Gisbert L. Brunner
Gisbert L. Brunner, born in 1947, has been working on watches, pendulum clocks and other precision timepieces since 1964. During the quartz clock crisis of the 1970s, his love for the apparently dying-out mechanical timepieces grew. His passion as a hobby collector eventually led to the first newspaper articles in the early 1980s and later to the by now more than 20 books on the topic.
Amongst others, Brunner works for magazines such as Chronos, Chronos Japan, Ganz Europa, Handelszeitung, Prestige, Terra Mater, GQ and ZEIT Magazin. He also shares his expertise on Focus Online. Together with a partner, he founded the Internet platform www.uhrenkosmos.com in 2018. After the successful Watch Book I (2015) and Watch Book II (2016), the teNeues publishing house published the Watch Book Rolex, written by Gisbert L. Brunner, in June 2017. The book has appeared in German, English and French and has already been reprinted several times due to high international demand.
Red Dot in an interview with Gisbert L. Brunner
Red Dot: What does a watch have to offer in order to persuade you of its merits?
Gisbert L. Brunner: Naturally, it must look good, have a harmonious design and the correct signature as well as show real watchmaking quality or be truly original.
Where will the watch industry be ten years from now?
That’s something nobody can really predict with any certainty as the middle and long-term impact of smartwatches is not yet clear at the moment. But one thing is sure, the traditional mechanical watch will survive.
What is the hallmark of good design?
In good, considered design, it is almost inevitable that form follows function. It is not ostentatious, but appeals instead with a classical, more reserved appearance. Nevertheless, it attracts attention. A significant aspect, where applicable, is ease of use.
How do you proceed when evaluating products?
Step by step. Firstly by screening a watch, then by examining all aspects in detail as well as its tactile properties.