Ares501's 'Purist of the Month' feature on Dr. Magnus Bosse, known as Ornatus-Mundi, offers an intimate look into the life and horological philosophy of a long-standing community figure. This profile delves into Magnus's background, his journey with WatchProSite, and his unique approach to watch collecting and appreciation. It highlights the intellectual depth and collegiality that define the PuristS community.
Dear friends
This month I have special privilege to present you very special POTM
our long time member and long time moderator the one of key figures
behind our beloved Zenith P15 Dr. Magnus Bosse aka Ornatus-Mundi.
As every month please enjoy!
Cos I'm sure you will
Cheers
D
1. Please
introduce yourself!
My name is Magnus, and I am one of the seniors
here.
My background is in molecular biology, and I specialise in network
biology.
I used to work with the United Nations in technical cooperation, an
occupation that has brought me to many strange places in this world.
A few
years ago I had enough from the bureaucracy and the politics which working with
the UN inevitably brings with it,
and I am now part of a very small team of a
biotech start-up.
I live in Vienna, a city abounding with culture
and culinary delights. I originally planned to stay there just for a year of
studying, but this was more than a decade ago.
The city just had me! Even my
girlfriend gave up luring me back to Zurich, and moved over hereâŠ
2. How did you
discovered WatchProSite and what it means for you to be one of PuristS?
Being a Purist is more a state of mind, or an
attitude (âseeking perfection on an imperfect worldâ) to me.
I was immensely
attracted back in the original PuristS days by the fiercely fought intensive
discussions on watch mechanisms, design philosophies and the like.
And all this
in a respectful tone and civilised manner I already missed on other forums. I
noticed this, admittedly,
only after Thomas Mao cordially invited me to take a
serious look at this other sid(t)e....
Purists were the first site I knew which
consistently and seriously looked behind the claims of the marketing
departments,
dissected, compared, analysed interpreted, very much to broaden
and disseminate the knowledge on fine watchmaking.
Going down to the essential detail is part on
my own personality skeleton, thus what I discovered at PuristS was a natural
pull for me.
These were the days when online media were still in their infancy,
and representatives of such watch resources (fora, essentially) were met
with
critical suspicion by watch manufacturers (at best). I thoroughly enjoyed
writing in-depth articles (and in some instances broke the ice between
a brand
and PuristS), and always appreciated the reception and the ensuing discussions
here at PuristS/PuristSPro.
Times have changed, and today I think these long
and detailed reports will easily get lost among the immense digital noise.
But still I think PuristSPro is without real
alternative. Itâs the people who make our community, and this gets profoundly
demonstrated with every GTG:
Whatever your horological preferences are,
whatever your personal means are, you always feel comfortable joining,
and even
if you have never met your fellow PuristS in person, its like you meet with old
friends.
One other detail which made a clear impression
in me is how detailed your fellow PuristS observe and interpret what you write.
I often learn more about myself by just listening how your watch friends appreciate
my own writingsâŠ
3. What
watch are you wearing today and how you choose watch âof the dayâ?
Basically: I do not change frequently, I
usually wear a watch for a longer period of time before I get the feeling I
should exchange the piece.
Today, I am travelling to the Zenith launch even for
the new Zenith Oscillator, a breakthrough moment for watchmaking history.
Quite
naturally I strapped on my Zenith Cronometro Tipo CP 2, of course the
PuristSPro 15th Anniversary Edition, on my wrist.
(Todayâs
choice: the PuristSPro 15th Anniversary watch: Zenith Cronometro CP
2)
4. What is
your favorite watch/brand/complication?
I have to admit that I tend to get lost in the
jungle of components of ultracomplicated pieces.
I appreciate the skills and
knowledge which inevitably has to go into them, but they rarely really
fascinate me.
Simple watches, realised with original thought and careful
finishing, are much more to my liking.
For me, such movements are lenses through which
the watchmaking personality of their makers can be best appreciated.
Quite naturally, this steered my interest
towards the independent watchmakers, both inside and outside the AHCI, with
Paul Gerber,
Andreas Strehler or Maria and Richard Habring amongst my
favourites. I am also deeply fascinated by the early (school) watches
created
by the great masters, and the learn more about their transition from there.
(Student
project by Edgar Faure (LVMH Science Lab), just discovered while I was
completing the POTM questionnaire)
More recently, I learned to appreciate the
works of the emerging Asian watch artists from China or Japan, who bring
a very
distinct technological philosophy as well as design and finishing language with
their pieces that enriches the world of watchmaking, as far as I am concerned.
But I also have a weak spot for brands who are
visibly driven by specific favourite pastimes of their founders or owners.
DeWitt,
for example, is such a lovely little brand which is set up to
materialise the immense technical and design creativity by patron JĂ©rĂŽme de
Witt.
Ochs und Junior is likewise a vessel for the uncompromising vision of
Ludwig Oechslin, as is De Bethune for Denis Flagoellot. F. P. Journe and Lang
& Heyne also belong to this group.
(deWitt
Academia Out Of Time; what a philosophical interpretation of the passing of
time)
If I think about the larger brands, I would
like to mention Parmigiani or Chopard.
Parmigiani earned a weak spot in my
horological hear many years ago with their idiosyncratic, almost Renaissance-like
Toric
case and their wonderful Hebdomadaire 8-days movement. Chopard is a kind
of a sleeper brand, unfortunately.
But since this manufacture is family owned
they dare to create designs and technical solutions which elsewhere would be
scrapped by the bean counters (nothing against them, just sayingâŠ). Just look
at the L.U.C. Full Strike minute repeater,
or the outstanding (in any sense of
the word) work at Ferdinand Berthoud.
Finally, I really appreciate pioneering brands
which went to great lengths in chronometry. Omega and most certainly Zenith
belong to this exciting group of watch brands.
Particularly the latter
currently sees renewed energy and focus, a development I follow with great
sympathy.
5. When and
how you discovered horology?
That
was actually in the mid-1990s when I had to change trains in my hometown in
northern Germany,
and there was a flea market in front of the main station. I
had time to burn and spotted
a 14kt yellow gold Dugena watch. It missed the
crown, and thus it was mine for about 1âŹ.
I eventually had it repaired in Zurich and sold it later, but this was the
decisive start of my addition to anything with a âtickâ.
6. What
element of the watch is for you make it or break it factor?
I cannot pin down a single element, but what I
appreciate is consistency.
I have a
holistic view on this, and therefore include the brand and its communication.
Thus, I have real troubles with tourbillon-equipped diving watches and the
like,
or dress watches that show rather pedestrian movements (note: I am not a
movement snob.
An ETA or a Sellita has its rightful place in the watchmaking
world. But all has to be seen in context).
The above is basically the rationale behind my
PuristS handle âOrnatus-Mundiâ,
which
is latin and stands for âbeautiful harmonyâ, essentially wrapping up what I so
seek for in a watch.
Further, I cannot take it lightly if a brand
representative treats me in a non-courteous manner.
Do it twice and I might
sell off all the watches of the brand it questionâŠ
7. If you
could design your own watch what would it be and what it would look like?
Designing oneâs own watch comprises different
layers of different involvement and complexity,
and I have been through a
number of these.
Well, first there is the customisation of a
watch based upon an existing model,
where one would decide on certain elements,
inscriptions, colours or case materials.
PuristSProâs own P15 watch is a prime
example of advanced customisation.
Then, to get deeper into the subject matter,
you may want to start with a given movement and design your own case,
dial and
hands around it. I considered such several years ago when I first saw the
Piguet/Muller/Gerber ultracomplicated watch.
I hunted a Minerva chronograph
movement and later even scoured a wristwatch sized minute repeater.
I have done
some early design work, purely analogue with pencil and paper, for the Minerva
movement.
In the end I stopped working on it because I never really was
satisfied with what I did.
The fascinating discovery is actually quite simple: Itâs
easy to determine whether and why one likes a given watch (or not),
but
developing something on oneâs own taste and creativity is an entirely different
thing.
(Early
idea for a chronograph watch based upon a Minerva Cal. 13-20CH)
I felt a sense of responsibility towards the
base movement, and also never really had the feeling that
I accomplished a
design which really was worth pursuing, something that stands out from the
existing and that sticks.
Discussing with fellow watch collectors and
watchmakers is crucial in order to get practical advice and further ideas for
refinement.
However, one should be cautious as to whom to share which detail.
When contemplating my minute repeater project,
I had the idea to improve sound
by mounting the gongs directly into the case and not on the movement.
Years
later one manufacture presented exactly this, and I know I mentioned this idea to
their CEOâŠ
could be purely coincidence, of course, but I am very careful ever
since then.
With all the experience and knowledge gained
meanwhile, here are PuristSPro,
through factory visits, discussions with
watchmakers, my own watch would be a thoroughly
and very consistently designed
watch, most likely a âsimpleâ watch where the entire (technical as well as
aesthetic)
design is subordinated to the chronometry-focussed theme that I
would like to realise.
I certainly would love to create a watch from
scratch with my own hands.
I hope I find the time someday, and I also hope I
have sufficient talent for such an endeavour.
On a different vein, I have been involved in
getting the MING watch brand started. It was not so much
design and
construction, but getting the process of realising the watches done in the
smoothest way possible.
This was quite a remarkable experience. I thought I
knew quite a lot of the inner workings of the watch industry, but boy was I
wrong!
If you have a very precisely and elaborately defined vision you really
have to make sure that your suppliers understand (and share!)
this as well,
otherwise youâll risk ending up that your watches look like a bad copy of your
initial idea.
8. What is
the watch that will last leave your collection and why?
That will certainly be the watch I made myself
under the guidance and tutelage of one of the greatest living masters in
watchmaking,
Paul Gerber. It is an UNITAS 6498 based watch with bespoke top
plates, custom dial, and best of all,
a finishing that I created myself. I have
produced several positioning pins on a lathe, done all the anglage,
polishing,
brushing, bevelling, hardening and heat-blueing work on this piece, and I
finally also put it together and regulated it.
The concept of the finishing is
also my own.
(My
very *own* watch, built under
supervision of Paul Gerber)
One learns a lot about the intricacies of
making a watch by actually doing it
(especially if guided by one of the
absolute masters of the trade).
The moment when the watch comes to life the
first time is incredible and starts to breathe will never be forgotten.
This watch is a turning point in my watch
collecting career.
Quite obvious I am not going to let this go at any cost,
right? And thatâs not just because of the nameplate⊠;-)
9. What do
you love and hate about watch industry today?
I like the fact that the watch industry is an
industry which can play and risk without having a potentially disastrous impact
on oneâs life.
This will â in theory at least â free creativity from
constraints. Note that I said in theoryâŠ
but see below.
Through watchmaking, one gets exposed to
dedicated craftsmen and âwomen, experts and artists who are proud of what they
are doing.
These for me are the icing of the cake of this industry.
(Magnificient
Kari Voutilainen Aki-No-Kure piece unique)
I
have more problems with the orbits that circle around the watchmakers,
engravers or regulateurs, namely those who create all the fuzz, hyperbole and
hypocrisy which makes me
simply shake my head. All this talk about
exclusivity, in-house, and âinnovationâ.
And then you risk a visit with an
industry supplier, and there you see parts from across the industry produced
next to each other.
Or watches being assembled at a contract manufacturer, for
one of the great watch houses in Switzerland.
New materials whoâs claim to fame
lies only in their supposed newness, but which are devoid of any practical
value added for the owner.
Further, I feel the industry is confused in
respect to what one would call compelling original designs.
The tools for
designers have become more intuitive, new materials make unprecedented layouts
and mechanisms possible,
and computer-enabled prototyping and production (3D
printing, CNC parts manufacturing, etc.) thoroughly facilitate experimentation
as well as cost-efficient production.
Yet, very rarely I think truly convincing
designs are presented. I am pretty sure that most of the watches from the
last
10 years will quickly be forgotten, particularly all these PVD/DLC, carbon and
other watches.
No wonder timepieces from the past,
particularly the 1950 â 1960 years, are so much coveted by watch lovers
(âclassicalâ watch).
Manufacturers took duly note and delivered ample
re-editions of milestone (and wannabe) watches.
It is in a way a confession by
the industry that most contemporary watches donât have the long term standing
the highlights from the past have.
Thatâs a sad notion, and also a limitation:
how many vintage models are there to be revived, and for how long will the catalogue
of worthy pieces last?
I would really love for the entire industry to
continue thriving that an answer to the above could be found!
(Example case: a handwound Vacheron Constantin
movement 1950 and 2017)
Another issue I find very problematic is the
concomitant development of more capable
computer-controlled machinery and the
reduction of manual labour in the movement finishing.
If one compares a fine
handwound movement 50 years ago with a contemporary one, the effect is quite
obvious;
reduction of more complex shapes that require finishing by hand in
favour of fewer, easier to machine-finish lines.
Today, automatic machines
deliver an already very good aesthetic finishing which almost literally only
require a single wipe by the watchmaker to look quite good.
10. What was
the evolution of your collection and how do you see it in next decade?
I really would like to elaborate a bit on the
concept of a âcollectionâ, as I consider a âwatch collectionâ as something
entirely different from a mere accrual of watches.
A âcollectionâ tells the
story of the collector, gives account and offers unexpected insights into the
intellectual interplay of the single timepieces.
All the aspects lie, in other
words, on the meta-level and appear as âemergent propertiesâ of a watch
collection.
(My
first serious contemporary watch: A Zenith Prime (handwound version of the El
Primero)
I
have come across âwatch collectionsâ which comprise of hundreds of expensive
pieces with only obvious commonalities
(being expensive, precious metal,
complicated) which tells me nothing (except that money does not buy taste).
And
Iâve also come across collections that are small in number, maybe half a dozen
watches
but are more exciting and thrilling as these watches are almost always accompanied with a story.
Hence,
a mature collection is not a question of money or numbers, it simply needs to
be carefully curated and reflective of the collector.
The most exciting ones usually have more
daring, unusual or very personal themes: There is one (you know whom I am referring
toâŠ),
as an example, who collects watches with his favourite colour, orange.
His collection ranges from a
Swatch with an image of orange slice on the dial
to unique versions of eminent Swiss watchmaking maisons,
and finally to bespoke
customised masterpieces from the likes of the Grönefeld brothers or Kari
Voutilainen.
This is a good example to illustrate the allure
of actively curating your collection: superficially, it might be cool enough to
have unique, orange-themed watches.
But there is something more to it; armed
with a precisely defined theme, you can educate yourself along the collecting
and hunting process,
learning to understand and appreciate the intrinsic
concepts of watchmaking. How does a brand or a watchmaker tackle a certain
horological challenge?
How and to what extent do they allow their identity to
be altered? On a purely aesthetic level, or even functionally and mechanically.
During the thrilling, exhausting and
informative process of transition from a watch accumulator to a watch
collectors,
one feels horologically enriched with the additional insights
gained. Youâll acquire a sharper discernment between a very good
watch and an
exceptional, immensely desirable one. A mature collection is not a matter of
money or cost of acquisition.
On the contrary, budget constraints can be a
valuable catalyst in forcing you to refine your horological preferences.
They
make you reconsider and revisit a potential acquisition. Is a love at first
still love at second sight?
(Core
pieces of my collection; clockwise from top: AP Royal Oak (C-series), MIH
watch, ochs und junior due ore (prototype made by Ludwig Oechslin), MING 17.01,
Paul Gerber Ref. 410 (with a special implementation of the jumping seconds
switch, integrated into the crown), Habring Jumping Seconds Automatic,
Minerva
Pythagore 40mm (white gold))
Being a student during my horological
graduation years helped me a lot in refining my tastes and preferences, in a
platonic way.
Thanks to TimeZone and PuristS, I had (temporarily) access to a
large selection of fine and finest timepiece that belonged to friends.
Thus, after
finishing my studies, and with the ensuing influx of disposable currency, I
made my way straight to the independent world,
where the current focus of my modest
collection lies: Paul Gerber, Habring2 and Ochs und Junior.
All of them are
relatively simple watch with just a little complication added to the time
indications: jumping seconds mechanisms, simplified annual calendars, not much
more.
Ok, a few Blancpains crossed my path along the wayâŠ
For the future, I think you can extract the
gist from my answer to question 7 above.
11. What
other hobbies do you have?
I really love photography, way beyond watch
photography, most street/reportage style with only a single lens with me,
or
even with just a roll of 12 exposures on a vintage Hasselblad. This helps me
focussing, and I return with a highly satisfying percentage of âkeepersâ.
Traveling is another great passion of, and it goes
very well with photography.
(Three
of my passions well combined: photography, travel and food)
I also like listening to music, but rather less
as a background sound floor. Vinyl is my preferred source,
except of course
when I travel. I am addicted to flying to the extent that I suffer of withdrawal
syndromes if the last flight is too long ago.
I cook regularly at home and with friends.
Actually, this is one great advantage of our company: we usually prepare our
lunches together.
Finally, I like hiking and running alike.
12. Your
life motto and life philosophy isâŠ
Enjoy the moment and never succumb to stress. Not
even if you have Damjan in the back nagging you with submission deadlinesâŠ
