ABOUT CENTURY

Jewels of Time

Century Time Gems Ltd is headquartered in Nidau, which lies at the heart of the Swiss watchmaking region and is also home to the firm’s production workshops, where every CENTURY watch is born. Headed by Philip W. A. Klingenberg, son of the founder, the Manufacture has always cultivated a sense of elegance and individuality. Different, unique, deliberately independent, CENTURY has, over the decades, come to embody a new, exclusive and refined philosophy of time, crafted in an exceptional material: CENTURY sapphire.

History

When CENTURY was established in 1966, its founder Hans-Ulrich Klingenberg was already famous for his amazing inventions. By setting up his own Manufacture, he was at last able to put his discoveries into practice in his own creations. After devising an exclusive system to create a vacuum inside a watch case, Klingenberg developed what remains one of the distinctive marks of every CENTURY watch: the Megalith. This highly complex technique is used to fuse two discs of sapphire into one inseparable piece. The combination of such innovations enabled CENTURY to write the first chapter of its illustrious history…

CENTURY sapphire

The origins of this impressive watchmaking epic lie, of course, in a fascination with time itself. This is coupled with the desire to dedicate to time a material capable of capturing its mystique: its immanence, unstoppable nature and eternal quality. Transparent, perfectly pure, the second hardest material in the world after diamonds, everlasting CENTURY sapphire is a brilliant metaphor for this powerful vision. A material that will mould to the incredible creativity of CENTURY’s designers and the magical touch of its master craftsmen who, generation after generation, sculpt and polish each of its facets entirely by hand. This extraordinarily meticulous work is rewarded with a dazzling display of light and colours that has become the most exclusive hallmark of every CENTURY timepiece. To achieve such a performance, the Manufacture borrows techniques from the world of fine jewellery, such as the marquise, brilliant, marquise, rose and emerald cuts..

PHILOSOPHY

“Beyond Imagination” is CENTURY’s cherished motto, which constantly urges the Manufacture to surpass itself while celebrating its ability to transform every second into a moment of pure wonder… It is a state of mind that echoes the spirit of fashion, the inspiration for all of CENTURY’s collections, combining chic ready-to-wear and virtuoso couture creations.

COLLECTIONS

Naturally, CENTURY chooses to present its collections as if displayed in a jewellery case. Rare and more day-to-day timepieces are arranged by different themes, each with its own unique atmosphere. MASTER IMPERIAL is a collection of the most exceptional pieces that showcase CENTURY sapphire cut into the most complex structures, combined with the beauty of precious stones. A range of jewellery including rings and earrings complements this supremely sophisticated line. PRECIOUS ELEGANCE is a luxury watch collection: wreathed in romanticism and poetry, this line is an ode to femininity, cut to measure and finished in mother-of-pearl, satin and diamonds. CONTEMPORARY TIMEPIECE is dedicated to modernity, offering watches with resolutely contemporary attributes, illuminated by the radiance of CENTURY sapphire. And men are by no means neglected: ESQUIRE is devoted to them, offering classic timepieces in masculine designs with the ELEGANCE line, or a more sporty look with the PRIME TIME collection.

Like CENTURY sapphire itself, this is a world where romanticism rubs shoulders with modernity, luxury becomes a day-to-day necessity, and femininity meets masculinity in a glittering display; a place ruled by light and exclusivity, illuminated by the thousand-and-one facets of Time.