Horological Meandering

just today I learned the sad news that our dear friend from Zurich, Hans Zbinden, has passed away prematurely on Friday, 21 October 2016. Over at TZ Brane Cop put it words which cannot express this loss better, and therefore I am just copying his post here:

"Dear fellow WIS, 

I'm so sad to have to tell you this, but Hans' family asked me to. 

Our friend Hans died last Friday, Oct. 21st 2016 peacefully in the Zurich Universitätsspital where he spent the last four months. 

For half a decade he has been suffering from trouble with his weak heart. He had to endure a number of operations and got an artificial heart. Last week there was a small progress and he was even released from intensive care. 

But he suffered a cardiac arrest on Wed, although reanimation was successful his brain damage proved to be irreparable. Since Hans expressed will was renouncement of life-extending measures in need of care or impaired mental capabilites, the family met his will and Hans peacefully died in his sleep. 

I'm devastated but Hans' suffering, preventing him to lead the life he wanted and deserved, has ended and he's in a better place now. 

His contributions here don't need to be mentioned. The ones of us who had the luck to know him and to be friends with him will miss him tremendously. 

Rest in peace, Hans. I'm so happy I met You 20 years ago. 

Brane"

Hans as a true pioneer of online watch enthusiasm (having posted the first ever online watch photo on a watch forum, back then indeed a scan, thereby coining the term 'scan' for watch images), he also was my personal entry ticket and later mentor into the world of fine watches. Without him my personal horological journey would have been tremendously less rich and enlightening, and I also would have missed one of the most genuine, warm-hearted and truly humanistic persons one could imagine.

I feel blessed of having had the opportunity to know and learn from Hans. His contributions to the art of watch appreciation are legend. Here is a link to his early 'Chronometrie' blog (much earlier than the existence of such things like 'blogs').

RIP Hans, and keep on ticking!

Magnus

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