This year (2024) in August the Fifth Wrist delegate Claus (@tapir_ffm), accompanied our friend of the show Paul (@myhorologicaljourney),
used his trip to Switzerland to the Geneva Watch Days also to visit Ludwig Oechslin in his private atelier.

This article does not attempt to summarise or even comprehensively describe all that he has already achieved in the field of original design.
(If you are interested in this, you are invited listen to our interview with him on «Fifth Wrist Radio» on your favourite podcatcher.)
Rather, we present here a brief conversation about Dr. Oechslin’s current activities. 

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FW:
We are sitting here in your quite spacious atelier in a village near La Chaux-de-Fonds.
We are able to see new and old, large and small machines as well as quite a collection of pendule neuchâteloises *) …

LOe:
The clocks are mainly objects of study, still very interesting.
As you can see, I use a large variety manual and automated tools.
At the heart though are the Kern CNC-machines which are ideal for my needs as they can do all parts I need. They are fed from the PC with my constructions on it.
They are not the most modern ones, but I have two for safety reasons {laughing}.
From then on I work with more traditional tools during assembly.  

FW:
I recently had the complete set of three of the Ulysse Nadin Astrolabium in my hands – possibly the most relevant astronomical watches of all time.
Your name is linked to astronomical watches like nobody else, from the Farnese Clock and the Antikythera to the Türler clock, the many Ulysse Nardin watches, ochs und junior …

LOe:
By the way, did you know that the Bunz Moontime was also developed by me at the time? 

FW:
No, but as far as I know this was the most exact and smallest moonphase at the time – and with an epicyclic gearing, so I should have guessed {laughing}
So this one on your workbench looks like some planets or so, too …

LOe:
Yes, of course. But currently I am working on the base movement which will drive this and potentially other clocks. So the basic movement where different modules can be driven with.
And as I said before I make everything here on my own from scratch. Using traditional as well as CNC-equipment.
Having said this, I source the escapement. I could do this myself, too, but this makes no sense.
The astronomical module for this clock is actually nearly finished. 

FW:
So you are at the moment concentrating on clocks. During our last interview for our podcast channel end of 2020 you explained to us, that you are working on a very complicated easter clock, is this still in the making? 

LOe:
Absolutely, I am working on every things in parallel. 

FW:
When we met last time beginning this year, you showed us three watches you were working on at that moment. For those you decided to leave the usual round shape and opt for a rather unusual octagon. 

LOe:
Of course these watches are not the first ones in this shape; over the years, there have been watches in this octagonal shape from time to time. But only as a design element.
The octagon, however, stands for everything astronomical. If you look, for example, on the maps inside the Astronomicum Caesareum , you will find them in an octagonal frame.
Or have a look at the oldest still existing horologium, the tower of the winds … or just at any wind rose.
Hence is seemed quite logical, that these watches should be in this form too. 

FW:
This one looks very interesting and a very much like the day/night?!

LOe:
Yes, but with a different layout and a major difference: the moon does not „only“ show it’s position and moonphase via it’s relative position to the sun (like it does on ochs und junior’s day/night) but also the «real shape« (e. g. half and quarter moon as in the pictures below).

But as you can see, for the other watch, not quite as astronomically elaborated, I have chosen a more rounded octagon and for the four-year calendar I stuck with the round shape. 

FW:
Four-year calendar?!

LOe: 
Well this simple looking watch is the prototype of a four-year calendar, which only needs to be adjusted, well, every four years. 

FW:
Talking with you does not feel complete without mentioning your work with Ulysse Nardin. What’s your view on today’s activities?

LOe:
I act as an ambassador for them. 

FW:
Last question: we see not only watches, clocks and tools here, but also amazing paintings from local artists, harpsichords, … is this another incarnation of your polymath life?

LOe:
Maybe I tend to collect things that I have taken a liking to and that interest me … to much stuff here … I guess I should start selling a bit of that stuff {laughing} …

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*)
Neuchâteloise pendulum timepieces are clocks with very special housings and movements.
You can learn more about them in the article of the fantastic Vivian Morelli of the New York Times or on Instagram, for example on the accounts of our friends Thomas and Vanessa.
Vanessa is not only a renowned «Emailleuse d’Art» (working for her own as well as the likes of Louis Vuitton Watches, nominated to the GPHG), she also presents her own line of fantastic pendule neuchâteloises.

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