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*Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute

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Editorial

A NEW ERA FOR

JAPANESE WATCHMAKING?

BY SERGE MAILLARD

J

apan is having doubts, as are most mature economies. Its industry is having to compete with powerful Chinese and Korean neighbours, and has long lost its status as one of Asia’s rising stars. However, its culture fascinates as never before, preserved by its insularity in a world caught up in globalisation. The number of tourists continues to increase each year, to the point that the city of Kyoto (55 million visitors in 2018) is starting to feel more like Barcelona...

The enthronement in May of a new emperor, Naruhito, marks the beginning of a new era in the traditional Japanese calendar. The coun- Since luxury is first try’s watchmakers, who are responsible for marking this sacred time, and foremost a matter certainly hope so. In this particular context – a stagnant economy but of perception, why growing cultural capital – they are seeking to change their image. Since luxury is first and foremost a matter of perception, why not make the not make the most of Japan’s cultural most of Japan’s cultural appeal to reposition themselves?

As demand for Japanese quartz movements continues to fall, due to appeal to reposition declining interest in the fashion watch, and as the arrival of the smartthemselves? watch causes major upheavals in the traditional entry-level segment, all watchmakers in the country have decided to move up the range.

At the last Basel fair, the average price of the new products presented by Seiko, Casio and Citizen rose sharply. It was also noticeable that the brands’ communication focused as much on the technical characteristics of the timepieces as on their aesthetics. Casio’s MR-G line, combining the latest multifunctional technologies with the ancient art of metal hammering (tsuiki), is the ultimate example.

Where is the demarcation line between mass production and the exclusive and artisanal refinement of the timepieces we have seen in recent years? And who will have the final say in the Japanese firms – the engineer or the creative director? While Swiss watchmakers have proclaimed themselves champions in the domains of “craftsmanship”, “manufacture” and the “culture of excellence” (successfully, if perhaps somewhat arrogantly), the Japanese brands are preparing for a counter-offensive. For the time being, they remain largely under the radar, but they are patient, and they’re planning for the long term.

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GLOBAL EDITION | CHAPTER 3.2019 CITIZEN CALIBER 0100 WHITE GOLD MODEL (AQ6010-06A) Slated for launch in the autumn of this year, Citizen unveils three new “Caliber 0100” watches, named after the Eco-Drive movement, which delivers the world’s most precise time-keeping accuracy of within ±1 second per year. In the model on the cover of this issue, the case and crown are crafted of clear white gold with a crystal design motif suggesting ultra-precision, as well as the “purity” of individual seconds.

26 THE ENIGMA OF JAPANESE YOUTH 30 MASTER OF THE SWORDS 32 JAPANESE WATCHMAKING WANTS TO CHANGE ITS IMAGE 38 INTERVIEW WITH SHUJI TAKAHASHI, PRESIDENT OF SEIKO WATCH CORP. 42 INTERVIEW WITH HIROSHI NAKAMURA, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF CASIO 46 INTERVIEW WITH TOSHIHIKO SATO, PRESIDENT OF CITIZEN GROUP 50 ORIENT, THE WATCH BRAND OF EPSON 52 IN THE WORLD’S LARGEST MOVEMENT FACTORY 56 MINASE WATCH SECRET 60 SEIKO AND TISSOT CONCEPT STORES 62 HISTORY: THE SECRET CALENDARS OF JAPANESE PRINTS

FROM OUR ARCHIVES

COVER STORY

CITIZEN CALIBER 0100: THE ONE-SECOND CHALLENGE

CHRONOMETRIC PRECISION RECORD FOR LONGINES

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JAPAN WATCH REPORT

CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD. www.citizenwatch.com

日本

130 LAST WORD TO START

76

WATCH TRENDS GALLERY

78 FINE TUNING 80 ARCHITECTURE 84 DESIGN & PERFORMANCE 86 REGULATORS 88 MECHANICAL FOLLIES 90 BUBBLES & TRANSPARENCY 92 TIME FRACTIONS 96 A FEMININE TAKE ON TIME

64

HIGHLIGHTS

66 URBAN JÜRGENSEN 68 CARL F. BUCHERER 70 EBERHARD 72 TITONI 74 ONEOF

100 URBAN 102 WAVES 105 ART FOR ART’S SAKE

Back in 1958, Europa Star published this edition for Japan, with a very beautiful layout on the cover. Sixty years later we maintain our commitment to following the evolution of this market.

Scroll through our archives by joining our Club at www.europastar.com/club

SUBSCRIBE TO EUROPA STAR www.europastar.com/club | SUBSCRIBE TO THE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER www.europastar.com/newsletter | CHAIRMAN Philippe Maillard PUBLISHER Serge Maillard EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Pierre Maillard CONCEPTION & DESIGN Serge Maillard, Pierre Maillard, Alexis Sgouridis DIGITAL EDITOR Ashkhen Longet PUBLISHING / MARKETING / CIRCULATION Nathalie Glattfelder, Marianne Bechtel/Bab-Consulting, Jocelyne Bailly, Véronique Zorzi BUSINESS MANAGER Catherine Giloux MAGAZINES Europa Star Global | USA | China | Première (Switzerland) | Bulletin d’informations | Eurotec EUROPA STAR HBM SA Route des Acacias 25, CH-1227 Geneva - Switzerland, Tel +41 22 307 78 37, Fax +41 22 300 37 48, contact@europastar.com Copyright 2019 EUROPA STAR | All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of Europa Star HBM SA Geneva.

The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily Europa Star.

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CITIZEN CALIBER 0100

THE ONE-SECOND CHALLENGE In a world first, the Japanese brand is introducing three new Eco-Drive watches that achieve an accuracy to within ±1 second per year. They draw directly on Citizen’s long tradition of R&D in precision timekeeping: the Caliber 0100 is a direct heir of the Crystron Mega of 1975, which even then was capable of an accuracy of ±3 seconds per year.

In this Cover Story we introduce this revolutionary technology, as well as the refined and elegant aesthetics of the timepiece, with the support of material on Citizen from Europa Star’s own archives.

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hen we met Toshihiko Sato, President and CEO of Citizen Group, last April in Tokyo, the Caliber 0100 was quite naturally at the centre of the discussion. With its worldrecord accuracy of ±1 second per year, it represents a milestone for the Japanese brand.

“The Caliber 0100 showcases the high technology that Citizen can bring to the world,” sums up Toshihiko Sato. “We started this project several years ago, finally introducing it this year. The Caliber 0100 is a direct continuation of the history of Eco-Drive, which has been around for more than 40 years.”

Despite the current worldwide focus on mechanical watches, and the simultaneous rise of smartwatches, Citizen has never abandoned its research into the accuracy of quartz timepieces, always using the power of light with Eco-Drive technology.

As a reminder, the aim of this technology is to make up for the shortfalls of quartz watches, namely the relatively short battery life, the inconvenient process of replacing batteries and the environmental issues of battery disposal.

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Cover Story

WHITE GOLD MODEL (AQ6010-06A) The beauty of simplicity is reflected in this limited edition with ultra-precision accuracy of ±1 second per year.

The case and crown are crafted out of lustrous white gold, with a crystal design motif suggesting ultra-precision and the crystallisation of Citizen technologies, as well as the “purity” of the individual seconds. The Caliber 0100, housed inside the white gold case, is made of a black discolouration- and corrosion-resistant rutheniumplated material, with a unique striped finish visible on the back of the watch through the sapphire glass.

The tip of the second hand and the edge of the ivory dial create corresponding arcs, enhancing the movement of the second hand, which aligns perfectly with the indices.

The strap is textured black crocodile with subtle toneon-tone stitching. An individual serial number is etched on the back, indicating the limited number of 100 units available for the worldwide market.

CITIZEN’S WORLD FIRSTS

1967 World's first electronic quartz clock, "Crystron"

1972 World's first electronic watch with time signal time setting

1975 World's first accurate quartz watch, "Crystron Mega"

1976 World's first LCD quartz watch with alarm

1976 World's first analogue quartz watch using light as power source "Crystron Solar cell"

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Europa Star 2/1976

Europa Star 5/1977

Europa Star 4/1976

The new Caliber 0100 is heir to the ultra-precise Crystron Mega of 1975. These pages from the Europa Star archives provide some information about this pioneering timepiece, which achieved an accuracy of Âą3 seconds.

Europa Star 1/1977

1978 World's first watch with movement under the onemillimetre barrier

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1980 World's smallest ladies' analogue quartz watch

1982 World's first dive watch with 1300m pressure resistance, "Professional Diver 1300M"

1985 World's first dive watch with an electronic depth meter, "Aqualand"

1987 World's first voice recognition watch

1987 World's first light powered combination watch

The Caliber 0100 utilises AT cut type crystal oscillators that vibrate at a frequency of 8.4 MHz (8,388,608 Hz).

Heir to the Crystron Mega of the 1970s Back in 1975, the Crystron Mega succeeded in achieving record-breaking precision of ±3 seconds, as we documented at the time in Europa Star (see previous page).

So how did Citizen’s R&D teams achieve this new precision of ±1 second, without relying on data from radio towers or satellites?

As the brand explains, the first step was to replace the traditional tuning fork-shaped crystal oscillators generally used in quartz watches with AT cut type crystal oscillators. These oscillators vibrate at a frequency of 8.4 MHz (8,388,608 Hz), which is more than 250 times higher than tuning fork-shaped crystal oscillators. It ensures that this new mechanism remains resistant to outside influences such as temperature fluctuations and the effects of gravity, as well as age degradation.

AT cut type crystal oscillators, however, require greater amounts of energy to operate. The brand explains that it was able to compensate for this by thoroughly vetting the materials used, utilising intelligent design, and refining control over its power-saving strategies.

1988 World's first digital watch with shock switch "Shock Sensor"

1989 World's first professional climbing watch with electronic elevation sensor, "Altichron"

1989 World's first analogue quartz watch with a perpetual calendar

As a result, Caliber 0100 technology allows the EcoDrive to run continuously and with significantly greater stability for up to six months on a single full charge (8 months on power save mode), even without the presence of a light source.

What’s more, the Caliber 0100 maintains its greater accuracy by continuously monitoring and adjusting for frequency and temperature shifts once every minute. The optimal running temperature is between 5°C and 40°C, which is considered the most practical watch temperature environment for most regions of the world.

A new circuit design also incorporates higher shock resistance, which automatically corrects the position of the watch hands, and an antimagnetic feature to protect the movement from the effects of magnetic forces. All these innovations combine to deliver an unprecedented ±1 second per year precision accuracy.

1992 World's first dive watch with analogue depth meter, "Analog Depth Meter"

1993 World's first multi-band (Japan, Germany and Britain) radiocontrolled watch

1994 World's first professional dive watch with a depth sensor and a data transfer system, "Hyper Aqualand"

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According to Citizen, the individual hand movements of the Caliber 0100 are the physical expression of “a second in its purest form”.

A design stripped down to the essentials Beyond this technological innovation, it is very interesting – and revealing of the current transformations in Japanese watchmaking, which is tending more towards emotion and luxury – to note that the Caliber 0100 is housed in a very sober yet elegant case. At first sight, the external appearance of the watch gives no clue to the presence of the worldfirst technology inside.

In accordance with the simplicity of each second, the design of the timepiece has been made pure and timeless. Or, as the brand puts it perfectly: “The Caliber 0100 expresses the beauty of individual seconds in their purest form: superfluous adornments have been minimised to produce the ultimate simplicity.”

One of the most important characteristics of the dial is the fact that the second hand aligns perfectly with the indices when viewed from the front.

The individual hand movements are the physical expression of “a second in its purest form,” achieved by adopting the LIGA fabrication process (a manufacturing technology for making high-aspect-ratio microstructures) for individual components.

Ordinarily, gears and springs are machine cut and pressed. With LIGA fabrication, more intricate components can be manufactured. Special components

1997 World's first light powered watch with accuracy of ±10 seconds per year

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1997 World's first analogue quartz grand complication watch

1998 World's first light powered analogue depth meter dive watch

made by combining customised springs and gears produced by LIGA manufacturing prevent even the tiniest inconsistencies in the gears from affecting hand movements, thus ensuring that the hands align perfectly with the indices.

Long, heavy brass elements, which ordinarily cannot be propelled by the traditional torque motors of quartz movements, are used for the watch hands.

The simple aesthetics of the exquisite brass hands featured in these new models reflect the design concept of “conveying the purity of every second with superb accuracy”.

Citizen’s own skilled watchmaking “meisters” are responsible for assembling the Caliber 0100. These master craftsmen and women supervise the process and ensure the highest quality and accuracy.

It’s also their responsibility to ensure precision alignment of the second hand with each of the 60 indices, once it is fitted.

The price of the watch is $7,400 for the titanium version (limited to 200 pieces with mother-of-pearl dial and 500 pieces with black dial), and $16,800 for the white gold version (limited to 100 pieces).

2002 World's smallest movement watch

2006 World's first Bluetooth connected watch

2011 World's first satellitesynchronised watch

SUPER TITANIUMTM MODELS (AQ6021-51E / AQ6020-53X)

2016 World's thinnest light-powered watch

2017 World's first light-powered saturation diving watch water-resistant to 1000 metres

2019 World's most accurate lightpowered watch

The AQ6021-51E comes with a rich and lustrous metallic black dial. The dial material absorbs light through an array of tiny apertures on the front, suggesting the relationship between light and time.

The AQ6020-53X comes with a mother-of-pearl dial, evoking the never-ending passage of time in the natural world.

The contrast between the sophisticated mother-of-pearl pattern, formed over many years, and the second hand that marks each precise second, makes this watch uniquely striking. The presence of moments in the passage of eternal time — highlighted by the ultra-precise accuracy of ±1 second per year — is symbolised by the design itself.

Both models feature the “crystal” motif on the case, crown and bracelet. The evocative cuts at various angles provide a variety of expressions depending on the angle of light.

Designed for longevity, these models are constructed from Super TitaniumTM with Duratect α. A serial number on the back of the case indicates the limited number of units available worldwide.

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Europa Star Europe 2/1963

From our archives

1963

CHRONOMETRIC PRECISION RECORD FOR LONGINES

I

n this archive from a 1963 Europa Star issue, a team of three “régleurs” working for Longines, Frank Vaucher, Robert Chopard and Fernand Wenger, secure victory. The trio have just won two chronometric precision awards for mechanical models (quartz has not yet arrived). The Neuchâtel Observatory has certified two records: one for a single piece, another for a series of four pieces.

“Like the motor racing Grand Prix, observatory competitions have their own race cars,” we wrote then.

“Will the industry succeed in further improving the accuracy of the chronometer wristwatches, which seem to be reaching their limits?” These competitions highlighted the ambitions of technicians who

The COSC-certified Record collection of Longines keeps up with the chronometric tradition of the brand.

dreamt of snatching a few fractions of a second from the old precision record. As soon as the results were published, the battle began for the following year’s chronometric precision competition! Indeed, as we wrote, “the commercial success of a particular brand will depend directly on its outcome”.

On the occasion of its 185th anniversary in 2017, Longines paid tribute to these star technicians and renewed its chronometric tradition by launching a new automatic collection, named... Record, entirely certified by the COSC (Swiss Official Chronometric Test Institute). The movements used are the calibres 592 and 888, developed by ETA exclusively for Longines.

In a new era, new materials: the models are equipped with a single-crystal silicon balance spring. This material is increasingly used in the industry for its resistance to corrosion, temperature variations, magnetic fields and atmospheric pressure. This year, the Swiss brand is presenting new variations of the Record men's and women's watches in pink gold, as well as in stainless steel combined with pink gold. (SM)

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The rugged Akita province in northern Japan is home to watch 24 brand Minase

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The traditionally tech-driven Japanese watch industry is crafting a gradual upgrade towards emotion-based luxury.

Meanwhile, Swiss watch brands are looking for ways to seduce a new generation less keen on luxury shopping than their parents.

25

TH O E YO F J E N A U T P IG H AN M ES A E

AN AL YS IS

Japanese people aged 20 to 40 are much less into luxury than their parents, who experienced the country’s industrial boom. They prefer to save for their future, or spend their money on experiences. As in Europe or the USA, the middle class is in the grip of uncertainty.

The luxury sector is trying to adapt.

26

T

he clock of the Wako department store, owned

by Seiko, an icon of the Ginza district, has ticked away imperturbably for nearly a century. Just a stone’s throw away, the Japanese watch giant has recently opened a concept store that has a digital reproduction of the famous clock.

In the store, and in the neighbourhood generally, a good proportion of buyers are Chinese. Japan is becoming a favourite destination in Asia, with the increase in low-cost flights from China and South Korea. So much so that in Kyoto, the sacred heart of Japan, local residents are increasingly complaining about the nuisance caused by tourism. The city welcomed 55 million visitors last year.

A district of Osaka, where there are many second-hand watch stores, symbolises in a very concrete way the shift of the luxury centre from Japan to China. “Japanese who bought Rolex in the 1980s are now selling their timepieces to second-hand boutiques frequented by… young Chinese customers,” explains Pierre-Yves Donzé, Professor of Business History at Osaka University.

To experience a more typically Japanese atmosphere, where two-storey houses replace skyscrapers and there are numerous green spaces along the river banks, you should visit Daikanyama, a trendy new district in Tokyo.

This is where Tissot decided to open its first own-brand store in Tokyo this year. Between coffee shops and designer stores, the Swiss brand has reproduced the atmosphere of a Swiss chalet: natural materials, refined design and large photographs of icy peaks, which fit in well with the general aesthetics of this Japanese “SoHo”.

“In Japan, the concept of quality at a good price is not enough as an argument,” says Martin Gordian, Tissot’s manager for the country. With its focus on beautiful mechanics, the brand wants to attract new Japanese consumers.

Tissot Daikanyama Concept Store

Cautious about their spending: younger Japanese generations and the middle class.

A critical view of consumption This new generation is indeed very different from the one that preceded it, which enjoyed the heyday of European-style luxury in Asia in the 1980s. This was before the rise of China, the centre of all contemporary obsessions. Like its neighbour now, back then, Japan was driven by strong manufacturing momentum in the electronics and automotive industries. Caught in a deflationary spiral, since then the country has been on a downward economic slope.

“My father’s generation was very show-offy. The new Japanese generations are much less interested in consumption. Young people prefer to save because there is no longer any certainty of having a good pension. And if they spend, they would rather it was on experiences, like a good restaurant,” explains Ayako Nakano, representative of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry in Japan.

“Japanese who bought Rolex in the 1980s are now selling their timepieces to second-hand boutiques frequented by young Chinese customers.”

Pierre-Yves Donzé, Professor at Osaka University

She continues: “The economic stimulus policy launched by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who’s been in power since 2012 – the famous Abenomics – is creating even more income inequality. The middle classes are suffering, and hence the affordable luxury segment. Today, luxury purchases in Japan are mainly from two categories of consumers: Chinese tourists, and the wealthy Japanese class that benefits from the current economic policy.”

27

“The new Japanese generations are much less interested in luxury consumption.”

SWISS WATCH EXPORTS TO JAPAN (MILLION CHF) 2000 2005 2010 2017 2018

928 807

1.147

Ayako Nakano, Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry

1.229 1.341

Source: Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH

As a result, Swiss watch exports to Japan have stagnated at around $1 billion since 2005 – sometimes more, sometimes less, but with no strong signs of growth.

Embryonic e-commerce Nevertheless, the country still has a high concentration of watch collectors. Specialised media still has a dominant place in Japan. As for e-commerce, it is not yet a major phenomenon for the watch industry there.

Wilhelm Schmid, the CEO of A. Lange & Söhne, whom we met in Tokyo at the launch of the new Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar, agrees. “Japan is one of the most important markets in the world for us.

Japanese collectors are very demanding but loyal.

Some countries have a particular interest in precision, perfection and craftsmanship. Japan is definitely one of them.”

While there is less concern for sales of high-end timepieces, driven by Chinese tourism and the beneficiaries of Abenomics, the entry-level and mid-range are a cause for concern in Japan. Indeed, this segment traditionally relies on the expenditure of younger generations and the middle classes, who today are rather cautious about their spending.

28

“THE ERA OF SHOWING OFF IS OVER IN JAPAN” TUDOR IS BACK IN BUSINESS After an absence of about thirty years, the Geneva brand came back to Japan last year, with a new local team to manage distribution in the country.

Currently represented at seven points of sale in Japan (in Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe and Nagoya), the brand is looking to expand its network of partners. “There is a real opportunity for Tudor in Japan, because we have a humble profile in line with the spirit of this market.

The era of showing off is over in Japan.

People are looking for excellent quality with real value,” explains a local representative of the brand.

Tudor is also counting on its status as an official partner of the Rugby World Cup, which is being held this year in Japan from September to November, to strengthen its reputation in the country.

CALIBER RM 037

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TH AS E TER SW O O F RD S

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PA RA PH ER NA LIA

Swordsmith Sadanobu Gassan works with Casio to craft watches for a dedicated MR-G line. The heir to six generations of artisans, he explains how he works today. A portrait.

B

orn in 1979, Sadanobu Gassan grew up watching his grandfather Sadakazu and his father Sadatoshi making swords. “Before I knew it, it was my dream to become a swordsmith like them,” he says.

“Around the time that my friends were going on to university or getting jobs, I decided to begin training under my father.”

The history of Japanese swords is said to go back around 1,000 years. Since time immemorial the sword has been used as a symbol of authority in Japan.

As it was also a weapon, there was always a need for it in actual warfare. Hence, the sword became deeply rooted in Japanese culture.

“On top of that, Japanese swords have a high level of artistic content, which is one of the things that is said to make them exceptional,” says Sadanobu Gassan.

30

A dozen swords per year It takes a considerable amount of time to make a Japanese sword. At Gassan’s workshops, they turn out around 10 swords – including both short and long blades – per year. A sword is finished only after it has passed through the hands of a number of craftsmen besides the swordsmith, including a scabbard maker, an artisan who makes the blade collar, and a professional sword polisher.

In making a sword, the process of forging, in which the steel is folded and hammered out many times, is key.

Hammering steel that has been heated to 1,200–1,300°C drives impurities out of the material. Repeating that again and again gradually creates refined steel.

The “interweaving of steel, fire, and water” “Specific skills are important to achieve the key elements of a Japanese sword – to not break, not bend, and to cut well – at an extremely high level,” says Sadanobu Gassan. “Japanese swords are works of art created through the interweaving of MRG-G2000GA steel, fire, and water.”

For Casio, the craftsman added decorative rasp marks to the links in the watchband of the MRG-G2000GA, evoking the pattern used on Gassan sword tangs. “On the second link I inscribed the kanji character 鍛 meaning ‘forge, discipline, or train’, imbuing the watch with the spiritual soul of Japanese swordmaking.”

Swordsmith Sadanobu Gassan adds decorative rasp marks to the links in the watchband of Casio’s MRG-G2000GA, evoking the pattern used on Gassan sword tangs.

Five key objects used to craft Japanese swords: • Soft charcoal that creates plenty of heat • Bellows for blowing air into the hearth • Hammer for hammering the steel • Fire-resistant earth used in forging and hardening • Water for cleaning the surface of the steel by creating a vapour explosion, used during hardening 31

AG E IT G S IM

JA W W A PA A T N N C TS ES H TO M E C A H A K N I G N E

AN AL YS IS

Seiko, Citizen and Casio now offer models at prices that were unthinkable a few years ago. Japanese companies intend to move from a highly technological profile to a more emotional, refined and elegant brand image. It’s a long-term gambit for an industry that remains dominated by the central figure of the engineer.

J

apan’s image as a nation has changed significantly since the 1980s. From an industrial country mass-producing cheap electronics and cars, it has been propelled into an ultra-refined nation, at the forefront of fashion and design, with a unique lifestyle and traditions preserved by its insularity. That is what attracts the millions of tourists who visit the archipelago, and the many Western teenagers fascinated by Japan’s unique culture.

The local watch industry is also looking to change its image. There is a growing movement to make the switch from a “tech” image to more “emotional” brand 32

values (which have been so successful for Swiss watchmaking over the past two decades).

Each of the three major Japanese watch companies – Seiko, Casio and Citizen – has developed a clear strategy to achieve the same goal. Pierre-Yves Donzé, an expert in the watchmaking industry and a professor at Osaka University, has just published a paper on the evolution of the Japanese watchmaking industry since 1990*.

Seiko plays the traditional card “Seiko highlights Japanese craftsmanship and Japan’s manufacturing tradition through Grand Seiko,” explains Pierre-Yves Donzé. “This high-quality image is highly visible in Japan but not yet worldwide. Grand Seiko is already able to compete with Rolex, Omega and Cartier in the domestic market, but it has just begun its international expansion.”

In the opinion of Pierre-Yves Donzé, Seiko has adopted a strategy similar to that of the Swatch Group, with a diversity of collections – or rather brands – each with a distinct identity: luxury watches with Grand Seiko, hightech products with Astron, sports watches with Prospex, traditional mechanical watches with Presage and classic watches with a modern design with Premier. The group has many more brands at the domestic level, including licenses for Asics, Tsumori Chisato and Issey Miyake.

The expert writes: “The management adopted a new strategy after the Lehman shock, and one of its major aspects was to refocus on branding and move upmarket.” Two brands in particular play an important role in this charm offensive abroad: Presage and Grand Seiko. *Technological Innovation and Brand Management: The Japanese Watch Industry since the 1990s, Pierre-Yves Donzé and David Borel, Journal of Asia-Pacific Business, Routledge, April 2019

In the Elegance collection, a new dial combines Grand Seiko’s signature Mt. Iwate pattern and “Suki-urushi” lacquer.

Citizen, the buyout strategy Citizen has opted for takeovers: the group has successively taken over the American brand Bulova (2008), Swiss companies La Joux-Perret, Prototec and Arnold & Son (2012), as well as Angelus, and finally Frédérique Constant and Alpina (2016). “This allows for much faster growth,” says Pierre-Yves Donzé. “HQ has opted for decentralised management of these brands, which gives them a high degree of autonomy.”

In Japan, Citizen operates the Campanola brand, as well as the watch licenses of brands including Paul Smith, Margaret Howell Idea, Outdoor Products and Beauty & Youth.

“Citizen’s brand portfolio expresses a twofold strategy: the objective to move to the middle-upper global market through the acquisition of established brands, and a desire to occupy all the segments of the domestic market via a broad range of sub-brands,” writes Pierre-Yves Donzé.

Citizen L

Europa Star 2/1991

As shown in our archives, the 1990s were a boom time for Japanese watchmaking. In 2004, Europa Star already highlighted the haut de gamme positioning of Seiko in Japan.

Casio, the power of G-Shock Even the watch most symbolic of Japanese technology is moving up the range, with the use of Japanese craft techniques and far greater use of analogue displays.

“In 2004, facing stagnant sales, Casio adopted a new strategy, engaging with the segment of high-quality analogue watches; until then, it had traditionally focused on digital products,” writes Pierre-Yves Donzé.

“The company developed R&D facilities to equip its watches with new technology (e.g. solar batteries, wavereceptors, and GPS) and launched new brands, such as Oceanus, Edifice, and Sheen. In this context, Casio rebranded the G-Shock and developed analogue sports watches with the new G-Shock incarnation in 2011; today, roughly half of all G-Shock models are analogue.”

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Europa Star 3/2004

Domestic dominance Unlike Swiss watchmakers, who have always had to look to the international market, Japanese brands can rely on their domestic market in the event of a drop in global demand. Pierre-Yves Donzé has observed the growing importance of the domestic market since the mid-2000s: “According to data from the Japan Clock & Watch Association, complete watches shipped in Japan represented 45% of global shipments in 2015, the highest mark since the association began publishing data on this statistic.”

In 2015, the average value of a watch sold in Japan was 13,905 yen, compared to 2,646 yen for a watch shipped abroad. This compares with 3,728 yen and 1,351 yen respectively in 2000. The upscaling of Japanese brands happens first on the national market, which acts as a laboratory, before expanding internationally.

TITONI.CH

SWISS MADE

# 8 3 9 19 S- ST-576

The Japanese watch industry sticks to highly technical names for its timepieces, in a global age that celebrates straight-to-thepoint branding…

Changing the entrepreneurial spirit?

Knot is a new entry-level watch brand that relies much more on Japan's cultural rather than technological appeal.

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Another feature of the Japanese watch industry is its insistance on sticking to highly technical (and often discouragingly cryptic) names for its timepieces, in a global age that celebrates straight-to-the-point branding…

“Japanese watch companies should internationalise more to successfully expand into luxury,” says PierreYves Donzé. The expert cites an example from Seiko: Carsten Fischer, a former manager of Procter & Gamble and Shiseido, became the first foreign nonexecutive director appointed to the board of Seiko Holdings in 2015.

The dynamics of change seem to be under way. It is also telling that a new Japanese brand, Knot, plays much more to Japanese culture than to Japanese technology. It allows customers to choose their own dial and strap, and its aim is to convey the Japanese “way of living” in a very affordable niche.

However, it would be a mistake to believe that, tomorrow, everything will revolve around branding. “This greater attention to brand management does not mean that Japanese watch manufacturers have given up on technological innovation as a basis for growth,” stresses Pierre-Yves Donzé. “The database of patent applications for solar watches demonstrates that these companies, especially Citizen and Seiko, have continued to pursue and develop their research activities in solar watches since 2000.”

Japanese watchmaking thus continues to seek a balance between a stronger emphasis on the culture and crafts of the country, and the pursuit of technological research that has made it historically successful.

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W B N E A C YO N TI N T O D TO N A LI TY ”

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An interview with Shuji Takahashi, President, COO and CMO of Seiko Watch Corporation.

How successful so far is your strategy to make Grand Seiko a global brand?

After gaining its independence, Grand Seiko attracted a great deal of interest from media, retail partners, and consumers as a luxury brand. The number of retail stores has increased significantly, and sales outside Japan have tripled since then. In the United States, which is our biggest market overseas, the number of Grand Seiko retail stores has doubled. In Italy, where there are many watch fans and aficionados, Grand Seiko was launched just a few months ago, and I feel there is even greater potential in the luxury watch market. Our goal now is to extend our fan base to the wider public, not just watch fans, and for Grand Seiko to be a serious choice for them as they consider purchasing a fine watch.

“Heritage” is today as important as function. What steps are you taking to act on it?

In previous years, we released re-creations of milestone watches as limited editions for anniversaries.

That being said, instead of just focusing on our past, we often release a “modern interpretation” of the original at the same time. The Prospex LX line, which we announced at Baselworld this year, takes this idea one step further by using a recognised heritage piece and re-creating it into a series of modern premium sports watches. For this series, we collaborated with worldrenowned sports car designer Ken Okuyama.

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Seiko Presage Arita Porcelain Dial

How do you see the secondary market: as an opportunity or as competition?

We are not involved in sales of preowned watches, however we are aware that popularity in the second-hand market is a reflection of a brand’s popularity. So we keep a close eye on it. We are also aware that providing a structure for repairing vintage watches is important.

as well as its unique “Japanese-ness”. A good example is the Presage collection, which has introduced many dials reflecting Japanese craftsmanship, such as Urushi lacquer, porcelain enamel, Shippo enamel and Arita porcelain. Combined with our high-grade mechanical movements, these watches show our brand’s unique Japanese-ness.

“We want to communicate the emotional value reflected in the very Japanese natural flow of the seconds hand.”

The world is becoming ever more interested in Japan and its culture. Can you draw on that to increase the popularity of your production?

We have no intention of incorporating just any kind of Japanese art or craftsmanship simply for the sake of expanding our line-up. We will continue to make watches where one can feel the quality of the watch

What is the best-selling collection in the Seiko range of products today?

Globally, Prospex, our leading range of sports watches, is the highest selling collection and is the core of our Seiko range. Seiko sports watches started in 1965, when we created Japan’s first diving watch, and the collection has now developed into timepieces that can be used under any extreme conditions. Sports watches are one of the most important elements of Seiko’s heritage. The balance of price and functionality is part of the reason for the strong support we receive from fans.

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Grand Seiko Spring Drive Sport Collection

Which countries are the most important markets for Seiko and Grand Seiko?

The Japanese market is our largest. Outside of Japan, the United States is the biggest market for both Grand Seiko and Seiko, and both brands are growing there. We are seeing market growth in Asia too, and we expect further development in the future. At the same time, we are seeing good growth in Europe, and we will be making considerable efforts there, considering Europe’s influence in the industry. In 2018, Grand Seiko drove our sales, and the most exclusive Seiko collections, especially Prospex and Presage, are growing.

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What are your strategic ambitions for 2019?

Now that digital information is so dominant, the emotional values of our watches could get lost, because digital media are better at communicating facts than ideas. So we have to find new ways to communicate.

For the 20th anniversary of Spring Drive, in addition to its functionality, we want to communicate the emotional value reflected in the very Japanese natural flow of the seconds hand. Our exhibition at Milan Design Week was one of the ways we chose to share this message. “The nature of time”, which is the theme we use to communicate on every platform, is a way to convey not only the functional aspect of Grand Seiko, but also the Japanese sensibility, and the uniquely Japanese beauty found in every Grand Seiko.

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An interview with Hiroshi Nakamura, Executive Vice President of Casio.

What has been Casio’s most important product development of 2019?

At Baselworld we announced a new G-Shock with a case made from carbon. The introduction of this new material enabled us to implement a new construction and design for the watch. First we used plastics, then we incorporated metal, and now this third material that offers both lightness and toughness. It opens up a number of new possibilities for G-Shock.

Adopting new materials is essential for the evolution of G-Shock: the foundation of our philosophy is the quest for toughness through innovation.

Do you plan to connect all Casio timepieces with Smartphone Link technology?

Ever since Casio entered the timepiece business, we have had a vision of producing fully automatic timepieces that always keep accurate time without needing maintenance. At the present time, Smartphone Link is the closest thing we have to fulfilling to this vision. While price is still an issue, Casio will undoubtedly develop its business toward this vision.

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The new Gravitymaster GWR-B1000X limited edition is equipped with a Carbon Core Guard structure.

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Simultaneously, you have introduced craftsmanship into the MR-G series, at prices never seen before for Casio.

Over the last few years, the theme of the MR-G series has been to combine Japanese craftsmanship (such as the Gassan and Tsuiki techniques, see p. 30) with cuttingedge technologies. These watches are equipped with innovative modules, while employing age-old traditional Japanese techniques for the exterior finishes.

Last year marked the 35th anniversary of the G-Shock, which is the pillar of the brand. What conclusions can you draw from this celebration?

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We benefited from the positive effects of the anniversary year, with strong performances for the G-Shock and Baby-G brands. However, sales of the Edifice and Sheen lines, which compete with other brands in the metal analogue watch segment, lagged slightly. We need to strengthen this segment in 2019 and beyond.

“It is crucial that we raise the level of recognition of the Edifice line in the European market.”

We released many commemorative models and collaboration models, which were positively received. One particular instance was the collaboration with the British band Gorillaz, which helped us reach new fans. We also held events in many different regions which, unlike before, allowed us to communicate directly with our end users. We used music, sports, and fashion to convey our vision. Evolution is part of the identity of G-Shock, so you can expect many changes to come yet.

The new Edifice EQB-1000D features a slim design inspired by high-tech sports.

What is your general assessment of Casio’s results for 2018?

Outside of Japan, which markets are growing for Casio?

Europe is an extremely important market for Casio, especially for Edifice and the metal and analogue watches that I just mentioned. It is crucial that we raise the level of recognition of these lines in the European market to increase sales.

However, globally, the markets that are growing the fastest are in emerging economies. Asia has always been a strong region for G-Shock, and we expect further growth there.

Enjoy being different.

Truly a living legend: The new Teutonia Sport I (Clous de Paris) The red and black design of the original Teutonia Sport gave it a very Italian feel. The new Teutonia Sport I, on the other hand, puts us back on German soil, or better said racetracks, with what could easily be mistaken for a true Silver Arrow on our wrist. With its sleek silver design, you can’t help but remember the historic Grand Prix racing cars of the Saxon Auto Union racing around the track. In fact, with Horch, DKW and Wanderer, R. Mühle & Sohn once supplied three of the four brands in the group with its equally legendary Glashütte Mühle speedometers, as well as car clocks and rev counters.www.muehle-glashuette.de

The Patented Woodpecker Neck Regulation: Precision in even the toughest of conditions Wearers of our watches need to be able to rely on them at all times. This is why our team at Mühle-Glashütte always goes above and beyond what is actually necessary.

We developed our fine regulation in 2003 in order to ensure the accuracy of our movements in even the toughest of conditions.

“R IT O EA IZ F P E O IN N U G R A TH C E Q B U E IS N IT E I O FIT N S S”

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An interview with Toshihiko Sato, President and CEO of Citizen Group.

The Caliber 0100 is Citizen’s main innovation this year, with an accuracy of ±1 second per year. How long did it take to develop, and are you going to incorporate it into more lines in the future?

We started the Caliber 0100 project in 2014: it is a direct continuation of the Eco-Drive’s 40-year history. Back in 1975, the Crystron Mega model achieved a precision of ±3 seconds per year. Using Eco-Drive technology makes it possible to deploy it to mass production. However, we haven’t decided yet if we want to extend it to other lines. The aim of the Caliber 0100, like the ultra-thin Eco-Drive One of 2016, is primarily to showcase the high technology that Citizen can bring to the world.

Based on that, we will continue our path in the midrange segment for the masses, as our name suggests.

How would you evaluate Citizen’s overall results for 2018?

In terms of sales of complete watches, the year was good. However, we faced a struggling market for movement sales, which is another important part of our activity. The demand is high for mechanical watches and smartwatches, but the fashion watch segment, which is where we find clients for our quartz movements, is declining. Many fashion brands are moving towards the connected watch. We are now developing the team and structure to cater to that demand in the future.

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A Super TitaniumTM pilot watch is among the 30th Anniversary Promaster limited edition timepieces.

How exactly are you developing the smartwatch segment?

This is one of our top priorities for this year. We have just launched a new division dedicated to smartwatch development, and we have embarked upon a collaboration with Fossil. In March we unveiled a smartwatch in the USA, the Eco-Drive Riiiver, with our own Internet of Things platform. It triggered a very good response from the tech industry, but it is not yet on the market.

The Citizen Group comprises a growing number of brands, from Alpina to Frédérique Constant, Bulova and Arnold & Son. What operations do you coordinate (or not) between these brands?

We don’t dictate to the brands that we own. It’s important for each brand to build on its strengths. We have a very diversified yet structured price range that facilitates this, ensuring that each brand has its own market. As far as synergies are concerned, we are building new capacities as a group. We started in the USA by integrating the sales team, combining them to achieve cost benefits and performance. We have applied this organisation in other regions such as Japan and Europe.

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In March, Citizen unveiled a smartwatch, the Eco-Drive Riiiver, with its own Internet of Things platform.

How strong is the Japanese domestic market for Citizen, versus overseas?

The Caliber 0100 is Citizen’s main innovation this year, with an accuracy of ¹1 second per year (see Cover Story).

Are you considering acquiring new brands?

Since we have a multi-brand strategy, we would consider any opportunity if it is a good fit for Citizen Group. We have, however, gone through a concentrated phase of M&A these last few years, so I think it is time for us to reap the benefits through integration and added value within the group. This is the stage we are in now.

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Japan is obviously one of the most important markets for Citizen, not only because it is our country, but also because the average price point is higher in Japan compared to other markets. The USA is another big market. With the integration of Bulova, we are able to maintain our strong position in the mid-range market in America. We are also continuing our expansion in China. Globally, South-East Asia is the most rapidly growing market.

We are seeing a strong vintage trend in the industry. How are you responding to it?

With the Caliber 0100 we have created an incredibly clean design in keeping with the high technology inside the watch. That look pays homage to a kind of vintage or timeless look. I am aware that other brands are doing re-editions of their older productions. We prefer to use our archives as inspiration for our teams when they are designing our contemporary watches.

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Wiebke Bird, Senior Business Manager EMEA at Orient Watch

Orient, which specialises in automatic watches, wants to take advantage of Epson’s global infrastructure to make itself better known internationally.

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Focus on mechanics astering the organisational structures of large Japanese While Epson’s main market – printconglomerates requires a ers – is undergoing major changes, the little training. Take the Orient watch conglomerate sees watchmaking as a brand, which has been producing mepossible growth driver. Orient’s output chanical watches since 1950. In 2017 it beis currently 80% automatic watches and came part of the Seiko Epson Corporation, 20% quartz. It is thus much more “mewhich manufactures watches and movechanical” than other Japanese brands, ments for... Seiko Watch Corporation, but with an average price of 250 dollars. also produces its own Epson watches. Try This emphasis on mechanics is accomnot to get confused! panied by an effort to promote its heritLess well known than the triumvirate that dominates Japanese watchmaking, An advertisement by Japanese brand age, in line with the trend we’re seeing Orient went into international distribu- Orient in a 1978 edition of Europa Star. in Japan to move from a technological tion in the early 1960s (see Europa Star archive pictured). perception to a more emotional image of the nation’s At that time, the brand was concentrating on countries products. The watches are equipped with movements that were not yet supplied by the major watch compa- produced at Orient’s facilities in Akita Prefecture. “We want to restore the brand’s long-term strength and nies, such as Korea and Vietnam.

Today, however, the Japanese domestic market remains reputation for quality,” says Wiebke Bird. “Today, a by far the largest market for the manufacturer, ahead of large number of sales are generated through word of the EMEA region. “Being part of Epson gives us greater mouth. We want to improve overall visibility. In terms distribution and marketing strength, through Epson’s of distribution, our integration into Epson offers a regional offices,” says Wiebke Bird, the company’s UK- clear advantage.” based head of European operations.

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Orient Sports Diver Style

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A quartz calibre is produced every second at the Saku factory operated

by Miyota. The Citizen Group’s movement manufacturer equips a plethora of entry-level watch brands around the world. We visited the factory, which pushes the idea of man-machine fusion to the limit.

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rom the bay window we can count dozens of assembly lines, ranging from 50 metres to 150 metres long. We were certainly expecting this when we visited the Miyota factory, opened only three years ago. But what is particularly striking at first sight is the very limited number of employees working on the lines, all equipped with safety masks that make them blend into this industrial landscape. “One or two operators are enough to manage a production line,” we are told.

The only operation that is still done by humans here is moving components from one hall to another. But not for long: automation of transfers between the four production rooms is in progress, via conveyor belts.

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One or two operators are enough to manage a 50-metre-long assembly line in this Miyota factory.

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An aerial view of Miyota’s movement assembly factory in Saku, Nagano province.

Everything is done internally

Miyota’s production capacity, the result of ever-increasing automation, allows it to remain competitive, even though world demand for quartz calibres is falling and Chinese competition is fierce. The company’s One movement per second cash cows are the 2035 and the Super 2035.

What is really striking The Citizen Group’s movement brand, In Saku, components from all over which was launched in 1959, now at first sight is the Japan are assembled on some 55 highproduces some 100 million calibres very limited number speed lines. The Citizen Group is highper year in its various factories. Most of employees who ly integrated, since it is also a major of them are quartz calibres. Saku, in player in the manufacture of machine Nagano province, is the group’s larg- work on the lines. tools and CNCs, which it supplies inest facility. ternationally. Even the oil used in the 2 This circular building with a surface area of 83,000 m machines is a “homemade” product. was opened in 2016. It operates with not much more The latest innovation is the digital detection of probthan 200 employees working in shifts, and its produc- lems and defects on assembly lines: at regular intertion rate is one movement... every second. vals, an alarm sounds and components are discarded Miyota supplies both third parties and the Citizen down a separate track. And there’s another step tobrand. Unlike ETA, it has not implemented any restric- wards automation on the horizon; in the factory, the tions on deliveries, even to brands that may compete latest buzzword is Internet of Things. with Citizen.

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Carbon monocoque case protects modules with a carbon ďŹ ber reinforced resin case

Intricately laminated bezel with 52 layers of carbon sheeting

G-SHOCK Connected Smartphone app with Flight Log Function

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Minase is a good example of how technological innovation in Japan can also be an ode to nature. We paid a visit to this family company in Akita, in the north of the archipelago, which in its own way gives us a glimpse of the Japanese watchmaking of tomorrow.

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t is between rocks and hot springs, along a river in Akita province, in northern Japan, that Minase has found its identity: transparency, plays of light and intriguing case construction. It’s an “ode to nature” in the horological sense, using manufacturing tools that are fully in line with the country’s tradition of technological innovation.

Indeed, everything started from a cutting instrument invented by the father of the current CEO Tsuyoshi Suzuki in 1964, which can still be seen today in the Minase logo. At the age of 15, the young engineering enthusiast left his native province to work in a technical tool manufacturing plant in Tokyo. A few years later, he founded his own company near the capital.

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Akita province in northern Japan is home to a large number of hot springs.

An innovative supplier However, the skilled workforce was insufficient to meet the growing demand and he chose to relocate the company to Akita province in 1973. Today, some 45 people are still employed in the specialised tool company Kyowa*, whose production is exported to the United States and Europe for watch brands and other industries such as the automotive and semiconductor industries.

Kyowa’s specialty is a cutting tool with a particular shape, which allows it to perform two operations in one. This powerful tool is used by watchmakers to pierce the space housing the watch crown. In the beginning, the company just sold the tool, but over time it began to perform the cutting operation on watch cases for the brands, and then to produce watch cases directly on their behalf. One of the company’s first customers was none other than Orient (see p. 50). *Today, Kyowa produces about 120,000 tools per year, at prices ranging from $50 to $100 dollars each.

The basic material used is tungsten, but Kyowa has also introduced innovative materials including polycrystalline diamond and boron nitride into its Attacksmith line.

Conceived of pure and simple drawn lines, the Horizon collection “reminds us of the clean cuts of a Japanese sword, a Katana�.

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A very original basic principle: inserting a case into another case, which gives both an impression of depth and transparency.

A watch company is born Minase, a spin-off of Kyowa, was created as a supplier of watch cases in 1988, in the town of the same name in Akita province. Now employing 25 people, it evolved into a private label company – an activity it still carries out for several Japanese companies – before launching its own watch brand in 2005. And so it evolved… from the cutting tool to the finished product.

The brand produces between 600 and 700 timepieces per year at an average price of 3,000 to 4,000 francs.

Seeking to increase its international profile, it currently has 35 points of sale in Japan and three abroad: one in Bern, one in Abu Dhabi and one in Paris.

Minase’s output is characterised by models with a wellworked architecture, operating on a highly original basic principle: inserting a case inside another case, which gives an impression of both depth and transparency. The flagship lines are Dividio, with its formal elegance, Horizon, a square-shaped watch, and 5 Windows, which best embodies the brand’s spirit. Minase has also launched a limited edition of 40 pieces called 7 Windows, a highend model based on a Technotime movement.

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The 5 Windows collection is Minase’s flagship line. Visible through the 5 sapphire windows, the movement, the three-dimensional dial and the hands seem to be floating in space.

Sallaz polishing technique The brand has introduced a concept of interchangeable parts, which makes it possible to combine different basic components, thereby easily customising the watches. This system also offers advantages for aftersales service, when it comes to replacing parts.

Another distinctive feature of Minase is its use of the so-called “Sallaz” method of polishing the case. The cases are worked by hand, which gives them a structure that is both brilliant and delicate. The strap is also made on-site by the company.

With its refined artisanal production, Minase is one brand that deserves to be followed closely in the ongoing evolution of Japanese watchmaking. Few independents are in fact able to compete in a country dominated by watchmaking conglomerates.

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ast December, Seiko inaugurated this space, which differs greatly from a traditional boutique. Rather than simply displaying watches, the Japanese giant has designed very distinct “universes” on each floor for its Prospex, Presage and Lukia models, as well as the Astron.

On the ground floor, which is known as the Seiko Satellite Museum, a watchmaker is present twice a week to show how Seiko wristwatches are assembled.

Several of the brand’s historical watches illustrate the major innovations introduced by the Japanese group.

The glass door of this four-storey boutique reproduces the famous clock of the adjacent Wako department store, and animations take the visitor “inside” the clock through three videos: a view of the Ginza 4-Chome intersection, a papercraft-style computer graphic with historical events in Ginza, and designer sketches of Seiko watches. It’s a place of experimentation.

Seiko Dream Square in Ginza 60

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Tissot flagship store in Daikanyama

his year, the Swiss brand opened a new boutique in the Daikanyama district, which is popular with designers and has many art galleries, bookstores and French-style cafés. Small houses line the river, creating a far more relaxed atmosphere than Ginza.

Tissot plays the Swiss card to the full with an interior design reminiscent of a chalet, mixing stone and wood on two floors. The walls are dotted with archive photographs and panoramas of the Alps. Here, the customers are mainly Japanese, unlike in Ginza or Shibuya, where Chinese visitors are in the majority.

“We have 14,000 points of sale around the world, but this one is very different,” says Martin Gordian, Tissot’s manager for Japan. “We opted for open displays, free of intimidation, digital technology or ‘cold’ screens.

Japan has many high-tech brands, but we are positioning ourselves as a brand of beautiful mechanics.”

Proof, if any were needed, is that Tissot’s best-seller here is the vintage-inspired Banana model, which is much less popular elsewhere in the world. Japan remains an island...

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BY IAN OR ST

To circumvent the state monopoly on calendars, ingenious Japanese craftsmen designed prints that revealed – to initiates only – the alternation of short and long months. It was a system that lasted until the 19th century.

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he Japanese prints known as “Ukiyo-e”, which appeared at the beginning of the 17th century in the city of Edo (the future Tokyo), find their origin in the printing of popular and religious images on paper using engraved wooden plates. The main advantage of this process was that it allowed the serial reproduction of images and writings.

Ukiyo-e quickly became an artistic and commercial movement, combining picturesque narrative painting and prints that were generally accessible to broad sections of the population. The figurative themes coincided with the interests of the bourgeoisie at the time: geishas and pretty women, scenes from pleasure houses, theatre actors, wrestlers, fantastic scenes and famous views.

Calendars and greetings cards also reproduced these subjects.

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A new print for each month of the year With the advent of the Meiwa era in 1764, “bushi” (warriors) and citizens of Edo became accustomed to hanging a new polychromatic “Nishiki-e” in their interior every month, which soon became sought after by collectors from all walks of life.

The poets Kyogawa and Sakey, the instigators of these “calendar prints”, encouraged famous painters, engravers and renowned printers to collaborate in creating works of refined luxury and increasingly sophisticated technology.

The second half of the 18th century saw the appearance of “E-goyomi” or “calendar images”. In the form of prints traditionally offered as a New Year’s gift, they were originally designed to provide, in artistic form, the list of the long months of the complex Japanese lunar calendar.

This calendar, which originated in China, was adopted in the Land of the Rising Sun from 692 and remained in force until 1872. The year comprised alternating long months (30 days) and short months (29 days). It required the introduction, every three years or so, of a mobile “leap month” in order to coincide with the New Year and the appropriate season.

Turtles or pines to designate the months Eventually, the arbitrary succession of long and short months stopped being announced in advance, and the calendar became a state monopoly. In order to circumvent this monopoly, some privileged publishers decided to print luxury E-goyomi in the form of rebuses for wealthy customers. It required a measure of culture and imagination on the part of both the artist and the user in order to discern the length of the months. With their low circulation and their private nature, these works managed to escape censorship.

These calendars skilfully concealed numbers indicating the long months. Some are relatively easy to understand. For instance, the thirteen turtles of an anonymous E-goyomi from 1786 indicate the six short months and the seven long months of the year according to their size and arrangement. On another work from 1787, the height of twelve pines gives the alternation of short and long months.

Take a good look at this kimono...

Others use “mitate”, allusions to traditional culture or Far Eastern legends, and often remain incomprehensible today. Deciphering this kind of calendar was a very popular challenge for literary circles of the time, as shown by two prints from 1765, works by Suzuki Harunobu.

The first print hiding a calendar is “The girl by a pond, near a willow tree, thoughtfully looking at a jumping frog”. This work refers to the calligrapher Ono no Tofu who, after failing his exams seven times, learned perseverance by watching a frog reach the branch of a willow tree on its eighth attempt. Another print, “A man carrying a young woman on his back”, depicts Shoki, a demon killer, kidnapping a woman. The metaphor is all the more difficult to elucidate as the print also refers to another episode: the escape of two lovers on Musashi’s moor, from the tales of Ise.

A 1765 print by Suzuki Harunobu, hiding a secret calendar: “The girl by a pond, near a willow tree, thoughtfully looking at a jumping frog”.

In these two works, the indication of the long months is hidden in the “obi”, the wide belt of the kimonos.

But the Shoki print is impossible to decipher in its entirety, unless you are a highly specialised literary scholar in traditional Japanese and Chinese cultures.

The replacement of the traditional Japanese calendar by the Gregorian calendar in 1872 would defeat the E-goyomi. Following the gradual opening of the country to Western culture during the Meiji era (1868–1912), lithography and photography would spell the end of Ukiyo-e.

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HIGHLIGHTS This sponsored section gives our partners the opportunity to introduce their latest developments. Be it exclusive timepieces, legends of watchmaking or disruptive models, it shows a variety of designs, techniques and proposals. In a nutshell, it offers a glimpse into the incredible creativity present in the watch industry.

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HIGHLIGHT Sponsored content

URBAN JÜRGENSEN GENESIS OF A WATCH

A NEW VISION OF THE GMT FUNCTION (PART 3/5) In this new episode about the birth of the Jürgensen One range of watches, we explore the calibre of the new timepiece, the Automatic P5 Movement.

The movement is driven by an openworked rotor with gold-inlaid Urban Jürgensen shield and a 22 karat solid gold oscillating weight. “Importantly, the Automatic P5 Movement is hand-finished and robust. We decided not to go through the challenges of slimmer movements, while still achieving a decent size”, explains Søren Jenry Petersen. “An important feature of the movement is the skeletonisation of the balance wheel, which allows for a better view of the whole structure.“

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or its Jürgensen One collection, the brand developed the first-ever automatic movement in its 246-year history. It is based on key elements of its P4 in-house movement. “Adding automatic in-house movements to Urban Jürgensen’s portfolio is a landmark for the brand. The trickier part of the development process had obviously been the integration of the GMT function in the calibre”, says Urban Jürgensen President & CEO, Søren Jenry Petersen.

The P5 movement comes in two versions: • P5 Automatic – 3 hands with sweep second and date window at 3, on the Reference 5241 • P5 Automatic GMT – 4 hands with sweep seconds, date window at 3 and a 24-hour Home Time subdial at 6, on the Reference 5541 GMT 66

Both references are crafted entirely from medical grade 1.4441 steel, including the integrated steel bracelet with butterfly double secure locking clasp, and are waterproof to 120 metres.

Søren Jenry Petersen gives more details about the underlying thinking behind the development of the movement: “The key of the GMT model is its simplicity of use. When you press the top pusher you advance the local time on the main dial by one hour, and when you press the lower pusher you reverse by one hour. A subdial shows the home time: the 24-hour dial means you do not need a day/night indicator, and you don’t need one for your local time either – because you already know if it’s day or night! This creates a watch you can simply reach down and correct by counting pushes when the plane lands – and you do not even have to look at the watch when you do this.”

www.urbanjurgensen.com

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS • Urban Jürgensen Automatic P5 movement in two versions: • P5 Automatic, 3 hands with sweep seconds and date window at 3 • P5 Automatic, GMT, 4 hands with sweep seconds, date window at 3 and 24-hour Home Time subdial at 6. Adjustable by +/- pushers at 10 and 8 for the central hour hand, including date change.

• Swiss Lever Escapement • Adjusted to temperature, isochronism in five positions • Stop seconds • Openworked rotor with gold-inlaid UJ Shield and 22 karat solid gold oscillating weight.

• Traversing Balance Bridge secured by double screws • Twin barrels • Autonomy 72 hours • Frequency 21,600 V/h – 3 Hz • Thirty-four (34) jewels • Diameter 32 mm • Thickness 6.1 mm for 3-hands, and 6.6 mm for the GMT version

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CARL F. BUCHERER PATRAVI SCUBATEC DEPTH AND STYLE

The latest ladies’ diving watches by Carl F. Bucherer ooze confidence and style: the Patravi ScubaTec Lady is now available in a range of fashion-forward candy colours.

As for the gentlemen’s pieces, they present an eye-catching 44.6 mm case in blue and black or red and black.

Available in Palm Tree (green), Ocean (blue), Sand (rose-beige) and Sunset (coral), the new feminine additions to the Patravi ScubaTec family have an unmistakable summertime look. The Patravi ScubaTec Lady features the CFB 1950 automatic movement, which boasts 38 hours of power reserve and powers the hour, minute and second hands as well as the date positioned at 3 o’clock.

The 36.5 mm stainless steel case and protected screw-down crown give the watch an increased water resistance of up to 20 bar (200 m).

These colourful new additions to the Patravi ScubaTec family are in good company. The collection features many other sporty, elegant timepieces: ladies’ models in steel or with a white rubber strap, for instance, and gentlemen’s pieces with an eye-catching 44.6 mm case in blue and black or red and black. Each of these timekeepers is a striking combination of contemporary design and traditional Swiss watchmaking.

www.carl-f-bucherer.com

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The new Scubatec Lady timepieces feature rubber straps in a choice of blue, green, beige and coral and boast a summery white wave pattern on the dial.

Water resistance to 200m, a unidirectional rotating bezel in steel and ceramic and an automatic movement come together in the perfect package for all adventures both on land and under water.

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EBERHARD & CO SCAFOGRAF 300 DIVING INTO HISTORY

Eberhard & Co. presents a contemporary reinterpretation of the original model from the 1950s.

It was in the 1950s when Eberhard & Co. decided to take on a challenge that has, from time immemorial, always fascinated men – the sea and its mysterious depths. These were the years in which the Swiss watchmaker presented its Scafograf collection. The 300 in the name of the watch suggested the depth to which it was water-resistant. The collection, which was enriched over the years, was made up of steel models that were actually water-resistant to 100, 200, 300, 400, 750 or 1000 metres.

The Scafograf 300 incorporated all the main features required of a dive watch: automatic winding, a sturdy, shock-resistant steel case (42.5 mm), a graduated black bezel to control elapsed dive time, a high-contrast dial with luminescent hands and markers and a stainless steel expandable bracelet.

The new Scafograf 300 is a mechanical self-winding diving watch with a 43 mm steel case, a unidirectional rotating bezel in ceramic, with luminescent markings on the first 15 minutes scale, curved sapphire glass and a helium escape valve at 9 o’clock. The clean and precise lines of the watch are also well suited to a more casual-chic use out of the water.

www.eberhard1887.com

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On the new Scafograf 300, the “galbé” black dial has luminescent applied indices and the date at 3 o’clock. The name of the model, the central seconds hand and the dots can be white, light blue or yellow. The hours and minutes hands are also luminescent.

Water-resistant to 300 m, it has a screwed case-back personalised with an engraved starfish. The model comes with an integrated black rubber strap or a Chassis® steel bracelet with Déclic® deployment clasp.

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TITONI

LINE 1919

EQUIPPED WITH THE FIRST IN-HOUSE CALIBRE Titoni’s latest series, the Line 1919, presents the company’s first ever self-developed and manufactured movement. The name of this series pays homage to the year in which Titoni was founded.

The Line 1919 celebrates Titoni’s long-standing promise to produce classic timepieces that remain true to the finest tradition of Swiss watchmaking. The first ever selfdeveloped and self-manufactured movement in Titoni’s history, the T10 calibre, ticks at the heart of all models in this series.

The design of this series is inspired by purist minimalism and brings timeless elegance into line with our future course. The use of a boxshaped sapphire glass gives the watch a slimmer and more refined look.

The minimalist design, enhanced by a bigger date window and faceted hour indexes at three, six, nine and twelve o’clock, makes reading the time easy and comfortable at a glance.

The transparent case back of this series comes with a larger window offering a fascinating view of Titoni’s first ever self-developed and selfmanufactured automatic movement. The golden skeletonised oscillating weight allows an even clearer insight into the delicate and decorative architecture of the movement.

www.titoni.ch

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LINE 1919 (Ref. 83919 S-612) The sun-ray brushed dials come in three colour finishes: silver, anthracite and navy blue, while the year 1919 is marked in red on all models to lend a subtle touch of fresh sparkle. The T10 movement has a power reserve of approx. 3 days (68-75 hours).

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ONEOF

ACCURACY BOUTIQUE EDITION SOLVING THE MAGNETISATION PROBLEM The Accuracy boutique edition by ONEOF® is the very first connected tool specifically designed for stores and capable of simultaneously measuring and demagnetising any mechanical watch.

The magnetisation of a mechanical movement has become the most common problem for all watch manufacturers. Strong magnetic fields emitted by commonly used items (smartphones, leather goods, children’s toys…) can drastically affect the precision of a watch, up to minutes per day.

The Accuracy boutique edition released by ONEOF® is the first connected tool designed to solve the problem of magnetisation, directly in-store. Its user-friendliness is impressive: once the device is connected to the tablet, it takes less than two minutes to measure, demagnetise and check the watch with a single touch on the app. With its neat design and customisation possibilities, the Accuracy boutique edition definitely adds great value to the customer experience.

ONEOF® was created by two engineers with considerable experience in the watch industry. They were deeply involved in the development of some of the most exotic movements at TAG Heuer during the Jean-Christophe Babin era. Their credentials include the co-invention of the MikroPendulum and Mikrogirder, awarded the Aiguille d’Or at the prestigious Geneva Grand Prix in 2012.

The Accuracy boutique edition is the smartest tool ever designed for boutiques, bringing great benefits to the client experience. Already approved by more than 500 mono-brand boutiques, this Swiss made solution is on its way to ending the irritating problem of magnetisation.

www.one-of.com | EPHJ 2019 booth G/H35 The new ONEOF Accuracy PRO will also be unveiled at the show.

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2019 Watch Trends

LET’S COOL

DOWN…

BY PIERRE MAILLARD

BY PIERRE MAILLARD

These are curious times for the watchmaking industry, with many erstwhile certainties crumbling. The big trade shows are falling apart and the major brands no longer know if they’d be better staking their bets on their own road shows or similar highlevel meetings, or rallying round fairs like Basel or Geneva.

The same thing is happening with products. The brands are wondering if they should continue to expose the entrails of their mechanical movements and offer horological follies, or retreat towards measured, vintage classicism, which is decidedly in vogue.

All options are open. The laboratories are hard at work producing novel alloys and dreaming up innovative technologies, but no one knows in exactly which direction watchmaking is moving.

The following pages bear witness to this. Yet they also reassure, because in them you see a desire to fine-tune details, to reestablish equilibrium, to temper the hubris that is forever lurking, to be more appealing. The 2019 offering will have no one shouting from the rooftops, but it is a sign of a welcome return to moderation. Let’s cool down… (we’ll feel so much the better for it).

A design by Eric Giroud for Louis Erard's Excellence Regulator.

VERY FINE TUNING Progress happens in two ways: by radical ruptures, or just the opposite – tiny adjustments. But why on earth go for radical ruptures when you have iconic products, the popularity of which has scarcely waned for decades?

Yet even an iconic product must be taken down and cleaned, from time to time, of the subtle dust that collects on all things.

ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL YACHT MASTER 42 MM Where fine-tuning is concerned, Rolex is the uncontested champion. The very first Yacht-Master dates back to the 1960s, and a project that never got off the ground (only two items are believed to have been produced between 1967 and 1969). At the time, the idea was to give the Submariner a bit of a facelift. But with typically Rolexian caution, the actual launch of this new collection of “professional watches with the regatta spirit” did not occur until 1992. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength. In 1999 we saw the first platinum/steel model, then in 2005 a gold/steel version, and finally this first Yacht-Master II model, released in 2007, the ideal companion for the truly professional yachtmaster.

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This year, fans and collectors alike breathlessly awaited the new iteration with an unprecedented diameter of 42 mm.

Made in 18K white gold, it comes mounted on a rubber strap.

It is equipped with the “avant-garde” 3235 calibre, a certified “Superlative Chronometer” displaying a black-lacquered dial encircled by a bi-directional rotating bezel fitted with a 60-minute graduated Cerachrom insert in matt black ceramic.

The new Yacht-Master 42 mm has got it just right: the same old familiar watch but with a whole new look. And it’s already making a splash. CHF 26,500

CHANEL J12 (NEW) It turns 20 next year, the age at which “you change everything without changing a thing”. Created by Jacques Helleu, the J12 demonstrates both the extraordinary resilience of its design and its capacity to adopt a wide variety of different appearances while remaining totally true to itself. So why change at all, if you don’t change a thing? “It’s paradoxical,” admits Arnaud Chastaingt, director of Chanel’s watchmaking design studio. “But it’s all wrapped up with the necessity of equipping it with a new automatic movement, the 12.1, COSC-certified calibre developed with the Kenissi manufacture, and with a determination to keep it desirable by gearing it more closely to our contemporary style.” Ultimately, 70% of the components have changed, but it’s the same watch: a surgical operation dictated by style, to which the technical aspects have to submit. The case, now a ceramic monobloc, has a softer, slightly rounded profile, while its re-architectured strap has elongated links that lend it a new finesse. The bezel is slimmer and the number of gouges has increased from 30 to 40. The typography of the numerals (now in applied ceramic) and indices has been redesigned, as have the markings, now stamped in the Chanel typeface. The hour and minute hands are of identical width, and on the black J12 the dial features black Super-LumiNova luminescent zones.

At the back, a sapphire crystal provides a view of the movement and its splendid oscillating weight in openworked tungsten, the architecture of which is in perfect stylistic harmony with the rest. CHF 5,650 (excl. tax) 79

ARCHITECTURE At a time when vintage is all the rage, watchmakers with a concern for architecture are proving that classicism doesn’t have to stray into nostalgia; it can be updated without betraying its own essence. It’s all a question of design. These shapes are capable of a whole new elegant simplicity, while remaining the same. Classics of today and of tomorrow.

BULGARI OCTO FINISSIMO CHRONOGRAPH GMT AUTOMATIC For many people, this was THE watch of the last Baselworld.

Yes, it marks the 5th world record in thinness for the Octo Finissimo. Yes, its automatic movement with a peripheral rotor just 3.3 mm thick, complete with built-in chronograph and GMT, is the thinnest that has ever existed – a feat made possible by the patiently acquired excellence of its built-in in-house movement (and the contribution of its complication workshops at Le Sentier, formerly Gérald Genta and Daniel Roth).

But perhaps that is not the most important thing. This Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT breaks other records. It sets new standards, not only in terms of its ultra-flatness, but also in the boldness of its design, the novelty of its layered Octo shape and the refinement of its typography, further reinforced by its rigorously uniform exterior: the case, dial and strap are made of sandblasted titanium in a deep, silky grey. Bold and unstoppable. CHF 16,500 80

LAURENT FERRIER TOURBILLON GRAND SPORT In our view, this is one of the most beautiful watches of the season. In 1979, Laurent Ferrier was still working for Patek Philippe. An avid motorsports fan, he won the Le Mans 24-hour race for the first time in 1977 in the 2-litre prototype category. In 1979, he came third overall at the wheel of a Porsche 935T with his friend François Servanin, to whom he offered the gift of a Nautilus for the occasion. In 2009, now at the wheel of his own brand, Laurent Ferrier created his first tourbillon. As a tribute, in 2019 he is introducing a Tourbillon Grand Sport, inspired by his own outstanding watchmaking and design career. The 44 mm steel watch combines a cushion-shaped bezel with a tonneau case. It’s super sporty, but inside beats a calibre inspired by nineteenth-century chronometry and driven by a tourbillon which is only revealed when you turn the watch over. What class. USD 185,000

HAJIME ASAOKA TSUNAMI DELUXE It is thanks to his fascination with the vintage masterpieces produced from the 1940s to the 1960s that independent Japanese watchmaker Hajime Asaoka designed his Tsunami Deluxe series, incontestably some of the most beautiful three-hand watches in existence. The Tsunami is by no means a copy of vintage watches; instead, it seeks to reproduce in a contemporary way the beautiful balance, simple perfection of form and aesthetic sophistication of a two-tone dial of absolute legibility.

37 mm steel case, a movement that beats at a tranquil 18,000 vph, and manic attention to detail. A magnificent achievement.

Around €33,000.

AKRIVIA THE REXHEP REXHEPI CHRONOMÈTRE CONTEMPORAIN By his own admission, it was the clear, elegant lines of officers’ watches, which required precision and legibility, that inspired the young Rexhep Rexhepi to build his Chronomètre Contemporain. And how brilliantly he has breathed into it that classic look – purity, symmetry, with functions pared down to the basics – yet totally contemporary, devoid of all artifice! The watch stands out simply by being itself, and is resolutely of the present. Driving three hands, including a small dead-second hand as proof of its accuracy, its magnificently finished inhouse hand-wound movement is equipped with a stop seconds mechanism. Its accuracy is certified by Besançon Observatory.

The price of the men’s watch at GPHG 2018. CHF 59,940 81

GRAND SEIKO SPRING DRIVE MANUAL WINDING Having for a long time reserved its most advanced mechanical creations solely for the Japanese market, Grand Seiko has decided to launch a major international offensive to demonstrate the excellence of its watches, in terms of both their chronometric performance and their design, which is evidently inspired

by Japanese culture and nature.

A whole series of remarkable watches has emerged from this conjunction of avant-garde Spring Drive technology, born twenty years ago after several decades of development, and 82

the delicate touch of its top-notch watchmakers and artisans of the Micro Artist Studio, who draw their inspiration from the natural environment.

Here, architectural sobriety and a beautifully finished handwound movement (sweep seconds hand, double barrel mainspring, accurate to +/- one second a day, power reserve of 84 hours) are combined with a finely hand-engraved platinum case that evokes the snows of the Shinshu region, whence come these remarkable timepieces. USD 76,000

URBAN JÜRGENSEN JÜRGENSEN ONE COLLECTION REFERENCE 5541 GMT In this new collection, Jürgensen One, Urban Jürgensen relies first and foremost on the harmony and absolute consistency of lines and forms to create an “organic sense of correct proportions”, on the premise that “nothing could be added or removed without destroying this impression of harmony.” They seem to have won the wager with a very fine collection of steel watches, including this 41 mm automatic GMT plus date model, with perfectly controlled architecture and exquisitely refined finishes. A way of being timeless. CHF 33,500

GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL SIXTIES With its Sixties Annual Edition, Glashütte Original offers a retrospective of 1960s watchmaking, but it also adds a touch of bright, rejuvenating colour. The domed surface of the dial, a golden yellow at the centre, turns to orange and then red before finishing with a fine black border. This is the result of hand-lacquering on dial blanks embossed using 1960s tools – such as a 60-tonne press, which is what gives the dial surface its texture.

Automatic calibre 39-52, 39 mm steel case. €6,300

CZAPEK FAUBOURG FROM THE KRAKOW KING Within a few short years, Czapek has succeeded in establishing a recognisable style. It’s a strictly classical style, certainly, offering nothing revolutionary. Nevertheless, Czapek stands out from the also-rans, and with 130 watches sold in 2018 has achieved equilibrium. Its timepieces display similar balance, as well as quality, visible in the deep, subtle guilloché pattern (requiring 23 stages), which prompts Xavier de Roquemaurel, the brand’s creator, to refer to this as their “dial signature”.

Witness this chronograph, for example, featuring the 5 Hz Czapek SXH3 integrated automatic movement, in steel with a diameter of 41 mm, beautifully worked with a salmon-coloured, hand-guilloché domed dial in an alloy of gold, silver, palladium and platinum. CHF 24,000 83

DESIGN & PERFORMANCE 2019 marks the centenary of the creation of the Bauhaus, an exacting movement, the precepts of which still exert a profound influence on us, whether we realise it or not. According to the Bauhaus, formal expression, stripped of any superfluous decorative effect, is the direct expression of the function that the ergonomically designed object is intended to perform. That’s not to forget the democratic requirement of perfectly balanced value for money.

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NOMOS TANGENTE SPORT NEOMATIK 42 DATE As the managers of Nomos state, “our watches probably do not correspond exactly to the Bauhaus of 1919, but we believe that they are watches that Bauhaus members might have designed and worn in 2019. They embody the Bauhaus of today.”

The new Tangente Sport is the perfect illustration of this, with its manifestly simple case, its sober, slender typography, its easy legibility and perfect proportions. Equipped with the ultra-thin (3.6 mm thick) neomatik date calibre, DUW 6101, by Nomos, it is extremely compact, robust and water-resistant (to 1,000 feet, around 300m). Its specially designed strap is absolutely remarkable – in our view one of the most beautiful straps we saw at Baselworld. Graphically striking and exceptionally comfortable, supple and robust, the watch is made up of 145 parts, each hand-screwed, and comes with a folding clasp specifically designed for this 42 mm model. €3,980

JUNGHANS MAX BILL CHRONOGRAPH 100 YEARS OF BAUHAUS “Make watches that are as far removed as possible from any fashion. Be as timeless as possible, but without forgetting the time,” Max Bill used to say of the watches that this former Bauhaus pupil designed for Junghans from 1961. A dial trimmed down to the essentials for optimum legibility, clearly distinguishable hands, extremely clear typography – these are the elements that make up the Max Bill Chronoscope 100 Years of Bauhaus limited edition in 18-karat white gold. It features a white polished dial with luminous dots, 12-hour and 30-minute counters arranged vertically, a stop-seconds mechanism and the date, the red colour of which recalls the famous entrance to the original Bauhaus building (reproduced on the watch’s transparent screwed caseback). €7,950

JEAN MARCEL ACCURACY Step by step, Jean Marcel is building up a range of watches that are elegant, well-designed and offering very appreciable performance, whether in terms of thinness (remember the 6.8 mm Somnium released in 2017) or, as here, chronometric performance. “Only COSC-certified movements offering a variation of less than 1 second per month” will be encased in the 300 pieces that make up this edition. Their signature feature is a watch glass made of aluminosilicate, a material nine times more hard-wearing than conventional mineral glass, which lends this watch undeniable warmth. From €450.

FRÉDÉRIQUE CONSTANT SLIMLINE POWER RESERVE MANUFACTURE Classic though its design may be, it shows perfect control: 40 mm case in plain or rose-gold-plated stainless steel, dial with sunray brushing in either silver, dark grey or navy blue, Roman numerals, classic black or white hands, small seconds dial and an ultra-legible power reserve indicator set at 10 o’clock. The watch is equipped with the manufacturer’s 28th in-house calibre. A fine achievement. From €3,295.

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REGULATORS Well before the atomic clock, the “mother” of all clocks – the reference for time, as a yardstick was for yards – was the regulator. For a long time the most accurate mechanical instrument in existence, the regulator is characterised by the separation of the hours, minutes and seconds displays. Each dial has its own space, but all work together synchronously to deliver the most accurate reading of time possible.

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PATEK PHILIPPE ANNUAL CALENDAR REGULATOR Six separate indicators, all in white, offer exemplary clarity against the two-tone silver-grey dial of the Regulator. The minute indicator, with its long central hand, predominates; the small hours dial is at 12 o’clock, and the seconds dial is at 6 o’clock. The day aperture sits at half past ten, the date at half past one and the month at 6 o’clock. Three correctors on the left side of the case let you adjust the day, date and month – an operation that has to be done just once a year, at the end of February, annual calendar (patented by Patek) oblige.

Regulators vanished from watchmaking workshops and observatories a long time ago, but their precision display, readable at first glance (after a couple of minutes of getting used to it), lives on in wristwatch form. With its Annual Calendar Regulator, Patek Philippe is offering a form of quintessence.

The visibly technical nature of the regulator display, carefully laid out for accurate reading, is softened by the rose gold and anthracite colours of its exterior and by its meticulous detailing.

USD 51,380

LOUIS ERARD EXCELLENCE REGULATOR This is what’s called getting down to the nitty gritty of the regulator, paring the display down to the absolute essentials: the minutes on a 60/15/30/45 scale marked by fine indices, a small hour subdial immediately recognisable by its XII/III/IX Roman numerals, and a small seconds dial with a railway-track scale.

This Excellence Regulator, superbly designed by Eric Giroud, also marks the start of a new strategy for Louis Erard, aimed at moving into the higher end of the market. It is not the brand’s first regulator by any means, because this kind of display is one of its greatest successes. Nevertheless, this one, which aspires to excellence, is produced exclusively in three series limited to 70 pieces each, and heralds a new chapter in the history of this independent brand. Steel case, CHF 2,700, Black PVD, CHF 2,800.

CHRONOSWISS FLYING REGULATOR NIGHT AND DAY Chronoswiss produced its first regulator-type display all of 30 years ago. But this new Regulator Night and Day takes it into the third dimension, with a multi-level dial and the addition of a day/night hemisphere at 9 o’clock (with Super-LumiNova stars) and a three-day date at 3 o’clock. Here, Chronoswiss is seeking to express less the essential purity of the regulator-type display than its potential expressiveness. Chronometric legibility takes second place to the horological “show”. Winner of a 2019 Reddot Award in the Product Design category. CHF 16,500

MEISTERSINGER VINTAGO The Vintago from Meistersinger is not, strictly speaking, a regulator. It might even be just the opposite: with its singlehand watches, the company based in Münster (Germany) addresses, so it says, “people who don’t need to worry about minor details or seconds, but want to keep track of longer periods of time”. This steel watch with its no-frills, counter-like typography, the dial perforated by a parenthesis-shaped date subdial showing 5 days, does exactly that. It is driven by a Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement, which is visible through the caseback. CHF 2,100 87

MECHANICAL FOLLIES The great wave of mechanical megalomania and the exploits it offered may have passed, but the exploration goes on, whether in terms of function, display or materials. New players are even striking out into this niche market of high-flying mechanical watchmaking.

ALCHEMISTS CU29 The Alchemists’ ambition is huge, nothing less than “to incorporate a whole ecosystem into their first watch collections [with] projects related to sustainable development, professional reintegration and philanthropic activities.” Their first step has been to develop an innovative alloy, Cuprum 479, a patented blend of gold, silver and over 80% copper. This sustainable alloy has no need of surface treatment, is machinable to minute tolerances, can be hand-polished, is “more stable” than 18K gold and offers “beneficial qualities for the body, powerful antibacterial action” thanks to its high copper content, which is a major catalyst for the formation of red blood corpuscles, as well as supporting the immune system and protein and lipid metabolism.

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The inaugural timepiece, the Cu29, is a demonstrative watch featuring a variable inertia balance and weight screw at 8 o’clock, a power reserve between 10 and 11 o’clock, indicated by a cursor moving along a peripheral gear bar graded from 0 to 72h, and a selected function indicator (W for wind and S for set) placed between 2 and 3 o’clock. The hour dial in grand feu enamel or stone is placed at 12 o’clock and displays the hours (red hand) and minutes (white hand), while the seconds are displayed off-centre at 6 o’clock. The ring, calibrated into 60 trailing seconds, covers the Cu29’s two barrels. The calibre is 100% produced in-house. We’ll come back to this in more detail. Price on demand

DEWITT ACADEMIA SLIDE From his childhood in the French countryside Jérôme DeWitt has retained an undiminished passion for fun mechanisms, which he discovered by observing spectacular farm machinery. After the endless screw he presented earlier this year, here is a watch that tells the time by means of tiny slides that glide progressively from the top to the bottom of two rails. The individual hour plates show the current hour when in a horizontal position. But when a new hour begins its glide, the previous hour plate returns to its vertical position in a continuous progression. It’s an imposing 49.2 mm diameter timepiece in a titanium case. CHF 52,000

ARNOLD & SON TIME PYRAMID TOURBILLON Inspired by the regulators created by John and Roger Arnold more than two hundred years ago, as well as by the antique British clocks characterised by their skeletonised vertical design and conical fusée system, the Time Pyramid Tourbillon displays a one-of-a-kind architecture. The vertically rotating linear gear train connects the two mainspring barrels, which are arranged serially (at 6 o’clock), to the tourbillon escapement (at 12 o’clock). Built on three levels, the tourbillon, flanked by two power reserves, sits above the off-centre hours and minutes dial in sapphire crystal. This superlatively finished timepiece comes in 18-karat red gold (CHF 46,800) or steel (CHF 37,150).

RUDIS SYLVA OSCILLATEUR HARMONIEUX IN ROSE GOLD Jacky Epitaux, the man at the helm of Rudis Sylva, is one of the most endearing people in the watchmaking industry of the Jura. Together with a team of the best artisans and watchmakers in the region, ten years ago he launched his Oscillateur Harmonieux, a major invention made up of a regulating organ with two balances connected by means of a sophisticated system of teeth. These two mainsprings, mounted opposite one another in a cage which executes one rotation per minute, are deployed asymmetrically, supplying continuous energy to the regulating organ and eliminating all gravitational effects when in a vertical position. It is described as “better than any other existing tourbillon”. Just under 100 examples of this superbly finished watch have been delivered worldwide, with “zero customer returns”, says Jacky Epitaux. For its 10th anniversary, the Oscillateur Harmonieux is available in titanium (CHF 200,000) or rose gold (CHF 250,000).

MB&F LEGACY MACHINE FLYING T The most femininely beautiful of recent watches has to be this glass bubble encapsulating a miniature dream machine, with its column-design flying tourbillon beating at a peaceful 2.5Hz and its subdial, inclined at 50°, the serpentine hands of which display the hours and minutes for the sole pleasure of the wearer of the “bubble”. At the upper limit of the cage, a large diamond revolves in time with the tourbillon. On the back, a three-dimensional, sun-shaped rotor with sculpted rays supplies the energy to the movement (four-day power reserve).

There are three versions at launch: one in black lacquer, another paved with diamonds, and the third featuring baguette diamonds. Gorgeous. CHF 108,000 + VAT for black lacquer edition

BUBBLES & TRANSPARENCY For the past few years, watches have been exposing their mechanisms and playing with the concept of transparency. And although this year one senses the dawning of a return to greater stylistic sobriety, these “bubbles” still fascinate us with the threedimensional microcosms they present.

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JACOB & CO ASTRONOMIA FLAWLESS “Like diamonds in the sky…” went the song. Here, you have a tiny and very precious cosmos on your wrist. It is astronomical less in the scientific sense of the word than poetically, symbolically and… pricewise. An exclusive 1-carat Jacob Cut® diamond performs one complete rotation every 30 seconds, around an axis connecting it to a blue-lacquered magnesium globe; flanking these is a triple-axis tourbillon, the cages of which orbit in 60 seconds and 2.5 minutes respectively. The whole ensemble is mounted on a vertical movement with four arms that rotates on a central axis in 10 minutes and is surmounted by a 2.88-carat diamond. The sky of this Astronomia is an allsapphire case. A unique timepiece. Astronomical price not supplied. Price on request

DREAMBOULE LIGHTHOUSE GOLDSHEEN No, for once this is not a watch, but a jewel – a ring that encloses an entire tiny world suspended inside its globe. Created using horology-inspired techniques, the innovative Dreamboule line was born one Christmas evening when Ben Crocco was watching his children’s fascination with the snow globes that you shake to see a snow storm blow up inside. The result is a bejewelled scene set beneath a large cabochon sapphire crystal filled with a “dream solution” in which gold flakes float. This example, the Lighthouse Goldsheen ring, features a solitaire mounted on a golden lighthouse. Price on request

CENTURY PRIME TIME SKELETON Scratchproof, wearproof and entirely hand-carved out of sapphire to play on the reflections of light, the 12-faceted case from Prime Time is Century’s signature feature. In its skeleton version, as here, it combines the compact architecture of an automatic mechanism with a play on transparency. Waterresistant to a depth of 100 metres and mounted on a brushed matte black rubber strap, which is an integral part of the case, the Prime Time Skeleton is both sporty and chic, with its raised indices and openworked, coated hands. €2,630 91

TIME FRACTIONS The ability to display tiny fractions of time is without a doubt one of horology’s most important conquests. The chronograph was a crucial instrument of industrialisation during the world’s first globalisation phase, that of the first railways and regular international connections. To the eyes of the uninitiated, the chronograph may lack the nobility of the tourbillon, yet it is one of the key complications in the art of watchmaking, combining technical know-how, precision and consummate skill in the art of display. Because the nobility of the chronograph lies in its legibility.

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DE BETHUNE DB21 MAXICHRONO RE-EDITION Ten years ago, Denis Flageollet, master watchmaker and cofounder of De Bethune, presented a revolutionary and technically highly complex chronograph of absolute aesthetic purity and legibility.

The principle behind it was five hands, mounted on five central axes, embedded into one another and functioning with several interdependent column wheels, each capable of being reset on demand – the whole system controlled and activated by a monopusher at 6 o’clock. With a power reserve of five days, this is the most legible and certainly one of the most beautiful chronographs ever made. It is making its comeback this year, with just 10 pieces, specially produced for the occasion in grade 5 titanium. CHF 155,000

CARL F. BUCHERER HERITAGE BICOMPAX ANNUAL In the mid-1950s, Carl F. Bucherer introduced a chronograph that attracted much attention: a streamlined model with a 34 mm BiCompax display. It is from this historic timepiece that the new Heritage BiCompax Annual takes its inspiration. It combines totalisers, a large date and an annual calendar in a 41 mm case in steel (silver dial, black counters, rubber strap), or steel and 18-karat rose gold (pink champagne dial, cognacbrown leather strap). It’s a fine achievement, running on a CFB 1972 automatic movement with a power reserve of 42h.

Bicompax Annual steel/rose gold – CHF 10,500. Bicompax Annual steel – CHF 6,900. 2 x 888 pieces.

BREITLING NAVITIMER CHRONOGRAPH 43 SWISSAIR (OR TWA, PANAM) EDITION Swissair, TWA, Pan Am – three iconic airlines of the golden age of commercial aviation, now defunct. A supplier to 15 airlines from the 1960s, Breitling launched its first Navitimer, famous for its revolving slide rule, in 1952. The brand is celebrating this era with a dedicated capsule collection of three chronographs, equipped with the famous B01 calibre. Ah, the good old days!

From USD 8,275.

DOXA SUB 200 T.GRAPH GOLD In 1967, Doxa launched SUB. It was water-resistant down to 300m, and had the first patented rotating bevel to read decompression stops, and the first orange dial in a diving watch. 1969 saw the launch of the now legendary SUB 200 T. Graph. It’s now making a comeback, 50 years later, in a re-interpreted limited edition of 13 pieces in 18-karat gold. This series is all the more remarkable since the watches are fitted with original historic Valjoux 7734 movements, much loved by collectors. It features two totalisers (30 min and 60 seconds) and a rotating bezel showing the duration of the dive in minutes (in black) and the depth in feet (in orange). Water-resistant down to 200m. A legend is reborn. USD 70,000 93

ZENITH EL PRIMERO A386 REVIVAL To celebrate the 50th anniversary of its legendary 36,000 vph chronograph displaying tenths of a second, Zenith is offering a faithful re-edition of the initial 1969 version. Its 38 mm case, domed crystal, tricolour counters, tachymeter scale, indices, hands, lugs and mushroom-type pushers are all identically reproduced. There are two differences: a transparent caseback, and the fact that this model is powered by the current version of the El Primero automatic calibre.

Three revival models, in white, rose or yellow gold, are being produced in editions of 50 pieces each, guaranteed for‌ 50 years. CHF 19,900 94

CHOPARD MILLE MIGLIA 2019 RACE EDITION For more than three decades Chopard’s name has been intimately associated with the famous Mille Miglia automobile race (Brescia to Rome and back, a distance of 1,600 kilometres) that brings together more than 400 historic racing cars.

An entire collection is dedicated to it. The 2019 Race Edition is a 43 mm chronometer which is sturdy, hard-wearing, chic and slightly vintage-looking. It’s available in two editions: 1,000 units in steel (CHF 7,750) and 250 in steel and 18-karat rose gold (CHF 10,500). COSC-certified ETA automatic chronograph movement, 48-hour power reserve, tachymetric scale engraved on the bezel’s black aluminium insert, carefully designed legibility. CHF 7,170

SINGER FLYTRACK CONCEPT For the second watch of its existence (after the first won the Chronograph prize at the 2018 GPHG), Singer is pursuing its obsession with clarity of display. Alongside the peripheral hour and central minute indicators is a unique flyback seconds hand. Activated by a single press of the button, it returns to zero and starts again instantaneously. It’s ideal for accurately measuring lap times, average speeds and acceleration. 43 mm grade 5 titanium case, hand-wound movement, 52-hour power reserve. Retail price tbd.

TUDOR BLACK BAY CHRONO S&G For its first chronograph with an in-house automatic calibre, column wheel and vertical clutch (the MT5813, based on the Breitling 01 with a regulating organ specific to Tudor, silicon mainspring and dedicated finishes, COSC-certified), Tudor has chosen an exterior that suits both land and sea. The overall characteristics of the Black Bay have been preserved, with its 41 mm steel case and pushers in yellow gold, a fixed yellow gold bezel with a black anodised aluminium insert and a tachymetric scale. The “snowflake” hands – the signature of the brand’s diving watches since 1969 – are proof of this affiliation.

Priced from CHF 5,350 (leather strap with removable cuff) to CHF 6,500 (riveted steel and yellow gold bracelet).

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A FEMININE TAKE ON TIME We might as well admit it right away: at Baselworld 2019, women’s watches were thin on the ground. Rare are the watchmakers who consider them with any seriousness, continuity or originality.

Apart from the odd exception, for many brands the women’s range seems to be limited to smaller variations on men’s models with a bit more colour and a scattering of diamonds. It’s not enough.

Come on watchmakers, make an effort!

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HUBLOT CLASSIC FUSION ORLINSKI KING GOLD Hublot is more than just the famous and powerful Big Bang, which seems to have gobbled up everything in its path. The Classic Fusion Orlinski is much finer, with its 40 mm-diameter, 11.1 mm thick case, offering a subtle and consistent interplay of folds and facets that make it a genuine sculpture for the wrist.

We owe it to the collaboration between the watchmaker and Richard Orlinski, a French artist with whom Hublot has already worked on several models, such as the Aerofusion Chronograph and Tourbillon. With this Classic Fusion, he plays on folds, edges, bevels and facets – as he does in some of his monumental works – and offers a rare aesthetic “fusion” between the case and the dial, the faceted forms of which echo one another.

Driven by an automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve, it exists in a variety of versions, in polished titanium or 18K King Gold, with or without diamonds. Reckon on paying between CHF 10,900 and CHF 29,400, depending on the execution.

BULGARI SERPENTI SEDUTTORI From the fecund Serpenti nest this year hatched the Serpenti Seduttori. Finer than previous models, it comes with an exceptionally supple, hexagonal-link bracelet that dovetails perfectly with its 33 mm teardrop – or snakehead-shaped – case. Driven by a high-precision quartz movement, the Serpenti Seduttori comes in various versions: rose, yellow or white gold, plain, diamond-studded or pavé. €22,600

ORIS BIG CROWN POINTER DATE Who said aviator watches were for men only? Oris, which made its first pilot’s watch in 1938, is this year offering a 36 mm “vintage”-sized model, which subtly combines a steel case and a finely ridged bronze bezel surrounding a dark blue dial. An automatic movement displays hours, minutes, seconds and date. CHF 1,700

PATEK PHILIPPE NAUTILUS 7118/1R It was in 2015 that Patek Philippe launched the Ladies Automatic Nautilus in rose gold with a diamond-studded bezel.

This year, the watch reproduces the 1976 design of the Nautilus, with its two characteristic lateral attachments and rounded octagonal bezel, but without the diamonds, which makes the most of its distinctive geometry and the subtle decoration of the silvery or golden opaline dial with its beautifully effective embossed wave design. 324 SC automatic calibre, transparent crystal caseback, polished and satin-finished rose gold bracelet with folding clasp and an original and convenient fine adjustment system. CHF 42,000

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FABERGÉ LADY COMPLIQUÉE PEACOCK To tell the truth, this is no innovation; it’s a pared-down version of Fabergé’s famous Peacock, one of the most delicate and at the same most inventive and horological of all ladies’ watches.

The hour is read from the crown at 3 o’clock on a ring that rotates anti-clockwise; the minutes are read off the sculpted set of peacock feathers that fan out and then retract after 60 minutes (the watch in the adjacent photo is thus at half past four).

A complex, singular and highly spectacular display developed

by Agenhor exclusively for Fabergé. 38 mm rose gold case, white Neoralithe dial, peacock in sculpted rose gold, alligator strap. Price on request

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YUNIK MURANO It all starts in Murano, where the master glassworkers create rods of multicoloured glass, fuse them together and then slice them into discs to form murrine. After machining in Switzerland, the murrine becomes the case middle, which houses the movement and to which the back and bezel are fixed. Finished, these watches – each one unique – offer a bouquet of different designs in an explosion of colour.

Case middle in a single piece of Murano glass. Anti-allergenic screwed steel back, integral case lugs, sapphire crystal. Ronda quartz movement. Quick-change strap: leather, Italian leather, vegan or metallic. 36 mm CHF 625 / 44 mm CHF 745 / tonneau 38 x 42 mm CHF 965.

BEAUREGARD DAHLIA At the heart of the flower, beneath a crystal dome, beats a flying tourbillon surrounded by precious petals painstakingly carved from mother-of-pearl, turquoise, onyx, opal, phosphosiderite and other stones. Over these glide two hands, also in the shape of petals, and openworked. The crown is in the shape of a bud about to blossom, and the white gold case is studded with 598 VVS-DEF diamonds. Each one of these flower-watches is unique. Self-winding movement. A magnificent offering from a trio of creators based partly in Canada and partly in Switzerland. CHF 172,320

ROBERT & FILS 1630 LA DENTELLE Robert & Fils 1630 makes its return with a highly original watch with a genuinely feminine design. At the centre of a hand-woven lace-like cuff in black novo leather with 18K gold, diamond-studded link inserts, a delicate Art Deco-style watch in yellow or white gold, set with diamonds, sits resplendent.

The movement driving it is an exclusive Robert calibre dating from the 1960s or 70s, taken apart, inspected, decorated and put back together again in 2019. A proposition both astonishing and exclusive. CHF 33,000 (rose gold with 123 diamonds) / CHF 35,000 (white gold).

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URBAN Energy, robustness, virility, contemporaneity – arrestingly designed urban models are always big sellers and assume their role of innovation laboratory. Check out the carbon composite hairsprings of the TAG Heuer Autavia, or the colourful explorations of Casio, among many others.

TAG HEUER AUTAVIA Intended for automobile and aviation dashboards from 1933 to 1957, the Autavia reappeared in 1962 in the shape of a wristwatch chronograph. And so it remained until 1985. Today, after nearly 30 years of silence, the Autavia is being reborn in a collection of seven models, aimed at a broader audience.

While its design plays on reminiscences of the historic timepieces, its embedded technology is avant-garde. This is TAG Heuer’s first collection aimed at a wider public to be fitted with the new carbon-composite hairspring, an unprecedented and exclusive technology called Isograph, developed by Guy Sémon and his teams (see Europa Star 2/19). With the Autavia, TAG Heuer is playing for high stakes, setting out to establish a new linchpin for the collection while at the same time winning over the market with its avant-garde technology. This is all about reconciling post-vintage and experimental avant-garde.

From €3,250.

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MAURON MUSY ARMURE MU03 “Robust, sporty, sleek, refined, intriguing, sophisticated…” – Mauron Musy applies all these adjectives when introducing the new Armure MU03. Its industrial design is expressed in an imposing 44 mm case in titanium with a patented sealing system featuring a nO-Ring® waterproof seal. Its 36 technical components have a characteristic impact on the design.

MM01 in-house automatic movement, ultra-contemporary bead-blasted finish. CHF 9,300

MAURICE LACROIX AIKON AUTOMATIC BLACK The descendent of the Calypso of the 1980s and 90s, the Aikon Automatic exaggerates the latter’s features, which are accentuated even further in this black monochrome edition that literally sucks in the light. The 42 mm case, with its bezel and characteristic six gadroons, is covered entirely in sandblasted matte black PVD. Its Clou de Paris dial, with polished applied hour markers and anthracite hands coated in black SuperLumiNova, reinforces its resolutely urban character. Waterresistant down to 200 metres. Self-winding calibre, 3 hands, date. CHF 1,850

CASIO G-SHOCK “RAINBOW” Code-named MTG-B1000RB, or more poetically “Rainbow”, this new G-Shock sports a bezel unlike any other. Its rainbow effect is created by ion-plating, passing imperceptibly from red, through green, yellow and orange, to blue. The effect is amazing and lends this watch, designed to withstand the toughest shocks, an unexpectedly tender air with an almost lunar shimmer. USD 1,000

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WAVES Water has done so much for watchmaking. As the enemy of watches, it forced them to become watertight, pressure-resistant and legible; it obliged watchmakers to think up new functions, and watches to metamorphose into instruments.

But it has also given watchmaking and watch-wearers new status. No one can dive to 4,000 m and emerge unscathed (unlike the Delma, below), but diving watches have also morphed into an emblem of social status that bespeaks “strength, resistance, precision” and conveys a sun-drenched, sporty image.

DELMA BLUE SHARK III 1969 was a truly rich year for watchmaking, and not only because of the moon landing. In 1969, among other advances, Delma produced its first diving watch. In 2011, it issued its Blue Shark, already capable of diving to 3,000 metres – a depth that few attain. This year sees its third generation, which can attain 4,000 metres. Those extra thousand metres make a huge difference, forcing Delma to review the construction of the case, further improving its pressure-resistance and water-tightness.

With an imposing 47 mm diameter and thickness of 18.5 mm, along with robustness it gives pride of place to convenience and legibility, with clearly spaced, chunky, luminous typography against an orange, blue or black dial.

Interchangeable steel band or rubber strap. Helium valve. ETA 2824 automatic movement. Limited edition of 500 pieces with a steel bezel (CHF 1,990) and 500 pieces with a DLC bezel (CHF 2,090).

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TAVANNES WATCH SUBMARINE COMMANDER The history of the Submarine Commander goes back to 1917, when the Tavannes Watch Co supplied the British army with its first batch of watches for its submarine officers. These watches met stringent criteria with regard to water-tightness, pressureresistance, amagnetism, robustness, and legibility at all times.

More than 100 years later, the watch has been reborn. In black PVD-treated polished steel, mounted on a NATO strap, 41 mm in diameter and water-resistant down to 100m, the Submarine Commander is driven by an automatic movement based on the ETA 2824. CHF 1,995

HEGID VISION Made up of three interchangeable components, the Vision is an “evolutionary” watch: the capsule, case middle and strap can be mixed and matched with other accessories offered by this young French brand. In this particular configuration, with its bidirectional rotating bezel and its “capsule”, water-resistant down to 100 metres, why not use it as a diving watch?

Swiss-made automatic movement, 40h power reserve, sapphire crystal, luminescent hands and markers, 40 mm steel case, leather or rubber strap. €2,800

RADO CAPTAIN COOK AUTOMATIC Like so many other brands at the moment, Rado is revisiting its past. And it is a rich one, as this re-edition (limited to 1962 pieces) of the Captain Cook, produced between 1962 and 1968, attests. Its 37 mm steel case has the same dimensions as the original, as well as its diver-style rotating bezel, distinctive hands and red date. The differences are the use of ceramic inserts in the bezel, a sapphire crystal and a modern automatic movement that provides 80 hours of autonomy. It comes with a leather strap, a steel Milanese mesh bracelet and a NATO strap.

CHF 2,100

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RESERVOIR HYDROSPHERE Inspired by scuba-diving pressure gauges, the Hydrosphere combines three complications: a retrograde minute at 240° that recalls RPM counters, manometers and depth gauges, a jumping hour that recalls mileage meters, and a power reserve that echoes the design of fuel and oil gauges. The patented automatic movement made up of 124 components is based on an ETA 2824. Precision, exactitude and reliability: this is all about measuring time, delivering performance and assessing risk factors. €4,250

ANONIMO NAUTILO VINTAGE The Nautilo diving watch, designed 15 years ago by naval engineer Dino Zei, is reissued this year in a version with the epithet “vintage”. It has retained its characteristic crown at 4 o’clock but sports a new 42 mm steel case with a blue sunray-patterned dial, railway-type minutes and a slightly domed sapphire crystal. Its unidirectional rotating bezel has a ceramic blue insert.

Water-resistant down to 200m, it is driven by a Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement. 38-hour power reserve. CHF 2,290

ORIS GREAT BARRIER REEF LIMITED EDITION III In close partnership with the very active Reef Restoration Foundation, Oris, which year after year renews its commitment to the conservation of the oceans, has unveiled a new model specially created to defend this cause of global importance.

Limited to 2,000 pieces, the new model sports a dial of an intense blue, further intensified by a blue ceramic insert on the bezel of its broad 43.5 mm case. Automatic movement. Central hours and minutes hand, small seconds indicator at 9 o’clock, circular date. Water-resistant to 30 m. CHF 2,450 104

ART FOR ART’S SAKE A certain conformism reigns among watchmakers, who tend to follow what they see as the predominating trend of the time – which today means the great vintage wave.

Others prefer not to deviate from the path they have carved out for themselves, make no concessions to fashion and are proud to present their own unique creations.

Their creativity enriches watchmaking.

SCHWARZ-ETIENNE ODE TO THE 70S It’s unexpected, to say the least, to see a flying tourbillon celebrating Flower Power, or to see a watchmaker asking an artisan under the influence of psychotropic substances to use grand feu cloisonné enamel to create psychedelic designs.

Schwarz-Etienne did, and is now presenting its Ode to the ’70s on an aptly paint-splashed denim strap, set in an 18-karat white gold 44 mm case. The flying tourbillon movement and microrotor with 219 components is manufactured in-house. For nostalgic, wealthy hippies. 23 units at CHF 118,000.

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URWERK & EMMANUEL ESPOSITO UR-T8 COLIBRI AND ITS T8 “COLIBRI” ART KNIFE Urwerk regularly welcomes the arts and crafts into its distinctive watchmaking world. This is the case for this dual product – a watch and its knife – produced in partnership with Emmanuel Esposito, a young Italian craftsman specialising in the creation of art knives of outstanding quality.

The watch case is decorated using the same technique as the knife handle. Esposito cuts out hundreds of diamondshaped pieces of mother-of-pearl, and creates a mosaic which is made all the more striking by the insertion of tiny golden pins between each element. The same 3D engraving found on the cover of the UR-T8 is also found on the top of the knife handle. As a nod to watchmaking, the inclusion at the bottom of the handle of a sapphire glass window reveals an internal kinetic turbine similar to that of the UR-T8 mechanism (and genuinely functional).

It’s a unique object, a demonstration of stylistic and technical strength without one iota of nostalgia. Just the opposite, in fact.

106

SARPANEVA MOONMENT Given how long Stepan Sarpaneva has been observing the moon in the snowy landscapes and forests of his native Finland, and how long (16 years) he has been transposing it into his moonphase watches, it should come as no surprise that his first entirely in-house movement is called Moonment, and it deviates from the lunar cycle by just one second every 14,000 years. If necessary, the moon phase can be adjusted via the crown in 3-hour increments. As for the moon itself, its large snowy face appears behind an optic fibre aperture. Beyond precise, and beyond poetic, like all watches by Sarpaneva. €32,000

MUSE SWISS ART WATCHES No hands, no apertures, only very finely openworked geometric patterns which, in perpetual movement, create ever-changing figures, while also telling the time. This unprecedented concept, in the words of its creators “offers a philosophy that runs counter to current trends and invites you to link up with the essential, the present.” Powered by the historic ETA 2276 automatic calibre (which went out of production in 1982), Muse watches have dials made of natural stone, and come in a 44 mm or 37 mm titanium or gold case. From CHF 2,480 to 2,820.

DOLCE & GABBANA PALERMO Dolce & Gabbana combines Swiss watchmaking expertise and Italian arts and crafts in this collection named Manifattura Italiana, inspired by the clocks of the major Italian cities – Milan, Rome, Naples, Venice, Florence and Palermo. The Palermo model, entirely hand-engraved in rose gold, displays a remarkable dial, the golden numerals of which are inscribed in lapis lazuli cabochons of a magnificent blue. The hours, minutes and small seconds hands are driven by an in-house constant-force automatic calibre. Price not supplied.

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108 108

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LAST MINUTE - ON OUR WEBSITE

Swatch Group’s new watches seen through the Europa Star archives The 2019 releases of the Swatch Group’s luxury brands have finally been introduced. They have one point in common: a strong vintage inspiration, be it for the variations on the Fifty Fathoms at Blancpain or the commemorative models crafted by Omega for the 50th anniversary of the first man on the Moon. This gave us the idea of drawing on our vast archives, which have just been digitised, to place these new timepieces into a historical perspective. Vintage articles supporting our contemporary articles!

JAQUET DROZ AND THE GRANDE “SMALL SECOND” It was only in the mid-2000s that Jaquet Droz regained a strong identity by delving into its archives and rediscovering a watch from 1785 – a model whose style has now become the brand’s backbone. This is confirmed by the 2019 new releases.

BLANCPAIN: THE UNSINKABLE FIFTY FATHOMS Like many brands in 2019, Blancpain is capitalising on its 20th century icons, and particularly on the adventure of the Fifty Fathoms.

BREGUET’S UNCHANGING CODES The imprint left by Abraham-Louis Breguet was so strong, technically and aesthetically, that the successive houses that bore his name have never deviated from the line drawn by the master, whether under the Chaumet brothers, Investcorp or now the Swatch Group, as Europa Star witnessed during the 20th and 21st centuries.

ONE GIANT LEAP FOR OMEGA For 50 years, Omega has been capitalising on the extraordinary adventure that made its Speedmaster the first watch to be worn on the Moon. In our July 1969 edition, we highlighted the historical significance of the event for the Swiss brand.

Find all these articles online in the dedicated Watch File: www.europastar.com/the-watch-files 110

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“Switzerland to stop producing mechanical watches? (…) After sinking slowly for five years, we have now touched the bottom. Everything seems to have been in league to destroy the very foundation of what was once a flourishing and seemingly indestructible industry.”

(Europa Star, issue 119, 1980)

Time is the ultimate master.

To keep in mind the lessons of the past, | CLUB and get instant subscribe to access to over 60,000 pages of watch history.

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INDEX A. Lange & Söhne 28 Acrotec COVER III 74, 75, 115 Akrivia 81 Alchemists 88 Alpina 46, 47, 48 Andreas Strehler 113 Anonimo 104 Antoine Preziuso 113 Arnold & Son 46, 47, 48, 89 Atelier deMonaco 46, 47, 48 Audemars Piguet 6, 7 Beauregard 99 Blancpain 110 Breguet 110 Breilting 93 Bovet 23 Bulgari 80, 97 Bulova 46, 47, 48 Carl F. Bucherer 68, 69, 93 Casio 12, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 42, 43, 44, 55, 59, 101 Century 91 Chanel 4, 5, 79 Chopard 95 Chronoswiss 13, 87 Citizen COVER I, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 32, 33, 34, 36, 46, 47, 48, 52, 53, 54

RECOMMENDED READING

BY FABRICE MUGNIER, WATCHPRINT.COM Czapek 83 De Bethune 92 Delma 102 DeWitt 89 Dolce & Gabbana 107 Doxa 93 Dreamboule 91 Eberhard & Co 41, 70, 71 Fabergé 98 Frédérique Constant 37, 46, 47, 48, 85 Glashütte Original 83 Hajime Asaoka 81 Hegid 103 Hermès 10, 11 HKTDC 108 Hublot 96 Ice-Watch 49 Jacob & Co 91 Jaquet Droz 110 Jean Marcel 85 Junghans 85 Knot 36 Laurent Ferrier 81 Longines 8, 9, 22 Louis Erard 76, 77, 87 Louis Moinet 113 Maurice Lacroix 101 Mauron Musy 101 MB&F 90 Meistersinger 87 Minase 24, 25, 56, 57, 58 Miyota 52, 53, 54

Mühle-Glashütte 45 Muse 107 Nomos 84 Omega 110 Orient 50, 51 Oris 97, 104 Patek Philippe COVER IV, 86, 97 Promotion 111 Rado 103 Reservoir 104 Richard Mille 29 Robert & Fils 99 Rolex COVER II, 3, 26, 27, 78, 113 Rudis Sylva 89 Salin 109 Sarpaneva 107 Schwarz-Etienne 105 Seiko 12, 26, 32, 33, 34, 36, 38, 39, 40, 60, 82 Singer 95 Swatch Group 110 TAG Heuer 15, 100 Tavannes Watch 103 Tissot 26, 61 Titoni 35, 72, 73 Tudor 28, 95 Urban Jürgensen 66, 67, 83 Urwerk 106 Yunik 99 Zenith 94

THE WORLD OF WATCHES

The Book of Rolex

by Jens Høy and Christian Frost

Horological trends flit by faster than ever in today's fast-paced society. But Rolex does not rely on gimmicks; theirs is a more perennial allure, with a reputation built on traditions and hard-earned skill.

A company that innovates while paying homage to their roots, every Rolex is the culmination of centuries of watchmaking expertise.

Within this book you will find explanations of the making process, descriptions of the materials involved and expert commentary on what makes each Rolex wristwatch unique. The Book of Rolex demonstrates how each model fits its social milieu, present and past. It also addresses the multitude of fakes on the market, including the so-called 'Frankensteins' - watches made from a mixture of real parts and forgeries, which are notoriously hard to spot - imparting all the skills needed to pick counterfeits out of a line-up.

A holistic view of Rolex watches, this book promises to be as timeless as the brand itself. Should you be considering a Rolex, this book will convince you of its worth as an investment.

Size: 265 x 225 mm | Pages: 200 | Illustrations: 334 | Price: CHF 39.-

Independent Watchmakers

by Steve Huyton

With a foreword from Jean-Marie Schaller, founder and creative director of Louis Moinet, this book introduces some of the most elegant watches the horological world has to offer, including several one-of-akind pieces that have never before appeared in print.

Many of these ateliers handcraft both the watches and their complicated mechanical movements inhouse. The level of expertise and craftsmanship involved is truly dazzling.

Featuring such stunning timepieces as the 15.48 Driver Watch, the Andreas Strehler Time Shadow and the Antoine Preziuso Chronometer, Tourbillon of Tourbillons, this expertly curated collection of watch profiles will catch the eye of any true enthusiast.

Steve Huyton looks beyond the price tag, featuring affordable options of particular artistic merit as well as pieces from the luxury end of the scale.

Discover the hidden gems of the watchmaking business - 60 independent artisans counted among the finest makers in the world.

Includes the work of: Hajime Asaoka, Felix Baumgartner (Urwerk), Aaron Becsei, Vincent Calabrese, Konstantin Chaykin, Bernhard Lederer (BLU), Masahiro Kikuno, Vianney Halter, Antoine Preziuso and Andreas Strehler, among others.

Steve Huyton specialises in reviewing everything from gourmet honey to architecture on his blog, 'Total Design Reviews'. Watches are a passion; Huyton developed his own label, Paolo Mathai Horology, which crafts unique timepieces in close collaboration with clients and architects. Huyton created two bespoke timepieces especially for this book, 'Hemisphere' and 'Pure Carbon'.

Size: 260 x 237 mm |Pages: 240 | Illustrations: 180 | Price: CHF 46.Available at www.watchprint.com

A last word to start

THE CONTROL-FREAKERY OF THE LUXURY BUSINESS

A

BY PIERRE MAILLARD

well-known watch subcontractor (who shall remain nameless) recently shared with us his sense of despair at how his clients had changed over time. The connoisseurs and enthusiasts of the art and craft of watchmaking, with whom he had been able to have an honest discussion, had gradually been replaced by managers from other industries, or from the big business schools specialising in luxury. These people don’t possess an ounce of watchmaking culture, they are obsessed with control, and they’re only interested in the bottom line.

He said the situation was so bad that major clients now demand permanent and unlimited access to the subcontractors’ entire production procedure. Frankly, we could scarcely believe it. What that means is nothing less than full access to the computer servers of the company concerned, which gives the clients the ability to monitor operations in real time, and control every stage of production of their orders.

And as if that’s not enough, these control freaks (an obsession imported from across the Atlantic) have also developed a habit of regularly flying in inspectors to carry out audits of the production process, and indeed of the entire company in question, even going so far (this is not a joke) as opening the break room fridges to see what’s inside.

We’ve come a long way, indeed, from the days when a handshake or a simple order slip would suffice. Back then, we were all time-served professionals in the watchmaking trades. We knew the level of quality we could expect from a subcontractor, and we trusted each other.

Often, we’d been acquainted since our school days.

But the most disastrous aspect of this profound cultural shift, which has seen artisans replaced by bean-counters concerned only with shareholder value, is that it risks undermining the very core value of Swiss watchmaking: its savoir-faire. This savoir-faire is gradually being eroded, to the point where it may end up in the dustbin of History.

The same subcontractor told us that, where previously one administrative assistant had been enough, he now needs five or six to handle the proliferation of norms and standards, and all the bureaucratic certification and control procedures.

Added to this culture of surveillance (a phenomenon that now affects all aspects of contemporary society) is the unremitting and aggressive pressure on prices.

In the end, it’s the smaller outfits that suffer. They find themselves unable to respond to these technocratic demands, because they have no way of fulfilling tenders that include these kinds of requirements. The tragedy is that it’s precisely in these small, dynamic firms that you find the inventiveness, the creativity, the hunger for innovation that have been the warp and weft of the fabric of Swiss watchmaking for generations. The commoditisation of luxury, with its short-term horizons, will eventually kill the luxury business altogether. At the very least, it will empty it of the human substance that gives it its true and lasting value.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Let’s be grateful for the existence of the EPHJ fair, which will bring together more than 800 subcontractors in Geneva from 18 to 21 June. It’s a fair where people still talk to each other with genuine passion and warmth. Some collectors even visit the fair to build their own watches, by approaching the contractors individually.

They’re the ones with their heads screwed on.

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Some people think they’re always on time.

Actually, they just wear magnetized watches.

Come check yours.

EPHJ 2019 - Booth G/H35

Measure & demagnetize any mechanical watches, directly in boutique.

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