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Thomas Schnelle came to watchmaking through toolmaking, then spent years building the skills, equipment and ideas needed to make a watch of his own. The result is a small-run rectangular design with an unusual U-shaped crystal, a refurbished vintage Longines movement and a distinctly hands-on approach to production.
How Thomas Schnelle moved from toolmaking to watchmaking
Schnelle’s official biography says he was born in 1970 in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, trained as a toolmaker and completed watchmaking training in 1995. It also describes work at Chronoswiss spanning repairs, dial design, press work and print layout. Since 2002, his independent work has included case and dial design, escapement models, small-series watch winders, architectural models and spare parts for old watches and cases. Schnelle’s official biography is the source for those career details.
In an interview with Robin Nooy for Monochrome Watches, published on 2 February 2023, Schnelle described approaching Chronoswiss in Munich after studying toolmaking and attending technical college. He began supplying the company in 1991, making a series of 99 escapement models with the trust of founder Gerd-Rüdiger Lang. He wanted to create a watch of his own, but decided he needed deeper watchmaking knowledge first, so he completed an apprenticeship.
Family responsibilities and employment repeatedly delayed the personal project. In the meantime, he accumulated knowledge, machinery and concepts while designing and prototyping for clients. That gradual preparation—not a sudden leap from an established job to a full-time watch brand—shaped the eventual launch.
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Why the watch took so long to reach the market
Schnelle’s first sketches were round watches intended for tech-minded women, but they failed to generate enthusiasm. He then tried a simpler, box-shaped layout and refined it through renderings. The 2023 interview describes the featured watch as a minimalist, rectangular Art Deco design.
A friend encouraged Schnelle to show a watch at a local crafts exhibition. He built three prototypes over six months while continuing his other work, but the exhibition closed after one week during the Covid period. He subsequently sent a prototype to Marc-André at Watches-TV. The resulting exposure brought enquiries from watch enthusiasts, and Schnelle decided to launch his own brand.
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What makes the rectangular design distinctive
The watch’s defining feature is its U-shaped front crystal. Schnelle said he designed it to catch light and make the case feel more open, rather than like a closed box. Translating the idea from a Plexiglas prototype to sapphire crystal took nearly a year of work with suppliers, according to his Monochrome interview.
The 2023 profile describes a sandblasted stainless-steel case, sapphire crystals on the front and back, an hour-and-minute display, and an indirect subsecond. A later profile by Bhanu Chopra in Worn & Wound, dated 7 February 2025, reports dimensions of 23 mm wide, 7.5 mm thick and 48 mm lug-to-lug. Those measurements belong to that later report; the 2023 interview did not state them.
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What is inside the watch
Schnelle told Monochrome that the watch uses a refurbished, hand-wound vintage Longines movement dating approximately from 1945 to 1955. He gave its specifications as 17 jewels, a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour and a 43-hour power reserve. These are figures stated in the 2023 interview, not independently tested results.
He also highlighted the movement’s screw balance, chatons, bevels, polished wheels and bridges. Worn & Wound’s 2025 profile identifies it as a Longines 9LT and discusses Schnelle’s sourcing and servicing work. The same feature says the frosted-salmon version has a salmon-finished movement; Monochrome reported that Schnelle adapts and finishes the movement for that variant.
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How much of the watch Schnelle makes himself
Schnelle said he makes almost everything apart from the crystals and movement, including the case. The frosted-salmon version involves additional movement work: he adapts and finishes the movement for that configuration. This approach reflects a small workshop in which design choices and hands-on production are closely connected.
Production remains limited in the dated accounts. Schnelle estimated in the 2023 interview that he made one or two watches per month, in part because customization made the work slow, while also continuing freelance work for clients that included a large brand. Worn & Wound reported about two watches per month in February 2025. These are snapshots from those publication dates, not confirmation of his current output or a promise about delivery times.
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What to know about water exposure and ordering
The crystals are glued into the case, with gaskets inside the caseback and crown. Schnelle was explicit about the practical limit: “The crystals are glued to the case, and there are gaskets inside the caseback and crown – so the watch is water-repellent, not resistant.” He did not give a depth rating, so the description should not be taken as evidence that the watch is suitable for swimming.
Current prices, customization options, availability and lead times are not established by the dated profiles. Worn & Wound reported a price of $2,000 plus tax in February 2025; that was the price at the time of publication, not a current quote. For current ordering information, contact Schnelle through the maker’s own site or contact route and confirm terms directly before placing an order.
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