« Remembering a Watch Expert from the Very Beginning »
Christian Pfeiffer-Belli, the influential Munich-based watch expert, collector, and author, passed away on December 9, 2021. Best known as editor-in-chief of the magazines "Alte Uhren" and "Klassik Uhren," he shaped the world of timepieces from the 1970s onward with unrivaled knowledge and more than 50 specialist books. Those who worked alongside him describe Pfeiffer-Belli as a helpful and endearing man who had an expert answer to every question about watches.
Allies in the Watch World: Pfeiffer-Belli and Gisbert L. Brunner
Early in his career, Pfeiffer-Belli's path crossed with that of Gisbert L. Brunner, arguably Germany's most influential watch journalist today. The two luminaries of horological passion first met in 1978, when Brunner bought a pendulum clock at the Auer Dult, Munich's art and antiques fair. Hungry to learn more about his valuable piece, he was pointed by a friend toward Christian Pfeiffer-Belli, who liked to call himself "CPB" and was just then publishing a new book – "Klaus Erbrich Präzisionspendeluhren" with the Munich publisher Callwey Verlag. It is worth knowing that there was no horological construction about which the watch specialist did not possess remarkable knowledge. No sooner had Brunner called than CPB was standing at his door, showing great interest in the pendulum clock. The foundation for an extraordinary friendship built on watches had been laid.
A Contest Between Collectors
When a passion for ticking mechanics runs deep, every watch lover eventually becomes a collector. Brunner, a trained lawyer, was especially dedicated: he started a collection in the 1960s that grew to more than 800 pieces during the '70s. That must have impressed Christian Pfeiffer-Belli – a passionate watch collector himself. Wristwatches in particular brought the two together and sparked a friendly rivalry between collectors. This "battle" was fought with each other rather than against each other; on one occasion, the two connoisseurs bought out half a shop together in a single day.
"Klassik Uhren": Pfeiffer-Belli's Masterpiece
It was also Pfeiffer-Belli whose powers of persuasion got Brunner, the lawyer, to write his first article on wristwatches in 1981. The piece appeared in "Alte Uhren," a specialist magazine on historical timepieces that CPB had founded in 1978. As editor-in-chief, the watch connoisseur shaped the magazine – which was taken over by Ebner Verlag in 1994 and renamed "Klassik Uhren" – for more than 40 years. Until it ceased publication in 2020, the bimonthly was the only magazine in the German-speaking world devoted explicitly to older timepieces.
Today, the issues – which over their decades-long success story repeatedly featured articles by Pfeiffer-Belli's longtime companion Gisbert L. Brunner – have cult status. Leafing through the magazine, you'll find a literary treasure trove from CPB and select authors who rank among the world's best in their respective fields. Brands, models, complications – if you want to learn about timepieces firsthand and are looking for information you won't find on just any website, it's worth picking up an issue or two of "Klassik Uhren."
Book Projects for the Ages
Together with Brunner, Christian Pfeiffer-Belli realized dozens of important book projects over a span of 40 years. Above all, "Armbanduhren" (Callwey), first published in 1983 and later expanded several times, brought the two friends great success alongside other titles. More recently, the more than 500-page "The Watch Book" (teNeues) has come to be regarded as one of the most important watch books and – like the earlier works – was created by Brunner and Pfeiffer-Belli with their familiar division of labor: Brunner wrote the texts, CPB provided the images. The same goes for the popular Watch Book Rolex (teNeues), to which Pfeiffer-Belli contributed key images. Beyond that, the creative watch expert initiated significant brand books on Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, the latter of which comes with a remarkable story.
The story takes place in Mumbai in 1990. CPB and Brunner, in search of new information for the Audemars Piguet book, are walking through a cemetery when a group of men armed with knives demands that they hand over their hidden cash. The duo narrowly manages to escape. Back at the hotel, they celebrate their luck with champagne – and the experience bonds them even more closely.
A Central Figure at Ebner Verlag
It is also worth mentioning that, in addition to "Klassik Uhren," Christian Pfeiffer-Belli supplied a number of other Ebner Verlag magazines with his knowledge. Alongside "Chronos," the "Uhren-Magazin" – of which CPB was publisher for several years – also benefited from his expertise. At the editorial offices of these magazines and the online magazine watchtime.net, Pfeiffer-Belli was enormously popular, and he drew on his experience well past retirement age to help colleagues in need with images, books, and manuscripts on every conceivable topic. A watch specialist with heart and a generous spirit who, despite an illness lasting 20 years, still poured all his energy into his horological passion at the age of 80. CPB was no ordinary watch writer; he was on a mission: to gather vast amounts of expert knowledge and make it accessible to enthusiasts in an understandable form.
A Legacy That Endures
The death of the esteemed connoisseur on December 9, 2021, at the age of 81 has deeply saddened the watch world. Perhaps no obituary is accurate enough to do justice to Pfeiffer-Belli's work and character. His works, however, are: through decades of effort, this exceptional specialist assembled such a lasting and rich body of watch knowledge in magazines and books that entire generations of enthusiasts and authors will continue to benefit from it. The master is gone, but his work remains. May CPB long be remembered by the watch world.
