Andreas Strehler is a distinguished Swiss independent watchmaker and movement designer known for his technical ingenuity and precision engineering. Born in 1971 in Winterthur, Switzerland, Strehler developed an early interest in mechanics and antique timepieces. He began his formal training in 1987 in Frauenfeld and later graduated from the Watchmakers School in Solothurn in 1991.
Strehler’s professional career began at the renowned complications manufacturer Renaud & Papi, where he served as the first employee and head of prototype development. During his four-year tenure, he gained extensive experience in constructing complex machinery and implementing technical innovations. In 1995, Strehler established his own independent workshop in Winterthur, initially focusing on the restoration and repair of antique clocks and watches.
His transition to creating original timepieces was marked by the 1998 introduction of the Tischkalender (table calendar), a perpetual calendar clock that synchronized with a removable pocket watch. In 1999, he presented the “Zwei” pocket watch, which featured a patented mechanism allowing hands to switch between indicating time and the date at the push of a button. In 2000, he became a member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI), eventually serving as its youngest member for a period.
Strehler is equally recognized for his work as a movement designer for other prestigious brands. He was instrumental in developing the Perpetual 1 movement for H. Moser & Cie, which won the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2006. He also created the Opus 7 for Harry Winston in 2007 and has collaborated with brands such as Maurice Lacroix and Chronoswiss. To manage his industrial and engineering work, he founded UhrTeil AG in 2005, a specialized firm that handles movement design, prototyping, and component manufacturing.
In 2013, Strehler received the Prix Gaïa in the Craftsmanship-Creation category for his minimalistic yet complex mechanical movements. One of his most notable achievements is the Sauterelle à Lune Perpétuelle, which entered the Guinness Book of Records in 2014 for featuring the world’s most accurate moon phase indication, calculated to require adjustment only once every two million years.
Now based in Sirnach, Strehler continues to produce high-horology pieces under his own name, characterized by a signature aesthetic of visible, butterfly-shaped bridges and architectural transparency. In 2023, he expanded his brand with the introduction of “Strehler,” a label focused on “Belle Horlogerie” that offers more attainable timepieces for daily wear while maintaining the high manufacturing standards and technical precision of his custom workshop creations.