Made from historic canvas
"You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."
– Andre Gide.
Made from historic canvas
Special collection Bjørnsund
"You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."
– André Gide
True to the wisdom of the French writer Gide, BandWerk is venturing into new waters with the special Bjørnsund collection. Unlike in the past, the interior of a vintage car was not used to produce the new special collection, but rather the sail fabric of a historic ship: the shark cutter Bjørnsund.
The idea of using unusual and historical materials in the production of Apple Watch straps is not new at BandWerk. However, the approach of working with a real ship's sail is.
The basic idea of bringing a touch of the legendary history of a vehicle into the present remains, but unlike before, this is a unique sea vehicle with a history spanning almost a hundred years.
The ship
The ship
The year was 1929 when the Bjørnsund (then still under the name CF Tiegen) left its shipyard in Esbjerg, Denmark, and set sail for the first time.
It is one of the shark cutters: a special type of ship that - contrary to what the name suggests - has nothing to do with shark fishing. Rather, these sailing ships, which were also equipped with an engine for the first time, were so successful at fishing with fishing nets due to their speed and maneuverability that they were far superior to other fishing cutters - similar to sharks.
After being used for fishing for almost 40 years under the ownership of its first owner, it changed hands several times from the end of the 1960s onwards and was given its current name Bjørnsund for the first time in 1968.
In 2006 she found a new home port in Karlskrona, Sweden, where she was maintained for several years by a team led by sailing enthusiast Per-Inge Lindqvist and used for guest trips.
The Bjørnsund is now owned by Sebastian Hentschel, a sailmaker from Greifswald. He and a team of freelance boat builders have been restoring the ship since 2018 in order to transform it into a workshop and meeting platform for the traditional sailing craft.
The sail
The sail
The sailcloth made of white Dacron fiber tells an exciting story of many years on the high seas, not least through the irregular patina on the surface.
Thanks to its unique properties, such as high water resistance and long durability, polyester fabric is very suitable for the production of watch straps.
Specifically, the raw material is the material of the so-called jib of the Bjørnsund. The purpose of the triangular sail, which is attached to the jib boom in front of the bow, is primarily to support the turning movement of the ship when tacking and gybing.
Due to a lack of detailed records, it is unfortunately not known exactly when this sail was first used on the Bjørnsund. However, we suspect that the sail has been used on the ship since the rig was completely renewed in 1995.
By using cork as filling and lining material, the bracelet is not only comfortable to wear but also waterproof and completely vegan .
Finest handcraft
Finest handcraft
Even though no leather is used in the production of the Bjørnsund collection, each strap is completely crafted according to the rules of traditional bag-making.
As with every other BandWerk product, we rely on tried and tested craftsmanship techniques for production in Germany.
A major challenge in the production of the sailing bracelets was cutting the raw materials. Unlike leather, the Dacron fabric is difficult to cut or punch. The resulting edges would fray too quickly and reduce the lifespan of the bracelet.
The solution: By using laser cutting technology, the fibers are immediately sealed, thus preventing the edges from fraying.
In numerous work steps, the canvas is first connected to the filling and lining material and then sewn together by hand.
Finally, the recesses and holes for the pin buckle are punched and sealed again with the laser.
In several hours of manual work, a historic sail is transformed into a unique bracelet.
The special Bjørnsund collection includes three different bracelet models in different designs, each limited to 500 units. The names Esbjerg , Karlskrona and Greifswald refer to important stations in the ship's long history.
The models are available in a maritime style with blue and red stitching, classic with black and white stitching, and with a sailing print. You are spoiled for choice!
We support the sea rescuers
We support the sea rescuers
Working at sea has always been associated with great danger, especially for those who are committed to rescuing others in distress. To support this work, we had planned to donate a portion of every bracelet sold to the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS). Because this is not easy in terms of organization and transparency, we have decided to support the sea rescuers as part of this project with a lump sum donation of €10,000 .
With this amount, the DGzRS can, for example, finance 400 lifebuoys, 34 emergency backpacks or a new ship propeller. If you would like to find out more about the work of the sea rescuers, you can find more information here .
Give your Apple Watch a unique maritime charm and bring a nearly 100-year history back to life. With the special Bjørnsund collection from BandWerk. Available now.