS OWN UNIQUE STORY
It is Werenbach’s vision to produce watches that are more evocative, colourful and inspiring than the rest - which is why each of our pieces incorporates genuine rocket material. The engine is the part of the rocket that supplies the propulsive force - 4.5 megatons, to be exact! - while the outer shell gives the rocket its colour and form. We devised different processes to prepare the two rocket elements for watch production.
FROM THE BOUNDARY WITH SPACE TO A WATCH ON YOUR WRIST, VIA THE KAZAKH STEPPE
On the rocket’s journey into space, the first and second rocket stages are jettisoned at a height of 45 km (the booster) and 85 km (the fairing) respectively.
The three booster separation of the rocket until it reaches the space
Since the materials are recovered directly after the launch, we are able to determine which mission and which part of the rocket the material for each watch comes from. As such, each piece not only has an extraordinary story, but also represents a genuine piece of space travel history.
SOMETHING CLOSE TO ALCHEMY - CASING MADE FROM 96% ORIGINAL ROCKET STEEL
The casings for the Soyuz Collection are produced from the rocket engine. Production begins with a complex metallurgical melting process in which the rocket’s steam turbine is melted down, with the challenge here being that the steel is altered as little as possible. The aim is to convert the heat-resistant material into a stainless steel. The result is a unique Werenbach alloy consisting of 96% original rocket steel: SRE stainless steel (Soyuz Rocket Engine)
The melting process takes place in a vacuum induction furnace,, where the carbon component is reduced in small quantities by means of combustion. Only by using this method is it possible to reduce the amount of carbon without diluting the starting material. It’s a highly sophisticated metallurgical procedure -but no challenge was big enough to prevent us realising the dream of a genuine rocket watch.
THE REAL DEAL: THE SURFACES OF THE FACES ARE LEFT UNALTERED, MEANING THAT NO ONE WATCH FACE IS THE SAME AS ANY OTHER
These B.T.O. Chronograph Red dials have been directly cut out of the fairing material.
The watch faces are cut directly from the rocket by hand and precise dials crafted from the raw rocket material as part of a multi-step fine mechanical process. On account of their differing traces of use, the faces then undergo multiple rounds of selection before being personally approved by the company founder himself.
Every face displays differing traces of use
The surfaces of the faces are what give the watches their character – they retain the original colour and structure of the rocket from which they were sourced, thereby determining the watch’s appearance. Every face displays differing traces of use, making each one distinct from any other.
