impressions from the geneva shows

Transcription

www.europastar.com
IMPRESSIONS FROM
THE GENEVA SHOWS
EUROPE EDITION
All Europe
Central & Eastern Europe, Russia
N° 317 1 /2013 Feb. / March
02
9
THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL WATCH MAGAZINE EUROPE
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CH F 1 2 / € 1 0 / U S $ 1 2
SIHH | GTE | Exhibitions
First BaselWorld previews 1 Service, please!
FLYING TOURBILLON
High feminine complication, this flying tourbillon decorated
with the motif of the camellia, a tribute to Mademoiselle
Chanel’s favorite flower, beats away discreetly and
almost secretly at the heart of the Première watch.
Having no upper bridge, the carriage decorated with
a camellia appears to be rotating in a weightless state.
Limited edition of 20 numbered pieces. 18-carat
white gold, set with 228 diamonds (~7.7 carats).
www.chanel.com
4 EDITORIAL europa star
The lament off those
who are drowning
R Pierre M. Maillard Editor-in-Chief
The refrain is well known. It has been
sung in these columns on several occasions, but now it has really become stuck
in the mind. The refrain? The lament,
more like, is that of the small independent companies that are drowning.
On one hand, you find a modest but
quite honourable brand that, after ten
years of efforts, finds doors closing to it
one by one. On the other hand, a single
independent company, whose beautiful and artfully enamelled products are
no longer welcome at stores which are
already inundated with merchandise.
Here and there, small yet very innovative companies are closing their doors;
investors are giving up and vanishing
into thin air. Recently, an open letter was
received at the editor’s desk, from an
“independent family business” standing up for its “right to exist without
being constantly threatened by an attitude of short-term profit and unrestrained capitalism (…) and by devastating pressure on distribution (…),
which will result in less choice.” This
same company pleads, loud and clear,
for the “re-establishment of healthy
competitive practices for the betterment of the industry and in the interest of the final consumer,” before concluding that “without this awareness,
it will be more and more difficult to
bring to our wonderful industry the
freshness of sensible alternatives.”
Behind the triumphant numbers of the
year—for the first time, the Swiss
watch industry exceeded the threshold
of CHF 21 billion at export—the biodi-
versity of the watch landscape is
inevitably declining. One by one, the
niches that provide the variety in the
watch industry are being occupied by
the big groups. But how can we blame
them? Why should they restrain themselves when everything, beginning with
their shareholder structure, pushes them
to make a profit at any cost, while a
silent war rages in the display windows.
So, how then can a small watch company specialising, for example, in the
métiers d'art survive—or even simply
succeed in placing a few products that
it transports in a rowboat, while nearby
the big groups arrive in aircraft carriers loaded with pallets of high-end
watches?
Another concern relating to watchmaking biodiversity is that the dazzling numbers barely conceal a reality
that, over time, is indeed worrisome:
the decrease in volume (down 15.3
per cent in December 2012, down 2.7
per cent for the year) accompanied by
an increase in value (up 11.3 per cent
for the year). This means quite simply
that fewer watches are being sold, but
at higher prices.
This evolution does not concern only
the watch industry; it is widespread in
other sectors, too. It is, in fact, a reflection of a much more general phenomenon in society. In other more political
times, we called this “imperialism”,
the “natural” tendency of the big to
grow even bigger, of the propensity of
kingdoms to become “empires”.
Having said that, however, there are
some counter-attacks happening here
and there. Initiatives are being launched, groups are being formed. In other
words, life goes on, always confounding predictions. But let’s be attentive
to this general increase in hostilities
and to this race ahead, because they
may be the warning signs of a major
new bubble.
A SWISS HISTORY OF TIME
Perpetual calendar, every possible date complication, ﬂyback chronograph
function and tachymeter scale – the complexity and functionality
of the Manero ChronoPerpetual are hard to match. An impressive timepiece,
whose date will require no correction until the year 2100, when the Gregorian
calendar calls for the omission of a leap year.
www.carl-f-bucherer.com
for the new emperors
Boutique DeWitt
Shop 2036 Level 2 Elements,
1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong
(+852) 31532668
dewitt-hk-elements@swissinitiative.com
Montres DeWitt SA
Rue du Pré-de-la-Fontaine 2,
1217 Meyrin, Geneva, Switzerland
+41 22 750 97 97
info@dewitt.ch - www.dewitt.ch
DeWitt America
4330 N.E 2nd Avenue
Miami FL 33137, USA
+1.305.572.9812
info@dewittamerica.com
revolutionary by tradition
8 CONTENTS europa star
www.europastar.com
THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL WATCH MAGAZINE EUROPE
N° 317 1/2013 FEB./MARCH
CONNECTING
ICONIC
4
EDITORIAL
The lament of those who are drowning
12
COVER STORY
Ralph Lauren’s watchmaking safari
16
18
23
27
28
32
40
45
GENEVA SHOWS
Introduction: Under the sign of Midas
Strategic métiers d’art
High-tech materials and movements
The IDTWO concept watch by Cartier
The year of butterflies and eagles
Surrounding the SIHH: Space stations and satellites
All change for the Geneva Time Exhibition
A (show) week in the life of a retailer
49
51
56
PRE-BASEL
Raymond Weil, just the right positioning
JeanRichard - a new philosophy of life
The new BaselWorld
58
59
GALLERIES
Pre-Basel – gents’ watches
Pre-Basel – ladies’ watches
60
62
SERVICE, PLEASE!
Patek Philippe: patrimonial service
Stoll & Company, America’s Watchmakers
66
RETAILER PROFILE
Talking Turkey – Saat & Saat in Istanbul
BRANDS
TO THEIR
CLIENTELE
ONLINE
68
DIGITAL-LUXURY.COM
WORLDWATCHREPORT.COM
media partner
WORLDWATCHWEB®
Global consumer interest for haute horlogerie brands
increases
70
EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
72
LAKIN@LARGE
Times Square squared
RL67 TOURBILLON
by Ralph Lauren
The first tourbillon presented by
Ralph Lauren has a 45mm diameter stainless steel case that has
been treated with a gunmetal
finish. It is powered by the selfwinding RL67 manufacture tourbillon calibre, which offers a power reserve of approximately 38
hours and is driven by a gold
micro-rotor that is visible behind
a transparent sapphire crystal
case back. It comes with a brown
alligator leather strap that has
been treated to give it a special
patina.
RALPH LAUREN
Watch and Jewelry
24, route de la Galaise
CH – 1228 Plan-les-Ouates
Tel: +41 (0) 22 595 59 00
www.ralphlaurenwatches.com
Europa Star HBM SA
25 Route des Acacias
P.O. Box 1355
CH-1211 Geneva 26
Switzerland
Tel +41 (0)22 307 78 37
Fax +41 (0)22 300 37 48
www.europastar.com
contact@europastar.com
© 2013 EUROPA STAR
Audited REMP / FRP 2012
The statements and opinions
expressed in this publication are
those of the authors and not
necessarily Europa Star.
THE EVOLUTION OF TRADITION
LOGICAL ONE
BASELWORLD
Hall 2.0 Booth C35
2013
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Zemd_dXbWYaiWdZXbWij[ZFL:rMWj[hh[i_ijWdY[0'&7JCDIAL AND HANDS Metal dial black with black dial plate,
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12 COVER STORY europa star
Ralph Lauren’s watchmaking safari
RPaul O’Neil
T
The presence of Ralph Lauren Watch &
Jewelry at this year’s Salon International de la
Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva marked a
certain coming of age for the brand. As the
company’s chairman, Callum Barton, explained,
“We are four years old and the average age
of the other brands at the show is 98 years.
We celebrate our fifth birthday at the SIHH
and it is the first time you can see products in
the show windows outside the booth, now
that the brand can walk and talk.”
And now that the brand can walk and talk it
already wants to stretch its legs and head off
on… safari! Parked centre stage in the typical
colonial décor of the Ralph Lauren booth in
Geneva this year was the designer’s own vintage Land Rover, equipped for an expedition
into the African wilderness, leaving one eager
to discover the new timepieces inspired by
this world of safari, to which the designer
dedicated his first fashion collection almost
30 years ago.
According to Ralph Lauren, “When you go on
safari you think it’s a special moment in your
life. You will always talk about it. There is a
utility and sensibility about it that works.” In
fact, the designer has almost made an art out
of adding a touch of luxury to the functional
clothing required for tracking down wildlife
on the open plains. Now he turns his attention to making the watches that bear his
name fit for African exploration. It is above all
the utilitarian aspect that comes forth in the
watches, expressed by a rugged design and
the use of a new treatment for the cases that
recreates the unique black sheen of gunmetal
familiar from old hunting rifles.
RL67 SAFARI CHRONOMETER
The Safari collection
The RL67 Safari chronometer epitomises the
classic simplicity of Ralph Lauren design but
with an added touch of durability. Its 45mm
diameter gunmetal case, with visible screws
on the bezel, houses a sober matte varnished
azure anthracite dial with large Arabic numerals coated with a beige luminescent substance reminiscent of the desert sands, with
an oversize 12 and 6 and a simple “RALPH
LAUREN – CHRONOMETER” inscription. The
orange sweep seconds hand, for clear legibility, is the only small break in the rigidly
applied safari design code. Well protected
inside this tough exterior is the RL300-1 calibre self-winding movement with chronometer
certification and a power reserve of approximately 42 hours.
The RL67 Safari chronograph adheres rigorously to the same safari aesthetic but takes
its dial from the brand’s Sporting collection,
using a matte black varnished background
with contrasting white Roman numerals and
chronograph counters at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock,
as well as a date window at 6 o’clock. It is fitted with the RL750 chronograph movement,
which is a self-winding manufacture calibre.
Operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, the
RL750 offers a power reserve of around 48
hours and has Côtes de Genève and circular
graining decoration that is visible through a
smoked sapphire crystal case back fixed in
place with six screws. In addition to the same
45mm case size as the chronometer, the RL67
Safari chronograph is also available in a smaller
39mm diameter case.
europa star
In combination with the gunmetal case colour
for both models, a weathered olive-green canvas strap is perhaps the boldest affirmation of
this collection’s safari credentials. Reinforced
with a black leather lining, this material evokes
Ralph Lauren’s pioneering collection of safari
clothing that spawned the term “safari chic”
and pre-empted the trend for casual safari
clothing subsequently triggered by the film
“Out of Africa”.
HOW THE GUNMETAL LOOK IS ACHIEVED
As the name suggests, gunmetal was originally used in the manufacture of cannons in medieval times (although it had been in
use before this) and later in other ordnance. Steel is now the metal of choice for ordnance but gunmetal is still used today for
valves, pipe fittings and pumps that need to be pressure tight.
Known as red brass in the United States, gunmetal is actually a
type of bronze—an alloy of copper, tin and zinc.
For the Ralph Lauren Safari timepieces, the appearance of gunmetal is achieved using a chemical and thermal treatment. Unlike
surface treatment processes such as PVD, DLC and ADLC, which
are now widely used in the watch industry and involve purely
physical processes to deposit a thin layer of coating on the host
metal, the process used by Ralph Lauren to make the gunmetal
case for the Safari collection has both chemical and thermal components. In addition to the aesthetic enhancement this brings to
the timepiece, it also makes the steel harder than a conventional
stainless-steel watch case and thus increases its durability. It is
applied to the case, bezel, crown, buckle, pushers and screws of
the watches in the Ralph Lauren Safari collection.
COVER STORY 13
1.
A first tourbillon
Those looking for a less casual accompaniment for their safari attire can opt for the juxtaposition of a delicate tourbillon movement
housed in the same 45mm diameter gunmetal
case. The self-winding RL67 calibre is the first
tourbillon movement to feature in the Ralph
Lauren collection and also the first to be driven by a gold micro-rotor, visible through a
transparent sapphire crystal case back. This
manufacture movement operates at 28,800
vibrations per hour and offers a power reserve
2.
1. First, the watch case and its components are sandblasted and
microblasted by hand using an air pistol, which gives the piece a
deep matte grey finish.
2. The gunmetal treatment is applied both chemically and thermally,
transforming the silver colour of the steel into a blackened finish.
3. The case is then brushed and polished using a range of specialised brushes and diamond pastes.
3.
RL67 SAFARI CHRONOGRAPH
RL67 SAFARI TOURBILLON
14 COVER STORY europa star
of approximately 38 hours. It also features a
specially designed tourbillon bridge that has
a finish to match the sheen of the gunmetal
case. Although the time is displayed on the
same sober matte black dial with the desertinspired luminescent beige Roman numerals and sword-shaped hands, the rugged canvas strap has been replaced by a more
refined brown alligator leather strap, which is
hand made using honey wax soap to give a
special patina.
Ladies’ jewellery pieces
The strong focus on the world of safari, in
which Ralph Lauren can claim the greatest of
legitimacy, is oriented towards the male customer as far as the brand’s timepieces are
concerned. But at the more exclusive end of
the spectrum, Ralph Lauren has also introduced a trio of stunning ladies’ jewellery
models for 2013. The Stirrup collection now
includes a jewellery piece, the Stirrup Diamond
Link, which is adorned with 1,911 diamonds
of 20 different sizes for a staggering total of
around 35.58 carats. The entire case, measuring 32.40mm by 34.30mm, as well as the
chain-link bracelet—all in 18-carat white
gold—are set with diamonds. The crown, also
in 18-carat white gold, is set with a rose-cut
diamond of 0.38 carats. Set against this
sparkling background, the dial remains the
epitome of Ralph Lauren classicism, with black
Roman numerals and a black railway minute
track set against an off-white lacquered and
polished background. The impulses driving the
small seconds hand at 6 o’clock come from
the self-winding mechanical RL701 manufacture calibre, which operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a power reserve of
around 70 hours.
As a perfect balance, this model, available for
220,000 US dollars, was presented alongside
the Stirrup Steel Link model, which is the first
Stirrup model to be proposed with a polished
stainless-steel case and the same matching
chain-link bracelet in polished stainless steel.
At 2,500 US dollars it retails for a fraction of
the cost of its sparkling colleague. A range of
eight new colourful leather straps is also
available for the Stirrup collection.
Diamonds are also the order of the day in the
867 collection, the latest model in which (and
one of the most lavish in the entire Ralph
Lauren collection) is called quite simply the
STIRRUP DIAMOND LINK
867 Diamond Watch. Here, the sleek 27.5mm
square art deco case in polished 18-carat white
gold has a bezel set with diamonds as well as
diamond-set arabesque motifs that continue
along the black suede strap, for a total of 280
stones. A further 12 baguette-cut diamonds
adorn the signature square design elements
on the case at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock and
STIRRUP STEEL LINK
europa star
COVER STORY 15
“I have always been inspired by
the design elements of the art
deco era. For me, its bold geometric spirit and sophisticated
modernity define a kind of
glamour that is timeless and
especially elegant when applied
to the art of watchmaking.”
Ralph Lauren
the ornate folding clasp. In a modern interpretation of the art deco style, the silver opaline
dial bears a combination of black Roman and
Arabic numerals (outsized Roman numerals for
the quarter hours and smaller Arabic numerals
for the other hours) and the black suede strap
framing the whole helps this striking design
to stand out, leaving no mistake as to the art
deco inspiration behind this piece.
Another new model in the 867 collection has
a similar “face” but employs even more art deco
design codes, marrying the classic art deco
colours of black and white with the column
designs familiar from the architecture of the
world’s most iconic art deco buildings (one of
the most famous of which is the Empire State
Building, a landmark in Ralph Lauren’s native
New York city). The 867 Modern Art Deco
watch has an 18-carat rose-gold case set with
one row of diamonds and an inner frame in
black resin. The signature square elements on
the case at 6 o’clock and 12 o’clock are each
set with nine diamonds and enclosed by the
shimmer of black onyx semi-circles set into the
black alligator leather strap above and below,
each of which points towards a white ceramic
column flanked by six diamond-set columns, a
design element that is repeated on the 18carat rose-gold folding clasp.
867 DIAMOND WATCH
Both new 867 models are powered by the
RL430 calibre manually-wound manufacture movement, which operates at 21,600
vibrations per hour, offers a power reserve of
approximately 40 hours and a fine decorative
finish of Côtes de Genève and circular graining. Like the Stirrup Diamond Link, both of
these models also offer the ultimate touch of
luxury with a rose-cut diamond set into their
gold crowns.
867 MODERN ART DECO WATCH
With the Safari collection and the new ladies’
models, Ralph Lauren has once again proven
capable of successfully combining the rigorously timeless designs and high-quality craftsmanship of its timepieces with highly individual themes such as safari that are ingrained in
the Ralph Lauren brand. O
For more information about Ralph Lauren please
click on Brand Index at www.europastar.com
or visit www.ralphlaurenwatches.com
16 SIHH IMPRESSIONS – INTRODUCTION europa star
UNDER THE SIGN OF MIDAS
RPierre Maillard
O
On the second day of the SIHH, thinking about all the watches that had
passed through my hands that day, I noted that the most affordable
among them was selling for €40,000, or the price of a nice car such as
a German saloon, for example. As for the most expensive, it is true that
it was totally covered in diamonds, but I was not able to learn its exact
price. When I asked the question, I was told in a delightful tone that it
had a “prestigious price tag” (the equivalent, I imagined, of a beautiful home with a garden and swimming pool, complete with a sports
car in the garage).
And, that day, I also could not help but think of the decadence of the
Roman empire and of the follies of Heliogabalus, driving his golden
chariot drawn by four white horses through the streets of Rome sprinkled with gold dust.
We all know the famous legend of King Midas who asked the god
Dionysos to grant his wish of changing everything he touched into
gold. The king’s good fortune turned to disaster, however, as all his
food changed to gold at his touch and the poor man would soon die
of hunger. Begging the god to remove this wish, he was sent to wash
his hands in the river Pactolus (which ever since, as we know, abounds
with flakes of gold).
Is the Midas touch now affecting Haute Horlogerie? Could it end up
suffocating under its own weight in gold? We can rightly ask this question, just as we can justifiably wonder if we are not again witnessing
the birth of a new bubble…
Yet, we might also say that it is, for the most part, merely a media
effect. To the more than 1200 accredited journalists present at the
SIHH, it is normal that the brands would want to show off the cream of
their crop. Diamond-covered watches, mechanical follies and exercises
in style followed one after the other before our amazed eyes. At the
end of the day, however, is this what really counts? These timepieces,
with all their excesses, are at the top of the ladder and are covered and
discussed ad infinitum. They swarm across the great virtual web where
they create the buzz, but is this really where the business is? Don’t we
find the bread and butter of the industry elsewhere? Rather than only
concentrated in the hands of Midas, isn’t it to be found in a thousand
more modest slivers in the waters of the Pactolus?
Whatever the case, we have borrowed several treasures from Midas
while also plucking a few more modest nuggets from the river, all of
which we present to you on the following pages. O
Automatic movement • Multi-part and multi-layer construction case
Polished and vertically satin-finished stainless steel case • Water-resistant to 100 m
Black vertically satin-finished dial • Applied luminescent indexes • Rhodium-coated
hands with luminescent material • Case-back screw-down, engraved • Polished and
satin-finished stainless steel bracelet • Stainless steel butterfly buckle
terrascope
jeanrichard.com
18 SIHH IMPRESSIONS europa star
Strategic métiers d'art
RPierre Maillard
I
If we could retain only one main thematic
trend seen during the SIHH in Geneva, we would
have to choose “métiers d’art” (artisanal craft
skills). Never have art and artisanal crafts been
featured so prominently as they were during
this recent show: enamel in all its forms, miniature painting, stone-setting, several rare crafts
such as marquetry with straw, hard stones, and
mosaics, miniature sculpture on mother-ofpearl, and Etruscan granulation. Even more
remarkable, we are witnessing a fusion of these
different techniques, with examples, among
others, of miniature painting on sculpted
mother-of-pearl.
Another important and notable observation is
that the mechanical revolution seems to still
have a bright future ahead of it, even if we
can sometimes wonder about the relevance
ROTONDE DE CARTIER PANTHÈRE EN GRANULATION
of some of its exploits. Mechanical timekeeping is nearly a Métier d'Art, and its chronometric utility is sometimes inversely proportional to its complexity, giving the impression
that the mechanical has become decorative in
and of itself. Yet, from this level to the merely
gratuitous is sometimes only a small step.
Let’s talk specifically about a few of these
pieces, although we will not, however, neglect
other propositions, those which may be less
notable on the outside but whose inner workings may be superior.
With a total turnover largely exceeding CHF 4
billion (of which watchmaking alone accounts
for 40 per cent), Cartier is the undisputed flagship of the Richemont Group. A veritable war
machine, Cartier made a very impressive show
of force this year. And, it has branched out in
all directions: high jewellery, fine mechanical,
revisited icons and métiers d'art.
In the métiers d'art category, the Paris house
presented nine pieces, bringing together eight
different techniques under the banner “Wild
Colours of Cartier”. Among them are several
rare skills, such as micro-engraving (five small
panthers chase each other on the dial), cameos
carved in agate, grisaille enamelling, plique-àjour enamelling and even Etruscan granulation. Rarely used, this decorative technique
was practiced by the Etruscans in the middle
of the 8th century BC, before being replaced
by stamping. Granulation consists of heat soldering tiny gold balls with differing diameters,
obtained from a gold wire, onto a pre-engraved
dial. In all, 3,800 minuscule gold balls make
up the portrait of a panther. It is really quite
amazing. It is also quite rare when we realise
that only one person at Cartier has the skills and
expertise to realise such a decorative exploit.
We find this same decorative appetite on the
haute horlogerie side of Cartier. Here, however,
the amazing movement is what attracts all the
attention. In this case, we are talking about
the remarkable Rotonde de Cartier Double
Tourbillon Mystérieux. Like levitation in a void,
the carriage of this flying double tourbillon
ROTONDE DE CARTIER DOUBLE TOURBILLON MYSTÉRIEUX
ROTONDE DE CARTIER MYSTÉRIEUSE
Cartier’s impressive war machine
europa star
EXTRAORDINARY DIAL by Van Cleef & Arpels
makes an aerial ballet in two time frames: one
complete revolution on its own axis in one minute and a second rotation in five minutes. With
no apparent connection or gearing, the carriage
is moved along on a sapphire disc to which it
is attached. The illusion is perfect. We find it
again in a simpler form with very pure lines in
the Rotonde de Cartier Mystérieuse, where the
hour and minute hands float in the void.
"Poetic Complications™"
If at Cartier, the favourite phrase is "Fabulous
Hours", the term this year at Van Cleef & Arpels
is "Extraordinary Dials", featuring a hunt for
butterflies and flying kites. For this pastoral
adventure, enamel in all its forms was used—
champlevé, extended champlevé, paillonné
(on a base of gold foil and translucent enamel),
plique-à-jour (stained-glass effect), cabochon
(non polished, in volume)—as well as coloured
mother-of-pearl, sculpture on mother-of-pearl,
marquetry with lapis lazuli, miniature painting, micro-sculpture on gold, guillochage, and
stone-setting.
This rich panoply finds its most advanced
mechanical expression in the Lady Arpels
Enchanted Ballerina. The beautiful ballerina is
animated by a double retrograde movement.
SIHH IMPRESSIONS 19
LADY ARPELS ENCHANTED BALLERINA by Van Cleef & Arpels
Her tutu rises up in two sections, first on one
side to indicate the hours and then on the
other side to show the minutes before they
both simultaneously move down again. This
delicate manner to tell the time is activated
on demand using a push-piece located at 8
o’clock. This “Poetic Complication” (an expression trademarked by the brand) was developed by watchmakers at La Fabrique du Temps,
an entity, we might add in passing, that was
recently acquired by LVMH.
Patrimony Traditionnelle and Malte have thus
expanded with new timepieces. Very fine
workmanship in design and finishing, harmonious sizes, the highest respect for watchmaking codes, stone-setting ranging from a circle
of stones on the bezel to the most spectacular
full setting, and new manual and automatic
The Temple of Flora
If butterflies, kites and tutus have invaded the
dials at Van Cleef & Arpels, it is the floral motif
that is dominant at Vacheron Constantin. A
noteworthy point this year is that the Geneva
manufacture has decided to devote its entire
collection of new watches to ladies. This devotion is not new, however, since the first wristwatch for ladies created by Vacheron Constantin
dates back to 1889 (although its first ladies’
pocket watches go back to 1810).
This feminisation of the Vacheron Constantin
offer essentially rests on a series of known
models that have been revisited and set with
diamonds, yet always involving the greatest
stylistic purity. The Patrimony Contemporaine,
CHINA LIMODRON ENAMEL by Vacheron Constantin
FLORILÈGE by Vacheron Constantin
Tonda Woodstock. A real success, we encounter
this type of very contemporary and “pop”
attitude very rarely in the hallowed halls of
haute horlogerie.
The fingers of Yohan Blake
movements that are certified by the new version of the Geneva Hallmark (meaning that
the control is completed by an operational
check of each encased movement) all come
together to meet the stated goal of “having
ladies’ models with the same reputation as
the men’s watches.”
Another feminine collection involving the
métiers d’art this year takes the name of
"Florilège". Inspired by illustrations in the book
"The Temple of Flora" by English botanist
Robert John Thornton, published in 1799,
three distinct floral motifs involve enamelling,
guillochage, and stone-setting. It must be said
that the Geneva brand has mastered, like few
others, the delicate play on coloured transparencies that arise from the alliance between
extremely subtle guillochage and grand feu
cloisonné enamel.
work marvellously with a more contemporary
visual aspect.
At the SIHH this year, only Parmigiani proposed a contemporary approach, in this case,
cubist, with dials made of wood marquetry
evoking rock guitars whose rosette comprised
a tourbillon: the Tonda Woodrock and the
Upsetting conventions and proposing unusual
forms, to the point of provocation, is a trademark of Richard Mille. The underlying interest
in his approach is to unify the mechanical and
the design, combining them in such a way
that the decorative aspect is derived directly
from the mechanical techniques.
In this respect, his most amazing proposition
is dedicated to one of the fastest men on earth,
Yohan Blake. The Jamaican sprinter habitually
sets off with his hands out front, fingers spread
open and straight. This distinctive sign as well
as the colours of his country are found in the
architecture of the RM 59-01 Tourbillon Yohan
Blake. Blake’s “fingers” are the functional
aerodynamic bridges—machined in an alloy
of aluminium, magnesium, silicon and lead—
whose colour is obtained by anodic oxidation.
The surprisingly transparent case of the RM
Cubist rock guitars
In the various examples cited above, the inspiration has come largely from the traditional
natural world—animals, butterflies, and flowers. Yet, as Vacheron Constantin demonstrated
last year with its collection inspired by Escher’s
geometric games, as well as the example given
by Hermès, the most traditional métiers d’art
TONDA WOODSTOCK and TONDA WOODROCK by Parmigiani Fleurier
Appreciate
the extraordinary
MASTER SERIES
www.titoni.ch
RM59-01 by Richard Mille
59-01 is made from a composite injected with
carbon nanotubes, which makes it both very
light and two hundred per cent stronger than
steel. The remarkable asymmetrical and elongated form is completely ergonomic and is the
perfect tourbillon for a hundred-metre sprint.
Another remarkable tourbillon at Richard Mille
is the RM 56-01. Here, the bezel, middle case
and case back are made from blocks of sapphire, thus showing off the movement in all
its glory. In addition, the dial, base plate, central bridge and small third wheel are also made
of sapphire crystal. This must be classified as a
new ultra-contemporary "Métier d'Art" when
you consider that the machining, grinding, and
polishing of the sapphire ensemble requires
no less than 1,000 hours of work.
RM56-01 by Richard Mille
to move towards better chronometric precision (rewarded by first prize at the International Chronometry Competition in 2011).
This year, the two creators presented the Sixth
Invention Piece in the totally original form of
a 35° Double Balance. The result of research
started in 1999 and involving the inclination
When the aesthetic is born
from chronometric research
The approach of Greubel Forsey is radically
different from that of Richard Mille, but the
two creators are similar in another respect: in
both cases, it is the mechanical that dictates
the aesthetic expression. Unlike some other
watch brands, which seek above all to create
a spectacle, Greubel Forsey’s approach is
purely horological in nature. Its goal is always
DOUBLE BALANCIER 35° by Greubel Forsey
of the regulating organs, a first prototype was
presented in Basel in 2009, but it comprised
two balances superimposed and inclined at
20°. In this final version, they are inclined at
35° and are no longer superimposed, but
positioned in two distinctly different spaces.
The improvement in chronometry is notable.
The two oscillators are linked by a spherical
differential that, serving as the third wheel,
“divides the margin of error in half”. In addition, the inclination at 35° minimises the perturbations caused by a stable horizontal or
vertical position.
The architecture of the piece is thus completely dependent upon the technical requirements. Thus, all the aesthetic considerations
at Greubel Forsey are derived directly from
chronometric research. The result is an absolutely remarkable coherence that breaks down
the barriers between the technical and the
aesthetic. O
To discover other propositions and brands,
see the articles in this issue by Paul O'Neil and
Malcolm Lakin.
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SIHH IMPRESSIONS 23
High-tech materials and movements
RPaul O’Neil
offers new Luminor Submersible 1950 models
in ceramic and bronze.
High-resistance materials such as carbon and
ceramic are still being used to freshen up existing collections, as evidenced by the first Royal
Oak models in ceramic from Audemars Piguet
and a contemporary-styled pocket watch in
matt ceramic by Officine Panerai, which also
The watch industry has already discovered the
virtues of silicon (or “silicium” if you prefer the
heavily Frenchified translation of many watch
brands) for use in watch components. But
Roger Dubuis has taken things a step further
by presenting a new piece whose case is made
entirely out of silicon in the spectacular new
48mm Excalibur Quatuor. One of the talking
pieces of the SIHH, this new model not only
has the first case in silicon but also features a
brand-new movement with 590 components
and no less than four individual balances that
redefine the traditional ticking of a watch. Only
three pieces will be available, at a cost of CHF
1 million. But as Roger Dubuis's CEO Jean-Marc
Pontroué explained to Europa Star, “If we were
to choose a price that reflected the work that
actually goes into the piece it would be a lot
more. This is why we do not even sell this in our
own boutiques but instead via a visit to the
manufacture, where we pay for the customer
to fly into Geneva, visit the factory and spend
time with our designers and watchmakers so
ROYAL OAK OFFSHORE DIVER by Audemars Piguet
EXCALIBUR QUATUOR SILICIUM by Roger Dubuis
T
There was a profusion of models illustrating
the skills in métiers d’art mastered in-house
by various brands at the SIHH. But such traditional crafts cannot be so easily assimilated by
other names from the high-end watchmaking
fraternity represented at the show. So in this
report we present some of the more high-tech
trends in materials and movements, as well as
the latest offerings in classic diamond watches
for ladies, concluding with a brief outlook for
the coming twelve months.
New materials
that they can understand all the time and
work that goes into the piece.” The Quatuor is
also available as a more affordable limited
edition of 88 pieces in gold for CHF 380,000.
Why settle for a titanium watch when you can
now get the new IWC Ingenieur Perpetual
Calendar with digital date and month in the
lighter and more resistant titanium aluminide
alloy? As a material taken directly from Formula
1 motorsport, this may just be a first hint at
the potential fruits of IWC’s new engineering
partnership with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas
Formula 1 team. Carbon, titanium and ceramic
also feature heavily in the totally revamped
Ingenieur collection for 2013, alongside the
more traditional and noble platinum used for
the case of the flagship Ingenieur Constant
Force Tourbillon.
Among all these exotic materials, which are
harder than steel and much more difficult to
machine as a result, it’s worth sparing a thought
for the humble watch strap, which represented
one of the biggest design challenges of this
new collection for Christian Knoop, IWC’s
INGENIEUR PERPETUAL CALENDAR by IWC
GRAND COMPLICATION by A. Lange & Söhne
TRADITION TOURBILLON by Audemars Piguet
EXCALIBUR DOUBLE TOURBILLON SKELETON by Roger Dubuis
Associate Director, Creative Center. “The strap
can make or break the design of a watch,” he
told Europa Star. “I remember products where
we did 15 or 20 prototypes of a strap before
we found the final colour and execution. The
new straps that we designed for the Ingenieur,
with the construction of rubber and textile on
top and the leather ones for the Silver Arrow
watches, required quite some development.”
the going train and offers a power reserve of
30 hours. The manually-wound calibre L1902
required seven years of development and
takes a watchmaker one year to build before
it is encased in its 50mm pink-gold case with
a five-part enamel dial.
ing of two colours, black and blue, representing day and night. Using a Maltese cross and
a system of cams, this day/night disc only
begins to mesh with the movement at 3am or
3pm, after which its speed of rotation gradually increases until it is synchronous with the
twelve-hour disc. This unique system means
that it is not only possible to tell day-time or
night-time hours at a glance, but also to see
the onset of day or night thanks to the gradual
change in colour.
Mechanical innovations
A. Lange & Söhne had purists salivating with
the host of new creations it presented in
Geneva and stole the limelight by presenting
the most complicated and most expensive
watch at the SIHH. Called quite simply the
Grand Complication, this horological marvel
will be produced in a limited series of only six
pieces, each costing €1.92 million.
So what do you get for this astronomical sum?
Grande and petite sonnerie, minute repeater,
split-seconds monopusher chronograph with
seconde foudroyante (a “lightning” seconds
hand that can indicate elapsed times to onefifth of a second), a moon phase and a perpetual calendar with instantaneous change of
all the indications at midnight. Each of the
striking mechanisms has its own barrel for
power, while a third barrel is used to power
Audemars Piguet presented a new minuterepeater in the Tradition line, whose large
47mm titanium case is designed to offer the
best possible acoustics for the minute repeater
movement, which also features a tourbillon
and chronograph and comprises 504 parts,
including 83 for the tourbillon alone.
Roger Dubuis is the only manufacture to produce a skeleton double tourbillon. Its latest
version in the revamped Excalibur collection
uses a new 45mm Excalibur case that is 12
per cent thinner and is available in pink or
white gold and as a limited edition of 188 in
pink gold with a black ceramic bezel.
An innovative new method of time display
was presented by Montblanc in the Nicolas
Rieussec chronograph line with the “Rising
Hours” chronograph, which reinvents the jumping hours display using two superimposed
revolving discs. Arabic numerals are cut out of
the top disc, beneath which is a disc consist-
NICOLAS RIEUSSEC “RISING HOURS” by Montblanc
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SIHH IMPRESSIONS 25
LUMINOR SUBMERSIBLE 1950 by Officine Panerai
ALTIPLANO by Piaget
PÉTALES ENTRELACÉS by Montblanc
Combining both a new material and a new
movement, Officine Panerai demonstrated its
watchmaking prowess at the SIHH with the
launch of its first pocket watch. This contemporary interpretation of a classic theme uses a
59mm diameter matt black ceramic case and
chain and is fitted with a skeletonised handwound Panerai P.2005/S tourbillon calibre
whose black galvanic treatment blends in perfectly with the case. Three barrels ensure a
power reserve of six days, which can be checked
on an indicator visible through the transparent
sapphire crystal case back. This is a limited edition of 50 pieces that will retail for €165,000.
world’s thinnest self-winding movement with
date housed in the world’s thinnest watch case
in this category and the world’s thinnest gemset self-winding skeleton watch. The calibre
1205P, the first calibre used in the Altiplano
collection to feature a date, measures just 3mm
in thickness and is housed inside a case that
is only 6.36mm thick. The calibre 1200D in the
gem-set version is the same thickness, but its
case is even thinner at 6.10mm.
In keeping with its nautical heritage, Panerai
presented three new Luminor Submersible
1950 models in the 47mm case diameter,
water resistant to 300 metres and with the
distinctive case materials of bronze, black
ceramic, as well as a titanium version that is
water resistant to a depth of 2,500 metres.
The latest incarnation in Parmigiani’s groundbreaking Bugatti line is the Super Sport in red
gold, named after the 1,200 horsepower monster manufactured by the Volkswagen subsidiary in Alsace. The unique transversally
mounted hand-wound PF372 calibre with 10day power reserve that powers the timepiece
is constructed on two planes. This means that
the time display is set at 90 degrees to the
balance and escape wheel bridges (visible on
the top of the watch), which are arranged in
an arc reminiscent of the Bugatti oval. This
limited edition of 30 pieces comes with a
bespoke Hermès alligator leather strap.
BUGATTI SUPER SPORT by Parmigiani Fleurier
Piaget reasserted its position as world-leader
in the production of ultra-thin movements by
presenting two new “double records”, for the
Diamonds are still
a girl’s best friend
Despite the great efforts being invested in the
metiers d’art, nothing can beat the lasting
appeal of diamonds on a watch for ladies. The
most important consideration here is to create a design that will allow the maximum
flexibility for different types of setting using
different diamond cuts.
Montblanc has, for example, enhanced its
Princesse Grace de Monaco collection with a
34mm case that has an elliptical bezel and
interior flange that lend themselves perfectly to
various types of stone setting. The sumptuous
“Pétales Entrelacés” model in 18-carat red gold
illustrates this perfectly, with its 355 diamonds
of different cuts, including 44 baguette diamonds on the bezel, 130 brilliant-cut stones
LIMELIGHT GALA by Piaget
PERSHING CBF by Parmigiani Fleurier
TRANSFORMA CBF by Parmigiani Fleurier
on the flange and a further 168 brilliant-cut
diamonds on the red-gold link bracelet that
gives the watch its name.
it’s clear that each of the brands present at
the SIHH is pursuing its own individual strategy with different objectives. On the whole,
though, the feedback from 2012 and the outlook for 2013 both seem positive. Although
Georges Kern, CEO of IWC, provocatively
said he “couldn’t care less” what the outlook
was for 2013 during his round table on the
opening day of the SIHH, other figures in the
driving seat were more forthcoming. Roger
Dubuis’s Jean-Marc Pontroué told Europa Star
that he was “reasonably optimistic” as far as
the coming twelve months are concerned.
“We have launched three new families over
the past three years, the Monégasque, the
Pulsion and Velvet,” he said, “so 2013 represents the first relatively calm year where we
get back to the roots of the brand and one of
its iconic products.”
can be used as a wristwatch, pocket watch or
table clock.
Aside from its expertise in ultra-thin movements,
Piaget is renowned as a jeweller and has considerable in-house gem-setting expertise. The
brand launched a whole new ladies’ collection that pays tribute to this, the Limelight Gala,
at this year’s show. The new collection is available with 32 or 38mm diameter cases in red
or white gold and has extended lugs that
curve downwards on the right-hand side and
upwards on the left-hand side of the case to
blend in harmoniously with the integrated
strap. The bezel and lugs offer the perfect canvas for Piaget to show off its diamond-setting
expertise and the dial is available in a classic
silvered form with black Roman numerals or
fully paved with up to 336 brilliant-cut diamonds. A fully-paved integrated gold bracelet
is also available and versions fully paved with
baguette-cut diamonds are promised in the
near future.
The road ahead
With established brands such as IWC redesigning iconic collections and younger brands
such as Roger Dubuis only just levelling out
after several years of intensive development,
At Parmigiani, things couldn’t be rosier. Looking
to capitalise on the forthcoming 2014 football
World Cup in Rio de Janeiro thanks to its partnership with the Confederação Brasileira de
Futebol (CBF) and the opening of a Parmigiani
office in São Paulo, the brand debuted its CBF
collection at the SIHH, which consists of ladies’
and gents’ Pershing models and the Transforma
CBF (delivered with two watch-heads, a
chronograph and an annual calendar), which
“In terms of value, the split between the supply business and Parmigiani the brand is
about fifty-fifty,” Parmigiani’s CEO Jean-Marc
Jacot explained to Europa Star. “But in terms
of volume it’s much higher. I don’t want the
share of the components business to climb any
higher than this. Obviously, we hope that our
customers grow, but Parmigiani wants to grow
too. We have an objective of 15 per cent growth
per year and we can’t go much above this
because all the finishing is done by hand.”
“History has shown that the work we have done
over the past twelve years to build up our production capacity has been worthwhile, thanks in
no small part to Mr Hayek. I say this because the
brands which have been cut off by the Swatch
Group have turned to us. We are able to produce
all components and deliver to other brands. We
work with 17 different brands and our order
books are full until the end of 2014.”
Even with the Eurozone surrounding Switzerland
in an ongoing crisis, the distant planet watchmaking in Switzerland’s economic haven seems
likely to continue its impressive growth for the
foreseeable future. O
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CONCEPTS 27
The ID TWO concept watch by Cartier
If you want an idea of what the watch of the future might look like, then Cartier’s new ID TWO concept watch is a good
place to start. The brand approached the design of this piece with two simple objectives: to maximise the amount of energy
that a watch with a regular-sized case and a Swiss lever escapement can store and to minimise the loss of energy during
its operation. Perhaps the most impressive result of several years of research is the use of a vacuum in a watch, in order to
eliminate friction from drag. But aside from the obvious advantage of no dust or oxidation inside the watch, this also
meant developing a movement that could operate entirely without lubrication, since liquids “boil” in a vacuum.
Twin DuoLevel barrels
To eliminate friction between the coils of the mainsprings and
between the spring and the barrel housing, Cartier developed
the first mainsprings in fibreglass, which are more flexible
than a standard mainspring and can store more energy. The
springs are coated in parylene to replace lubrication and
housed inside low-friction ADLC (Amorphous Diamond Like
Carbon) coated barrels.
+ 30 per cent energy stored
The case
The 42mm diameter transparent case is in Ceramyst—a
ceramic with a hardness of 800 Vickers that is used in bulletproof windows. The case back is held in place solely by the
vacuum inside. Special gaskets in which the pores have been
sealed with nanoparticles of clay ensure that air cannot penetrate inside the watch to affect the vacuum.
Carbon crystal escapement
The pallet fork (which has no ruby pallet stones) and escape wheel are made of carbon crystal using the deep-reactive ion etching (DRIE) process. This ultra-lightweight configuration
rests on ADLC-coated pivots.
+15 per cent transmitted energy
Differential gear train
A planetary gear system reduces friction and teeth load. The
gear wheels are made from carbon crystal-coated silicon,
which is 60 per cent harder and 70 per cent lighter than steel,
as well as being non-magnetic and resistant to corrosion.
Tooth profiles have been modified and ADLC-coated pivots
on the gear wheel staffs reduce friction in the ruby bearings
without the need for lubrication.
+ 10 per cent transmitted energy
Carbon crystal balance wheel
The balance wheel is made as a single piece of carbon crystal and is fitted with a Zerodur®
balance spring whose active length is directly adapted to the balance wheel. Since the carbon crystal balance wheel oscillates in the 99.8 per cent vacuum of the Airfree® case, the
drag that can account for 80 per cent of balance wheel friction in a conventional watch is
almost entirely eliminated.
- 37 per cent energy consumption
The year of butterflies and eagles
It may be a long cold winter for some, but for five days in early January snow flurries were held at bay as
Geneva warmed to the chefs d’oeuvre at this year’s SIHH.
RD. Malcolm Lakin
T
There were magnificently coloured butterflies,
a couple of eagles, no make that three, racing
cars, paintings, a never-ending supply of delicious food and drink and enough comfortable leather seats and settees to cater for the
excitable and often weary throng. Oh I almost
forgot, there were watches, lots and lots of
watches.
I am, of course, talking about those five days
in January when Geneva becomes the centre
of the horological universe, when a multitude
of enthusiasts – around ten thousand buyers mingling with a couple of handfuls of renowned collectors, stars of the silver screen,
long-legged models and popular sporting
giants and, surprise surprise, a thousand or so
hyperventilating journalists from around the
world – descend on the Salon International
de Haute Horlogerie.
The SIHH, as it is fondly referred to, is now
twenty-three years old, having grown from
The elegant Baume & Mercier lounge
with its terrace and comforting ocean view.
the original five exhibitors in 1991- Baume &
Mercier, Cartier, Piaget, Gérald Genta and Daniel
Roth - to the sixteen brands that graced the
halls this year.
Unlike the vast BaselWorld, the SIHH is not
open to the general public, so the moment
you enter and stroll through the halls on the
pastel hued wall-to-wall carpeting you are not
assailed by a cacophony of industrial sounds,
boisterous children, pram-pushing families or
barking dogs, but you’re greeted with a welcoming and respectful purr in an elegant oasis
of relaxed serenity designed and devoted to
making the visitor welcome. In short, to paraphrase Christopher Marlowe, the Elizabethan
dramatist, an ambience created to launch a
thousand purchases.
My first visit was to the stylish seaside setting
of Baume & Mercier with its interior luxuriously and spaciously designed to incorporate
well-lit showcases and framed photographs
and culminating in a room with a view: a terrace overlooking a sandy beach and the sea.
The backdrop is the Hamptons, a group of villages and hamlets on Long Island, New York,
where the rich and famous play in the sum-
mer months; it also happens to be the inspiration for one of Baume & Mercier’s most successful collections.
With the brand’s origins dating back to 1830,
there is an interesting horological history from
which to draw inspiration and some of the
latest models in the collections owe their existence to timepieces from the past, a natural
evolution. What I personally find off-putting
is that the presentation to the press always
begins with a five minute potted history of the
brand, this to journalists who have been
attending this event for years and probably
know it backwards. If I might make a suggestion to the powers that be, please forget the
past and concentrate on now, the latest models, innovations and perhaps a glimpse into
the future.
As I strolled leisurely through the halls, I was
stopped in my tracks by the squawking of an
awesome golden eagle perched and chained
to the arm of his handler attired in gear any
man-about-town would wear in medieval times
– a green tabard, leather gauntlets and boots.
Taking in the brilliantly designed surroundings
of trees with a centrepiece of a marvellous
europa star
The imposing metallic eagle on the Roger Dubuis stand.
Paul O’Neil alongside the trainer of the striking American bald eagle.
metallic eagle hanging from the ceiling with a
watch in its claws, I discovered that this was
the Roger Dubuis setting for the presentation
of the exciting Excalibur Collection.
A little later whilst ambling past with Paul
O’Neil, Europa Star’s Managing Editor, the
handler was holding an American bald eagle,
which I duly photographed along with my
intrepid colleague.
Not far from the crowd-pulling eagles there
was another sight to behold: a four or five metre
replica of the latest Lange & Söhne offering,
the Grand Complication which stood imperiously in the middle of the stand’s entrance.
My colleagues will certainly be writing in detail
about this complicated timepiece, but suffice
it to say that this magnificent contribution to
the art of watchmaking has a grande sonnerie,
a perpetual calendar, a split-seconds chronograph with flying seconds, day, date, month,
moon and leap year indications.
On visitng the IWC stand, one could be forgiven
for thinking that you had somehow wandered
into the Geneva Motor Show. However, despite
the cars and the unbelievably complex engines
that were on display, the theme was all about
timing, Formula 1 and the introduction of the
spectacular Ingenieur Constant-Force Tourbillon.
This amazing timepiece has a case combining
platinum and ceramic that houses a tourbillon
with an integrated constant-force mechanism
and a 96-hour power reserve, a perpetual
moon phase display, double moon phases for
the northern and southern hemispheres and a
countdown display showing phases until the
next full moon.
A Mercedes racing car dominated the IWC booth,
but the brand’s Ingenieur Constant-Force Tourbillon won the plaudits.
SIHH IMPRESSIONS 29
The imposing replica of
the Lange & Söhne Grande Complication.
It was standing room only at the press conference but the close-ups of the speeding racing
cars in the film that was used to illustrate IWC’s
link to Formula 1 left me slightly queasy and
grateful that bicycles are still being manufactured.
Panerai launched the ‘Big is Beautiful’ concept for wristwatches way back when and it
hasn’t really deviated from it since the first
Radiomir timepieces in 1936.
On joining the Richemont stable in 1997,
Panerai became a frontrunner in this domain
and hasn’t changed its philosophy since,
although the brand has successfully evolved by
adding new models with different complications and concepts to their existing collections.
This year there were new Radiomir and Luminor
models ranging in size from 42 to 47 mm and
The Panerai Pocket watch
Tourbillon GMT in black ceramic
The Panerai stand.
in its Submersible Collection there are now
models in bronze, ceramic and titanium and
the very unusual addition of a 59 mm Pocket
Watch Tourbillon GMT in black ceramic with a
black titanium chain. Big is still beautiful!
Although Audemars Piguet is not a part of the
Richemont group it has been an integral part
of the SIHH since 1999. In keeping with the
other exhibitors, the brand offers visitors a
luxurious corner to browse around, with two
central workbenches close to the stand’s
entrance where watchmakers were to be seen
assembling one of the complications. Their highlight this year was the new Minute Repeater
Tourbillon Chronograph, a stunning addition
to their haute horlogerie collection.
Butterflies were in abundance on the Van Cleef
The entrance to the imaginative Van Cleef & Arpels stand.
Visitors admiring the latest Van Cleef & Arpels collections.
The stylish Audemars Piguet stand.
An Audemars Piguet watchmaker assembling one of the brand’s masterpieces.
& Arpels stand and the captivating selection
of ladies’ watches brought a breath of fresh
air to the SIHH by creating an aura of inspired
and imaginative beauty. I’ll leave my colleagues
to describe the floral, avian, lepidopteran and
sculpted figurine timepieces, but the visit was
more akin to visiting a renowned jewellery
workshop with the addition of intricate timing.
The Piaget stand was like walking into a mysterious maze of mirrored images, intricate
horological patterns and mannequins bedecked
with Piaget creations.
The press conference, chaired by the brand’s
inimitable CEO, Philippe Léopold-Metger, was
held in a blue tinted room with all the new
timepieces in the various collections projected
on to the walls. The finale consisted of elegantly dressed models parading both the latest
timepieces and jewellery to the appreciative
oohs and aahs of the assembled journalists.
The Ralph Lauren stand was decorated in the
typical styling of the brand with an added
safari theme. Numerous photographs graced
the wood-lined walls with an original 1950s
green Land Rover taking centre stage. Three
new timepieces caught my attention, a new
45 mm Chronograph Model, Safari RL67, with
a gunmetal finish, a ladies’ watch reminiscent
of the Art Deco period and a tourbillon.
A great stand to visit – especially if you get
to meet Callum Barton, the Chairman of
Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry and Camille
Floquet, the Vice President, Marketing &
Communications. (Read our Cover Story in this
issue for detailed information on the new products presented by Ralph Lauren at the SIHH).
Part of the intriguingly mysterious Piaget stand.
The Piaget press conference hosted by Philippe Léopold-Metger, the brand’s CEO,
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SIHH IMPRESSIONS 31
The Ralph Lauren stand dominated
by an original 1950s Land Rover.
Flavien Gigandet presenting the latest facts,
figures and timepieces from Parmigiani.
The entrance to the Jaeger-LeCoultre stand
with its oversized symbolic tourbillon ornament.
The press conference at Parmigiani, another
of the independents at the SIHH, was like
a theatre-in-the-round with both Flavien
Gigandet and Michel Parmigiani giving highly
professional presentations from a circular
central dias. Now producing 5000 timepieces
a year (43 per cent growth in value and 110
per cent in quantity) Parmigiani’s pièce de
résistance was the Tonda Woodstock Tourbillon
in an intricate, colourful and eye-catching
marquetry.
But it was the Rendez-Vous Celestial that stole
the limelight with what Jaeger-LeCoultre esteem
is ‘an invitation to embark on a galactic voyage
and a vivid reminder that, 180 years ago, it was
beneath the same star-studded sky that Antoine
LeCoultre gave rise to what would become the
Grande Maison in the Vallée de Joux’.
Stéphane Belmont, the Product Development
Director, made the presentation of this year’s
cru ensuring that we left suitably impressed
by both the timepieces and his presentation.
Jaeger-LeCoultre has mastered the art of
complicated timepieces for 180 years and
to celebrate this landmark the brand produced two new tourbillons; the Master Grande
Tradition Gyrotourbillon 3 Jubilee and the
Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Cylindrique
à Quantième Perpétuel Jubilee.
My last visits were to Richard Mille, Montblanc
and Greubel Forsey. Richard Mille watches with
their overtly mechanical movements, are very
much in vogue with both athletes and couch
potatoes alike. It was there that I crossed paths
with Roberto Mancini, the Manchester City
manager who is helping develop a timepiece
that will be useful to the football (soccer) world.
At Montblanc I was a little surprised to see that
art seemed to be the dominating factor, but
on closer inspection the showcases contained
the Nicloas Rieussec Monopusher Chronograph,
the TimeWalker Voyager and the new Star
Collection.
I didn’t manage to get to see the new watches
at Greubel Forsey – but that’s another story –
however, I managed to photograph for posterity the enlarged display of the Art Piece 1
that many people were talking about, a cocreation by Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey
and Willard Wigan.
What you see is what you get: Enlargements of
the inner workings of Richard Mille wristwatches.
Visually art dominated the Montblanc stand, but the
showcases underlined the brand’s horological skills.
And so, another year, another success for the
SIHH. Fantasy abounded, technical skills were
prominent, flora and fauna were to the fore
and, inevitably, creativity triumphed. O
Art Piece1 was at the heart of
the Greubel Forsey stand.
32 THE GENEVA SHOWS europa star
Surrounding the SIHH: space stations
and satellites
HLRQ02 by Hautlence
RPierre Maillard
T
The power of attraction of the SIHH star can
be measured by the number of satellites that
gravitate around it. They come in all sizes, and
range from small spacecraft to veritable space
stations set up by the competition.
The Swatch Group thus set up its headquarters in the Cité du Temps, its fortress located
in the middle of the Rhône river, in order to
present exhibitions dedicated to Blancpain and
Breguet. Other heavyweights, such as Hublot
and Zenith, rented huge princely suites in the
hotels along the lakefront, while high-level
independent brands, among them Urwerk,
De Bethune, and Christophe Claret, set up
shop at the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel
des Bergues. TAG Heuer held its show in an
immense industrial hall converted to the 1960s
colours of the Carrera that is celebrating its
50th anniversary this year.
A little further down the Rhône river, the
Geneva Time Exhibition (GTE) conducted its
show in the magnificent Bâtiment des Forces
Motrices, converted into an annex of Geneva’s
Grand Théâtre. During this same time, a succession of inaugurations and re-openings of
the boutiques along the Rue de Rhône created a lot of activity while fleets of limousines
ventured into the industrial zones where the
Geneva manufactures are located.
In the midst of all this effervescence, Europa
Star retained the essential of the week since it
was impossible to be totally exhaustive in
scope. We thus present a few examples of
what seemed particularly instructive in terms
of the diverse forces at work, among the independents as well as the large groups.
Baptism of fire for a family
holding company
For Georges-Henri Meylan, former CEO of
Audemars Piguet, the bells of retirement have
not yet rung. Quite the contrary. After having
brilliantly managed the manufacture in Le
Brassus for many years, this man, who “did
not see himself spending his retirement years
in front of a television,” recently launched an
initiative that is among the most interesting in
the domain of independent brands. He founded
MELB Holding, a family holding company,
whose vocation is to assemble a small group
of independent watch brands that have found
themselves in difficulty.
The first opportunity was Hautlence, whose
original shareholders had “abandoned ship
before bankruptcy was filed”. Supported by
Bill Muirhead, ex-financial director of Breguet,
accompanied by his two sons, one of whom is
responsible for the very high-end watch telephone brand, Celsius, and the other a distributor based in Hong Kong, MELB purchased all
the shares of Hautlence, “including the debts”
adds Georges-Henri Meylan.
Following this, MELB acquired another pearl:
H. Moser & Cie. In financial trouble, this interesting company was the property of the industrialist Thomas Straumann, whose fortune was
made in dental implants (incidentally, his
grandfather was the inventor of the Nivarox
alloy that forms the basis of watch balance
springs). Called in to evaluate the situation
and do an audit, Georges-Henri Meylan ended
up buying the company.
In both cases, the principal managers were
kept on. Co-creator of Hautlence and the only
original shareholder not to have abandoned
ship, Guillaume Tetu, whom we met at GTE,
seemed radiant. Not only had his brand been
saved, but he was already feeling the positive
effects of the arrival of MELB Holding. The
reputation of Georges-Henri Meylan and his
well-filled address book had already allowed
the brand to open many new doors. At the
same time, its offer was revisited and a new
MAYU and MERIDIAN DUAL TIME by Moser & Cie
even more “if ever the right opportunities
present themselves,” the synergies gradually
being put into place seem promising, especially in the realm of marketing, exchanges of
calibres, sharing of the back office and distribution. As an example, a new showroom is
being established in Hong Kong where the
two brands will be available as well as De
Bethune, whose local distributor is the son of
Georges-Henri Meylan. Europa Star will continue to closely follow this affair.
An independent under pressure
more affordable collection, Avant-Garde, was
launched. Prices fell from around CHF 60,000
to CHF 30,000, while strictly respecting the very
particular DNA of this architectural brand.
At Moser & Cie, whose very classically pure
and minimally designed watches are the exact
opposite of the Hautlence timepieces, the
impact of MELB Holding’s involvement is yet to
be determined, since the transaction is barely
three months old. For Daniel Zimmermann,
however, continuing as head of sales and
marketing, the arrival of MELB has already
had a positive effect. “They are people coming directly from the watch industry who will
allow us to remain independent,” he explains.
“Having said that, there is much to do: decrease
the production costs of our own movements,
which are very nice, but too expensive; improve
the perception of the brand with the final consumer; differentiate ourselves from our competitors, who are Vacheron Constantin, Lange
& Söhne and Patek Philippe,” he says, adding
quickly that MELB “has also brought a certain
freshness” to this splendid but somewhat rigorous brand.
Strategically, the 100-per cent acquisition of
H. Moser & Cie is also very interesting for MELB
because it also acquired Precision Engineering
in the deal, which makes springs, assortments
and balances—items that have become
highly strategic commodities. For GeorgesHenri Meylan, who envisions expanding MELB
The path of the independent brands is far
from being strewn with rose petals. Michael
Vogt, who also had a stand at GTE with his
watch brand for travellers, Vogard, created in
2003, can bear witness to this fact. “Since I
began, the market has changed considerably,” explains the former head of marketing
at TAG Heuer (during the Christian Viros era).
“In 2008, the industry suffered a veritable
earthquake that created a new reality for the
small watch brands. The market became
DATEZONER by Vogard
europa star THE
GENEVA SHOWS 35
FIRMAMENTUM by Heritage / Karsten Fraessdorf / CALIBRE 800 MAGNUS by Heritage
locked up and the large groups exerted enormous pressure on the retailers. Even if 2012
was an excellent year for us—November and
December were the best two months in a very
long time—going to battle with a wooden
rifle is not enough. Today, you need F16s and
aircraft carriers… The general watchword is
consolidation and the big have become way
too big. Now, with ten years of hindsight and
5,000 watches sold, we can affirm that our
unique technology [Editor’s note: developed
by the excellent independent watchmaker
Andreas Strehler] has proven reliable. Yet, I
need to form a strategic partnership with a
more powerful brand. This has become a
necessity.”
Vogard has, however, put in a credible performance. Increasing gradually in complexity, its
very original and exclusive collection, designed
and produced with care, debuted with the
Timezoner, the world’s first watch where the
time zone can be adjusted by a simple movement of the crown. Vogard then introduced
the Chronozoner, a chronograph for travellers
with the same exclusive complication. This
year saw the launch of the Datezoner. In addition to the chronograph, this watch changes
the date automatically for the corresponding
time zone. Progressively, the brand’s collection
has passed from CHF 7,500 to CHF 15,000
for the Datezoner. In addition, Vogard has
increased its specific editions, with time zones
based on the passions of the watch’s owner:
golf courses, air fields, F1 circuits, casinos, surf
spots, etc. Even the rotating bezels can be
totally personalised (for an additional fee of
CHF 1,200). We also cannot forget that Vogard
is the only brand to display the respective
summer and winter time hours in different
time zones.
Towards chronometric perfection
A few steps further on, we find Didier Decker,
former head of industrialisation at Harry
Winston, and now CEO of the hyper horological brand Heritage. A relatively new brand,
created in 2010—or more precisely a brand
in the making—the first pieces should be in
retail stores by Spring 2014, Heritage was
born from the chronometric dream of Karsten
Fraessdorf. A great admirer of antique haute
horlogerie, this master watchmaker—with a
rare rigour and incomparable excellence—is
completely absorbed by his ultimate goal: to
reach perfection in mechanical chronometry.
His approach is quite pragmatic. “I am the
first to take a new path if it brings improvement, but the last to renounce the traditional
approach if it proves to be the best,” he
declares. All of his technical choices are derived
from this attitude.
A large balance with a diameter of 17 mm
that beats at the peaceful rhythm of 18,000
vibrations per hour? As early as 1773, the great
Ferdinand Berthoud had already explained
that “by doubling the diameter of a balance,
you reduce the friction by half without changing the amount of force…”
A constant force escapement? With two escape
wheels and six pallets, he obtains a constant
linear force over 50 hours.
A barrel with a 17-mm diameter? The ancient
rules tell us that the optimum size of a barrel
must be equal to that of the balance.
We might ask many questions, but Karsten
Fraessdorf has an answer for all of them, as
he shows us his timepieces, all finished with
exceptional care. In addition to the traditional
time indications, the Centenus watch displays
the very complex traditional Chinese time,
which subdivides the day into 100 units. The
Firmamentum, a true navigation watch, is
equipped with an angular seconds hand that
lets the wearer measure the movements of
the sun, the planets, and the stars. He can thus
determine his position “with an accuracy of
91 metres at the equator,” explains Fraessdorf.
[Editor’s note: Europa Star will return in detail
to these models in a later issue.]
“My role is to get the machine started and finish the development so that we can move on
to series production,” explains Didier Decker.
“We are drawing up the production plans with
Centagora (see Europa Star 4/12) and we
work with a network of sub-contractors that
are 100-per cent Swiss. The first series components will be delivered this autumn. At the
same time, I am building our distribution network. The watches are intended for informed
collectors (starting price is CHF 34,000) and
BIG BANG FERRARI by Hublot
we are aiming for a production of 35 to 40
watches for 2014, while we intend to reach
100 watches per year at our cruising speed.”
Not far from there, at the entrance to his stand
at the GTE, is a man with a smile on his face.
Laurent Ferrier has largely proven that small
series production can enjoy widespread consideration. We wish the same destiny for Heritage.
Hublot’s aircraft carrier
It is in a completely different ambiance, lively
and excited, where Hublot set up camp over
several hundred square metres on the first floor
of the Hotel Kempinsky. Dozens of walled cubicles had been set up (necessary for transaction
confidentiality) to meet with the brand’s clients
who waited patiently to resupply their stocks
in an immense room overlooking the lake.
Those in charge of the various markets are all
busy, and the head of communication, Marine
Lemonnier, scurries from one cubicle to another.
The new pieces are on parade: the 45-mm
Hublot Ferrari with an in-house Unico movement, in carbon and ceramic, with limited edi-
tions priced from CHF 28,000 to CHF 38,000;
the Hublot Zebra for ladies in white or black
ceramic, or King Gold, with a chronograph
movement, priced from CHF 26,500 to CHF
38,900; the Hublot Classic Fusion, equipped
with a totally in-house skeleton tourbillon movement, available in 99 pieces at CHF 85,000;
the ultra-thin Classic Fusion in ceramic, featuring a 45-mm diameter, in-house manual
movement... etc... etc...
The new watches kept coming at a constant
rate. Hublot has become an incredible cash
machine that never seems to sleep, owing it
all to the incredible Jean-Claude Biver, one of
the only people to have succeeded not once
or twice but three times: Blancpain, created
against all expectations and then resold;
Omega, that he spectacularly rejuvenated;
finally Hublot where he developed his “Big
Bang” thus transforming an attractive independent watch brand into a commercial powerhouse.
Zenith at cruising speed
BIG BANG ZEBRA BANG and CLASSIC FUSION by Hublot
A few floors higher, the ambiance is somewhat
more hushed at another LVMH brand. Zenith
rented the Presidential Suite, and from the
table where it presented its new pieces, you
could admire a Jacuzzi seemingly suspended
in front of the landscape of Lake Geneva.
Since Jean-Frédéric Dufour took over as manager, the brand has gained in followers, horo-
europa star THE
GENEVA SHOWS 37
ACADEMY CHRISTOPHE COLOMB 45MM HURRICANE by Zenith
logical legitimacy and commercial success
what it lost in bling and glitz. After putting the
excellent El Primero movement back at the
heart of the range, after repositioning the
brand’s product ranges, reducing the number
of references and applying a policy of correct
pricing, Zenith can permit itself new adventures that strengthen its horological legitimacy. Having said that, however, the only
mechanical “folly” that the brand has indulged
in is a new version of the Academy Christophe
Colomb, the 45-mm Hurricane model. What
differentiates this piece—equipped like its
predecessor with the spectacular Gravity
Control universal joint suspension system, a
gyroscopic carriage directly inspired by marine
chronometers, which, besides the advantage
of amplitude regularity, gives the piece its
very particular sapphire bulge—is that the
Hurricane comes with a new fusee-chain transmission system that provides a constant and
totally stable force over the entire 50-hour
power reserve. The 585 component parts of
the 18-cm micro-chain, capable of resisting a
force of 3 kg, are made and assembled by the
watchmaker Vianney Halter. This exceptional
work is perfectly visible on the open-worked
dial of the watch. And, although uncommon
at Zenith, at CHF 254,000, the price of these
pieces in the limited series of 25 watches is
also at the zenith.
Another watchmaker of renown, Ludwig
Oechslin, curator of the Musée International
d'Horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, developed
a version of his annual calendar for Zenith.
The great advantage of his model is that it has
only nine moving parts as compared to the
other annual calendars that require between
thirty and forty mobile units. This superb and
very ingenious development (one of Oechslin’s
many strokes of genius is to understand better than anyone else how to simplify and radicalise mechanical solutions) equips the Captain
Windsor Annual Calendar timepiece, reserved
for the brand’s own boutiques, shops-in-shop,
and large corners. In an outstanding smoked
steel case, it sells for CHF 9,400, a remarkable
price for an annual calendar and this useful
complication.
Towards the future, via the 1960s
CAPTAIN WINDSOR ANNUAL CALENDAR by Zenith
Not far from there, TAG Heuer spectacularly
customised a large hall in the 1960s colours
of its flagship watch, the Carrera, launched
fifty years ago by the still dashing Jack Heuer.
It was the occasion for the brand to empha-
CARRERA CARBON CALIBRE 1887 by TAG Heuer
Very high mechanical
interactivity
sise its integrated, column-wheel chronograph
movement, the Calibre 1887. This particular
calibre garnered a lot of attention because it
is based on plans purchased from Seiko. TAG
Heuer remained steadfast and transparent
throughout the media onslaught, stressing
the in-house production of the entirely revisited calibre, which is now at full capacity.
One of the most interesting uses of this new
calibre is in a series of Carrera chronographs
launched for the anniversary. On the first row
of this new family is the Carrera Carbon
Calibre 1887 Concept Chronograph. Featuring
asymmetrical horns and push-pieces and
crown at 12 o’clock, it is inspired by the futuristic Carrera Mikrogirder (winner of the Golden
Hand at the last Geneva Watchmaking Grand
Prix). The main characteristic of this model is
that the case, case back, and bezel are made
of ultra-fine strips of reinforced carbon fibre
that are only 0.007 mm thick. The production
of these strata involves the creation of the
components in 3D, which are heated, then
compressed to obtain their extreme rigidity by
chemical reaction. The total weight of each
45-mm piece is only 76.9 grammes! Four other
models have been launched, all equipped with
the Calibre 1887, comprising a ceramic bezel, or
in the form of a Racing Chronograph, a simple
chronograph, or the classic Heritage version.
We also came to this stand to meet Guy Semon,
the grand guru of the brand’s research and
development unit. He showed us a new version of the famous V4 in “full graphite”, with
the world’s smallest transmission belts. Semon
is always busy with new avenues relating to
regulation that he is working on with his team
of 52 people, who produce about 350 haute
horlogerie pieces per year. He filled us in on
some of the new products in the pipeline, but
immediately declared that this information is
off the record—way off the record—because
he has decided to show only what is coming
up for sale in the near future. So expect to see
something rather amazing at the next
BaselWorld. We cannot say more because
when Guy Semon, with his imposing stature,
says “off the record”, it would be better to
heed his words.
We will also be able to discover another new
and remarkable creation at BaselWorld, from
those who are opening new avenues in watchmaking or, we might say, even opening a new
chapter. This would be the work of Urwerk,
which has already laboured for three years in
the greatest secrecy. For the moment, all that
we can see is a kind of small box with a bundle of wires leading to a mechanically activated generator that charges a condenser, and
that will ultimately generate a very precise
light wave: a sort of electronic surveillance
eye. Named EMC for Electronic Mechanical
Control, this ensemble is, in fact, an optical
tool for controlling the balance, a sort of
wrist Witschi that is infinitely more precise.
Because where the Witschi control instrument
is based on the sound—the tick-tock—of the
balance to measure its accuracy, here the control is integrated into the watch, with a duration of three seconds on demand, and is
based on optics. We will know much more at
BaselWorld, but we are now seeing the start
of an original fusion between mechanical
haute horlogerie and high-end electronics
(but without a battery).
This remarkable development follows the
famous “Control Board” developed by Urwerk,
and which is found in a new application in
the brand’s most recent model, the UR-210.
The central piece of this new highly mechanical spaceship is a “cage with an instantaneous jumping minute hand.” It is an enormous minute hand in 3D that clamps on to
the hour cube and accompanies it through its
travel along the minute rail. Upon its arrival
at the 59th minute, the carriage-hand returns
to its starting point in less than a 10th of a
second and clamps on to the next rotating
hour cube.
This veritable “fairing” of aluminium, balanced
by a counterweight in brass and whose cut is
extremely precise (a tolerance of one micron),
is driven by a cylindrical spring similar to those
europa star THE
GENEVA SHOWS 39
UR-210 by Urwerk
The emotion… finally
used in marine chronometers. But it is with
the patented TMC mechanism (Time Motion
Control) that we find the interactivity between
the watch’s wearer and its movement that
Urwerk wants to develop.
The classic power reserve is located at 1 o’clock
and a new type of indicator is found at 11
o’clock. This new indication shows the winding efficiency over the past two hours. If the
hand points towards the red, it means that
the winding is insufficient—the wearer is
probably sitting comfortably in his chair. If, on
the contrary, the needle points to the green, it
means that winding is taking place—the
wearer is probably involved in some kind of
physical activity. By turning the watch over,
the wearer can correct the ratio between winding and energy expenditure. A “Control Board”
with a toothed wheel allows the wearer to
position the winding regulator to FULL (winding is then optimised by a small turbine coupled to the oscillating weight) or to REDUCED
(a turbine equipped with paddles creates resistance from the friction of air and thus slows
down the oscillating weight). In the STOP
mode, the automatic winding is deactivated
and the watch is placed in manual winding
mode. Surprisingly complex, yet easy to use
and read, the UR-210, of which all the visible
pieces are made in-house, bears witness to
the rise in strength of the brand created by
Martin Frei and Félix Baumgartner.
DB28 SKYBRIDGE by De Bethune
In my opinion, after so many watches seen
during this week, the most beautiful and the
most poetic of all was the DB28 Skybridge
from De Bethune, which I saved for last.
There is no indication on this watch other than
the hours and the minutes. But what a show!
As sharp as very fine daggers, these two hands
are driven by an entirely original movement.
They orbit above a concave dial made of titanium, with a splendid deep blue mirror finish,
which holds perfect micro-spheres of gold and
diamonds that make up celestial bodies.
On the lower part of the watch, below a bridge
in the form of an arrow pointing towards the
unknown, a spherical moon rotates on its
own axis and represents one of the emblematic signatures of the brand. The design fascination, the plays between the infinitely large
and the infinitely small attain a rare splendour, but one that is also very contemporary.
For once, we dare use a word that is so overused by “marketing”: emotion. What a nice
final touch to the week. O
All change for the Geneva Time
Exhibition
RPaul O’Neil
I
In its fourth year, the Geneva Time Exhibition
presented itself in the new, more sophisticated environment of the Bâtiment des Forces
Motrices, the iconic Geneva building that is
often home to important press conferences,
events and sumptuous gala dinners. But there
was change, too, within the walls of the exhibition, as the mix of smaller independent brands
and larger volume manufacturers once again
changed quite considerably. Many of the brands
that featured in last year’s Europa Star report,
such as Cyrus, Dietrich, Louis Moinet and
Magellan, were not at the show this year.
There were nevertheless 34 brands, including
some newcomers, ready to greet the 6,000
visitors that came to see what the small independent brands have to offer this year. Here
are our highlights.
Antoine Martin
In the complicated world of watch brand names,
Antoine Martin does not refer to a real person
but uses the first names of the brand’s two
co-founders, Martin Braun and Antoine Meier.
This is because the more familiar name, Martin
Braun, is the property of the Franck Muller
group, which in 2006 invested in the eponymous brand set up by the master watchmaker
in 2001. Three years later, having been prevented from realising his dream of creating
his own movement from scratch, Martin Braun
sold the majority stake to Franck Muller and
left the company.
In the meantime, Martin Braun has been able
to realise his dream and is happy with the
development of his new brand. “We are quite
QUANTIÈME PERPÉTUEL AU GRAND BALANCIER by Antoine Martin
confident,” he says. “We haven’t been around
very long but we have already managed to
open a few points of sale. There are others
who would like to carry Antoine Martin but we
know they would harm the brand in the long
term by selling a lot to start with but then
nothing after that. That cannot be our objective
because we need to think for the long term.
It’s quite difficult to find the right retailer.”
At the show Antoine Martin presented a new,
sportier version of its Quantième Perpétuel au
Grand Balancier, in which an open dial reveals
the discs used to display the day and month
and big date and a black DLC-coated bezel
underscores the sporty look. In addition to
Martin Braun’s own high-performance escapement (HPE) in silicon and the new Aerodynamic
Amplitude Stabilisation (ADAS), the manually
wound AM39.001 calibre used in this model
has an extra-large free-sprung balance in grade
five titanium with a diameter of 17.5 mm.
Look out for Antoine Martin, or indeed Martin
Braun in person, at the Palace at BaselWorld
this year, where he will be presenting a new
development that takes his fascination with
large balances to its logical conclusion.
Ateliers de Monaco
This high-end brand in the Frédérique Constant
group was born from a minute-repeater calibre that was originally conceived for Frédérique
Constant. When Peter Stas, CEO of Frédérique
Constant, saw the finished product he liked it
but realised that the gap between the other
models in the collection was too great. Thus
Ateliers de Monaco was born in 2009.
Pim Koeslang, master watchmaker and cofounder of Ateliers de Monaco, picks up the
story. “Before even creating the movement we
asked ourselves how we could improve it and
we saw four different areas where we could
do this. The first was visibility, so we have used
large windows. The second was security, so you
cannot change the date between 9 and 12 at
ICE-CHRONO
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CHANGE. YOU CAN.
night, for example. Thirdly, the date changes
instantaneously at midnight, along with all the
other indications. And finally we have patented
our own ‘easy adjust’ correction mechanism,
which allows you to choose the indication you
want to adjust by turning the crown.”
The high-end pieces of Ateliers Monaco, which
already produces four in-house movements,
use Swiss components but are assembled in the
company’s workshops in Monaco, which are
located in the prestigious Palais de la Scala,
barely more than an ambitious coin toss away
from the famous casino. “We really wanted to
be somewhere outside Switzerland and above
all outside Geneva in order to differentiate ourselves from everyone else,” explains Koeslang.
“There are a lot of high-end watch brands in
Switzerland and in Geneva, so we wanted to
set up elsewhere.”
PERPETUAL CALENDAR by Ateliers de Monaco
and the Prince of Qatar,” says Koeslang. “It’s a
different business [to Frédérique Constant], so
we also have totally different retail partners.”
The brand will be in BaselWorld for the first
time this year in Hall 4 together with Frédérique
Constant and Alpina.
Although the brand enjoys certain synergies
from being part of the Frédérique Constant
group, its customers are not in the same league.
“We have produced pieces for Prince Albert
Boegli
Boegli
It is worth mentioning in passing that Boegli,
the brand famous for its wristwatches with
musical movements, have announced that
they are working on their own calibre. Until
now Boegli timepieces have been based on a
twin construction involving an ETA movement, such as the ETA2671 or the ETA 2824,
together with a Swiss-made musical movement. The brand is now working on its own
integrated musical calibre, which it says is
“nearing completion”. It will have three barrels
for the necessary power and will be launched
in a limited-edition watch of 99 pieces that
will be sold exclusively through subscription.
Century
ELEGANCE TOURBILLON by Century
More famous for its unique facetted sapphire
cases and fine jewellery models for ladies,
Century caused a surprise at this year’s GTE
europa star
THE GENEVA SHOWS 43
yet its presence at this year’s GTE signalled its
intentions to become a player in the watch
business. And it plans to do so in style, presenting its first collection of mechanical
watches with a fine baguette movement visible behind sapphire crystal and priced from a
reasonable CHF 500. But the name is set to hit
BaselWorld with a bang later this year, where
it will present a patented movement concept
that features a diamond of over 5 carats and
will retail for over CHF 1 million.
Milus
CLASSICS MANUFACTURE WORLDTIMER by Frédérique Constant
by presenting its first gents’ tourbillon model.
The Elegance Tourbillon has a 44mm case in
platinum with a Century sapphire that has 48
hand-cut and polished facets, inside which
beats the TT791.50 calibre from Technotime,
with a masculine ruthenium finish that is visible
behind the transparent sapphire dial. This manual-winding tourbillon calibre has twin barrels
that offer a 120-hour power reserve and won
third place in the 2011 International Chronometry Competition in Le Locle, Switzerland.
(For more information, see our article about
this movement in Europa Star 02/2012).
Century aims to produce around 20 pieces of
this new tourbillon in 2013. The retail price is
CHF 80,000.
als and a guilloché pattern, while the other
bears a map of the world encircled by luminous hour markers.
Harold
Harold W. SA is currently little more than a
shop on the Rue de Berne in Geneva specialising in gemstones and new and used watches,
Frédérique Constant
Independent manufacture Frédérique Constant
presented its new Classics Manufacture
Worldtimer at the show. This new model features the FC-718 self-winding calibre with a
42-hour power reserve and allows all the
functions—time, date and world time—to be
adjusted with the crown at 3 o’clock. It is available as two limited editions, each of 1,888
pieces, in a 42mm rose-gold plated stainlesssteel case. One has a dial with Roman numer-
HAROLD
The star model on the Milus stand shows how,
if you have the right connections, you can still
acquire watch movements that are over 70
years old for low-volume reproductions of vintage watches. Cyril Dubois, managing director
of Milus, was looking for some vintage movements for a re-edition of an unusual “survival
kit” that had been issued to US pilots in the
Pacific campaign during the second world war.
“We found three of the original kits,” explained
Dubois, “and when I opened the first one, which
had never even been opened, I wound the
watch up to see if it still worked and it did!”
The survival kit consisted of a watch, medallion, chain and rings—all in gold—inside a
Bakelite case. The idea was that if pilots had
to down their aeroplane in hostile territory
they could use the kit as a bargaining tool for
assistance. Milus’s modern-day reproduction
of this kit, the Snow Star special edition, comprises a watch, cufflinks, identification tag,
chain and separate NATO strap for the watch
and is available in two different series, one of
99 pieces in red gold and another of 1940
pieces in stainless steel. “I wanted to use the
same movement as the original in the gold
pieces,” said Dubois, “and I was lucky enough
through contacts in the industry to find 100 of
the original ETA 2408 movements in La Chauxde-Fonds. The only things we had to change
were the barrel and a few rubies.”
ments and incorporates a uniquely American
invention: the motor barrel. Historically used
in high-end American watches, the motor barrel assembly rotates within the jewel setting
of the barrel, rather than around the barrel
arbour (which in the case of the motor barrel
forms part of the barrel) and thus reduces friction and wear on the mainspring.
The manually-wound Caliber 20 is found in a
tonneau model in polished stainless steel measuring 42.5mm by 38.5mm which displays the
seconds on a disc in the unusual location of 1
o’clock, with an ornately decorated moonphase on a wheel at 7 o’clock visible thanks
to the openworked dial.
RITAGE by Milus
SNOW STAR HERITAGE
The only differences between the original kit
and its modern equivalent is that the diameter of the watch case has been increased from
38mm to 40mm and that Milus has included
its own cufflinks rather than the rings found in
the original, adding a handy compass to one
and a rotating propeller to the other. The military identification tag from the original has
also been replaced by an old Swiss military
identification tag for reasons of neutrality.
As far as business is concerned, Mr Dubois,
like many of the exhibitors at the GTE, is optimistic. “I was very happy with 2012,” he said.
“We had a very good year and 2013 looks
promising as well. At the moment we are
doing 51 per cent in Asia and 49 per cent in
the rest of the world. I know the figures are
precise but we just closed the year’s accounts,
so that’s how I know this. I would like to
reverse this proportion and aim for 45 per
cent in Asia and 55 per cent in the rest of the
world. We do hope to open in new markets in
Latin America and we have had some first
contact with potential partners for India. But
there are other markets in Asia where we are
still not present, such as South Korea and
Burma.”
RGM
Taking its name from the initials of company
founder Roland G. Murphy, RGM was flying
the flag for the United States at the GTE. In
celebration of the Pennsylvania-based company’s 20th anniversary in 2012, RGM presented its third in-house movement, the Caliber
20. This movement follows on from the brand’s
in-house tourbillon and Caliber 801 move-
The atmosphere at this year’s GTE was warm
and friendly. But more importantly the show
was busy, confirming the rude health of the
industry and the continued appeal of the innovative timepieces from independent watchmakers. Having found an ideal location in one
of Geneva’s landmark locations, the GTE looks
set to remain one of the unmissable events of
the Geneva show week. O
CALIBER 20 by RGM
europa star
CASE-STUDY 45
A (show) week in the life of a retailer
RKeith W. Strandberg
lio, if we can add value to the brand and vice
versa. Then we check what their distribution
model is, followed by marketing strategy and
last, but certainly not least, what their aftersales strategy and infrastructure is.
T
To get a sense of what a retailer looks for during the Geneva shows, Europa Star spent
some time with Alon Ben Joseph, president of
Ace Jewelers in the Netherlands. Though not
specifically looking for any new brands, his
mind is always open and on the lookout for
great opportunities.
Ben Joseph flew in from Amsterdam on Monday,
January 21, 2013, did the GTE in one day, then
spent the rest of his time at the SIHH, visiting
with his Richemont brands. I caught up with
him between appointments at the SIHH, over
a cup of steaming tea.
Europa Star: What kind of commitment does
taking on a new brand mean to you?
Alon Ben Joseph: Taking on a new brand is
a long-term commitment, as we consider ourselves a true partner of the brand. Although we
live in a high pace society nowadays, our industry is far from a fast moving consumer goods
industry and things need time to “breathe”
ES: What sort of opening order do you make
when opening up a new brand?
and grow. Therefore we take it as a very serious
commitment, where hard work from both sides
(brand and retailer) is needed. Often even
three sides: brand, distributor and retailer.
ABJ: Our father always taught my brother and
me not to become a brand collection retailer,
but a true partner for the brands. In his eyes
this means that when presenting a brand, it
should be an above-average collection. But,
always making sure that the stock rotation
figure is above par. This means tweaking the
collection non-stop with the brands.
ES: What are the things you consider when
you think about taking on a new brand?
ES: Can you have two directly competing
brands in the same store?
ABJ: First and foremost, we consider if we
actually do love the brand. Do we love the
brand identity and the products they create?
We have to truly believe in the concept, strategy and philosophy of the brand. Then, of
course, we need to do some soul searching to
see if the brand belongs in our brand portfo-
ABJ: This is a very good question, but we find
that as a luxury retailer, we are fortunate not
to have to deal with this dilemma too often and
we believe that watch and jewellery brands
are so different in nature and character they
do not really overlap and therefore cannot be
considered true competitors.
Alon Ben Joseph
46 CASE-STUDY europa star
“Our family has been burned many times over several generations, but we have a positive outlook...”
tion if their after sales infrastructure is below
par, which has been the case with many Swiss
brands in our region over the last decade!
ES: Have you been burned by a new brand
before?
ABJ: Our family has been burned many times
over several generations, but we have a positive outlook on life and do not like to speak
badly about the past. So, we prefer to leave
the past in the past. We think that successful
entrepreneurs are people who take risks…
When taking risk, one gets burned, right?!
ES: Explain to me how you find these new
brands? And once you target a new brand,
what kind of due diligence do you do?
ABJ: Besides being passionate watch retailers, we are also private collectors. So, we love
reading up on Europa Star, watch magazines
and blogs. On top of that we receive a lot of
proposals from brands to start partnerships.
So, there is no lack of information. When we
are interested, several talks follow and that’s
where a relationship starts. Then we usually
let that relationship grow and evolve over
time until the time is right to actually start to
do business. Everything is about timing.
ES: What is the risk to retailers when taking
on a new brand?
ABJ: What we see as the biggest risk for retailers when taking on a new brand is that the
brand does not live up to their promises. We
find the biggest risk of underperforming is in
after-sales service, especially with brands that
offer mechanical watches. This is nowadays
one of the most important marketing tools in
our opinion. On top of that, according to Dutch
Law, the retailer is responsible for the products they sell and not the brands. But if brands
do not permit us to repair their products and/or
supply spare parts, we are in a catch-22 situa-
ES: What did you see at GTE this year that got
you interested?
ABJ: Moser & Cie is brand that we know well,
as one of our customers is a descendant of
Moser, the co-founder of IWC, and used to
have shares in the watch brand Moser & Cie
when it was founded. Now at GTE we fell in
love again (and again) with what they do and
manufacture. I didn’t make a deal yet, however. It was too hectic at GTE, and their booth
was too small to talk privately.
ES: You recently took on the Chinese Timekeeper – can you tell me how you found the
brand, how you decided to take it on and how
it has done?
ABJ: This is actually a very nice story. Besides
having a retail operation, Ace Jewelers Group,
we also have a wholesale division, named
ChronoTime. One of the brands we represent is
Rhein Fils (leather goods) and the CEO is friends
with the founder of The Chinese Timekeeper,
Adrien Choux. Even before Adrien launched
his brand, we were introduced in Hong Kong
and became friends. As I loved what Adrien
created, we decided to support him and become
his first ambassador outside China. And, it
europa star
CASE-STUDY 47
“As most of us in this wonderful industry are true watch freaks and emotions are as important as ratio...”
has been a success for us. We expected just to
sell it to Chinese customers, but the funny thing
is we sell it more to local watch collectors than
(visiting) Chinese watch consumers.
ES: Many retailers are reluctant to take on
new, unknown brands. What advice would
you give them?
ABJ: As most of us in this wonderful industry are true watch freaks and emotions are
(almost) as important as ratio, you sometimes
have to take a chance and have some fun. On
top of that, it is very good for your business
and brand portfolio to have something unique
and different in your showcases. As most
retail stores turn into little replica department
stores with islands of brand corners, it is nice
for customers to be surprised with something
fresh and different. Even if you know that the
rotation will never match up to what other
brands do. Maybe even consider it as a marketing tool...
ES: What are the most successful brands and
models in your stores?
ABJ: The most successful brands in our boutiques (online and physical) are: Omega, IWC,
Breitling, TAG Heuer, Longines, Baume &
Mercier, Montblanc, Rado and Tissot. The top
five watch models are: Omega Seamaster Planet
Ocean, IWC Portuguese, Breitling Chronomat,
Omega Speedmaster and TAG Heuer Carrera.
the face time. GTE is accessible and it is great
for introductions and to get to know new
brands. I liked Celsius very much. I didn't know
the Heritage Watch Manufactory, so it was
great to meet them.
ES: What brands do you wish you had that
you don't currently have?
ES: What, as a retailer, do you have to tell a
new brand about your store?
ABJ: The evergreens we’d love to have in
our store are: Patek Philippe, Rolex, A. Lange
& Söhne, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Breguet, Cartier,
Audemars Piguet and Panerai. Obviously I forgot to mention some. Then these are brands
that also make our hearts beat a lot faster:
F.P. Journe, Urwerk, MB&F, Parmigiani, Ikepod,
Greubel Forsey and Richard Mille.
ABJ: I give them my business card, I tell them
our story, I give them our book. The click is
often very quick. They are flash meetings, like
speed dating.
ES: How are you going to get these brands?
ES: What was your experience like at GTE?
What did you see?
ABJ: It's fun to help a new brand. It's great to
do something new, and it's the unknown. It's
pushing the boundaries of yourself and your
store. It's easy to take on established brands,
but it's oh so hard to do a new brand. It's a
refreshing challenge. O
ABJ: This is my third year at GTE. I think it's
great that they moved location, it's a scenic
place in the city. There was a good vibe, it was
busy and we stayed there late. This fair is for
Thanks so much to Alon Ben Joseph for his
time and comments.
Check out the video of his time at the GTE on
www.europastar.com
ABJ: By charming them.
ES: What do you get out of a successful relationship with a new brand, helping to put them
on the map, other than financial success?
www.baselworld.com
europa star
PRE-BASEL 49
Raymond Weil, just the right positioning
RInterview conducted by Pierre Maillard
W
With 200,000 watches sold in 2012 (at an
average retail price of about CHF 2,000, with
price tags ranging from CHF 850 to 5,000
and the core range situated between CHF
1,250 and 3,500), Raymond Weil is one of the
biggest independent Swiss brands, and a family business on top of that.
Europa Star met Olivier Bernheim, son-in-law
of the founder of Raymond Weil, today retired
from the brand’s daily operations, who manages the business with his two sons, Pierre
and Elie Bernheim.
Europa Star: How would you analyse the
watch year that has just passed, in which
sales grew by nearly 11 per cent to reach CHF
21.4 billion, given that it was watches costing
CHF 3,000 (at export) which increased both in
terms of value (up 18 per cent) and volume
(up 13.1 per cent) and that the segment occupied by Raymond Weil (between CHF 500 and
3,000) increased by only 0.3 per cent in terms
of value?
Olivier Bernheim: In the end, 2012 was a
very positive year for us and also resulted in
an increase in sales. And this was despite the
fact that some countries where we are well
established have been practically wiped off
the map. I am thinking notably of Portugal,
Spain, Italy and Greece, as well as Libya and
Egypt. At the same time, we have recorded
big sales that are constantly increasing in the
USA and in the United Kingdom. Having said
that, what seems to me to best describe the
current situation is the general uncertainty
that reigns. The result is a lack of general
security. The main reference points that help
us to develop a strategy over the medium term
have disappeared. Currencies have become
unpredictable, which forces us to adapt from
day to day. To sum it up, the perspectives have
become a bit blurred in the general economic fog.
important than ever. It allows an in-depth
analysis of performance, something that is
imperative today because, notably under the
pressure of the banks, everything has become
more analytical.
ES: What is happening on the distribution
front? People have, for a long time now, praised
the solidity and depth of your international
sales network, the key to your success…
ES: As Raymond Weil moves up-market, have
you re-qualified, as we might say, your network of retailers?
OB: There has been a dual movement. On one
hand, the traditional system of distributors no
longer works very well. It is a question of margins, but also of mission. In the past, a distributor had real responsibilities and could make
decisions. Today, a brand must become global
in terms of image and offer. In parallel, having
direct contact with retailers has become more
JASMINE. Part of Raymond Weil’s high-end collection for
ladies, it features a quartz movement, hours, minutes, date,
35-mm steel case set with 29 diamonds, double anti-reflective
sapphire crystal, silver dial, pink gold-plated hour markers
and hands, and two-tone steel and pink gold-plated bracelet.
OB: With the exception of the USA, where
earlier we were focused on the major chains
and where we have opened a number of
quality independent stores, we have a tendency to close a certain number of doors in
order to concentrate on the better stores. Our
great advantage, as an independent brand, is
to be able to offer retailers a quality alternative, rapid reaction time, and a reactivity that
is greater than what the big groups can offer.
No one misunderstands that these groups are
seeking to physically take over more and more
space. We have also opened some thirty singlebrand boutiques, always in collaboration with
50 PRE-BASEL europa star
NABUCCO CUORE CALDO TWELVE. This self-winding
chronograph features hours, minutes, small seconds, power
reserve, and tachometric bezel. The 46-mm case is made in 18carat rose gold, titanium, polished and brushed steel, and carbon fibre, and includes a double anti-reflective sapphire crystal,
black vulcanized rubber or leather strap, and water-resistance to 10 ATM. It is available in a limited series of 76 pieces.
OB: No. The idea is to be where Raymond Weil
was 20 years ago. This means a lower price
range, between CHF 350 for a quartz timepiece to CHF 1,150 for an automatic. It is a
Swiss Made brand intended for a younger
audience, a brand that is more fashion oriented
and whose promotion channels are focused
more on the web and interactive. It is possible
to purchase these watches online, but using a
formula that does not harm any of our retailers. This means that a person first selects a
retailer before being directed to the e-store.
ES: How are these two brands co-existing?
the local people. Very recently, this happened in
Singapore and Indonesia, as well as in Mumbai,
where we just opened a third boutique.
ES: So, what are the specific advantages for a
retailer to carry Raymond Weil?
OB: Our collection! It is just right at the moment
and matches the consumer’s expectations.
Our price positioning is also right and there is
a good balance between the different collections, which lets the consumer understand the
advantages of each product according to its
price. Our strongest expansion is in mechanical watches, for both men and women. And,
this is happening not only in China, where the
market has rapidly become very watch conscious. Our strategy therefore is to base the
brand on its watchmaking reputation.
ES: You mentioned earlier the gradual disappearance of traditional distributors. Given
this, how is the brand structured today?
OB: We have three regional branches: one in
the USA, which also covers Canada; one in
Austria, which also covers Germany, Hungary,
Spain, and the small Eastern European countries; and one in India. At the beginning of
March, we are opening a new branch in the
United Kingdom. The other nations are managed by our Geneva headquarters.
ES: And what about the vertical integration of
your production?
OB: We do not want to vertically integrate
more than we have already done. This means
that we do all our R&D, design, prototyping
and cases internally. We purchase our mechanical movements from ETA, Sellita and DuboisDépraz. We also have an assembly workshop
in La Chaux-de-Fonds, both for quartz and
mechanical watches, where we assemble
between 55 and 60 per cent of our production. The remainder is handled by outside contractors. I believe that it is important to maintain these external relationships since they
permit fruitful exchanges of experiences.
ES: Your two sons, who manage the brand at
your side, recently created a new brand called
"88 Rue du Rhône". Is this a second Raymond
Weil brand?
OB: 88 Rue du Rhône is a completely complementary offer that does not infringe on
Raymond Weil’s territory. Having said that, it
benefits from the “group effect” and we are trying to place it in all the doors where we are
already present. For the retailer, it offers a number of advantages. Of course, it is an additional
brand, but it comes from the same supplier,
Raymond Weil, with which the relationship of
trust is already well established. For a retailer,
88 Rue du Rhône offers the assurance of additional sales. It is a win-win situation, as they say.
ES: Last question. What about China? We
hear so much about it constantly…
OB: After the USA, it is our number two market. We have 138 sales points there and we
also sell a lot to Chinese outside China. Thanks
to our very well calculated price/quality ratio, we
are affected only very little by the current major
phenomenon: In China, there is a lot of sell-in,
much less sell-out. In the case of Raymond
Weil, our watches sell. O
For more information about Raymond Weil click
on Brand Index at www.europastar.com
europa star
PRE-BASEL 51
JeanRichard – a new philosophy of life
RPaul O’Neil
S
Since taking the helm of the Sowind Group
as Chief Executive Officer in August 2011,
Michele Sofisti has quickly made his mark on
the group’s Girard-Perregaux and JeanRichard
brands (he had already been CEO of the
group’s fashion brand, Gucci Group watches,
since 2010). The first bold decision was a
decampment of the two luxury brands from
the SIHH to join the other Sowind brands at
BaselWorld from this year. Alongside continuous tweaks at Girard-Perregaux, his next
major decision was a comprehensive relaunch
of JeanRichard.
The relaunch
For years, JeanRichard, named after Daniel
JeanRichard, who counts among the exclusive
fraternity of Switzerland’s oldest recorded
watchmakers, has lived in the shadow of the
better-known Girard-Perregaux, struggling to
Michele Sofisti
Bruno Grande
find its place among the watchmaking elite.
The restructuring has been radical, focusing
on nothing less than a complete change in
strategy to target volume sales and build the
brand. As Mr Sofisti explains, “We wanted to
create something with a very identifiable look
that cannot be confused with other watches.
Also, the price positioning of the brand was
quite high, at 7,000 to 10,000 Swiss francs
for a manufacture watch. It was difficult to
achieve volume and build for the long term.
So we divided the brand into two segments:
the manufacture watches on the one hand,
which have our own movement, and the bulk
of the collection on the other hand, which will
use standard movements and be priced at
around 2,500 to 4,000 Swiss francs.”
1681 COLLECTION
The restructuring is being overseen by Bruno
Grande, the Chief Operating Officer of
JeanRichard, who worked with Sofisti at
Wyler Genève and is also responsible for the
Private Label division at the Sowind Group.
In concrete terms, the changes mean that
JeanRichard’s flagship JR1000 manufacture
movement will now constitute the top of the
range in the vintage 1681 collection. This basic
movement was launched in 2004 and has
already proved both its reliability and its
capacity to accommodate complication modules. In the latest incarnation of the 1681,
which is available in 41 and 44 mm case diameters, it is fitted with a small seconds complication at 9 o’clock.
Targeting the high-volume market
Beneath the 1681, everything changes. The
three collections based around earth, air and
such as the statue of Daniel JeanRichard in
LeLocle as well as the master watchmaker’s
farmhouse birthplace at Les Bressels. This
bucolic journey, which also involved a short
transfer by horse and carriage, was no doubt
the best way to illustrate the “Philosophy of
Life” concept behind the brand’s new image,
which is about turning time—the genuine
time that you make for yourself—into an art
of living, indeed a philosophy. It is about
exploring the world and nature, meeting new
people and cultures.
Ordinary people doing
extraordinary things
TERRASCOPE COLLECTION
water will be completely redesigned and
equipped with ETA movements. The first one
ready for market is the Terrascope, which has
a sturdy design using a case, bezel and bracelet
in stainless steel. With a starting price of 2,500
Swiss francs and water resistance of 100
metres, the Terrascope is set to be the entrylevel product of the revamped JeanRichard
collection. Aquascope and Aeroscope models
will follow at BaselWorld 2013 and will be
available for delivery from May this year. The
Aquascope will be a true divers’ watch, with a
helium valve and 300 metre water resistance,
while the Aeroscope will be a chronograph
using a Dubois-Depraz module and retailing
for under 5,000 Swiss francs. All of these
models will use the same case, which will initially be available in stainless steel only.
Mr Grande wants JeanRichard to be a “warm,
friendly and approachable” brand and went
to great lengths to underscore this when he
presented the “new” JeanRichard to the
world’s media in November last year. With the
help of the Land Rover club of Switzerland
he managed to bring together some 20 vintage Land Rovers to ferry his guests around
the Neuchâtel countryside, taking in sights
JeanRichard has chosen an eclectic mix of
personalities to represent the new collection,
each of them firmly linked with one of the
three elements—earth, air, water—echoed in
the names of the collection. At sea, yachtsman Franck Cammas has been an ambassador for JeanRichard since May 2011, when
the brand’s Aquascope timepiece accompanied him on the 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean
Race around the world, where he skippered
Groupama to victory. On land, friend of the
brand Gérard Margeon has researched the
earth in which the world’s finest grapevines
grow to become an oenologist of repute. He
now manages a cellar of 5,000 bottles to cover
30 different wine lists in the restaurants of renowned chef Alain Ducasse. Before BaselWorld
JeanRichard will present its most extraordinary ambassador yet to represent the new
Aeroscope models.
While this unusual choice of representatives
for the new brand fit very well with its new
concept and collection, the best ambassador
of all for JeanRichard’s philosophy of life is
arguably Mr Sofisti himself. In spite of the
demands of running the Sowind Group and
his own consultancy, not to mention those of
his young border collie Ariel, he is also an
accomplished photographer who has taken
the time to document his impressions and
encounters on his numerous business and
personal trips, work which has featured in
publications and exhibitions worldwide. O
For more information about JeanRichard click
AQUASCOPE COLLECTION
Cal. 3540.D – Chrono 1⁄ 10 Sec., Date
Cal. 3520.D – Chrono, Date
Cal. 3540.D – Chrono 1⁄10 Sec., Date
Chronos 10 1⁄ 2 x 11 1⁄ 2’’’ – One movement for small to big watches
NEW Series 3500 – ronda-startech.com
SPOTLIGHT
CASIO EDIFICE ERA-200DB-1AVER
This year, Casio will once again be aiming to capitalise on its partnership with the Infiniti Red Bull Racing
Formula 1 team, whose driver Sebastian Vettel has secured the past three Formula 1 world championship titles.
Just in time for the start of the 2013 Formula 1 season, the Japanese brand presents a new model in its sporty
Edifice collection. The high-tech timepiece in brushed stainless steel with an ion-plated bezel has red and
black hands with analogue and digital read-outs that display the time, world time, stopwatch and five daily
alarms. Thanks to Casio’s Twin Sensor technology, this watch is also capable of functioning as both a compass
and a thermometer.
SPOTLIGHT
www.edifice-watches.eu
www.casio-europe.com
The new BaselWorld
F
For much of life as we have known it, the
BaselWorld fair has been a constant, the most
important worldwide show in the watch
industry.
It wasn’t always like this, however.
When BaselWorld first opened, back in 1917,
it wasn’t even called BaselWorld, it was called
the Schweizer Mustermesse Basel (MUBA), a
selection of Swiss products that included
some watch and jewellery brands. In 1931,
watches and jewellery were given their own
pavilion, showing the increased importance
of this sector to the Swiss economy.
For almost five decades, only Swiss products
were exhibited, then in 1973 European companies were allowed to exhibit. It wasn’t until
1986 that companies outside Europe were
invited to participate.
Now, BaselWorld is poised to open its doors
to one of the most sweeping renovations and
expansions in its illustrious history. When the
show begins on April 25, many of us won’t be
able to recognise it, or find the booths we
have become accustomed to seeing. A new
Hall 1 will be waiting for us, and each and
every one of us will need a map to find our
way around.
At least on the first day.
Sylvie Ritter, the head of the BaselWorld show,
explains what the goal of the renovation was.
“We wanted to make it a better experience
for everyone and to create the right environment for these kinds of products,” she says.
“You will see during BaselWorld 2013, once
you enter the show, you will never have to
leave the show to go from one building to
another. We have one space dedicated to the
we will gain in quality, where you can really
show your brand. Also, there will be more
brands exhibiting this year than last year.”
Work began last year
Last year, right after the show closed, demolition work began. I visited Basel at the end of
2012, and the show buildings were unrecognisable. Looking a bit like a war zone, with
“We wanted to make it a better experience for everyone and to
create the right environment for these kinds of products.”
famous brands, where they can build two to
three floor booths, and people can truly experience the brands.
“In our buildings, previously, we had a lot of
square footage behind the staircases and in
other hidden spaces,” she continues. “The real,
usable exhibition space has actually increased.
It’s important to understand that with the new
Hall, we will lose space in terms of figures, but
buildings and walls demolished, the condition
raised questions about whether the show
would be ready in time. In fact, rumours that
BaselWorld was behind schedule recently circulated throughout the industry. Luckily,
BaselWorld opens very late this year, and Ritter
pledges that the show will be ready in time.
“We are on time and on schedule, everything
is perfect,” she confirms, confidently.
europa star
PRE-BASEL 57
FACTS AND FIGURES:
“BaselWorld reflects the market and we will adapt and
change to fit the market and its needs.”
Though wholesale changes have been made
and many brands have been relocated from
Hall 1, Ritter hopes that the experience will be
an improved one.
“I hope you will not be confused at all,” she
says. “I think people will be amazed by the
booths and the way brands are presenting
themselves. It’s really hard for us to imagine
how the show could develop with this new
building, and we worked with the brands to
give the show a new face. For example, 99 per
cent of the booths in Hall 1 will be brand new.”
A new map of the show will be available by
the end of February at www.baselworld.com.
Will this be the end of changes for BaselWorld,
July 2011
at least for the time being? “Every year, we
think we have the best show ever and it will
remain that way for many years,” Ritter says.
“This is the dream of all show organisers the
world over, but it really depends on the market. BaselWorld reflects the market and we
will adapt and change to fit the market and
its needs.” O
Europa Star this year celebrates its 75th year
of uninterrupted presence at BaselWorld. We
invite you to visit us in Hall 1.1, Stand A60.
For more information about BaselWorld click
May 2012
The Basel show dates back to 1917, with the
opening of the first Schweizer Mustermesse Basel
(MUBA).
1925: MUBA invited several watch manufacturers
1931: The Schweizer Uhrenmesse (Swiss Watch
Show) was first held in a dedicated pavilion.
1973: The first "Europäische Uhren- und Schmuckmesse" (EUSM) (European Watch and Jewellery
Show) was held within the MUBA.
1983: The show changed its name to BASEL, with
two following numbers denoting the exhibition
year, e.g., BASEL 83.
1986: Companies from outside Europe were
included for the first time, reflecting the increased
number of visitors from outside Europe.
1995: The show was renamed to BASEL 95 - The
World Watch, Clock and Jewellery Show.
1999: Hall 1, with 36,000 square metres exhibition space, was added.
2003: The show was renamed again to BaselWorld,
The Watch and Jewellery Show.
2004: With the introduction of a new hall complex, the exhibition area increased to 160,000
square metres.
2013: The renovation and modernisation project,
designed by Basel architects Herzog & de Meuron,
has resulted in a gross exhibition surface of
141,000 square metres.
Since BASELWORLD 2012, the old halls have been
demolished and a total of 3500 tons of steel girders,
45,000 cubic metres of concrete and 5,200 tons of
reinforcing steel have gone into the new complex.
At times, up to eight fixed construction cranes and
a further eight mobile cranes have been deployed
on the construction site.
November 2012
58 GALLERY – PRE-BASEL europa star
1966 MINUTE-REPEATER by Girard-Perregaux
The 42mm case in 18-carat red gold houses a GP E09-0003
manually-wound movement that comprises 419 individual
components and powers hour, minute, small seconds, annual calendar (with separate date and month indications) and
equation of time functions, in addition to the minuterepeater. The calibre operates at 21,600 vibrations per hour
and offers at least 100 hours (4 days) of power reserve. It
comes with a brown alligator leather strap and 18-carat redgold pin buckle.
YACHTTIMER COUNTDOWN by Alpina
Alpina’s new regatta timer comes with a generously proportioned 44mm diameter stainless-steel case with a unidirectional rotating bezel in sapphire marked with compass bearings. The regatta countdown timer function consists of a disc
inside the minute scale, which can be read at a glance and
shows the number of minutes remaining in the countdown,
culminating with the word “START” displayed in bright red.
The timekeeping functions are provided by the AL-880 selfwinding movement, which is powered by a black PVD Alpina
rotor. Although the movement is visible behind a sapphire
crystal case-back, the watch is nevertheless guaranteed
water resistant to 30 ATM, or 300 metres.
CHRONO 4 GEANT FULL INJECTION by Eberhard
The all-black look in this new limited-edition model is achieved with a DLC treatment. But
before this is applied, the steel case is treated to a low-temperature carbon diffusion that
hardens the 46mm case. The four familiar in-line counters of Eberhard’s registered design are
set against a back dial with a metal ring decorated with a Côtes de Genève finish and a black
rubber strap completes the ensemble. The ETA 2894 self-winding chronograph is used as the
base movement.
CONSTELLATION SEDNA by Omega
Sedna is the trademarked name that Omega has given to a
new alloy of gold, which comprises gold, copper and palladium and has been developed entirely in-house within the
Swatch Group. It finds its first expression in the new
Constellation Sedna model, a limited edition of 1,952 pieces
that recalls the year the first Constellation was launched,
with the “pie pan” dial with 12 facets that is once again
found in this new model, powered by the brand’s proprietary
co-axial calibre 8501 with silicon balance spring.
D-STAR CERAMIC CHRONOGRAPH by Rado
It may look like a stainless-steel chronograph, but the case and bracelet of this new piece by
Rado are actually made of high-tech ceramic that has undergone a special plasma treatment
that gives it a sheen similar to that of platinum. During the process, which has been patented
by Rado, gases that are activated at 20,000°C modify the chemical composition of the hightech ceramic, changing its surface colour but retaining all of its essential properties. The new
chronograph is powered by the ETA A05.H31 calibre, which offers a power reserve of 60 hours.
europa star
PRE-BASEL GALLERY – LADIES’ WATCHES 59
ALACRIA DIVA BAMBOO by Carl F. Bucherer
The Lucerne-based brand uses bamboo not as a material but as an inspiration for the design
of this new limited edition of 25 pieces. The 18-carat white-gold case and dial are both set
with orange and black baguette-cut sapphires (for a total of 173 stones) plus a further 239
round black and orange sapphires on the outer facets of the case. A quartz movement displaying the hours and minutes powers this timepiece, which is completed by an orange alligator leather strap with a white-gold pin buc
buckle.
CHRONOGRAPH LARGE DATE by Blancpain
Elegantly framed by a 38.6mm diameter 18-carat red-gold case with 40 sparkling diamonds
set into its bezel, this new self-winding chronograph model has a mother-of-pearl dial split
on to two levels delineated by diamonds. The upper segment features an off-centre time
display with Roman numerals, while the lower half bears the two chronograph counters with
oversized Arabic numerals. The large date windows at 6 o’clock take the form of two opposing crescents and display the date with a distinctive font. It is powered by Blancpain Calibre
26F8G, a mechanical self-winding movement composed of 495 parts that offers a 40-hour
power reserve.
SUGAR by de Grisogono
The models in the new Sugar collection stand out because of their original bezels, which are
half-set with precious stones, while the other half is in constant movement due to differentsized stones in their own individual settings which are interlinked and spill out over the bottom of the bezel. A bold use of blue or orange sapphires, emeralds and diamonds, combined
with matching mother-of-pearl or fully-paved dials allows for a total of ten models, all with
an 18-carat gold case and a matching galuchat strap.
GUCCI COUPE by Gucci
This new model is a ladies’ version of the brand’s famous Coupé timepiece for men and is set
with 60 diamonds (approx. 0.42 carats) on the flange of the dial. With a vintage look defined
by the model’s rounded square case, the Gucci identity is reaffirmed by the Gucci logo and
the “GG” pattern on the grey mother-of-pearl dial, whose only other adornment is the hour
markers and three hands. The “GG” pattern also appears on the inner lining of the matching
grey crocodile leather strap. A Swiss Made Ronda movement ensures the timekeeping.
60 SERVICE, PLEASE! europa star
Patek Philippe: patrimonial service
RInterview conducted by Pierre Maillard
piece is a value that is transmitted from generation to generation.
I
In 2012, Patek Philippe launched a vast marketing campaign based not on any single new
product, but rather on the notion of service itself.
For the occasion, the brand established a website dedicated to this theme, one that provides
a wealth of explanations, videos, and practical
information (http://patek-institutional.com).
Why did the venerable Geneva-based brand
decide to undertake such a project? To learn
more, Europa Star talked with Laurent Cantin,
head of Customer Service at the family manufacture. A qualified watchmaker by training,
Laurent Cantin “has worked in after-sales
service for 23 years,” as he says, but did not
come onboard at Patek Philippe until 2006.
Europa Star: Your first action, completely
emblematic, was to rename “Customer Service”,
that which was previously called, as it is nearly
everywhere, “After-Sales Service”. What does
this semantic difference signify?
ES: You are not content then to merely wait
until the watches are sent to you for repairs…
Laurent Cantin
Laurent Cantin: It seems to me that it is
important to differentiate the current notion
of “repairer” during the watch’s guarantee
period from the much broader dimension that
we give to the notion of service: a dimension
that is truly patrimonial. I believe that we are
the only one to offer the possibility of repairing or restoring absolutely all of the watches
produced by Patek Philippe during its 174
years of existence. For us, Service is a strategic
element of development. It goes far beyond a
simple message. It is a real willingness, a philosophy of action, which aims to solidify what
we unceasingly repeat: a Patek Philippe time-
LC: No, our service is involved upstream in all
phases of the development and production of
a watch. We intervene right from the beginning, collaborating with the developers, the
methods unit, and the technical bureau. A
representative of Customer Service is present
in all the development teams. Because of our
position, we receive a lot of comments from
people’s experience and are thus very active in
terms of quality feedback that comes directly
from the field. In addition, in the downstream
direction, we conduct major activities aimed
at our clients. Today, an important and daily
problem is that of educating the client. Aside
from informed aficionados, who possess a real
culture of watchmaking, many clients do not
have a clear understanding of their watch or
of the quality mechanical movements that we
produce. Often, it happens that we are asked
to simply replace a watch, which at first glance
seems to no longer be working. Sometimes, it
happens that the owner wears his automatic
watch to bed and then does not understand
why it has stopped working… (laughs)
ES: The education of the client is thus primordial...
LC: I often use the comparison of the automobile. Everyone fully understands that a car
needs a complete service every 15,000 kilometres, or on average once a year. These same
people, however, often do not understand that
a watch, whose “engine” runs 24 hours a day,
also requires regular servicing, once every three
to five years, and also that it needs lubrication,
europa star
SERVICE, PLEASE! 61
“The particularity of Patek Philippe is that Customer Service is not at all considered as a “profit centre”.”
for example. It is really as simple as that. But
to make them understand and accept this
basic notion is already a considerable task.
Approximately one client in three still does
not understand the necessity for servicing.
ES: On the other hand, we often hear complaints about the costs and the long wait
times for watchmaking after-sales service, in
general…
LC: The particularity of Patek Philippe is that
Customer Service is not at all considered as a
“profit centre”. Moreover, today, in fact, we
lose money, but the notion of service surpasses everything, whatever the price. The
service and repair time for a simple mechani-
cal movement at Patek Philippe is at least five
to six hours of pure watchmaking time, for a
cost of about CHF 660. In this total amount
we do not charge for polishing, cleaning,
assembly, checks, administration, logistics,
etc. As for the long wait times, you have to
count from four weeks, for the watches still
under guarantee, to eight weeks. This is long,
you may say, but you must also realise that all
the repaired pieces are subjected to the same
quality control process as the pieces in production, and this takes fifteen days.
ES: In this regard, what is the rate of return
for watches under guarantee?
ES: How does a centre become certified? What
are the criteria?
LC: Very low, on average from 2.7 to 2.8 per
cent. This also includes all the watches that
were mishandled. The job of the head of
Customer Service would lend itself perfectly
to that of a novelist. Some of the stories that
we hear are really far-fetched.
LC: If an independent watch centre wishes to
be certified by us, it must meet very precise criteria, not only in terms of watchmaking competency, but also in terms of the work environment (lighting, colours, no carpeting on the
floor), technical equipment, human resources,
and logistics. It must also purchase a minimum
stock of component parts. This process also has
several steps involved in validation. We conduct
an audit, and then write a report containing
certain recommendations. Finally a training
phase is carried out in Geneva, lasting a minimum of four weeks that we pay for completely.
During the entire process, this relationship can
ES: In specific terms, how is the Customer
Service department organised, here in Geneva
and in the various markets?
LC: To give you some numbers, we have 58
certified centres in 36 countries on all the
continents. This involves 250 people, includ-
ing the 97 who work in Geneva and represents absolutely all the watch métiers. In
2012, we made 63,000 repairs and services,
an increase of 7 to 8 per cent per year. Given
this, we do not want to expand our network
too much because we must control it very
strictly. The competencies and services must
be absolutely the same everywhere. And, you
are aware of the difficulties in finding really
qualified watchmakers in some parts of the
world. In parenthesis, we are opening a new
training centre in China.
be cancelled at any time since the basic idea is
to be able to establish a veritable partnership.O
Read more about Patek Philippe’s authorised
service centres and European Union pressure
on universal component supply in the complete
interview online.
[Editor’s note: Europa Star will devote a specific report to
Patek Philippe’s restoration centre, a veritable living conservatory featuring all the traditional professions and knowhow in the realm of watchmaking.]
For more information about Patek Philippe click
Stoll & Company, America’s
Watchmakers
Communication is key
I
In the last issue, we profiled the after sales
service/customer service approach of Piaget.
This issue, we take a look at another way of
handling service and watch repair, as a third
party vendor. Europa Star talked with Ron
Stoll, president, founder and owner of Stoll &
Company (www.americaswatchmaker.com).
Established in 1982, Stoll & Company provides watch repair services to watch brands,
watch retailers and individual consumers
across the globe. In addition, Stoll is the North
American president of Carl F. Bucherer watch
company, and Stoll & Company does all of
Carl F. Bucherer’s after sales service.
I caught up with Stoll in his offices in Dayton,
Ohio, USA.
“32 years ago, I was attempting to make a living fixing watches, then the company developed from there,” he explains. “There wasn’t a
blueprint or plan, it just progressed naturally. I
started out with one watch to fix, then one
day I had two watches to fix, then it was ten,
Ron Stoll
then 100. We didn’t go out and try to solicit
business, we built the business based on our
merit and passion for watchmaking, and it
grew from there.
“Today, we receive around 140,000 watches
a year,” he continues. “We do all types of repairs
– we service watches in all price categories
but specialise in servicing prestigious timepieces. This allows us to hire people at different skill levels. We have 60 employees. We do
individual repairs, we work for retail jewellers
and we do authorised warranty and repair
work for niche brands like Alpina, Frédérique
Constant, Porsche Design, Anonimo and Carl
F. Bucherer.”
No matter who the end customer is, managing after sales service and customer service in
general is vital. “After sales service and customer service is everything,” Stoll says. “No
matter the price of any watch, people purchase watches according to the amount of
disposable income they have, and it becomes
an important possession of theirs. When
something goes wrong with their timepiece,
keeping the customer satisfied depends on
how quick the repair can be completed and,
most importantly, the quality of the service.
Communications with customers is critical;
you can’t let the people think they have been
forgotten. Service has the potential to be a
negative, but with efficient communication
you can turn it into a positive.”
For Stoll & Company, communication is key.
They strive to stay on top of the communications and if there is a problem, or a delay, they
update the customer immediately.
“One of things that we have found is that you
are better off to staff more people on your
customer service side, and invest the money
in your IT, to keep adequate communication
with the retailer or the end consumer,” Stoll
details. “If you are proactive, it’s the least
expensive way to address an issue. If a watch
is in for a significant period of time, you can
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We create customized boxes for fine timepieces, jewelry, spirits,
eyewear, writing instruments and any other luxury items, whatever
the shape, material or opening mechanism.
THE FINE ART OF BESPOKE BOXES
www.technew.ch
GENEVA - SWITZERLAND
Client
Package
Scanned
Received
guarantee that the consumer and the retailer
will contact you. If you communicate well, the
phones don’t ring, there is no pressure and
everyone is happy. We have always paid particular attention to the communication end of
customer service. For example, a regular maintenance service usually takes between 30 and
45 days. If you are upfront with the customer
that this is what it is going to take, and if you
adhere to it, you won’t have a problem.”
Waiting
For
Assignment
Assign
Technician
Stoll and Company has a sophisticated RFID system of tracking so that the company knows at
any time where a watch is in the repair process.
“We look at a watch coming in for repair as a
piece of produce, as soon as it hits our door, it
starts to deteriorate,” Stoll explains. “The
quicker we can turn it around, the more profitable it is. We try to get the estimates done in
24 hours and communicated back to the
place of origin. Sometimes you have to get a
special component and check on a price, so
that may delay it, but 90 per cent of all our
estimates are done within 24 hours.
“We transmit the estimates by fax or email
and on the estimate, we give them the number of days it will take to complete the repair,”
he continues. “Our computer system automatically schedules the job for when it needs
Waiting
For
Estimate
Estimate
Approved
No Material
Required
Rush
Comeback
Warranty
Assigned
Tracking
Estimate
Order
Material
Material
Received
Waiting
For
Approval
Estimate
Complete
Estimate
Approved
Order
Material
Waiting
For
Material
Estimate
Declined
Failed
Inspection
Repair
Work
Completed
Quality
Control
Passed
Inspection
Completed
Invoice Created
Packing Slip Created
Label Created
Invoiced
Package
Scanned
Given To
Shipper
Shipped
Package
Scanned
Given To
Client
Package
Delivered
Client
to be shipped, then the system tracks the
watch through all the steps. We can control
and monitor it so that things don’t fall between
the cracks. Over our 32 years, every day there
is a different challenge, because something new
happens, we acknowledge and respond to these
challenges so it doesn’t reoccur again. Every
day we try to do better than the day before.”
Stoll has his fair share of success stories. “We
had an individual who had sent his watch
back to the factory many times and sent it to
other watch service companies, and it was
never fixed to his satisfaction,” Stoll remembers. “Then he found us and we were able to
fix his watch. That made us feel accomplished.
“We also receive timepieces for service which
the manufactures no longer support and will not
repair.” he continues. “We have a lot of spare
FACTS AND FIGURES:
Stoll & Company USA
www.americaswatchmaker.com, 1 800 786 5526
Number of employees: 60
Watches serviced per month (average): around
11,000 (140,000 per year)
Factory authorised service centre for:
Alain Silberstein, Alpina, Anonimo, B Swiss, Bertolucci,
Bucherer, Carl F. Bucherer, Delance, Delbana, Delma,
Frédérique Constant, Michel Herbelin, Porsche Design,
Xantia and more.
Price of repairs: Anywhere from $20 to $5,000,
wholesale. 95 per cent of all their work is wholesale.
Total watches serviced: 1.5 million
Service warranty: 12 months
europa star
SERVICE, PLEASE! 65
“There is always something new to learn, a new customer who has an interesting timepiece to service,...”
parts that enable us to service these timepieces. We aren’t any better than anyone else,
what makes us different is that we try harder.”
Challenges
Even though Stoll & Company is independent,
the company still faces challenges when dealing with watches from certain brands. “Some
manufactures do not want third party service
centres servicing their timepieces and will not
sell spare parts. This is a challenge for us, where
even some simple repairs cannot be completed
due to the lack of available parts.”
Finding the right workers is a challenge for
Stoll, as watch repair is very people intensive.
In fact, the average number of people who
touch a watch during its repair process at
Stoll & Company is 15, more for more complicated pieces.
“It’s challenging to find the qualified technicians,” Stoll admits. “It used to be that we
could scout the world for the finest watchmakers, but it’s more challenging now that
immigration laws have changed. At the same
time, we receive a large volume of repairs,
which allows us to employ people at all skill
levels and we aim to hire people that are
mechanically inclined, have superb hand-eye
coordination and good dexterity and train
them internally. We start them with simple pro-
cedures, they can then go to the next level and
continue to advance. We have an advantage in
that we can train the workforce ourselves.”
Counterfeit watches are becoming a bigger
problem. “Unfortunately, because of the many
similarities of counterfeit watches produced
today, we do see watches sent in where the
owner is unaware that it is counterfeit,” Stoll
says. Stoll and Company will not service any
counterfeit products.
Stoll is in the repair business, not the delivery
business, so when a repair is done, he depends
on delivery companies to handle that aspect.
“FedEx, UPS and the US postal system are the
three players and we use all three of them,”
Stoll details. We decide who the carrier is
unless the client specifies who they want to
handle the logistics. Everything we send back
requires a signature, and our insurance covers
the delivery. If you are shipping back a $50,000
watch, you want to make sure it’s signed for
by the right person.”
The future
More and more mechanical watches are being
sold, so that means that more watches will
eventually need to be serviced. All mechanical
watches require service at some point, and Stoll
feels that consumers need to be more aware
of the upkeep that is needed. He acknowl-
edges that it is hard for sales people to communicate about the future need for service
when trying to sell the watch.
“In the last several years, brands have invested
more in their service facilities, thus allowing
them to maintain a better relationship with
their customers," Stoll says. “Each day there
will be more watches to service than there was
the day before. Every company's challenge is
finding people capable of servicing watches.
Because of production capabilities today and
the demand for mechanical watches, these
watches will all need service.”
Stoll loves what he does and looks forward to
coming to work every day. “There is always
something new to learn, a new customer who
has an interesting timepiece to service,” he
says, enthusiastically. “I love what I am doing.
Children have a teddy bear they carry with
them to feel secure, my security in life is having
a watch in my hand, whether it’s a new watch
or a broken watch, that I can then fix.
“I love the challenges, and the encounters with
new customers. We get a lot of nice accolades
from customers about what we did for them,”
he adds. “It makes you feel good, it touches
your soul to know that people acknowledge
what we do. It’s nice to know that you are
doing something that people appreciate.” O
66 RETAILER PROFILE europa star
Talking Turkey – Saat & Saat in Istanbul
I
Istanbul is a bustling, thriving city – full of life,
business and excitement. In the heart of this
city, the only one in the world to span two
continents (Europe and Asia) is the Saat &
Saat Company, run by Ramazan Kaya, president. Saat & Saat has its hands in just about
every part of the watch business – the company is a distributor for brands in Turkey (selling wholesale to other retailers), has its own
retail stores, works with department stores
and does its own service. Saat & Saat recently
bought the distributor LPI Turkey, adding
Maurice Lacroix and TAG Heuer to the stable
of brands it distributes in Turkey.
Europa Star met with Mr. Kaya in his offices in
Istanbul to find out more about the Saat &
Saat operation.
ES: Please give us the background of your
company.
RK: In 1994, we started distributing Adidas
watches. We got into retail because that is
where the world was and is going. We started
in 2006 with one store, and now we have 82
Saat & Saat stores. By the end of next year, we
will have 100 of our own stores, and we will
be in a total of 155 points of sale.
ES: What is particular about the Turkish market?
RK: The wholesale market is very difficult
here. We have to give huge credit terms and
big margins. The retailers also like to give discounts. The strength of the market is that people know watches. The Turkish customer is a
great watch customer, very knowledgeable
and likes to bargain. We have our standard
discounts, like 15 per cent if they pay cash,
but we don’t go below that, unless it’s a liquidation sale.
Ramazan Kaya
ES: You just recently acquired LPI to distribute
high-end watches. Is this a direction in which
you want to move?
RK: We are already very strong in fashion
brands. Our weakest point is high end. With
this new company, we are showing the highend brands we are going to be a big player.
Turkey is becoming a bigger market. In a very
short time, Turkey will be a major vacation
destination, so we believe that we should be
in the high-end business in Turkey. We don’t
think the competition is doing it well enough,
which gives us opportunity.
ES: How is the high end different from the
fashion brand market?
RK: I love to learn, and we will gain a lot of
experience. We are always improving. We have
to choose the right point of sales to get the right
service and presentation. Our sales people are
very important. Then we have to have the right
merchandising, the right advertising channels.
With TAG Heuer, for example, there are some
points of sale that are better than Saat &
Saat. I have to be objective. I am not happy
that some Saat & Saat stores are not at that
standard yet. If there is a retailer who is better
than Saat & Saat or Campanola, we can work
with them. For us, the most important thing is
the brand, so we look at who is best for the
brand. We look at the strengths and weaknesses of each store, whether it is ours or not,
to decide where to put it.
ES: Is it difficult to manage being a distributor
and a retailer?
RK: When you look at Saat & Saat, we do so
many different things – we are a distributor,
we have general retailers, we have higher end
retailers, we have jewellery wholesale and
europa star
RETAILER PROFILE 67
retail, we have kiosks in the shopping malls,
we work with department stores where we
run our stores, we have on-line sales and we
have individual retailers for distribution.
This is a benefit for our customers, because
they only have to deal with us and they know
the quality and standard of our company.
ES: What is the secret of your success?
RK: Wanting success so much. We wanted
to be a key player in the industry and that is
the reason we concentrate so much and we
have success today. In 1999, we became a real
retailer. We have had some really big difficulties
becoming a retailer, because department stores
didn’t care about us. In 2008 and 2009, during
the crisis, most of the retailers were afraid and
stepped back. We pressed the accelerator and
every two weeks we opened a new store, and
where stores left, we went in. Then everyone
began paying attention to us, and they started
to give nice locations to us. Now, we are the
biggest retail player in Turkey. The number two
has 12 stores, and most of them are franchisees.
ES: What is the biggest challenge facing your
company right now?
RK: Finding high quality, knowledgeable
employees is a challenge. For retail, it’s a nightmare. If you have the right person in your
store, the turnover can go up 30 per cent, but
if you have the wrong person it can go down.
The most important thing in retail is the
employee. We work with the trainers, the consultants, we spend money on the employees,
and then the next day they leave, because
they are all young and they don’t have much
responsibility or loyalty. We always have to
have extra people, and that costs money, but
we have to make the investment.
ES: What is the biggest challenge facing the
watch industry right now?
RK: Designs. Design is the big risk. If you find
a beautiful design, you are flying. If you don’t
work with the right designer, God help you.
Product design is the most important thing in
the watch industry.
ES: Who is your customer?
RK: Mostly, the young generation, 50 – 50 men
and women. We reach other consumers too, but
the young generation is stronger than the older
generation. Young customers, once they get into
the Saat & Saat family, they will stay with us.
ES: How important is after sales service?
RK: Very important and not fair. We have an
average of nine days between receiving and
sending it back to the customer, which is really
good timing. That’s why we have over 50 people in the after sales service department. For
us, after sales service is not a profit centre. I
FACTS AND FIGURES:
Saat & Saat operations:
• 82 Saat & Saat stores
• 8 Campanola stores,
• 45 Department stores (25 Boyner, 19 YKM, 1 Bigmall)
• 13 Saat & Saat Kiosks
• 5 Pandora shops
Saat and Saat supplies 400 wholesale doors (independent retailers) across the country.
Total turnover is approximately 50 per cent Saat & Saat
operations and 50 per cent by independent retailers.
Employees: 750
Size of store: average size is 60m2
Range of price: US$150 - US$10,000
Best selling watches: Guess, Diesel, Fossil
Brands: TAG Heuer, Maurice Lacroix, Burberry,
Emporio Armani, U-Boat, Gc, Welder, Cerutti 1881,
Pandora, Glam Rock, Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, Diesel,
Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Jacques Lemans, Citizen,
Esprit, Fossil, Adidas.
don’t want to risk it, because we don’t want
customer complaints and we don’t want to
harm our future. Even so, I cannot make everyone happy. Sometimes, the watch is eight
years old and the customer wants me to solve
his problems and you don’t have spare parts
and the brand takes time to ship the spare
parts, and the customer starts to complain.
If I have any e-mails from customers or retailers concerning after sales service, I pay attention and follow up on them right away.
ES: Are you optimistic about the future?
RK: In ten years time, we will have 500 points
of sales here in Turkey, so I am very optimistic
about the future. There are brands we would
love to carry in Turkey. Saat & Saat would like
to carry the brands that are performing well
around the world but not in Turkey. We could
help those brands here. With TAG and Maurice
Lacroix, it’s a good chance for us to prove that
we can do higher end brands.
ES: What brands would you like to carry that
you don’t right now?
RK: We don’t want to be a brand collector.
We get inquiries every week from the brands.
If we have one brand that is not performing
well in Turkey, we stop it. We have never lost
any brands, because we follow the rules.
What the brand owner wants, we try to do.
Thanks to Mr. Kaya and his staff for their hospitality and their willingness to give Europa
Star insight into their organisation. O
Read the full interview on www.europastar.com
68 WORLDWATCHWEB europa star.com
Global consumer interest for
haute horlogerie increases by 7 per cent,
fuelled by BRIC and Asian markets
RTamar Koifman, Head of Marketing, Digital Luxury Group
E
Every year on the occasion of the Salon International
de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), Digital Luxury Group
unveils the results of the haute horlogerie category* of the WorldWatchReport™, which tracks
and analyzes the global online interest for luxury watches.
Tracking the online interest expressed through search engines for
eighteen brands across twenty international markets, a total of over
30 million individual searches for this category, has allowed for
the uncovering of some very interesting haute horlogerie trends.
Interest for haute horlogerie brands continues
to grow (+ 7 per cent year-on-year)
Compared to the previous year, the highest-end category of luxury watches, haute horlogerie, experienced a 7 per cent increase
in brand interest. “This marks the third year in a row that the
online interest of this highest-end segment of luxury watches has
increased, showing the continued strength of haute horlogerie
within the overall market,” indicates Florent Bondoux, Head of
Strategy & Intelligence at Digital Luxury Group.
BRIC + Asian markets represent nearly 50 per
cent of haute horlogerie global brand interest
Of the 20 markets analyzed in the study, nearly half (47 per cent)
of global interest for haute horlogerie stems from in-the-spotlight
markets Brazil, Russia, India, China, Singapore, Thailand, Hong
Kong, and Taiwan. Mainland China on its own comprises 31 per
cent of the global demand or twice as much as the US market,
increasing by 27 per cent.
Consumer interest for haute horlogerie in mature
markets, US and Japan, declining
A downward trend was observed in the weight that mature luxury watch markets the US (down by 10.6 per cent) and Japan
(down by 11.7 per cent) represent in the global breakdown.
While relative share of demand has progressively shrunk in the
past three years in most established markets, for the first time
since the report’s launch in 2004, an absolute decline in domestic demand in the US and Japan is observed.
Geographic search breakdown for
haute horlogerie by market
(© Digital Luxury Group, Jan.-Sept. 2012)
europa star.com
“2012 has been a year of stabilisation in the U.S. Affluents have
been focused on the presidential campaign and the tax hikes surrounding the fiscal cliff. Tourist shopping, notably from Latin
America, should offset domestic demand slowdowns and represent a major growth driver in the region,” explains David Sadigh,
Founder & CEO of the Digital Luxury Group.
Patek Philippe leading by far
the haute horlogerie segment
Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak reinforces
its leadership as the top watch model among
haute horlogerie brands globally
The Royal Oak, reinforcing its leading position of last year, continues its reign as the most sought-after haute horlogerie watch
model, increasing its online interest by 5 per cent over the last
year, likely an effect of the increased communications surrounding the icon’s 40th anniversary. Though the Royal Oak leads globally, local preferences arise for other models in markets such as
Japan (Girard-Perregaux’s 1945), China (Vacheron Constantin’s
Overseas), and Russia (Blancpain’s Leman).
Top 10 most sought-after
haute horlogerie collections in 2012
0.6%
De Bethune
Jaquet Droz
Greubel Forsey 0.2%
1.0%
0.8%
Roger Dubuis
1.4%
1.2%
Bovet
Parmigiani
2.6%
2.2%
A.Lange & Söhne
Richard Mille
Blancpain
Girard-Perregaux
4.0%
3.8%
Ulysse Nardin
5.9%
4.3%
Franck Muller
7.7%
6.5%
Breguet
Glashütte Original
12.6%
9.2%
Vacheron Constantin
Audemars Piguet
12.7%
The most popular haute
horlogerie brands in 2012
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Patek Philippe
23.6%
Patek Philippe remains by far the leading haute horlogerie watch
brand with 23.6 per cent of brand interest share. JaegerLeCoultre takes the second spot with 12.7 per cent, closely followed by Vacheron Constantin at 12.6 per cent, Audemars Piguet
at 9.2 per cent and Breguet at 7.7 per cent.
Along with Richard Mille (see below), Vacheron Constantin and
Patek Philippe also record the highest growth rates in brand interest
year-on-year, with 26 per cent and 10.2 per cent growth, respectively.
WORLDWATCHWEB 69
Richard Mille is the fastest growing
haute horlogerie brand
Founded in 2001, Richard Mille is the fastest growing haute horlogerie brand (+61 per cent over last year), followed by Vacheron
Constantin (+26 per cent) and Patek Philippe (+10 per cent).
“Assuming Richard Mille manages to keep its momentum and
growth rate, the company could easily become one of the top 5
haute horlogerie brands by 2020,” predicts Sadigh. “This is a
brand with a strong breadth of exclusive products and an equally
strong PR-driven marketing approach focused on events and
celebrity endorsements. Richard Mille is a brand to watch.”
For more information about the WorldWatchReport™,
published annually by Digital Luxury Group,
please visit www.worldwatchreport.com.
* The haute horlogerie category brands tracked in this preview
report: A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Bovet,
Breguet, De Bethune, Franck Muller, Girard-Perregaux, Glashütte
Original, Greubel Forsey, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Jaquet Droz, Parmigiani,
Patek Philippe, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron
Constantin. (Other brands exhibiting at the Salon International
de la Haute Horlogerie such as Cartier, IWC, Panerai, and Piaget,
have not been analysed in this year’s preview research after a
revised brand segmentation, the results of which will be released
in April at the time of BaselWorld).
Editorial & Advertisers’ index
88 Rue du Rhône 50
A, B
Ace Jewelers 45-47
Adidas 66, 67
Alain Silberstein 64
A. Lange & Söhne 24,
29, 34, 47, 69
Alpina 42, 58, 62, 64
Anonimo 62, 64
Antoine Martin 40
Ateliers de Monaco 40,
42
Audemars Piguet 23,
24, 30, 32, 47, 69
BaselWorld 28, 38, 42,
48, 51, 56-57
Baume & Mercier 28, 47
Bertolucci 64
Blancpain 32, 59, 69
Boegli 42
Bomberg 10-11
Bovet 69
Breguet 32, 47, 69
Breitling 47
B Swiss 64
Bucherer 64
Burberry 67
C, D
Carl F. Bucherer 5, 59,
62, 64
Cartier 18, 27, 28, 47, 69
Casio 54-55
Celsius 32, 47
Centagora 35
Century 42, 43
Cerutti 1881 67
Chanel COVER II, 1
(Intl.) 2-3 (Eur.)
China Watch & Clock Fair
71
Chinese Timekeeper, The
46
Christophe Claret 32
Citizen 33, 67
Cousins 71
Cyrus 40
Daniel Roth 28
De Bethune 32, 34, 39,
69
de Grisogono 59
Delance 64
Delbana 64
Delma 64
DeWitt 6-7
Diesel 67
Dietrich 40
Digital Luxury Group 8,
68-69
Donna Karan 67
E, F
Eberhard 58
Emile Chouriet
COVER III (Eur.)
Emporio Armani 67
Esprit 67
ETA 42, 43, 52, 58
La Fabrique du Temps
19
Fossil 67
Franck Muller 69
François-Paul Journe 47
Frédérique Constant 40,
42, 43, 62, 64
G, H
Gc 67
Geneva Time Exhibition
32, 36, 40, 45, 46, 47
Gérald Genta 28
Girard-Perregaux 51,
58, 69
Glam Rock 67
Glashütte Original 69
Greubel Forsey 22, 31,
47, 69
Gucci 51, 59
Guess Watches 67
Harold W. SA 43
Hautlence 32, 34
Heritage Watch
Manufactory 35, 47
Hermès 20
H. Moser & Cie. 32, 34,
46
Hublot 32, 36
I, J
Ice-Watch 41
Ikepod 47
IWC 23, 26, 29, 46, 47,
69
Jacques Lemans 67
Jaeger-LeCoultre 31,
47, 69
Jaquet Droz 69
JeanRichard 17, 51-52
L, M
Laurent Ferrier 36
Longines 47
Louis Moinet 40
LVMH 19
Magellan 40
Maurice Lacroix 66, 67
MB&F 47
MELB Holding 32, 34
Michael Kors 67
Michel Herbelin 64
Milus 43, 44
Montblanc 24, 25, 31,
47
O, P
Omega 47, 58
Orient Watch Company
COVER III (Intl.)
Pandora 67
Panerai 23, 25, 29, 30,
47, 69
Parmigiani 20, 25, 26,
31, 47, 69
Patek Philippe 34, 47,
60-61, 69, 72
Piaget 25, 26, 28, 30,
69
Porsche Design 62, 64
R, S
Rado 47, 58
Ralph Lauren COVER I,
12-15, 30, 31
Raymond Weil 49-50
RGM 44
Richard Mille 20, 22,
31, 47, 69
Richemont Group 18,
29
Roger Dubuis 23, 24,
26, 29, 69
Rolex COVER II, 1
(Eur.), 47
Romain Gauthier 9
Ronda 53, 59
Saat & Saat 66-67
Seiko 38
SIHH 16, 18, 20, 23,
24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31,
32, 45
Sowind Group 51
Stoll & Company 62,
64-65
Swatch Group 32
T, U
TAG Heuer 32, 34, 37,
38, 47, 66, 67
Technew 63
Technotime 43
Tissot 47
Titoni 21
Tommy Hilfiger 67
Tudor COVER IV
U-Boat 67
Ulysse Nardin 69
Urwerk 32, 38, 39, 47
V, W
Vacheron Constantin 23 (Intl.), 19, 20, 34, 69
Van Cleef & Arpels 19,
30
Vianney Halter 37
Vogard 34, 35
Welder 67
Wyler Genève 51
X, Z
Xantia 64
Zenith 32, 36, 37
Managing Director: Philippe Maillard
EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief: Pierre M. Maillard • pmaillard@europastar.com
Senior Editor: D. Malcolm Lakin • mlakin@europastar.com
International Editor: Keith W. Strandberg • keiths821@aol.com
Managing Editor: Paul O’Neil • poneil@europastar.com
Editorial Consultant: Casey Bayandor • cbayandor@europastar.com
Asst. Publisher: Nathalie Glattfelder • nglattfelder@europastar.com
CONTRIBUTORS
• Italy: Paolo de Vecchi • Germany: Gerhard Claussen, Timm Delfs
• France: Antoine Menusier • Australia: Martin Foster • Russia: Vyacheslav Medvedev
• Portugal: Miguel Seabra • Romania: George Gisca • China: Jean-Luc Adam
• Art & Techniques of Watchmaking: Jean-Claude Nicolet
ART
Alexis Sgouridis • asgouridis@europastar.com
Dummy: Fonderie Grafix, Geneva
MARKETING & CIRCULATION PRINT/E-MEDIA
Marketing & Circulation Director: Nathalie Glattfelder • nglattfelder@europastar.com
Marketing & Circulation Manager: Jocelyne Bailly • jbailly@europastar.com
PUBLISHING & PRODUCTION PRINT/E-MEDIA
Advertising Manager: Laurence Chatenoud • lchatenoud@europastar.com
Editorial, Production & Advertising Coordinator: Talya Lakin • tlakin@europastar.com
ADVERTISING / INTERNATIONAL SALES MANAGERS
Switzerland / Italy / US: Casey K. Bayandor.
Tel: +41 22 307 78 37 Fax: +41 22 300 37 48 • cbayandor@europastar.com
Europe & International: Nathalie Glattfelder.
Tel: +41 22 307 78 37 Fax: +41 22 300 37 48 • nglattfelder@europastar.com
Spain: Carles Sapena, Sisserou s.l. Tel & Fax: +34 93 112 7113 • csapena@europastar.es
Asia: Maggie Tong
Tel: +852 9658 1830 Fax: +852 2527 5189 • maggietong@europastar.com
Ukraine: Sergiy Kuzmenko
Tel: +38 044 205 4089 Fax: +38 044 205 4099 • skuzmenko@karavan.ua
ACCOUNTING
Business Manager: Catherine Giloux. Tel: +41 22 307 78 48 • cgiloux@europastar.com
Credit Manager: Alexandra Montandon. Tel: +41 22 307 78 47 • amontandon@europastar.com
MAGAZINES
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Trends & Colours
WEBSITES
www.worldwatchweb.com, www.europastar.com, www.watch-aficionado.com,
www.watches-for-china.com, www.horalatina.com, www.europastar.es, www.europastarwatch.ru, www.CIJintl.com, eurotec-online.com
Head office:
Europa Star HBM SA, Route des Acacias 25, CH-1227 Carouge/Geneva - Switzerland
Tel +41 22 307 78 37, Fax +41 22 300 37 48, www.europastar.com.
Help Desk: jricher@europastar.com
Subscriptions, one year 6 issues, CHF 100 Europe, CHF 140 International.
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Printed in Geneva by SRO-KUNDIG
Audited REMP2012 / FRP 2012
Copyright 2013 EUROPA STAR
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without
the written permission of Europa Star.
72 LAKIN@LARGE europa star
Times Square squared
At the beginning of December with the temperature hovering around
15 to 16 degrees Celsius in Menton, I was told by a very persuasive
lady that we were off to New York for a week. I fought valiantly, but
lost and before you could say ‘Have a nice day’, I was in a mile-long
queue waiting to go through immigration at Kennedy Airport.
New York is an amazing city, full of weird and wonderful people, taxi
drivers that barely speak English – or as Rex Harrison said in My Fair
Lady, Americans haven’t spoken English for years – surprising sites,
towering buildings and literally hundreds of clocks from the mundane
to the unexpected.
The photograph below shows Tourneau, New York’s largest watch
emporium with its nineteen-clock storefront: a large clock showing
local time and eighteen smaller clocks indicating the time in various
time zones around the world.
51,000 people walked over the clock daily. Given that the numbers will
have increased dramatically since then, let’s say it now averages out to
75,000 people a day, that means around 1,806,750,000 people have
walked and stamped across its face over the last century. They don’t
make ’em like that anymore!
All of which reminds me of a story about a man walking in Times
Square when he checks his watch to find it has stopped. He looks
around but doesn’t see a clock and asks a man the time.
The man drops to the ground saying, “Just a second,” pulls out what
looks like a conductor’s baton, sticks it in the crack between two paving
stones, extracts a carpenter’s level to ensure the baton is perfectly
vertical, then takes a compass from his pocket, locates north and as in
days of yore gets the precise length of the shadow cast by the stick
using a retractable tape measure.
Where Broadway and 7th Avenue converge you find the bustling and
much-photographed Times Square. Here amidst the thousands of
tourists you’ll see the Naked Cowboy protecting his extremities with a
white guitar, white Stetson and cowboy boots singing in an arctic
temperature, people dressed as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and the
Statue of Liberty. But the winner was a man giving away photocopies of
a Rolex watch but asking for a dollar for a photocopy of the guarantee.
Further downtown, sitting between Ground Zero and Wall Street and
on the corner of Broadway and Maiden Lane, there’s a watch and
jewellery store called William Barthman. Established in 1884, the
owner decided in 1899 to set into what the Americans call the sidewalk and we call the pavement a mechanical clock that to this day is
controlled and serviced from a passage underneath. A very thick
glass set into a brass and steel bezel bearing the name of the shop
protects the dial from a century of attacks by vandals. It’s no longer
mechanical; today it functions using an electric motor.
In 1946, the New York Police Department estimated that on average
He then takes out a slide rule from his inside pocket, makes a quick calculation and as he clambers to his feet putting away all the paraphernalia states confidently, “It’s exactly two twenty-seven in the afternoon.”
Suitably impressed by this calculation the man sets his watch, gives it a
shake to ensure it is now working and says, “That’s quite a remarkable
calculation you did there. But what do you do if it’s overcast or raining
and there’s no shadow?”
The man points to his wrist and says, “In that case I’d look at Patek!”
Well, you’ve got to laugh haven’t you?
D. Malcolm Lakin
Roving Editor

impressions from the geneva shows

Transcription

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