Christian Lass Part 1

Off Hours

Christian Lass is an independent watchmaker hailing from Denmark. He has worked for the likes of the Danish Royal Family under the tutelage of Søren Andersen, spent several years working with renowned independent watchmaker, Vianney Halter, and served for nearly a decade as the watchmaker responsible for the collection at the Patek Philippe Museum. In part one of our interview with Christian Lass, we discuss some of his early studies, the collection at the Patek Philippe Museum, and his thoughts on handmade watches.

• Christian Lass Official website in English (also available in Danish)
• Follow Christian Lass on Instagram
• LearnWatchmaking.com by Christian Lass
• Independent Thinking with Christian Lass on Fifth Wrist Radio
• Keeping Time Podcast with Christian Lass from Oster Jewelers
• GSM Christian’s initial studies in engineering centered around the Global System for Mobile Communications
• Ham Radio Christian took an interest in ham radio at an early age
• Watchmaking by George Daniels was the book that sparked Christian’s interest in watchmaking one day at the library
• ZBC Home of the Danish School of Watchmaking
• Danish School of Watchmaking An archived description (in Danish) of the horology program at ZBC
• AHCI Academy of Independent Horologists
• Søren Andersen Horological conservator based in Copenhagen, Denmark where Christian worked for 4 years
• Jens Olsen’s World Clock One of the more complicated timepieces Christian worked on while at Søren Andersen
• Rust There’s more to it than meets the eye
• Rust Removal Using Electrolysis
• Patek Philippe Museum
• Philippe Dufour encouraged Christian to apply to work at the Patek Philippe Museum
• Watchmaking Book by Martens Beschreibung der Hemmungen is an old book, written in German by J. H. Martens, on the craft of watchmaking that Christian found particularly useful
• Beschreibung der Hemmungen The full text of Martens’ book, courtesy of Google Books & Columbia University
• Inside the Patek Philippe Museum A photo report by HODINKEE’s Benjamin Clymer
• Ferdinand Berthoud
• Jacques Frédéric Houriet
• Jacques-Frédéric Houriet, No. 61 Made for Berthoud Frères, this timepiece is an example of the one of the watches that Christian restored while at the Patek Philippe Museum
• Sylvain Jean-Mairet
• Sylvain Mairet Pocket Watch with Thermometer One of Mairet’s pieces that Christian restored while at the Patek Philippe Museum
• Albert H. Potter Pocket Chronometer An example of a pocket watch crafted by Albert Potter that Christian worked with in the Patek Philippe Museum Collection
• Catalogues of the Patek Philippe Museum
• Dr. Peter Friess Curator of the Patek Philippe Museum
• Tourbillon Pocket Watch by Albert Pellaton from the collection of the British Museum


Tourbillon movement made by Albert Pellaton
Image licensed under Creative Commons 4.0
© The Trustees of the British Museum

• Albert Pellaton-Favre & James C. Pellaton Tourbillon
• James Pellaton Tourbillon Another example of a tourbillon pocket watch made by James Pellaton, for Patek Philippe, adjusted for observatory trials by both Hermann Heck & André Zibach
• Wristwatch Tourbillon Adjusted by André Zibach The personal watch of former Patek Philippe president, Philippe Stern, the same article also features a fine example of one of Patek’s 34T tourbillon calibers also mentioned in the show
• Patek Philippe Caliber 34T


Patek Philippe Caliber 34T
Photo by Andrew H

• Henry Graves Supercomplication by Patek Philippe
• Patek Philippe Caliber 89
• Star Caliber 2000 by Patek Philippe
• Patek Philippe 2499
• Modern Patek Philippe Minute Repeaters The entire Patek Philippe Minute Repeater Collection, chiming courtesy of HODINKEE
• Patek Philippe 6300G Featuring the caliber 300
• Spiromax An in-depth look at Patek Philippe’s foray into making silicon hairsprings
• Vianney Halter Christian worked alongside independent watchmaker, Vianney Halter, in Switzerland for a number of years
• Watchmaking Workshop A short tour around Christian’s studio
• Profile Projector Christian’s Nikon profile projector in action
• Hauser M1 Pointing Machine The pointing machine Christian referred to using in his shop
• Drilling by Hand The hand tool Christian uses to drill the initial holes in plates, cocks, & bridges after marking out each point on the Hauser M1
• Dixi Wheel Cutting Machine
• Kari Voutilainen
• Studio 7h38
• Beutler Casemaking Lathe Christian contour turning from a master profile on one of his casemaking lathes
• Phil Poirier
• Turret Lathe A photo of the turret on one of Christian’s Beutler casemaking lathes
• David Lindow
• Schaublin 102 A look at Christian’s Schaublin 102 lathe
• Inside Roger W. Smith’s Workshop “We’ve always used CNC machines” – Roger W. Smith
• Kari Voutilainen Haas Profile for Metalworking Magazine