The quiet, dignified house in a Biel residential neighbourhood doesn’t look like
the birthplace of a new watch movement. But Tzu-Yu Huang and Andreas
Felsl live and work here. Since 2008 they have been the force behind the K1
project – to create a new mechanical watch movement.
Named after the dfficult-to-climb K1 mountain the team embarked on the
project in order to offer small watch brands an new and independent
alternative
‘The market is currently controlled by one company and supplies of watch
movements to small companies are getting scarcer every day’ says Felsl.
The couple were well aware of the technical and financial challenges.
‘At first we thought it was impossible’ but by investing their entire profits step
by step their small team has come a long way. The second pre- production of
300 units is underway.
The K1 watch motor is conceived as modular system ‘our product needs to be
technically and economically viable’ says Andi Felsl. Watch engineer Stephan
Kussmaul ‘we keep going over every detail, if three components can be
redesigned as two then we re-design.’
The next step to industrial production is underway ‘We can’t do this alone’
admits Felsl, but an investor is on board and we are looking at where to locate
our factory. ‘In four years we hope to be producing 100.000 units per annum’
according to Huang.
Handelszeitung Nr. 13/2014
Original article by Peter W Frey
Translation/edit by Roger Seal
[b]時計界的高峰，新生的展望
座落於瑞士比爾的住宅區裡，一幢安靜、有格調的房子，是一對夫婦 – Tzuyu
Huang 與Andreas Felsl 的家，同時，也是他們的工作室。
是的，這棟房子緊繫著許多手錶機芯的生產，且在2008 年時，滋長了一芽冒
險性的計畫，並持續茁壯……
夫婦倆，將計畫以瑪夏布洛姆峰的別稱K1 命名，K1 是座極難攀登的高峰，K1
計畫則是個極具挑戰的理想。
這個計畫的目標，是開發獨創的機械錶機芯，專門供應小型手錶品牌。
Felsl 表示 : 在這個業界，大型公司操控著機芯供應，獨立創設的小品牌要找到
供應商漸趨困難。
「為小品牌設計機芯供應」夫婦倆在茫茫的市場中望見這項商機，儘管他們清
楚知道，即將迎來的會是各種技術、資金層面的難題，但他們仍決定就此挑戰。
「一開始，連我們自己也常懷疑這項計畫的可行性 !」
但是歷經多次耐心策畫與評估後，他們還是看見了計畫背後的展望，也加深了
執行的決心。如今，300 張訂單的前期製作已有效地進行中。
以K1 手錶自動盤作為系統原型，Felsl 表示，「具備專業，價位平實」，是產
品的定位；製錶師Stephan Kussmaul 則表示，「精簡細節」，是產品設計的
原則。
接下來，K1 計畫將朝「工業化生產」邁進；當然，他們不會單打獨鬥。目前已
經有投資者願意參與，而Andreas Felsl 和Tzuyu Huang 緊接著開始尋找得以
設廠的地方。
「四年之內，達到每年十萬機芯的生產!」
豪語之下，眼見源自那小工作室的初衷，已是枝枒茂盛。
[b]以上文章翻譯自瑞士商業報2014年第13號
原始報導人: Peter W Frey
英文翻譯: Roger Seal
更多關於Horage: www.horage.com
[/b] [/b]
