Contact
Twitter
Facebook
Youtube
FRANCAIS
Karsten Frasdorf, founder and owner of Fabrication de Montres Normandes, unlike the majority of people, likes taking his time and letting at first his movements expressing themselves. First through an artistic expression which can be observed in the design of his calibers and which enables the observer to fully appreciate the watchmaking technique he uses. Secondly through a philosophic expression, in order to remind us that our planet never stops rotating, he brings an oversized balance to these calibers…
Tendance Horlogerie: What was your education in watchmaking?
Karsten Frasdorf: As you know, my nationality is German, so I spent my youth in Germany where I did my education. Since I wasn’t very sensitive to a classical teaching I first had to follow the mandatory education years and then I by chance I headed toward a watchmaking education.
Tendance Horlogerie: Why did you create FDMN?
Karsten Frasdorf: It is very easy to explain, on that time in the watchmaking industry we could not find movements like mine. The principle lied on the movement which technique can be visible in order to offer to people who are passionate about watchmaking the possibility to feel how a watchmaking movement works. It was something I really wanted to do, so I decided to go for this adventure.
Tendance Horlogerie: Why did you choose Normandy?
Karsten Frasdorf: Because I like Normandy as well as the Normans. Even though many think that Normandy only makes Camembert. It was a choice made with heart. This place offers as well the advantage to be close to Paris.
Tendance Horlogerie: What is your conception of Watchmaking?
Karsten Frasdorf: Watchmaking is my job and I love my job. I love its diversity. There are some very contemporary watches, but it doesn’t prevent me from appreciating them. Some others have a concept which is totally different from mine… Some people think there are too many brands in the watchmaking industry, I don’t think so. After all if brands and customers both find their happiness this way, why not? Don’t you think so?
Tendance Horlogerie: What are the basis of a manufacture for you?
Karsten Frasdorf: Making entirely in house the calibers seems to me very important for a manufacture. Without mentioning any name, a brand cannot claims itself as being a manufacture if it orders it movements and puts afterwards its logo on them. My vision as a watchmaker obliges me to think that a movement made by a manufacture is a very high quality movement. In my time this excludes industrialized movements made by a very high quantity.
Tendance Horlogerie: Could you tell us more about the constant force escapement
Karsten Frasdorf: This movement was based on the technique made by Xavier Theurillat, which application is used in meteorology science, and that I miniaturized and adapted for its final use. One needs a stable amplitude to have a good chronometry. Automatic watches do offer this stability but the winding covers the movement and its technique. So I developed the manual caliber with a spirit which consists in searching for aesthetics, and at the same time in meeting the technical and precision criteria needed in watchmaking.
Tendance Horlogerie: Are some brands interested?
Karsten Frasdorf: Yes!
Tendance Horlogerie: Some names?
Karsten Frasdorf: No!
Tendance Horlogerie: Are you tempted by making an FDMN timepiece collection?
Karsten Frasdorf: It is a question which I have been thinking about for many months, but there isn’t any decision at the moment. I thought it was clear that our goal was to make only some movements presented in some cases, but more are more people are interested in FDMN as a timepieces manufacturer.
