Like Phoenix from the ashes, a German brand from 1897 was revived in 2020 through a Kickstarter program which raised 200,000 Euros from 87 supports from 12 countries. The revival of Eugene Wegner led to the aptly-named Revival series which presented three distinct models – Hevelius, One and Phoenix.
The Revival series is fully designed and manufactured in Hamburg using classic craftsmanship and selected components from Germany and Switzerland. Most importantly, the complete process of refining movements, final assembly and quality control is done in-house at their workshop in Hamburg. Germany has historically been a key influence in mankind’s pursuit for accurate time-keeping. The revival of this brand puts a spotlight over Hamburg, not just Germany, on the world map for haute horology manufacturing.
Hevelius model spots a white lacquered dial and Arabic numerals pays homage to a pocket watch that Eugen Wegner developed for a Gdansk astronomer Johannes Hevelius back in 1897. The blued steel hands and sub-second dial is reminiscent of the original. The Phoenix offers a black dial, three-hand wristwatch with date aperture and recessed inner chapter ring for hour markers. One is a chronograph with three subsidiary dials and a date aperture at 6. All 3 watches are presented with straight lugs, thermally blued steel hands, anti-reflective steel case and crown, and are water resistant up to 5 atm.
Jonas Bley is the great-great-grandson of the company's founder Eugen Wegner, once one of Prussia's leading watchmakers. From the Hevelius pocket watch to marine chronometers, Eugen Wegner was successful but dwindled into history as the 1960s was a turbulent time politically and economically. After discovering his great-great-grandfather’s pocket watch, Jonas decided to follow his ancestor’s footsteps and pursue his true passion in watchmaking.
Schooled in Germany and the U.K., Jonas has worked as a tax lawyer business consultant and acted as CFO within Europe and Asia for nearly 10 years. However, he finally decided to take a leap of faith and entered the watchmaking industry in a bid to fulfil his dream since high school – to revive his forefather’s watch business. In 2017, 50 years after the closure of the workshop, Bley, together with his sister Jantje von Reeken and a team of designers and watchmakers set out to build the brand from the bottom up. Coming from different industries, the revival team is dedicated in bringing back the name and legacy of Eugen Wegner watchmaking. Using their passion as fuel, they’re visionaries who are paving the way for Eugen Wegner’s ardent success.
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