Hysek, Jörg

Jörg Hysek is a German artist, designer and watch manufacturer.

Beginnings and training

Jorg Hysek ranks amongst the best known and most successful watches designers. He was born on May 14, 1953 in East Berlin and came to Geneva with his parents in 1960, just before the construction of the Wall. After having studied micromechanics at the Biel technical school for two years, he enrolled at the Vocational School for Watchmakers Pforzheim (Berufsfachschule für Uhrmacher). In 1973 his passion for sculpture lead him to a two-year study at the London Academy of Art.

Experience in the watch industry and well-known watch models

Hysek returned to Switzerland to work in the watch industry shortly after his education completed. He spent four years working at Rolex before starting his own design company, Hysek Styling. After this, he worked for Breguet, Boucheron, Cartier, Ebel, Omega, TAG Heuer, Tiffany, and Vacheron Constantin.

Hysek lead the design of "Project 222" for Vacheron Constantin, which later became the Overseas model, though many erroneously credit it to Gerald Genta. He was awarded the "Grand Prix de la Ville de Genève" in 1984 for the Vacheron Constantin "Cuff Watch". In 1985 followed a Special Mention of the Jury for a pocket watch, which he had designed for Jean Lassale.

Famous watch models crucially marked by him include the Vacheron Constantin 222, Breguet Marine, Seiko Arctura, TAG Heuer Kirium, and Tiffany Streamerica.

The pens series

In 1996 a famous and succesful series of writing instruments, designed by him, for the first time bore the word "Jorg Hysek" (without the umlaut) as a brand name.

Independant watch production

He dared the step to an independent production of watches in 1999 with the watch manufacturer Jorg Hysek. Due to differences with his partner, he decided to take a radical step: He left the company (which now continues to exist under the name Hysek) in February 2006 and with two young, talented people from his own Development Office, with whom he had already worked together for many years, began a cooperation under the new brand HD3 Complication.

The watch as a unit

The resulting watch creations achieved by his experience and innovative momentum express his state of development with the greatest consequence and intransigence. His involvement with the creative process led him to explore deeper and deeper into the basic design of a timepiece, even into the architecture of the watch movement. By this integral approach a totally new re-creation of watches becomes possible, where movement, case and dial speak to the viewer in their unit. With other words, the designer creates the "whole" watch, including its heart, the movement, as well as the hands control and the crown.

From individual success to team success

Like the other two partners in the three-member team, Valérie and Fabrice Gonet Ursenbacher, Hysek maintains his personal touch in his own watch series within HD3 Complication, namely in the series Idalgo. In addition, the synergy of their abilities led to co-productions like the model Three Minds. This team spirit can be seen as a step in a different self-concept: first to bring forward one's own name, but then to open the circle and in turn evoke new forces.

Featured watch creations

• Vacheron Constantin 222 (1977)
• Breguet Marine (1990)
• Tiffany Streamerica (1990)
• TAG Heuer Kirium (1997)
• HD3 Complication Idalgo XT-2 (2006)
• HD3 Complication Idalgo XT-1 (2008)

Weblinks

• Jörg Hysek: Begnadeter Designer, Sarah Rieder, Handelszeitung, 30.3.2006
• Die berühmten Schreibgeräte von Jörg Hysek
• Hysek (official site)
• HD3 Complication (official site)