Cornelius & Cie is a new high-end watch brand based in Geneva, Switzerland

Cornelius & Cie. – Merging In Time Cornelius & Cie is a new high-end watch brand based in Geneva, Switzerland. The company was founded in the summer of 2007 and was initiated by two Dutchman, world-famous watch engraver Kees Engelbarts (1967) and jeweller Paul Pertijs (1968), crowning a friendship started while both were students at the renowned Dutch Gold- and Silversmith Academy.

Cornelius & Cie is named after Kees Engelbarts Christian name, Cornelis. The company will produce extremely exclusive watches, using vintage watch movements in proprietary cases of classic but innovative design. Every single part of the movements is embellished by hand, skeletonised and/or engraved by Kees Engelbarts. Customers are offered extensive possibilities to have the watch and the movements personalised with specific engravings.

The first collection presented will consist of 12 Chronosome 46XY watches. This stunning model features a 1935 A. Schild movement with eccentrically placed barrel. The unique position of the barrel is immediately evident by the shape of the case. The Chronosome 46XY watch will be available from April, 2008. There will be 3 models: with completely skeletonised movement and dial (2 pieces in platinum, 2 pieces in red gold), with partly skeletonised movement and closed dial (4 pieces in red gold) and with Côtes de Genève decoration (4 pieces in red gold).

The watches will be presented in a luxury box, including an Orbita watch winder (specially tuned to keep the strong main spring perfectly wound) and an extra barrel. The barrel can be engraved with a personal text or picture. Cornelius & Cie has set up an after sales department guaranteeing rapid regular service (within 2 weeks). Prices start at € 39,500 Euros. The fully skeletonised platinum Chronosome 46XY retails at € 115,000 Euros. Diamond setting is available on request. Cornelius & Cie was founded by: Kees Engelbarts (born 1967). Kees was educated at the Dutch Gold- and Silversmith Academy in Schoonhoven and the German vocational school for jewellery design at Idar-Oberstein. He started working as a professional watch engraver in 1994, setting up his own workshop in Geneva. Kees swiftly was recognised as an outstanding craftsman. He created intricately engraved and skeletonised watches for several watch companies, including Jaeger-LeCoultre, Hublot and Harry Winston. He became one of the very few engravers familiar with the Japanese ‘Mokumé Gane’ technique producing his own base material of 19 ultra thin layers of alternating two non-ferrous metals. In 1997 he produced his first own watch. The founding of Cornelius & Cie – where Kees will act as creative director -is the next step in his astonishing career.

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