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Breitling: universal ambition DR

Swatch Group: interview series

WATCH.AFICIONADO

A EUROPA STAR GROUP PUBLICATION

WATCH BUSINESS PAPER | USA VOL. 54 NO. 304 | CHAPTER 3/2018 | WWW.EUROPASTAR.COM

EDITORIAL

by

Serge Maillard

they follow an agenda set by their sales and marketing departments?

As is so often the case, the answer seems to be a judicious mix of both: they represent both the genuine passion of many watchmakers for materials research, which is actually fascinating in many respects, and the brands’ interest in ensuring continued commercial success.

Given the flurry of new materials, it seems wise to issue a note of caution to watchmakers, to alert them to the perils of counting their chickens before they hatch. Only time will tell if this is real technological progress, or so much fairy dust.

This warning is based on whispers from insiders, whom we cannot name here, for obvious reasons. One critical comment particularly struck us. “Case materials are hyped up to the point where the whole thing

Here’s an uncomfortable thought: what if all these announcements about new materials, particularly for watch cases, are nothing more than a horological Ponzi scheme? Should we believe watchmakers when they tell us that these innovations are the way of the future? Will watch customers in 2030 see our decade as a golden age of technological growth, or a golden age of unscrupulous marketing ploys? And... have we ever seen anything as So the question is this: durable and robust are these new materials as the good old steel the result of “objective” watches of the 1970s?

research by the watch companies’ R&D labs, or do they follow an agenda set by their sales and marketing departments?

As we introduce this dossier, a note of caution is advised. Given the explosion of new materials being hyped up by the watch industry, it’s a good idea to take a step back, and consider whether the innovative substances being touted for use in cases, bezels, crystals, dials, even straps, represent a genuine advantage for the customer.

The watch industry is a past master in the art of marketing, although, since the explosion of the internet, it has faced a backlash from the countless ultra-specialised blogs run by enthusiasts. So the question is this: are these new materials the result of “objective” research by the watch companies’ R&D labs, or do

has become meaningless. Light?

Has anyone suffered from tendinitis because their watch is too heavy?

Hard, scratchproof? Are you intending to attack your watch with a screwdriver? And people talk about health, when the components are often based on a thermosetting resin composite matrix that you wouldn’t want in your house.”

Good grief. Is it not enough that we are forced to entertain doubts about the authenticity of horological interest in materials research? Should we also be worrying about our health, several decades after we stopped using radium? You can’t halt progress... but it often takes time to understand all the consequences.

RM 53-01 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough by Richard Mille

New materials: genuine progress or marketing hype?

“New” materials: a strategic, scientific and marketing challenge by

Pierre Maillard

The Swiss mechanical watchmaking "revival" has essentially entailed a process of renewing existing mechanical skills. The task was to show that mechanical ingenuity had returned, not to play hide-and-seek, but to proudly reveal its capabilities. The best, but by no means the only, illustration of this is the remarkable vogue for double, triple and even quadruple tourbillons. Watchmaking performance thus became the latest

weapon in the battle for corporate image among brands.

Then, after almost every corner had been explored, the focus surreptitiously shifted towards materials. With the conventional gold, platinum and steel no longer sufficient to meet the needs of finishing, or indeed achieving the necessary feats of technological prowess, attentions turned towards other materials, preferably high-tech.

Indeed, as Dominique Fléchon's list of watchmaking materials used throughout the course of its histo-

ry clearly shows (see page 2), watchmaking has always enjoyed close ties with the metallurgical industry and its progress. However, for a long while, most watches were produced in traditional metals, with gold reigning supreme over the industry, followed by platinum, and way ahead of steel in terms of prestige, including when it became stainless.

The first wake-up call, as such, came in 1972 with the launch of the Royal Oak, the first high-end sports watch >>

NEW MATERIALS

2 | WATCH AFICIONADO

crafted in steel and singing loud and proud of its metallurgical origins. It was thus the Royal Oak that established the credibility of steel, in its own way opening up the race for materials. And since steel had gained in prestige, so other materials could follow suit.

Meanwhile, another brand, Rado, was already patiently exploring the seam of "new materials". As early as 1962, Rado had begun selling "the world's first scratch-proof watch", the DiaStar 1 crafted in "hardmetal", in Rado's case a composite material based on tungsten carbide and a binder metal. Moulded and compressed at a pressure of 1000 bar, the watch case blank is then sintered in a vacuum furnace at a temperature of 1450°C in a process that results in an astonishing hardness rating of between 1400 and 2000 Vickers. Rado also introduced the concept of sapphire crystal to the industry, glass being the brittle point in the construction process, thus killing two birds with one stone.

We choose to dwell on this example because it epitomises the aesthetic and technological consequences of materials research. Notoriously difficult to work with, hardmetal set in motion a stylistic change that left a profound mark on watch design in the 60s and 70s in the shape of the super-wide bezel symbolic of that era. It was a perfect illustration of the fact that the technical choice of materials can thus impact upon the lines, volumes and appearances of a watch, sometimes by choice, sometimes by necessity.

Rado, in effect, demonstrated this in its subsequent research work by introducing a metallised sapphire crystal glass to cover the entire case (1976), then by using ceramic, first for the bracelet, and then in 1990 for the Rado Ceramica with its sapphire crystal and "high-tech" ceramic.

With regard to the use of ceramics in watchmaking, the rest, as they say, is history! And what the Royal Oak did for steel, Chanel did for ceramic. When it launched its ceramic J12 in 2000, Chanel lifted a material hitherto considered cold and necessarily technical to a whole new level.

The pioneer of new materials But the true pioneer of the "new materials" we now see paraded before us is Richard Mille. The brand even made them its cause. The focus was suddenly on lightness, strength, movement integration and finishing, openwork and spatial architecture. It sparked an exploration of materials too numerous to mention here (see page 4).

In its wake, we saw an explosion in the number of new, hitherto unseen materials. Alloys, composites, every conceivable form of carbon and the entire periodic table of elements put in an appearance, one after the other, asteroids and even, somewhat lugubriously, rust from the Titanic.

There was talk of medical provenance, even more talk of F1, aviation, space exploration, cuttingedge industries… and even the art of liquid engineering as championed by HYT (see page 6).

The quest for lightness, strength, insensitivity to magnetic fields, form, colour and appearance gathered pace… Materials thus offer watchmakers a vast playground. Some want it to be seen, while others prefer to keep it under wraps (see Roger Dubuis and Panerai page 12).

Behind these neo-materials, strategic responses are also taking shape.

Competition is mounting among the laboratories. Every group has its research centre, every major brand now has its own lab and is busy recruiting. At the EPFL or CSEM, for example, armies of talented young researchers devote themselves to materials, by no means exclusively

We saw an explosion in the number of new, hitherto unseen materials.

Alloys, composites, every conceivable form of carbon and the entire periodic table of elements put in an appearance, one after the other. for watchmaking. The watchmaking industry, however, thanks to the intellectual and industrial fabric of the Lake Geneva area, benefits greatly from these advances and even generates a few of its own.

By way of example, the innovative scratch-resistant gold that goes by the typically "Biverian" name of Magic Gold is the product of intensive research, as we learn later from Professor Mortensen of the Institute of Materials at EPFL (see page 8).

As proof of the vital importance of such research, the guys at CSEM (Swiss centre for electronics and microtechnology) in which Patek Philippe, Rolex, the Swatch Group and Richemont are shareholders, approach our requests for information with circumspection. Most of the ongoing research is carried out in total confidentiality. Some largescale projects, however, are conducted collaboratively. The silicon balance-spring, for example, came about from a CSEM collaboration between Rolex, Patek Philippe and the Swatch Group (Richemont, having had no faith in the project, declined to give its support), an adventure related to us by Jean-Pierre Musy, head of Advanced Research at Patek Philippe until just recently.

That said, when it comes to materials, we can safely say we've seen every trick in the book, including some marketing departments dreaming up pompous names for alloys that have been well known for a long time. In the great materials race, there's still a lot of fodder for experimentation. Read Serge Maillard’s Editorial.

Watchmaking materials: a historical primer by

Dominique Fléchon, haute

horlogerie expert and consultant

Historical materials and “new materials” Ever since the dawn of mechanical watchmaking, its base materials have been copper alloys and ferrous materials. As evidenced by the astrarium completed by Giovanni de Dondi in 1386, the combination of iron or steel pinions and brass wheels appeared early on for tribological reasons.

Watchmakers realised from the outset that the materials required to build the first horometers with a mainspring (records of which date back to between 1365 and 1400) had to meet the increasingly numerous and complex imperatives of – of implementation (cutting, forming, machining), operation (elasticity, resistance to friction, abrasion and ageing) and environment (such as a low factor of thermal expansion in the event of temperature fluctuation, or resistance to corrosion).

Clocks and watches thus owe much to the rise of metallurgy, without which they could never have lasted more than 700 years. Empirical in its early days, the art of metalworking progressively became a subtle and complex chemistry that watchmaking turned to its own advantage, just as it did the progress of science and knowledge.

In recent years, new materials such as titanium or aluminium-based alloys, silicon and Liquidmétal® have made their debut on the horological stage. Around the turn of the new millennium, the larger size of watch cases and the development of metal wrist strips prompted watchmakers to seek out the lightest materials available.

From 1886, thanks to a less costly production process using electrolysis, the market of kitchen utensils was opened up to aluminium.

Although pocket watches have been made entirely in this metal, only aluminium-titanium alloys, which are both extremely light as well as hard, are used to obtain a fundamental component of several high-tech, anallergic ceramics that are resistant enough to abrasion to meet watchmakers’ needs.

29

Al

ALUMINIUM In 1821, near Baux-de-Provence (France), Pierre Berthier discovered a mineral ore containing 50-60% of aluminium oxide. The process of reducing the ore using sodium proved so costly that the value of the resulting aluminium attained that of gold. At that period, the metal was used exclusively for luxury jewellery and other items for the court of Napoleon III and the elite classes.

+

30

Zn

Cu

COPPER Alloyed with beryllium (formerly called glucinium), it offers the best mechanical properties of all the copper alloys in terms of hardness, resistance to corrosion and low coefficient of thermal expansion.

Beryllium-copper alloys are therefore tending to replace tempered steel in springs, balance wheels and hands.

Cupronickel alloys, sometimes called “white copper” and traded in the past under the names of Alpacca, Argentan and Minargent, are particularly resistant to corrosion, wear and salt water. They can be used to manufacture bridges, wheels and hands for water sports watches.

BRASS Alloys of copper and zinc, known since prehistoric times, were used in the Middle Ages to mass-produce copper and brassware items. Easy to machine, they are traditionally used to manufacture base plates, bridges and other components and bearings for clocks and watches. As brass is inexpensive, the cases of the first affordable watches were made in this alloy.

79

Au

GOLD

29

13

Cu

29

Cu

+

50

Sn

BRONZE This alloy of mainly copper and tin known since the second millennium BC has the advantage of being hard and capable of being cast. This is why it is used to make bearings and friction parts. It has the disadvantages of being a good conductor of heat and heavier than steel.

It smells unpleasant in contact with sweat and can cause allergies, which is why it must be treated if used to make wristwatch cases. When alloyed with beryllium, it becomes almost as hard as steel, in which case it can be used to produce balance wheels.

This metal, a symbol of the sun, has been popular since Antiquity.

It has been used in spring watches and clocks since they were first invented, either in solid form or gold plate. Naturally pale yellow in colour, or green in the case of electrum, it can be coloured by adding other metals: Yellow gold: 75% gold + 12.5% silver + 12.5% copper Pink gold: 75% gold + 6% silver + 19% copper.

Red gold: 75% gold + 4% silver + 21% copper. This is particularly prized for repeater and chiming watches.

White gold: 75% gold + 10% silver + 15% palladium. It is frequently confused with grey gold.

Grey gold: 75% gold + 12.5% nickel + 10% copper + 2.5% zinc.

Green gold: 75% gold + 24% silver + 1% cadmium. This occurs naturally and is called electrum.

Purple gold (also called ame-

NEW MATERIALS thyst gold or violet gold): 75% gold + 25% aluminium. The alloy may contain small amounts of silver and copper.

Blue gold: 75% gold + 24.4% iron + 0.6% nickel. Its blue colour is obtained by heat treatment which oxidises the iron atoms on the surface of the metal.

WATCH AFICIONADO | 3

ance wheel, it eliminated the middle temperature error, a residual defect caused by the thermal compensation of watch balance wheels between 4°C and 39°C. Elinvar, with its invariable elasticity coefficient, was used to produce compensation balance springs, from which those made in Metelinvar®, Durinval® and Nivarox® are derived.

40

Zr

+

28

+

Ni

22

+

Ti 4

+

29

escapement mechanism made in platinum, which was presented to Louis XVI in 1788. A few years later, Abraham-Louis Breguet fitted his grand self-winding complication, called the “Marie-Antoinette”, with an oscillating weight in the same metal. From the end of the nineteenth century, platinum was used in the manufacture of jewellery watches.

Cu

26

Be

The trade name of a series of alloys developed by the California Institute of Technology and launched on the market in 2003. Composed of zirconium, titanium, copper, nickel and beryllium, its melting temperature is half that of conventional, titanium-based alloys. Once cooled, it is three times harder than stainless steel.

29

Cu

+

28

Ni

+

30

Zn

NICKEL SILVER 26

Fe

+

28

Ni

INVAR 26

24

Fe

+

Cr

+

28

74

Ni

+

W

ELINVAR During the course of his career, physicist Charles-Edouard Guillaume (1861-1938) developed, manufactured and tested nearly 600 alloys.

Among those with a very low expansion coefficient, Invar (iron + nickel) and Elinvar (iron + nickel + bromine + tungsten) date from 1896 and 1913 respectively.

He used the former to manufacture the balance wheel that bears his name. Also called an "integral" bal-

Long known in China under the name of “baitong”, this alloy was rediscovered by Maillot and Chorier who named it "maillechort". Patented in 1827 by Philibert Maillot, it is an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc.

Since its mechanical characteristics are superior to those of brass, it is ideally suited to the manufacture of wheels, bridges and base plates.

78

Pt

PLATINUM Although a tiny number of jewellery items made in pure (more than 80%) platinum between the first and fourth centuries AD have been found in Ecuador, the history of this metal really began in 1741 with the arrival of a sample in Europe.

Its first mechanical application was the creation of a watch with the staff and pallets of the lever

Fe

+

6

C

+

24

Cr

STAINLESS STEEL

LIQUIDMETAL® The composition of the alloys is indicative only and is provided for 18-karat gold. It differs according to the percentage of pure gold and the desired shade. Other hues also exist, such as a salmon-pink gold (an alloy of gold and platinum) and a yellow-green gold (an alloy of gold and zinc).

Combining golds of different colours in both the watch case and bracelet allows for the creation of innumerable geometric or figurative designs. Designs marrying yellow, white, red and green were especially popular during the final third of the eighteenth century.

tage of oxidising. A popular choice for flinqué dials and cases, and is the metal best suited for gold-plating.

14

Si

SILICON Silicon was isolated for the first time in 1823 by Jöns Jacob Benzelius, a Swedish scientist considered to be one of the founders of modern chemistry. In 1854, Henri SainteClaire Deville obtained monocrystalline silicon, which since then has been used in microelectronics.

Although Edward John Dent made a balance spring in glass – the ancestor of silicon escapements – in 1828, it was not until the early 2000s that this metalloid was used to make escape wheels, balances and levers, thanks to technological advances in plasma etching.

Low in density, resistant to friction and corrosion, non-magnetic and requiring no lubrication, but generating high machining costs, it is a component of various alloys developed and patented by certain watchmakers.

47

Ag

SILVER Known since Antiquity, silver is used in watchmaking, jewellery and silversmithing both as a precious metal and as silvered metal produced by electroplating. As an alloy made up of 92.5% of silver and 7.5% of another metal, it has the disadvan-

The first corrosion-resistant alloys of iron and steel were cast in ancient times, as the Iron Pillar of Delhi, erected around AD400, testifies.

However, they owed their properties to their phosphorous content and not to chrome, which is the current definition of stainless steel. In 1911, it was demonstrated that the proportion of chrome in alloys affects their resistance to corrosion. Two years later, the English metallurgist Harry Brearley developed a steel containing 0.24 percent of carbon and 12.8 percent of chrome, which he named “rustless”. Subsequently renamed, it was the first officially designated “stainless steel”.

when heated red-hot, hardened on being quenched in water.

This process spread through Styria and Carinthia, then to Germany, Piedmont and Hungary. In the second half of the thirteenth century, metallurgy workshops were set up near to water courses, the hydraulic force operating bellows that raised the temperature of the furnaces and, through camshafts, worked increasingly heavy hammers at a steady rhythm to remove slag from the metal.

In the fifteenth century, blast furnaces became common all over Europe.

They made it possible to attain temperatures of around 1,600°C and produce molten iron which, when refined, formed natural steel.

It was only in the late eighteenth century that the carbon content was used to distinguish between iron, steel and cast iron. Today, industrial iron and mild steel contain less than 0.005 per cent, steel between 0.05 and 2.01 percent, and cast iron between 2.1 and 6.67 percent.

22

Ti

TITANIUM 26

Fe

+

6

C

STEEL Starting in the Iron Age, iron oxide was worked in bloomeries at a relatively low temperature. The resulting heterogeneous mass, or “bloom”, was then hammered to remove the slag. The blocks of metal produced in this way did not all have the same properties and at that time no distinction was made between iron, steel and cast iron.

In antiquity, the Greeks used cementation, a process that increased the amount of carbon in the iron, which hardened and turned into steel.

For some people, the Iron Age actually began in mediaeval times, when it became necessary to shoe draught animals and the mounts of knights.

In twelfth-century Belgium, iron was obtained by refining an initial batch of cast iron to produce steel, among other things. In the Middle Ages, the term “steel” referred to alloys which,

Discovered in 1791 by the English mineralogist William Gregor and produced by the American industrialist Matthew Albert Hunter from 1910, titanium has the advantage of being biocompatible, which means that it has the ability to withstand bodily fluids. Both twice as light and twice as strong as stainless steel, it meets the requirements of sports watch cases, as well as those for repeater and chiming watches.

NEW MATERIALS

4 | WATCH AFICIONADO

RM 50-03 McLaren F1

Richard Mille, Material Boy The recurring theme at Richard Mille is the reconciliation of lightness and toughness. And that they achieve by bringing new materials to watchmaking, from carbon and titanium right through to graphene. Europa Star had the opportunity to explore the workshop of Richard Mille in the Jura. Here's what we saw.

by

Serge Maillard

If you were asked to name one brand at the cutting edge of research into innovative materials, this would no doubt be it. The new horological direction taken by the company headquartered at Les Breuleux since 2001 is a closely interwoven mix of new shapes, bold aesthetics and new materials.

The brand is thus a pioneer of the application in watchmaking of new types of carbon, new uses of sapphire and, more recently, the introduction of graphene, partly thanks to its partnerships in the aeronautics (Airbus Corporate Jets) and automobile (McLaren) industries, where these new materials were integrated long ago.

On arriving in the brand's premises in the Jura, the first thing you notice is the ongoing extension of the production facilities. Valgine, ProArt and Horométrie – which handles the distribution of the watches – are grouped together under the Richard Mille entity. And so the visit begins.

Valgine and ProArt, the two pillars of Richard Mille Valgine was founded more than a century ago by the family of Dominique Guenat, Richard Mille’s associate since the start of the venture. This is where the watches are

assembled, but also dreamed up, since the building houses the company’s technical office with its workforce of some 20 people. The place is steeped in history, Valgine having for a long time supplied movements to the great names in local watchmaking before switching to privatelabel business. It was while working

“At this very moment we’re following up three or four leads on new materials currently used in other sectors and that we’re going to introduce into watchmaking.” for Mauboussin, then a customer of Valgine’s, that Richard Mille made the acquaintance of Dominique Guenat.

Just opposite stand the ultramodern premises of ProArt, a structure founded in 2013 and in charge of producing the watch cases as well as machining certain components, such as the baseplates and bridges. The only exception, entrusted to third-party suppliers, is the de-

sign of the sapphire cases. The Les Breuleux production site employs a total of some 150 people, “including more than 50% from the FranchesMontagnes district,” we are told, underscoring the brand’s claim to be firmly rooted in its region while pushing back the limits of watchmaking creativity and decorating the wrists of the planet’s new elite.

Increased production The exercise at hand – that of combining the rigour of Jura watchmakers with its founder's sense of style in immediately identifiable models at way-above-average prices – has so far been highly successful for Richard Mille: last year, when the industry was only just starting to recover from the previous four lean years, its production rose from 3,500 to 4,000 watches. And Richard Mille intends no fewer than 4,600 models to leave its workshops this year.

Since 2001, the company has developed seven in-house movements. “Here, the employees assemble watches from A to Z, unlike the way other brands operate,” underscores Julien Boillat, technical director at Valgine. One team

is devoted to movements and another to the cases. Four watchmakers are specifically responsible for the tourbillons. The brand also works closely with three calibre specialists: Vaucher Manufacture, Dubois Dépraz and Renaud Papi.

“Currently, Renaud Papi supplies us with tourbillons, but we’ll soon have our own in-house tourbillon,” explains Julien Boillat.

The turning point: Carbon TPT® This increase in production goes hand in hand with unflagging research into materials. “At this very moment we’re following up three or four leads on new materials currently used in other sectors and that we’re going to introduce into watchmaking,” explains Julien Boillat.

“That’s what we did for example with the titanium-aluminium used by Airbus, and the Carbon TPT® used in yachting and F1. We’re testing the machining of these innovative materials thanks to our modern fleet of machines.”

One turning point in its research into materials was achieved in 2013 with the collaboration between Richard Mille and the company NTPT® (standing for North Thin Ply Technology), based in Renens.

This company is best known for developing the ultralight black carbon fibre used in Alinghi yachts.

Incidentally, part of one such ves-

NEW MATERIALS sel’s famous black mast is still to be found at Richard Mille, used by the brand for its primary carbon tests.

Some 2,000 cases in Carbon TPT® composite are set to be produced at ProArt this year, which accounts for around 40% of all its cases.

Yet carbon is a highly abrasive material that makes it difficult to machine. The solution is to use tools – coated in gold. Even so, each tool has to be replaced after machining twenty components. It was of course on the wrist of Rafael Nadal that the model RM 35-01 in black Carbon TPT®, composed of 600 parallel layers of the material obtained by splitting carbon fibre, was spotted in 2014. These different “levels”, no more than 30 microns thick, are then impregnated with resin before being “woven” on a dedicated machine that changes the angle of the weft between the carbon layers to 45°. Heated to 120°C at a pressure of 6 bar, the carbon is then ready to be processed on ProArt’s CNC machines to form the case.

The quest for lightness So what are the advantages? According to the brand, Carbon TPT® reduces the risk of microfractures in the material by 25% and the appearance of micro-fissures by 200% compared with other composites. But above all, and more globally, carbon is appreciated for

its lightness and toughness – two criteria that you would be justified in citing as Richard Mille’s leitmotivs. Not to mention the aesthetic qualities of the machining peculiar to this material.

The lightest material made by the brand, the 27-01 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal, which weighs in at less than 19 grams, has a case of very lowdensity carbon nanotubes. Note also that its movement is made in titanium and Lital®, a lithium alloy containing aluminium, copper, magnesium and zirconium and used in numerous aeroplanes, including the A380, helicopters, rockets, satellites and Formula 1 racing cars. It doesn’t get more Richard Millesque than that!

Quartz as you’ve never seen it before But that’s not all. Together, Richard Mille and NTPT® went on to develop a new material, coloured Quartz TPT®, which is made up of quartz fibres applied in successive layers.

Once again, the first watch made using this new material was sported by Rafael Nadal in 2015.

The manual-wound tourbillon calibre and unibody baseplate in Carbon TPT® of the RM 27-02 are set in a case made of a carbon and quartz mix. The technology used to design and machine this material is close to that already employed for Carbon TPT®, but even more com-

WATCH AFICIONADO | 5

plex: more than 600 layers of quartz threads are saturated with white resin, then interposed between the layers of Carbon TPT® in a procedure that changes the orientation of the fibres between two layers by 45°.

“Our new fleet of machines will allow us to machine more coloured Quartz TPT®, production of which is still tiny compared with our cases in titanium and gold,” stresses Julien Boillat. The colours produced to date include yellow and red, white, orange and blue. Besides these aesthetic properties, a quartz case also provides greater resistance to electromagnetic waves.

As you might have realised by now, close observation of Rafael Nadal’s wrist on the clay courts of RolandGarros can reveal some surprises in terms of materials – and that includes the strap. The brand first began fixing its champion’s wrist strap with Velcro in 2010. Why? “Rafael Nadal plays his backhands with both hands, and the buckle hurt him,” explains Julien Boillat.

“Moreover, these wrist straps are very pleasant to wear and can be adjusted with great precision.”

Graphene introduced in 2017 Another model that marked a turning point for the brand in terms of materials research, also in partnership with NTPT®, was the RM 50-03 McLaren F1, presented at the SIHH

in 2017. This is the lightest split-seconds chronograph tourbillon in the world (38 grams) and above all, the first instance of graphene in a watch.

This new material has been the object of much fantasising since it was synthesised in 2004 by Andre Geim at the University of Manchester, because it has very high thermal conduction. Many scientists already see it revolutionising energy storage in the world of the future, among many other possible applications.

For horological purposes, the brand points out that graphene’s resistance to breakage is 200 higher than that of steel, while being six times lighter. The Graph TPT® case is made by injecting graphene into the carbon to make it lighter and tougher. More precisely, the graphene is injected into the resin in which the carbon fibres are steeped.

Sapphire and other materials Richard Mille was also one of the pioneers of sapphire cases, with the launch of the RM 56-01 Tourbillon Sapphire at the SIHH in 2012.

Composed of crystals of aluminium oxides containing traces of other oxides to give it its colour (titanium and iron for blue, vanadium for purple, chrome for pink, iron for yellow and green), sapphire is particularly prized for its transparency. It requires very delicate machining – count 1,000 hours of work to

produce one sapphire case. Its price is well over the million mark.

As for titanium, it is virtually a traditional material at Richard Mille.

It featured in the very first watch showcased by the brand in 2001, the RM 001.

“Carbon is a highly abrasive material that makes it difficult to machine. The solution is to use tools coated – in gold. Even so, each tool has to be replaced after machining twenty components.”

At the last edition of the SIHH, the brand highlighted the toughness of the sapphire crystal of its RM 5301 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough model. The watchmaker has patented a laminated sapphire glass designed to withstand the shocks liable to occur during a game of polo.

And so each and every watch component passes through the brand’s R&D laboratories, where the aim is to reconcile what previously appeared to be irreconcilable opposites: lightness and toughness. But this research also means an extremely high unit production price. And so far, the brand is unrivalled on that score.

RM 27-02 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal

NEW MATERIALS

6 | WATCH AFICIONADO

HYT, the flow of time Inspired by the ancient water clock, fluid-driven time-telling required ten years of development to finally appear in the Neuchâtel-based brand’s watches. Using HYT as a showcase, its sister company Preciflex is now taking on the jewellery and especially medical fields. A tour. by

Serge Maillard

“What is special about our company is that we employ more engineers than watchmakers,” Grégory Dourde, CEO of HYT and Preciflex, immediately explains. “We are working in a very specific field of research that we ourselves have created. Today, there is no guide to micro-fluidics in watchmaking. We are currently writing that book.” In fact, out of 45 people working at HYT and Preciflex, there are no fewer than 18 engineers and 7 doctors.

The young High Watchmaking brand, founded in 2012, gained renown through its use of fluids to tell the time instead of traditional hands. Europa Star hoped to better understand this technological challenge – which is also a philosophical one, since it is inspired by

ancient water clocks – by visiting the brand’s Neuchâtel-based workshops.

In reality, the Preciflex “project” (of which HYT is currently the best showcase, but of which the scope stretches beyond watchmaking) was initiated in 2002 by the engineer Lucien Vouillamoz. Its strong point: the mastery of fluid circulation through micro-capsules or “capillary tubes”, at the crossroads between the fields of chemistry, microfluidics, micromechanics and optics. “The limits and possibilities of microfluidics are vast and not yet clearly defined,” states Grégory Dourde.

Preciflex, currently in the process of joining forces with Micro-City, the ambitious industrial innovation centre of Neuchâtel, is currently applying its technologies to watchmaking (for HYT and other

brands), jewellery (moving jewellery components) and the medical field (micro-injectors). However, one day the technology may become a part of the lighting or automotive industries, for example. The company has 27 families of patents pending, of which 8 have been granted to date.

The mastery of fluids How does the system developed by Preciflex function within a watch, in concrete terms? Johann Rohner, the company’s R&D Director, takes charge of the explanations.

Two flexible reservoirs or “bellows” are installed at each end of a capillary tube. In the first is the active fluid, a coloured liquid; in the second is the passive fluid, a transparent one. The capillary is not replaceable: “Our fluidic modules are sealed for all eternity,” asserts Johann Rohner.

“That is why their water-tightness is 10,000 times higher than that of a standard watch.”

A physical phenomenon based on the repulsive force of the molecules of each liquid keeps the fluids separated while their movement is controlled by the bellows. “The two fluids repel each other, a bit like oil and vinegar,” the specialist continues. “The key element is the thermal compensator located within the bellows to the left, making it possible to compensate for the dilation of the fluids due to variations in temperature.”

To date, HYT has developed four colourings, each of which took an average of a full year of research to perfect. It is especially important that the fluid doesn't cling to the surface of the capillary, which would hinder its motion and leave unsightly traces: “We are establishing a specific treatment to keep the liquid from sticking to the surface of the glass tube.”

The Arrhenius equation

The key element is the thermal compensator located within the bellows to the left, making it possible to compensate the dilation of the fluids due to variations in temperature.

But how to ensure that the fluidic system functions over the long term, when the company was only founded a few years ago? Of course, there are no machines specialising in fluidic watchmaking, so the company had to specifically develop them, particularly to perform ageing tests.

“The Arrhenius equation, discovered by a Swedish chemist in 1889, draws a parallel between chemical reactions and temperature. At a certain temperature, a reaction that takes one month is equal to a reaction that takes one year,” explains Johann Rohner. “It is this relationship that enables us today to confidently produce our watches. We currently provide a five-year warranty, which reassures our clients.

H2 TRADITION

Our return rate is lower than 3%.”

HYT also designed a module that emits light through the intermediary of two LEDs, making it possible to tell the time in the dark. The system is totally mechanical, and has been integrated into the H4 module to enable light emission for 4 to 12 seconds. The mechanical movements of the H0, H1, Skull and H4 models were developed with Chronode, while those of the H2 and H3 models were developed with Renaud Papi.

Medical applications After HYT, Preciflex launched another spin-off a few months ago called Preci-Health. This brand will represent the corporation’s medical solutions in its relations with the medtech leaders whose establishment in the Lake Geneva region have earned the area the nickname “Health Valley”.

“In reality, our added value is not so much based on the liquids themselves as it is on the waterproof and thermal compensation systems designed to drive these fluids, and which will be able to be used to drive other fluids,” explains Grégory Dourde. “Our expertise resides in micro-injectors. We ensure that no air bubbles can form. It might be unacceptable to see them appear in watches, but it would be out of the question in a device implanted within the human body!”

Preci-Health is indeed developing a single-use, fixed-dosage micro-injector that makes it possible to load less medication when performing a subcutaneous injection – 3 mm beneath the skin. This micro-injector can, for example, be used to provoke

an adrenaline shock when treating an allergic reaction.

Medical law being infinitely more complex and costly than that of watchmaking, the company raised funds for the project. Its investors include Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, the former CEO of Nestlé.

A different philosophy of time Following our tour, Grégory Dourde stresses a point that he considers essential: “What is important is that our use of microfluidics is not just cosmetic or aesthetic, and it is not just a publicity stunt. You saw yourself, through your tour of the premises, that our scientific project is quite serious. Beware of the search for original material simply to serve a brand’s storytelling.”

The underlying philosophy is that of intuitive time: time that passes and leaves a trace. “This is another philosophy of time. It is at the crossroads between art and science.”

HYT, which plans on producing just over 400 watches this year, currently aims to improve on “education” about its project. “We stopped our sponsoring efforts, and we are now concentrating on explaining our technology and the meaning that we are bringing to it. You know, after overcoming the hurdle of the collectors at Carré des Horlogers, it is one of the most difficult watch brands to market to a broader public, since it takes time to explain the product correctly. The vocabulary and technologies are new and unique. The key to our performance is therefore the training of our representatives. But when clients grasp the general idea of the project, their conversion is immediate.”

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CSEM and the pundits of materials research for balance-springs, is the carbon nanotube composite developed for Zenith.

As far as dead ends are concerned, diamond is a famous example.

Attempts to use it in polycrystalline form have always led to disappointment. With time the material undergoes erosion, which proves highly problematic for the watch mechanism. I should mention that Professor Niels Quack of the EPFL has just made an interesting breakthrough by manufacturing an escapement wheel in single crystalline diamond. But we are still in the research phase of current knowledge, since some of the physical limitations are proving difficult to overcome.

It was in the Neuchâtel-based research institute that research workers developed watchmaking applications for a material that is fast gaining popularity: silicon.

Yet another example of the achievements now changing the face of contemporary watchmaking. Despite the extreme confidentiality surrounding the research, the CEO of the Swiss centre for electronics and microtechnology, Mario El-Khoury, and his staff, were happy to answer a few questions put by Europa Star.

The Alchemist by Cornelis Pietersz Bega (1663) – J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

How can you be sure that components manufactured in recent materials, such as silicon or graphene, will be sufficiently reliable over time?

Interview by Pierre Maillard

Hardly a day goes by without another watchmaking brand announcing its own silicon escapement inside. Could you tell us a little bit about how the use of this material became so widespread?

The idea for using silicon in the manufacture of watchmaking parts first came about at CSEM's microsystems lab in the 90s. Preliminary tests revealed very good shock-resistance (on the pendulum-impact tester), but a major obstacle soon presented itself: the parts were not functional as their edges were too rough.

One of our engineers nevertheless persevered in his efforts, thinking to exploit the elasticity of silicon

for the balance-spring, and conducted a test with the then director of the international watchmaking museum in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

A new obstacle appeared in that the material responded well only if there was not too great a temperature variation. However, the engineer stuck to his guns and continued to work on the subject together with two assistants, including a physicist who specialised in silicon.

Then came the idea that changed everything: the use of "thermocompensation". This entailed using raw silicon dioxide with the silicon in a special thermal procedure to compensate for thermal drift (silicon has a positive thermal coefficient, while that of its oxide is negative). This decisive process was to change everything.

The patented process was then developed with the Swatch Group, Rolex and Patek Philippe. The technological adventure continues to this day and has now entered a new phase, with silicon being used for the regulator ("Genequand regulator"), which has opened new paths of exploration.

The application of new materials in watchmaking can produce successful results, but it can also lead to a few dead ends... Can you give us any examples of each?

Many examples are confidential, but some successes, aside from silicion, include the alloy Nb-Zr from Rolex, which the brand uses for the balance-spring in some of its watches.

Another interesting example, again

Silicon, for example, is used in microtechnologies precisely for its extreme resistance to wear and has proved successful in all tests for long-term usage. Here we have a single crystal, which remains unaffected by the passage of time. Thus its reliability and longevity will be far greater than steel.

Generally speaking, there are two factors to take into account to prevent and avoid this type of problem: knowledge of the materials, and knowledge of the manufacturing process. In the former case, the materials must be tested and characterised to assess their properties or subject them to accelerated ageing. At the CSEM, we have around forty apparatuses that we use to carry out these assessments.

As far as the manufacturing process is concerned, if it is not thoroughly controlled, it can result in defective parts. For this reason, we have developed advanced methods for quality control and the detection of defects even at the atomic level in single crystal materials based on high resolution X-ray diffraction. This method allows us to optimise the manufacturing process for silicon, for example.

Has the arrival of the new CNCs or 3D printers given rise to the application of new materials in watchmaking?

3D printing has indeed sparked an interest in the development of components in new materials. It makes it possible to design different parts from those achievable with more conventional production tools, irrespective of the material used. The CSEM has thus created an entire business activity around this field.

In the case of ceramic, for example, 3D printing would circumvent the demanding task of machining

due to the nature of these materials. In the case of metallic crystals, it enables the craftsman to take advantage of cooling rates, which, if properly controlled, will produce the hardening required to achieve the glassy state. The construction of hollow or "foam"-structured materials to help create ultra-light metallic parts is without doubt one of the innovative concepts that has been facilitated by the arrival of 3D printing machines.

“There is still some progress to be made in 3D printing for its widespread usage to be applied to watchmaking parts. Surface finishes, accuracy and mechanical properties are still areas that largely require improvement.”

However, there is still some progress to be made in 3D printing for its widespread usage to be applied to watchmaking parts. Surface finishes, accuracy and mechanical properties are still areas that largely require improvement.

We often hear these days about "bridges" being built between the watchmaking and medical industry. What is it like in reality?

In the watchmaking subcontracting world, ties have existed for a very long time between the medical and watchmaking industries.

For example, Straumann first of all specialised in alloys for watchmaking, perfecting some that are still used by the industry today. In the 1970s, a breakthrough in the use of non-corrosive alloys for treating bone fractures prompted Fritz Straumann to enter the orthopaedics and dental implant market.

This marked the turning point that became history in the company's development.

There is also a common basis between the two industries where precious metal alloys are involved (platinum and gold). In watchmaking, these alloys are used for decorative finishing. The medical industry uses them for implants, even if there is a downward trend in their usage.

CSEM: a scientific company dedicated to Swiss micro technology and applied research

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Swiss Super-LumiNova – Taming the light

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®

If you’re looking for something to brighten up your nights, this is it! Invisible during the day, Swiss Super-LumiNova® becomes apparent when the light dims. Just one touch of its phosphorescent magic, and millions of watch dials light up. We lift the veil on this lady of the night at the premises of its exclusive producer, LumiNova Switzerland. by

Yannick Nardin

In the watchmaking world, Swiss Super-LumiNova® now reigns almost supreme. And yet it made its debut on the horological stage scarcely 25 years ago. At the time, public opinion was still reeling from the shock of Chernobyl in 1989. Watchmakers, still recovering from the quartz crisis, were desperately searching for an alternative to tritium, which had already replaced the highly toxic radium. In China, Albert Reinhard Zeller, the head of a business specialising since 1934 in phosphorescent substances, the future RC Tritec, unearthed a luminescent ceramic based on strontium aluminate.

The result of that marked a turning point in watch luminescence.

Nemoto, a longstanding Japanese partner, developed and then in 1994 patented a non-radioactive,

non-toxic recipe that remained stable over time. Four years later, the two companies founded a joint venture, LumiNova Switzerland, to market it to watchmakers. The good news spread like wildfire, and first and foremost to the Swatch Group.

Precious kilos Since then, successive developments have improved the performance of the substance. This is how, in 2007, Swiss Super-LumiNova® – SLN to the initiated – came into being. Produced in Appenzell by LumiNova Switzerland, its magical properties are reserved for watchmakers. The latest formula to be patented, Grade X1, offers an afterglow twice as intense and persistent as that of the 1994 version. And since one gram of the substance suffices for 100-500 di-

als, the handful of kilos concocted every year – mostly by the employees of RC Tritec – are shipped to every corner of the earth.

The first operation consists of creating the mix of base components – from different crystals depending on the night-time colours. This very hard mixture is then sintered, that is, heated to a very high temperature to modify its molecular structure. It then cracks into blocks and, more importantly, becomes capable of luminescence.

Trapped electrons In the next stage, the operator reduces the blocks to powder using abrasive tools. Dexterity is crucial here, because of the modus operandi of phosphorescence. The base crystals contain electrons which, when subjected to the ultraviolet rays present in light, become active and rise to a higher level in the crystal’s electronic structure.

Once in the dark, the electrons return to their initial state, shedding their energy by the emission of light – phosphorescence!

The trick lies in causing a maximum number of electrons to rise, then slowing their descent.

Dysprosium makes it possible to create “traps” to capture the electrons at different levels. Ultimately, the more the powder retains its

structure of stacked traps, the higher the performance.

The key role of this arrangement also explains the differences in the intensity of afterglow on completed dials: a thick, dense layer of coarse-grained pigments will provide the greatest phosphorescence.

Similarly, LumiCast, the luminescent resin produced and moulded

by RC Tritec, has proven especially effective thanks to its more concentrated pigments, which are less diluted than when applied by means of powder and binding agents.

A designer’s Technicolor dream The next room is devoted to prototyping and development, as well as new daytime colours. The possibilities cover the entire Pantone palette, although red and black are less suitable since those colours partly absorb the phosphorescence.

But for aesthetic purposes, some watchmakers accept these limitations. Lastly, since the fashion for vintage has taken us back to the future, one of the favourite shades is “old radium”.

R&D has recently expanded the range of night-time colours beyond the usual green and blue. In 2017, LumiNova Switzerland introduced purple and white, and last June dark blue, orange, pink

and yellow. To develop them called for new base crystals in each case – they are what influence the wavelength of the light emitted by the electron, and consequently the colour perceived by the eye.

One gram of the substance suffices for 100-500 dials!

But how? The exact phenomenon is still mysterious and is explained by "models", simplified representations. Scientists presume that the distribution of certain co-doping ions and their distance from the structure of the crystal create the colours. Obscure as the explanation is for the common mortal, the actual applications are set to get designers buzzing.

And so we conclude our visit to LumiNova Switzerland, our heads full of all the brilliant possibilities, either seen or soon to be discovered in watches. From the small Swiss town of Teufen, the flasks filled with pigment make their way to companies specialising in applications for luminescent matter all over the world – before the illuminated components return to the watchmakers, ready to shine.

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The magic of composites Author and co-author of over 180 scientific articles, two monographs and the holder of twelve patents, Professor Andreas Mortensen, vice president for research at Switzerland's EPFL, runs the institute’s Laboratory of mechanical metallurgy (LMM) and teaches metallurgy and the mechanical behaviour of materials. In the following interview, he talks to us about his meeting with JeanClaude Biver and the birth of "Magic Gold".

Interview by Pierre Maillard

Modern-day alchemy "To succeed in our efforts, we thought of using boron carbide, an extremely hard ceramic with high temperature stability. It is even used for its hardness properties in cladding applications, or in the internal panels of bulletproof vests, for example.

By combining a precious metal, 18K gold in this case, or an alloy containing a precious metal, with the boronbased ceramic, which has a melting point higher than that of said precious metal, a composite material is obtained, a fusion of metal with ceramic, giving a light (low density), extremely hard and thus virtually scratch-proof material harder than HV320, or even harder. This latter property is, in effect, especially useful for the application of this composite material in the watchmaking and jewellery industries.

Producing it is another matter. To reduce things to a simple level, first a flexible mould is filled with boron carbide at ambient tempera-

ture. The pre-formed boron carbide powder is then subjected globally to an isostatic pressure of 2,000 MPa. After being pre-formed and removed from the mould, the powder is then sintered at a very high temperature to obtain the desired density while maintaining the interconnected porosity between the atoms, thereby creating a rigid, porous structure. Finally, the 24K gold alloyed with 3% molten liquid gold is injected under very high pressure with inert gas at a high temperature, allowing the metal to fill the ceramic pores.

The form thus obtained, in this case the watch bezel, must then be polished. This is no mean task given the hardness of the composite obtained, which can only be scratched by diamonds. Finally, obtaining 18K gold certification was another complex undertaking, one that entailed separating the gold from the ceramic

The battle for new composites rages on and the researchers and scientists busy in the field continue to keep mum about the precise objective of the leads they are following.

in order to weigh the gold and compare it with the initial weight of the material.

We succeeded in our undertaking and Hublot immediately announced the results. "Magic Gold": the first scratch-resistant gold, boasting a Vickers hardness number of 1000 (compared to the 400 Vickers rating for traditional 18K gold or the 600 rating for hardened steel).

I must say I'm very impressed with the laboratory Hublot has just set up in its Nyon-based manufacture specifically for the production of the Magic Gold. It's a splendid facility. What's more, several of my former assistants and students have been recruited by LVMH either to work directly in Hublot's laboratory, or to strengthen the team headed up by Guy SĂŠmon, at his Research and Development lab in the LVMH watchmaking division.

Meanwhile, much remains to be done, many other combinations are possible in different materials. For gold alone, however, there is a lot more fun and experimentation to be had. That said, innovation comes at a price! Many problems require solutions, and plenty of ideas are needed. Yet, the battle for new composites rages on and the researchers and scientists busy in the field continue to keep mum about the precise objective of the leads they are following. We too. A "new material" can be like gold dust."

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"At the EPFL generally, and in our laboratory in particular, we not only conduct basic research, but also service the needs of local economies and society, which sustains us in our efforts.

We thus maintain natural relations with the surrounding industries and, as we are situated in the Lake Geneva area of Switzerland, we have developed regular ties with the watchmaking industry. The latter is naturally interested in our basic research work, but we also receive commissions from manufacturers, who hire us to conduct research work directly related to their business activities.

Ordinarily, they turn to us with specific queries, which they require us to solve if possible.

With Jean-Claude Biver, then at the

helm of Hublot, matters took quite a different course.

He firstly presented himself, then he presented Hublot, explaining how his brand had "taken aesthetics to a whole new level" and how he intended to take them even further.

He asked us about our ongoing research, showing particular interest in the combination of ceramic and metal.

I took him to be interested in our research work primarily for its application in watch finishes, and I ventured to suggest that we could do much more besides and that we'd like to "play around" a bit more, if he should feel so inclined.

We instantly clicked. We agreed on a vast field of exploration and, in an unprecedented move, he gave us total carte blanche. However, he was keen to emphasise one point: it had

to make absolute sense on a scientific and technical level!

And, unlike with other managers of other industries, he attended our meetings in person at regular intervals. Several times, he said to us: "If you could make 18K gold scratchresistant, then you'll have found the Holy Grail!"

A researcher at the dedicated Magic Gold laboratory of the Hublot manufacture in Nyon, Switzerland

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Patek Philippe and the silicon balance spring Alongside Rolex and the Swatch Group, Patek Philippe was one of the pioneers of silicon. Jean-Pierre Musy sets out the details of the different phases in this research. by

Pierre Maillard

“We first got interested in silicon because it’s a non-magnetic material that is non-deforming,” explains Jean-Pierre Musy, an expert acknowledged throughout the profession who until recently led the Advanced Research programme at Patek Philippe. In actual fact silicon is also elastic while being nondeforming; in other words, when knocked, it moves and immediately returns to its initial shape.

Moreover, being non-magnetic, its coils run no risk of sticking together. On the downside, it is brittle!

Another problem that needed solving was that it is sensitive to temperature variations. But research was about to enable this dual handicap of a material that was outstanding from all other points of view to be overcome.

The arrival of silicon in fine watchmaking was made possible thanks to a technology that enabled it to be sliced into wafers.

Initially, Patek Philippe joined forces with a microtechnology research centre, IMT at Neuchâtel University, with the precise objective of improving this silicon-slicing technology. The first step consisted of creating a silicon escapement. There was no obstacle to creating this in pure silicon, as its sensitiveness to temperature fluctuations has no impact on its function. And incidentally, this material made it possible to dispense with any lubrication at the points of contact between the wheel and the sapphire pallets of the lever. No mean advantage.

In parallel to this research conducted by Patek Philippe, other entities were also exploring the promising potential of silicon. At that point, a consortium was set up consisting of Patek Philippe, Rolex and the Swatch Group to conduct joint research at CSEM (Swiss Electronic and Microtechnology Research Centre), based in Neuchâtel.

“Our great fear was that despite all its qualities silicon would turn out to be too brittle and too sensitive to temperature variations to be used to produce balance springs,” Jean-Pierre Musy confesses. “But we found a solution: the silicon was oxidised, producing something like a fine layer of bark that made it more rigid and insensitive to temperature fluctuations.

And tests have proved it: it no longer varies with changes of temperature,

and when subjected to 5,000G shocks (equivalent to falling from a height of one metre onto a hard floor), it does not break. Having said that, its length, the number of coils and its geometry also help make it more resistant. The thermal coefficient of the oxide’s mod-

2006

explains. “We applied it to silicon, making reinforcements at intervals in the mass. The effect is the same as that of the Breguet terminal curve, the balance spring remains in the plane of oscillation while the centre of gravity returns to the centre. But it has the advantage of being flat.”

The patent was granted, and it became the Patek Philippe terminal curve: a flat balance spring in silicon with a totally concentric development. The first Spiromax®.

However, this first generation did not solve the problem of the influ-

2011

ulus of elasticity has the opposite sign to that of silicon. This being the case, like Charles Édouard Guillaume but 82 years later, we set out to minimise the effect of temperature.”

The horological silicon developed by the three partners in this technological joint venture was named Silinvar®, a contraction of “silicon” and “invariable”, in deference to the famous Invar by Charles-Edouard Guillaume. They jointly hold an exclusive licence.

Learning from history This Silinvar®, a real technological leap forward, greatly advanced balance spring technology. Even so, a number of little “defects” remained. But the watch adjusters at Patek Philippe (the "stars” of watchmaking as Jean-Pierre Musy calls them) also have a long memory and a sense of history.

“When Patek Philippe began making balance wheels in silicon, we went back and pored over the theory of the Michel brothers, a theory dating from the 1800s and abandoned because of the technological limits of the time,” Jean-Pierre Musy

ence of the escapement on the balance spring, which creates delays at small amplitudes. To compensate for this usually calls for giving the balance spring a bit of an “advance”, rather than making it com-

pletely concentric. That way, the escape wheel and the balance spring offset one another.

With the Spiromax®, by “simply” changing the position of the thickened region, or boss, on the silicon balance spring, the watchmakers at Patek Philippe succeeded in fully offsetting the escape wheel and balance spring against one another, thereby correcting the delay generated at small amplitudes. That was the second-generation Spiromax®.

The third Spiromax® generation saw the advent of a second boss, this time at the centre of the balance spring, whereas the first was positioned at the end. Its function was to “achieve tiny differences in speed between the different vertical positions of the oscillator, and thus to improve the precision of the timepiece even further”.

The final improvement, the fourth Spiromax® generation, optimises the position of the spring in relation to the unbalance (wobble) of the balance, so that their respective curves offset one another in the vertical position as they always cross at the same place.

As we can see, the conquest of precision is a matter of step-by-step progress, microdetail after microdetail. “All the problems were known.

Balance spring theory has historically been the same since Huygens; it’s the solutions that are radically different. That said, it’s still taken 14 years for Patek Philippe to achieve a nearperfect result.”

The "near-perfect” that escapes JeanPierre Musy’s lips says it all.

It looks as if the final word on the balance spring has not yet been said.

2016

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Approaches to innovation: comparing the examples of Panerai and Roger Dubuis Although both part of the same group, Richemont, Officine Panerai and Roger Dubuis have two very different approaches to research and to innovation in general, especially where materials are concerned.

Two different approaches that illustrate two ways of regarding the role of innovation in overall brand image.

To find out more, Europa Star met Jérôme Cavadini, head of Panerai Manufacture, Arnaud Houriet, Innovation & Quality project manager at Panerai, and Gregory Bruttin, who heads up Product Marketing and R&D at Roger Dubuis.

by

Pierre Maillard

A central Research & Innovation Group does indeed exist at Richemont: it is headed up by Edouard Mignon and has a solid team of researchers and scientists. But its principal role is to support projects conducted by the brands and otherwise apply itself to research that is "more discreet or more fundamental”. At Richemont, R&D is vertically integrated within the brands, each of which has a certain autonomy of action. As Gregory Bruttin explains, this choice comes directly from the top, from Johann Rupert. “Mr Rupert was marked by the negative example of General Motors,” explains Gregory Bruttin. “They ended up making parts interchangeable between all its brands, building joint platforms and manufacturing generic products. And everyone knows what the outcome of that was! The different products lost all character and were indistinguishable from one another. In his eyes, that’s a ‘fault’ and not to be repeated. Every brand has to develop its own specifics. That said, at the launch phase every product has to get top-level validation from the famous ‘internal approval committee’. That creates competition – of the healthy kind – between colleagues.”

Open space or networking…

Between Roger Dubuis and Officine Panerai, the differences in the structure – and goals – assigned to R&D are glaring. They can even be seen physically and spatially, you might say.

The most striking thing about R&D at Roger Dubuis, which is set in the heart of the highly integrated manufacture, is that in one single open

space it brings together the project manager, the technical designers, engineering department, watch exteriors, prototyping, R&D, artistic design, environment (presentation boxes, showcases, etc…) and product marketing.

Should an innovation necessarily be visible on the finished product, or should it be more discreet?

The responses of the two brands to this apparently simple question are quite different.

“The result is that there’s a huge amount of communication, coming and going and continuous exchanges between all the managers of a product at all levels,” underscores Gregory Bruttin. “It’s the opposite of a sequential approach. In our view, the brand and product strategies go hand in hand, and the whole team is nurtured from the outset by this joint, shared, multidisciplinary approach. The result is a very swift way of functioning. In R&D, people come before the process. Internal communications are informal, but we have a shared vision of the objectives.”

In practice, this cheerful, openplan workshop has nothing of a laboratory where men in white lab coats move silently about. The specialists in different fields stand elbow to elbow. All Excel spreadsheets have been banished and replaced by large, visual tables posted on the walls and filled in by hand, evolving continuously and in real time, visible to all, all the time.

By contrast at Panerai, most of the work is done over the network. On the one hand, there is an ultra-mod-

Panerai LO SCIENZIATO LUMINOR 1950 TOURBILLON GMT TITANIO – 47mm For optimum lightness, the titanium case is made using an innovative technology that creates an extremely complex hollow structure without compromising water resistance (10 bar), strength or ability to withstand everyday stresses and strains. The technique is known as DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering). It is a 3D printing method that builds up a layered structure using a fibre optic laser and titanium powder. The layers, each just 0.02 mm thick, are built up precisely to create a structure that would be impossible to obtain through traditional machining, producing a perfectly smooth and uniform surface with considerably reduced weight.

ern manufacture in the hills above Neuchâtel, with its workforce of 250 dedicated to production and customer service, while design and marketing are in Milan, nearly 400km away.

This structure does not seem to bother Jérôme Cavadini, the manufacture’s director, nor Arnaud Houriet, project manager for everything to do with innovation.

“Counting the laboratories, technical designers, engineering department, methods and industrialisation, which are based here, R&D employs around 50 people who interact directly via the network with the Milan teams. It's an ultra-smart network with highly efficient communication tools, soon to be equipped

with extremely high-definition cameras that will enable us to virtually touch the object,” they explain. The same ‘networked’ structure can be found in production. Jérôme Cavadini is emphatic on this point: “Development is totally integrated into the manufacture, but production is only partially so. That’s deliberate; we want to work with the highly efficient, regional industrial fabric. Emulation is strong there and that spawns new ideas. That’s very important.”

“All this intellectual property activity is crucial. And some of it stems from all these small and medium-sized businesses, not only giants. Wanting to absorb everything would be a mistake, it would be totally counter-

productive. You can’t innovate by staying at home. It’s in our best interests to work with local enterprise and its fast-reacting partners.”

Innovation: to be seen or not to be seen?

Should an innovation necessarily be visible on the finished product, or should it be more discreet?

The responses of the two brands to this apparently simple question are quite different.

For Gregory Bruttin, the answer goes without saying: “A genuine innovation has to be seen,” he unequivocally

NEW MATERIALS states. “For us, the customer is always at the centre and everything is geared to this priority. Consequently, any innovation, and all the more in the case of materials, has to have an interest for the customer; it has to be easily implementable and have immediate aesthetic expression. We don’t do innovation simply for the pleasure of innovating. Just as we don’t do marketing for the sake of marketing. We only do it if it is really meaningful for the customer.”

That’s all fine and dandy. But what, exactly, is meaningful?

For Roger Dubuis and his R&D teams, in order to be launched, an innovation has to meet three basic criteria that will set the research agenda: ergonomics, hence the quest for lightness (titanium, carbon); durability, hence the quest for hardness (1,000 Vickers and over, e.g. chrome and cobalt); and aesthetics (it has to be implementable both visually and formally).

To illustrate his approach, Gregory Bruttin cites a case made in chrome and cobalt, very brilliant and with slightly blue tints. “But the blue of the cobalt isn’t really visible, so we inserted a blue-tinted movement to really mark the difference.”

So at Roger Dubuis, you have to be blind not to see the innovation!

Metallic glass At Panerai, it's quite another story: innovation is permitted to remain discreet or ‘relatively’ hidden, explains Arnaud Houriet. If, here too, innovation is essentially at the service of the product and has to represent genuine value added for the customer, it is not always immediately perceptible aesthetically or formally.

Take the example of liquid glass, an innovation that is not patently evident. It gives the impression of be-

WATCH AFICIONADO | 13

ing steel, except perhaps for “a few metallic tints”. But its characteristics are far superior to steel: it is highly shock-resistant, its surfaces are also very durable and it has a hardness of around 550 Vickers.

“It was invented 40-50 years ago and potentially had worthwhile characteristics,” the two Panerai managers explain. “Combining different processes and their specific advantages, it looked promising. But the metallic glass, otherwise known as BMG Tech (for Bulk Metallic Glass), is difficult to make to any great thickness because the alloy has to be cooled down rapidly.”

“This problem was solved achieving greater control of the alloys (which improved implementation), the manufacturing processes and the temperature during moulding. The parts are injection-moulded and 99% come out in perfect shape. The others are retouched where necessary.”

Metallic glass is composed of zirco-

nium, titanium, nickel, copper and aluminium.

Their composition must be rigorously controlled, their purity guaranteed. The key to success also lies in the production process and industrialisation, which meant making the repetitive rhythm of operations reliable.

Ceramics, metallics and composites – a trilogy which everyone is investigating today.

“You learn a lot from a project like this,” admits Jérôme Cavadini. "There were ups and downs, but the lessons learned were substantial and it also opened up the range of possibilities. For example, we worked with a Japanese company specialising in powder technology. There exist just two in all, both in Japan.”

The team at the manufacture seem proud to have achieved such a result.

“When we set out, we were driven first and foremost by a desire to go out and get market share. And ultimately there were consequences in terms of positioning. And that’s far more important, because today lifespans on the market are very short.

And with BMG, we're in it for the long term. It isn’t a marketing coup.

At Panerai, invention has to be in earnest and controlled. And this launch year, we’ll be producing the first 1,000 items.”

Mixing skills

Roger Dubuis EXCALIBUR ORIGINAL QUATUOR CHROME COBALT MICRO-MELT®

The particularity of the open-plan R&D department at Roger Dubuis is that it tries to mix skills in a single, shared project: the watch to be created. Ideally, there is no longer the engineering on one side and the watch exterior on the other.

The watch ‘architects’ are trained designers. From the first pixel, they have to aim for unusual, highly transparent movement designs.

The codes they are bound to follow are precise; for example the star shape, always featuring one straight line, that you find in numerous designs by Roger Dubuis.

So, product takes precedence over innovation. The Pirelli tyre was the starting point for the research launched on that occasion. Another example: Roger Dubuis is preparing for the imminent launch of a watch set with diamonds in carbon.

Not exactly an engineer’s product for engineers!

But it is, on the other hand, an example of interaction between R&D and suppliers. “The project manager was pushing for a design that called for forged carbon,” explains Gregory Bruttin. “But the supplier explained that it would be better to try multilayer woven carbon. The whole point was to ensure the diamonds were set as firmly as possible in the carbon, so we opted for the suggested solution.

Strong, rapid interaction and a skills ‘loop’.”

Another example of interaction between choice of design and technical consequences is the full-carbon Excalibur Spyder 509 SQ, released two years ago. The case is in carbon, as is the movement. In the quest for extreme lightness, all the parts impossible to make in carbon were made in titanium.

This research incidentally produced an unexpected result: a 50% increase in the power reserve, from 60h to 90h. A simple side-effect.

Roger Dubuis works essentially on three fronts: ceramics, metallics and composites – a trilogy which everyone is investigating today. But their priority is composites, metal with metal or in other combinations. “With purely metallic alloys we’ve hit a ceiling.” One example: tungsten beads coated or cast around a steel core, or future composites of ceramics and carbon, or even machined silicon...

No further information is forthcoming. But it is true that now, everyone is investigating these same subjects.

What about 3D printing?

At Panerai, besides the metallic glass, they’ve already taken a keen interest in 3D printing. One case in point: the PAM 00767, called ‘Lo Scienziato’, a titanium skeleton tourbillon priced at 139,000 euros, ultralight and limited to 250 items issued in two batches, 150 then 100 watches. What is special about this is that the watch was produced by 3D printing using additive manufacturing technology.

A world first: its case is made of grade five titanium powder ‘printed’ layer by layer. Thanks to this 3D printing technology, it was possible to create a space inside the ringshaped caseband. Consequently, this hollowed-out caseband weighs 30% less than a comparable item in machined titanium. The movement weighs 25% less.

The 3D printing process has the advantage of allowing previously unheard-of flexibility in terms of geometry. Panerai has a command of the process in-house, but “also knows its limitations”. The potential of this technology for personalisation purposes is evident, but the process remains a costly one. From the industrial perspective, it is conceivable only for small, limited series. It also allows for rapid execution.

We naively pose an idle question: might there be any way of housing a function or mechanism inside the hollowed-out caseband?

Our two interlocutors give the hint of a knowing smile.

That would be spectacular (but perhaps invisible) confirmation that innovation in one particular field – 3D in this instance – gives rise to further potential innovation in other domains. In other words, innovation spawns innovation.

BULGARI OCTO TOURBILLON SAPHIRRE In a 44mm DLC-coated titanium case topped with a sapphire glass nestles the hand-wound flying tourbillon manufacture movement Calibre BVL 206. The bridges are coated with DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) and composed of 11 tubes of ITR2 (a composite material charged with carbon nanotube particles of a metal-like hardness) which contain blue SLN (a high-tech luminescent material); hour and minute indication, 64hr power reserve.

PORTFOLIO NEW MATERIALS

AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK CONCEPT FLYING TOURBILLON GMT A new generation of the Royal Oak Concept GMT with flying tourbillon: the central bridges, originally crafted in ceramic, have been replaced by bridges made of blackened titanium. The case is also crafted in blackened titanium, the bezel in ceramic and the inserts in rose gold.

BELL & ROSS BR-X1 SKELETON TOURBILLON SAPPHIRE The case of the BR-X1 Skeleton Tourbillon Sapphire is machined from five blocks of sapphire that are carefully crafted before being screwed together with the greatest precision. The flying tourbillon bridges are fully openworked, and the dial is set off-centre to afford the best possible view of the movement.

Just three unique pieces will be presented – including two exclusively sold online – in three different shades, each used a single time to colour the baseplate, bridges, dial, hands and tourbillon cage.

HUBLOT BIG BANG UNICO RED MAGIC After the Magic Gold in scratch-resistant 18-karat gold, meet the Red Magic, the brainchild of the Hublot Manufacture R&D centre. Its exceedingly strong ceramic boasts a more-than-lively colour and is protected by a series of patents: the exact formula remains confidential.

BLUE CERAMIC GRAND SEIKO HI-BEAT GMT A new, limited edition that harmoniously combines a number of materials: the interior of the watchcase and the exterior of the strap are crafted in high-intensity titanium. The exterior of the case and central links of the strap are made of the new Grand Seiko blue zirconium oxide ceramic (7x harder than stainless steel). Behind the sapphire caseback, the titanium-and-tungsten oscillating mass resists distortion, even if the watch encounters a shock. The titanium portion of the oscillating mass undergoes an anodic oxidation process to obtain this new deep blue hue, which perfectly coordinates with the Grand Seiko blue of the ceramic and dial.

RADO HYPERCHROME CHRONOGRAPH Big-time contrast for this 45mm Hyperchrome Chronograph in which Rado, a ceramic pioneer, combines an ancient material with a brand-new one: bronze with high-tech ceramic. One takes on a patina with time and the other resists (nearly) everything. A vintage effect for a bright future.

CENTURY EMPIRE The octagonal faceted sapphire watchcase dates from 1988. A pure, simple design that never goes out of style. Hand-cut and polished, the design is back in the deep colours of lapis lazuli. The material is captured between two layers of sapphire, magnifying the radiance of the blue and perfectly protecting it. This unprecedented technique offers a thousand creative possibilities, including the use of the most fragile materials. Yellow gold, satin, quartz movement.

CHANEL CERAMIC MARQUETRY Referred to as “Untitled 2018”, this set includes twelve unique J12 watches crafted in ceramic marquetry. In deep black against an immaculate background, the shortened digits overlap onto the bezel to which they extend. A demonstration of the watchmaking and artistic heights possible with ceramic.

ROLEX GMT-MASTER II WITH TWO-TONE BEZEL When innovation inches forward without ever changing an icon. In 1955, the graduated 24hour disc of the GMT-Master’s two-tone bezel – which has since become more than emblematic – was made of plexiglas. In 1959, it was made of anodised aluminium. In 2005, high-tech ceramic arrived on the scene with the GMT-Master II. In 2007, the bezel and bezel disc were crafted from a single piece of what officially became known as “Cerachrom”, the name given to the in-house technology. The digits and graduations are moulded in solid material and PVD-plated with gold or platinum. The piece is UV-resistant.

LOUIS MOINET SUNDANCE Each of the dials in the Sundance collection is unique and manufactured following a method considered by Louis Moinet to be “totally disruptive”. A key element in this process is a powder composed of microscopic particles that illuminate when exposed to the light. The brand will not confirm if differing doses of this chromatic, luminous base are the sole reason for the unique appearance of each dial.

Whatever the reason, the intensity of the Sundance’s “disruptive” colours is quite stunning.

CHRISTIAAN VAN DER KLAAUW REAL MOON 1980 AVENTURINE GLASS Christiaan van der Klaauw is known worldwide for its astronomical watches. But the atelier is also famous for their Aventurine Glass dials, a real Van der Klaauw signature used since the early years of 2000. Why is an Aventurine Glass dial so special? It changes with the light. It can be subtle and dark, it can be a little bit sparkly, and it can be just amazingly alive with an incredible depth, creating a true almost three-dimensional starry sky.

Aventurine Glass is a very difficult material to work with and therefore very expensive. The process of making it is a well kept secret, creating a starry sky around the brand's astronomical complications.

HAUTLENCE VORTEX GAMMA MAGMA To decorate its Vortex Gamma Magma model, Hautlence has chosen HLLightColor, a composite material borrowed from the automobile and aerospace industries.

Charged with ceramic nanotube particles, HLLightColor possesses the strength and other properties that are identical to the metals used in the watch industry, all the while being four times lighter than titanium. It can be worked with the same precision and the same tolerance, and allows for complex finishes, alternating between brushed, polished and sanded surfaces. Additionally, this material opens up a huge range of possibilities from an aesthetic point of view. With a full-body tint, the HLLightColor comes in a wide variety of colours, like this Vortex Gamma Magma in orange.

AS OLD AS EARTH STROM AGONIUM "IN MEMORIAM HR GIGER" Silver is not a new material; it is as old as the Earth itself. Though it is not technologically advanced, is neither a miracle powder nor a composite, nor is it resistant to tarnishing, it alone allows for the sculpture of truly three-dimensional items, Gothic cathedrals for the wrist, handmade pieces that would be impossible to create with any other metal. Antique materials still have some life left in them!

HR Giger, the creator of the creature from Alien, would not have denied this. Prior to his death in 2014, he worked on this piece with his friend Daniel Strom. In memory of this friendship, three years later, Strom released this joint achievement, named the “In Memoriam HR Giger�, of which only 99 units exist.

CORUM HOBO COIN Nickel, the humblest of metals, used since 3500 BC, cannot really be considered an advanced material. But Russian engraver Aleksey Saburov has brought it back to life in a novel fashion, along with its history, by re-engraving rare hobo coins, named as such as they were the smallest of small change, created in nickel by travelling workers who wandered the United States in the wake of the Great Depression. He has added his own twist to the legend in popular images from the time to create micro sculptures that each become the unique dial of a Corum Hobo Coin.

VINTAGEMANIA

20 | WATCH AFICIONADO

Patina: the blue cheese of vintage watches substance was slowly abandoned in favour of tritium (1950’s), and only some military-specific watches used by the airforce or submariners were still ordered with radium.

Even though the practice stopped in the 60’s, American soldiers found old radium dials inside Iraqi tanks during the Gulf War.

Tritium

by

Lorenzo Maillard, collector

Stilton, Roquefort, Bleuchâtel or Gorgonzola: these cheese names might have been synonyms of repulsiveness when you were younger, but I’m sure that you’ve learnt to appreciate them over the years.

Your refined palate and your taste for discovery led you to new frontiers, new experiences, in other words to eat rotten cheese…

And that’s absolutely fine, we all love their texture, their bitterness as well as their surprising spiciness.

When it comes to food, our learning curve seems infinite. We can all remember our parents forcing their spoons full of spinach into our mouths but now we’re fine eating oysters and broccoli.

Same goes for vintage watches. You start by appreciating “easy watches” in mint condition, most of the time from well-known brands. A Rolex GMT from the 90’s or a Speedmaster in perfect condition from the 70’s or an Omega Seamaster from the 60’s.

From there you can slowly slide towards more “complicated” watch-

es, not in terms of mechanics but more from an aesthetic point of view.

Some see patina as the holy grail of vintage, but what is patina and what is not?

Patina is the result of long exposure to sunlight or to tropical climates, or is simply an effect of time. Most of the time, when we speak about patina we're talking about the discoloration of the lume on indexes or hands. Usually collectors are looking for a creamy or chocolate patina. But how does this discoloration happen?

Tritium is also a radioactive material but it is harmless, at least from the outside of the watch, and in general less aggressive than radium. Easier to apply, the substance became a standard in the industry until the late 90’s. Widely appreciated by collectors and amateurs, the material, if aged properly, passes from white to cream, from cream to orange, from orange to chocolate. Some people will even tell you that the banning and replacement of tritium by Luminova (a non-radioactive material that doesn’t change with time), is a key factor in determining up to what point a watch can be considered vintage.

the quality and shape of a timepiece but I simply don’t agree with dealers that use the word “patina” and add an outrageous premium for a rotten watch.

Depending on the material or paint used, the dial can turn creamy or chocolate.

Everyone has their own definition of the term, but in my mind, what is attractive about a particular patina is the uniformity of the discoloration, the originality of the shade or simply its location on the dial.

Patina on a watch is also a testimony, confirming that the watch has lived. Wearing it is a statement that it is still beating after all these years, that it was born in the past and will still be used in the future.

A friend of mine, Balthasar De Pury, once told me: “We (vintage collectors) are the only ones who are ac-

Radium In order to have markers and hands that glow in the dark, watchmakers used a radioactive material called radium that reflects, for a limited period of time, a green luminescence in a dark environment.

This new material was, in the first quarter of the 19th century, perceived as a revolution and used in various fields. A number of virtues were erroneously attributed to this highly dangerous radioactive substance. In the 30’s, you could find radium in face powder, toothpaste, ski underwear, animal food or even condoms. At that time, little was known about radioactivity and its effect on the human organs.

In the watch industry, radium became a must-have feature for sport and military watches. Applied and hand painted on the indexes and on hands, radium is still a radioactive material today. But don’t worry: if you don’t lick the dial or use your watch as a pillow every night, you’ll be fine.

With a number of scandals and the growing awareness of the scientific community, radium was acknowledged in the late 30’s as a dangerous material. For the most part, the

Dials Until now, I’ve only mentioned the patina on the hands and markers, but the dial itself can also transform and change its appearance and texture. Depending on the material or paint used, the dial can turn creamy or chocolate in colour like the radium or tritium elements.

But patina can actually be subjective.

Some sellers will use the terminology in abundance to sell rotten watches to novices that are getting into the market. Timepieces with putridity and sometimes fungus on the dial.

Don’t get me wrong, everyone has their own taste and limits regarding

tually enthusiastic when a watch is proven radioactive.” Most vintage dealers own Geiger counter and use it to determine if the dial is actually original and not redialed or repainted. The more radioactive the better.

Who knows, maybe one day watch manufactures following the vintage trend will dip their watches in radioactive material to give them a some kind of legitimacy.

Let’s hope this day will never come.

NB: The word “patina” comes from Latin and means “plate”. In ancient times most of them were made out of bronze, a material that can be affected by time or by its surrounding environment.

VINTAGEMANIA

WATCH AFICIONADO | 21

“We would like to see more brands buy back their vintage timepieces” An interview with Paul Boutros, Head of Americas & International Strategy Advisor at Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo.

Interview by Serge Maillard

What is the state of the American pre-owned market today?

First of all, in America, I see no negative association with pre-owned timepieces. The motivations of the buyers are diverse. Many people do like to obtain bargains, so they are attracted to the possibility of reduced prices compared with new

models. Besides these financial motivations that explain the attractiveness at the entry level, we find, especially among people aged 30-60, a real passion for collectible watches.

Pre-owned timepieces indeed enjoy an interest that has never been seen before, particularly in the United States. Why? There has long been a US community of vintage collectors but it remained a small group. The shift began happening approximately 25 years ago with the rise of the internet. Information was limited until then. The internet became a tool for learning about watches, contributing to the growth of vintage.

The era of social media has been “inflection point number two”, as well as blogs like Hodinkee, which have become influential among people passionate about watches. Instagram es-

its own vintage department, trading and collecting watches. But this question is a challenge for the brands... Do they want to “compete” with their modern watches?

pecially is one of the most powerful communication tools for the collectible watch community. We estimate the pre-owned market to be worth around 2 billion dollars today, although it is difficult to gather exact figures.

What has been the attitude of the brands when it comes to the growth of the pre-owned and vintage watch market?

We consider that we serve the brands and we want to be seen as a resource for them! We have the experience to help them with their heritage. Many of our buyers are actually also buying new watches. Our philosophy is to work together. Of course, the brands don’t like to see relatively modern timepieces coming to auction...

So, we want to differentiate from our competitors. We are very strict in our

Paul Boutros

selections and reject some 70% of the watches proposed to us. We built the auction department from a blank page and we really focus on quality, not on volume. Also, we don’t focus on near-term profit goals, so we don’t have the same pressures as some of our competitors.

To our knowledge, Vacheron Constantin is the only brand with

We would like to see more brands buy back their vintage timepieces. It is of course a matter of transparency in the process. But we welcome brands that buy back their history, like Patek Philippe for their Museum in Geneva.

What are your top markets today?

Our top markets are Asia and Europe, followed by the USA. And there is room for growth. For instance, in my opinion, one of the most underrated brands today is precisely Vacheron Constantin. Furthermore, one can find many superb vintage rectangular watches across brands at very attractive prices...

Independent dominance explained The most recent sales in Geneva have once again demonstrated the overwhelming supremacy of Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. Why have collectors favoured these independent houses over time, ahead of historic rivals taken over by groups? by

Geoffroy Ader,

collection watch expert

Independent brand watches have long accounted for many of the standout auction results in the leading art market capitals.

What exactly are independent brands? Let’s use a simple definition.

An independent brand is any brand that does not belong to a major watch group (Swatch Group, Richemont, LVMH, etc.) and has remained loyal to its fundamental values since its watchmaking beginnings. The winners, in descending order, are Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet.

In the most recent May sales in Geneva, Rolex and Patek Philippe captured the largest market share – almost two thirds of recorded results – moving far ahead of all major

watch groups which now account for a tiny proportion of the watch auction sphere. And this is nothing new.

formation but, nowadays, a simple click will tell them almost anything they need to know online or on social networks.

The international watch collector ecosystem has collectively turned its attention to Rolex. The word of certain gurus has become key for many increasingly wealthy collectors. The proof is in the incredible prices recorded during the sale of the Daytona Ultimatum, superbly led by Aurel Bacs with the support of Pucci Papaleo, the ultimate name among enthusiasts since his first opus at Christie's in 2013.

In under five years, the market has literally exploded. We racked up a total of more than 22 million francs for (just!) 32 watches during the latest Phillips sale, which netted an average of more than 700,000 CHF per lot. In comparison, during the first Christie’s Daytona Lesson One sale in 2013, around 100 watches were auctioned off for just over 10 million CHF. Thus, the May 2018 event at Phillips recorded an average seven times more per lot!

For the past few years, the real vintage market barometer has been the Rolex Daytona, illustrated to perfection by the latest auction in Geneva. In addition to the themed Daytona Ultimatum sale, Sotheby’s and Antiquorum have both recorded some of their best results for a Rolex Daytona. (…)

Rolex is a ‘nobrainer’ for insiders “The frontrunner of all the independent brands is Rolex – it's a no-brainer,” said one savvy commentator from the independent watch world. This trivial phrase seems particularly apt in light of a detailed analysis of the latest auction sales in Geneva.

In this session, Rolex accounted for almost half of all sales. The combined share of Rolex and Patek Philippe accounts for almost two thirds of the auction market. However there has been a new development, with Rolex now by far the most soughtafter independent brand at auctions.

While Patek Philippe retains its crown for the all-time watch record, for the famous Henry Graves, sold at auction for nearly 24 million francs in 2014 by Sotheby’s, Rolex has soared ahead in recent years, especially since the Daytona Paul Newman was auctioned off for 17.5 million dollars last year by Phillips.

The guru gospel Of all the independent brands, Rolex has undoubtedly benefited the most from the power of social media in recent years. A relatively short time ago, collectors struggled to find in-

At the Rolex Daytona Ultimatum auction by Phillips in Geneva.

The complete article is on our website www.europastar.com

STRATEGY

22 | WATCH AFICIONADO

Breitling: universal ambition Georges Kern has delivered his verdict on Breitling, acquired by the CVC Partners fund and placed in his firm hand last year. The consequences were drastic and visible at the last Baselworld: a restructured and expanded brand offering and a new logo with references to air, sea and land; a distribution chain that has been brought back under control and an all-out digital offensive. A strategy that has the merit of being clear, at a time when the brand was suffering the effects of a number of inconsistencies. Breitling is now out to win “its” part of the Asian cake.

by

Serge Maillard

It is a brand of (almost) unequalled reputation, very strong in the United States and Europe, but which seemed to have gone somewhat dormant.

So when someone as uncompromising and polarising as Georges Kern takes Breitling’s destiny in hand, the wake-up call is all the louder!

At the last Baselworld trade fair, the storytelling was well-oiled, focused on a flawless presentation of the brand’s three worlds in the Kern era and one reiterated phrase: “We’re not inventing anything, we’re simply continuing what already existed.” As proof, a 1950s ad vaunting the three worlds of Breitling: earth, sea and air.

of its comfort zone, in which it had grown a little complacent.

Broadening the field of action Of course, he runs the danger of giving the impression of "clipping the wings” of Breitling (both literally and metaphorically, since the wings no longer form part of the brand logo). In fact, efforts have been made to clarify the fact that the brand is not abandoning aviation but broadening its horizons.

If we step back to see the bigger picture, keeping in mind the glob-

Reopening drawers “When Georges Kern set his eyes on the brand’s catalogue, one thing struck him immediately: the collections were too similar to one another, with a confusion of genres between the models," we're told.

Difficult to contradict him on that, when at Breitling the power of the brand seemed to have taken priority over that of the collections, resulting in an impression of treading water, immobility (which, let it be said, also has its merits when many brands seem, on the contrary, to be navigating on sight and zigzagging strategically). In short, the company was in idle mode.

And stuck largely in aviation gear.

By taking a few, highly symbolic decisions – such as terminating the partnership with Super Constellations and the Patrouille Suisse formation, keeping only its own, famous acrobatic jet team – the new man at the helm made plain from the outset his universal ambitions for Breitling, also placing the emphasis on motor sports and sailing to put the brand on a par with other watchmaking heavyweights that occupy that terrain. There again, the idea is to take the brand out

NAVITIMER 8

al strategy of a brand that now intends to fight on several fronts, the choice is understandable. Breitling does not want to address solely fifty-something Western males interested in aeronautics, but also an Asian audience with more classic tastes and which represents half of all luxury purchases worldwide, and a feminine audience that still largely eludes it.

Because, make no mistake: in reality Georges Kern has his sights set on the Chinese market, notably with the new Navitimer 8 line. He is doubtless counting on reproducing his recipe for success at IWC, where he raised sales from several tens of million francs to several hundred million francs in 15 years. That means a very strong marketing presence (already visible with the formation of the Breitling Squads, ambassador trios from very different environments), a broader, more universal offering and direct, strict control of its physical and digital distribution channels.

Three key lines So what about these flagship models?

They are now to be structured around three worlds, the Air (Navitimer), the Sea (Superocean) and the Earth (Transocean), plus two cross-cutting families, Chronomat and Professional. Note that the Navitimer

8 launched this year does not replace the original Navitimer, which has now become... the Navitimer 1.

The emphasis lies squarely on what makes up Breitling’s DNA: the mechanical chronograph. Apart from a few exceptions, the brand will no longer produce quartz models. This great exercise in clarification, a combination of a return to the brand’s roots and an expansion of its field of action, will not be followed by a price hike; the aim is to remain in the mid-price range of CHF 3,600 to CHF 7,500, accessible luxury in chic sports models.

The mighty shadow of CVC Partners While Breitling has been largely absent from the e-commerce scene so far, another keen ambition – also “universal” – on the part of Georges Kern is to rapidly open digital sales channels to allow consumers, whether Asian or not, to purchase a Breitling watch at any time.

Underlying this universally ambitious plan are the stringent demands of the brand’s new owner, the London-based private equity fund, CVC Partners. The fund acquired 80% of Breitling from the Schneider family, which had owned the brand since 1979, for an estimated 800 million francs in spring 2017. Georges Kern himself

bought shares in the company – incontestably a great stage entrance for his new mission. That date also marked the buying-out of one of the last great independent, family-

Make no mistake: Georges Kern has his sights set on the Chinese market, notably with the new Navitimer 8 line. owned Swiss watchmaking brands.

In an interesting analysis, Alon Ben Joseph of Ace Jewelers in the Netherlands points out that private equity funds retain their investment in companies they have bought for an average of seven years, with expectations of an annual return on investment of around 20%.

Consequently, according to his calculations, the new management has a sales target of… 2.5 billion dollars by 2024. Which for Breitling means an average annual growth of around 30%.

Mission impossible? Will Georges Kern succeed in fulfilling the role of providence-sent leader and enter the annals of watchmaking history?

SWATCH GROUP

24 | WATCH AFICIONADO

Jaquet Droz: “Lots of retailers have approached us this year” On the occasion of its 280th anniversary, Jaquet Droz is stepping up its contemporary exploration of historical luxury watchmaking, and focusing on one model in particular, which has seemingly infinite variations: the Grande Seconde. We interviewed its CEO, Christian Lattmann.

GRANDE SECONDE MOON BLACK ENAMEL

Interview by Serge Maillard

Which collections are you focusing on in Jaquet Droz’s anniversary year?

We’re developing our historically strongest models – the Grande Seconde, Ateliers d’Art and Automates. We’ve also worked on some timepieces for women, which are helping us tap into a highly promising market. And we’re presenting one exceptional, one-off item – the Parrot Repeater, a condensate of all our know-how in terms of automata and craftsmanship.

The basic objective is to clarify the identity of Jaquet Droz, its values and which way the brand is moving.

In the eighteenth century, Pierre Jaquet-Droz and his son HenriLouis developed three automata of genius to delight and amaze, and this is the spirit we’re trying to perpetuate. After the deaths of these two great figures in watchmaking history, the brand fell dormant.

Since its takeover by the Swatch Group in 2000, we have been working to recreate the strong and consistent brand image that makes it so successful today.

How do you manage distribution?

We benefit from the Swatch Group structure with its numerous subsidiaries, which is a huge advantage. We are continuing to expand in our strategic markets, but we’re determined to maintain a highly selective distribution network. We recently opened a new boutique in Dubai Mall with a very luxurious visual concept, sending out a strong signal to the entire region. Today, we have a total of 12 boutiques and 200 retail outlets worldwide.

Christian Lattmann, CEO of Jaquet Droz

The objective is not to open outlets in an uncontrolled fashion, but to work with retailers who are genuinely prepared to invest in us.

Because we’re a brand you have to know how to explain and be able to present to the customer in the best possible conditions in order to make it an experience. Many retailers have approached us this year, because they sense that developments are under way for reaching out to customers in search of genuine exclusivity, exceptional products and massive creativity.

cumstances. And at the other end of the scale, we produce exceptional automata. What they have in common – our silver thread – is the brand’s very strong aesthetic codes and our great creativity, which takes its inspiration from nature and the manual arts, mainly. Authenticity is the key to luxury. It’s extremely important to feel the work of the human hand in what we produce, via the art and craft trades especially.

For the past two years, we’ve witnessed a certain effort on the part of luxury brands to offer entry-level models and generally lower the average price. Is that the case of Jaquet Droz?

In no way do we take an "industrial” approach; it is truly an artisanal approach to watchmaking. So we don’t need to set limits – we’re limited naturally by our production capacity. We're not out to simplify or automate production at all. That would make no sense in relation to the history of Jaquet Droz. The only limits we set are related to the series, which are produced mainly

Yes and no... On the one hand, we create products that let people “realise their dream” and are affordable and wearable in (virtually) all cir-

Do you set production limits to keep some kind of exclusivity?

within our art workshops; they are limited to 1, 8, 28 or 88 pieces. The figure 8 is our emblem, which you can find on our dials as a symbol of inspiration.

What are the materials most closely associated with Jaquet Droz?

Grand-feu enamel constitutes a real brand signature, especially with the ivory colour for the dial, which is very unusual. We also like working with aventurine and onyx for our dials, which lends great depth. We use more high-tech materials for the movements, for example in our silicon balance spring.

What’s your stance in relation to the great digital transformation that is affecting the watchmaking industry?

In terms of access to information, digitisation is crucial. That’s the great change of the past few years:

our customers and our retailers know much more, and much faster, about our latest developments.

Before, a bad product could be successful with good marketing. Today, you need a good product, because information spreads fast. And that is a huge opportunity for Jaquet Droz, for its visibility but also for understanding the brand. As regards distribution and e-commerce, we're partnering with retailers on some projects, but we demand very high standards, so it’s rather limited. For the moment we’re not planning on opening our own online sales platform.

You’re celebrating your 280th anniversary this year – but is the average age of your customers falling?

We have customers of all ages: the average is actually quite young, I’d say 30-40. We’re a classic-contemporary style of brand, even if that might sound paradoxical: we’ve found a good balance and we’re not locked into our heritage.

The great fashion trend of the moment is vintage, or rather neo-vintage. Yet at Jacquet Droz we’re not really seeing any “re-editions”...

Today the word "vintage" is used a lot with the connotation of "neo-retro", in other words the re-edition of historical models. We didn’t produce much in the 1960s or 70s, for example, so that’s not a priority for us. The aim is not to launch re-editions or to follow fashion trends, but to set ourselves apart by means of our contemporary creativity.

SWATCH GROUP

WATCH AFICIONADO | 25

Mido: “We’re exploring all the possibilities e-commerce offers” What view do you take of this proliferation of possibilities for buying pre-owned watches?

The brand with the Spanish name (“I measure”) came into being exactly one century ago, in 1918. Historically well-established in Latin America, the Swatch Groupowned brand is now going for Asia, by far its largest market currently.

On the occasion of its centenary, it is reissuing several historic models.

We met its CEO, Franz Linder.

We’ve being seeing this phenomenon for a few years now and it might well affect us since Mido watches are known for their enduring quality. It's the price of success! In general, we see two types of watch customer on the internet: those in search of rare items, whether old or new models – for example, a Bugatti model sold for 30,000 dollars, that's our highest score to date.

Another sought-after timepiece is the Centre Chronograph, which can sell for 5,000 to 8,000 dollars. And then there are the “bulk” items, like our Multifort models – and of course you’re going find a lot of those for sale on the internet, at more affordable prices.

“In the United States, we have our own e-commerce platform. In China, we partner with sites such as Tmall.”

Interview by Serge Maillard

What models are you issuing for your centenary?

A Big Date, of course! We’ve integrated a new, exclusive Mido calibre into our Commander line with the largest date aperture in our segment and a power reserve of 80 hours.

Our objective for this anniversary was to reflect a number of our values: innovation, quality, a certain timelessness and a very attractive price. You won’t find a watch as original and that offers as much anywhere on the market in this price range. Also in the Commander collection, we’ve revisited the Shade line from 1979. Lastly, we launched a reedition of the original Multifort Datometer from 1939, limited to 1918 items. That’s been a success by anybody’s standards, since that model is now sold out.

“Historically we’re still strong in Latin America, where we’re 'king' in our category in Mexico.”

Neo-vintage is on a roll. But design aside, aren’t your prices your most compelling argument for winning market share?

Our average price is CHF 1,000, which places us between Tissot and Longines in the Swatch Group.

It’s not our only sales argument: at that price we offer mainly automatic watches – 90 % – and above all, in

The internet also makes it easier to personalise watches, using configurators. Do you respond to this kind of request?

The advantage for a brand of personalisation is first and foremost the chance to interact with the customer – and the lessons that can be learned from that participative experience. But in our price categories, we’ve opted rather to launch watch design competitions for the general public: for example, which monument will be the inspiration for the next Mido watch? To cite another example, we also invited the public to choose between three creations by different designers to see how our future watch might look. That helped us to understand the vision that the public at large has of Mido.

Franz Linder, CEO of Mido

our segment we’re the brand that offers the largest choice of COSCcertified watches. At around 50,000 items a year they don’t represent a huge part of our production, but the quality message is important.

round. The figures are similar to those of previous years. On the other hand, we greatly appreciated finishing two days early, since we achieved similar sales over a shorter trade show period.

Your roots are Swiss and – South American! What are your key markets today?

In your mid-range segment, the most important change at the moment is the emergence of e-commerce. What is your strategy on online sales?

Historically we’re still strong in Latin America, where we’re “king” in our category in Mexico. But the region that represents by far our largest market today is Asia, with China topping the list. We have a large distribution network there, with 800 sales outlets in 260 towns.

Your anniversary aside, how did things go for Mido at Basel businesswise?

For us this year's edition held few surprises. Customers who come every year visited us again this time

There are several ways of approaching e-commerce. At present we’re exploring just about all the possibilities, taking local realities into account. In the United States, we have our own e-commerce platform. In China, we partner with sites such as Tmall (editor’s note: Longines has launched a huge sales offensive on this site, see the interview with Walter von Känel in our previous issue). And in Europe, it’s above all the retailers themselves who are launching their own online plat-

The other great change at the moment is the emergence of smartwatches. Will we soon be seeing a smart Mido?

COMMANDER BIG DATE

forms and incorporating our models. Today, online sales via the channels we control directly represent less than 10% of our total sales.

You’re an affordable brand. That also means you’re easy to find on sites selling pre-owned watches.

For me, Mido is the long-lasting automatic watch, micromechanics, emotion… a very different statement from that of electronics. I don’t think we’ll be seeing that kind of watch at Mido in the near future.

I think you have to be consistent.

On the other hand, it makes a lot more sense to propose smart models in other price segments within the group, for a brand like Tissot, for example.

SWATCH GROUP

26 | WATCH AFICIONADO

Hamilton: the G.I. brand back in the USA In this neo-vintagecrazed age, few brands can boast a past as glorious as that of Hamilton, considered the ultimate American brand before it took on a hybrid Swiss identity through its purchase by the Swatch Group. The old watch model worn by GIs during the Normandy landings – as well as Elvis Presley onstage – is now seeking a strong position on its original market. An interview with the CEO of Hamilton, Sylvain Dolla.

KHAKI FIELD MECHANICAL

600 points of sale, we also maintained our network, and sales continued to increase among our retailers.

What reactions led to your e-commerce offensive? After all, just five years ago, the brand’s e-commerce sites were still underdeveloped.

Interview by Serge Maillard

The first electric watch, the first digital display watch; Hollywood, Elvis Presley, American pilots...

For many years, Hamilton was a “teen idol” in the United States.

Today, neo-vintage obsession is apparent in every segment, including yours. Are you riding the wave?

I try not to be “obsessed” by this trend, since such a thing would be dangerous. As for Hamilton, we have always reinterpreted watches from the past while presenting strong new designs. We are an American brand, so we feel a duty to go against the grain.

For example, this year, we are launching a 50mm Khaki model with a strong character and not a trace of bling. The design cannot be said to embody neo-vintage minimalism! And in parallel, we presented a reinterpretation of a watch produced for the American army in the 1960s: the hand-wound Khaki Field Mechanical, which was an instant hit.

This mechanical watch costs less than 500 dollars, and has a vintage spirit... What is the best way to win over the new generations?

Obviously, we want people who are purchasing their first mechanical watch – for a wedding, engagement or other important event – to think of us first. But as you mentioned to start with, we have always striven to attract this section of the public. And that is not a trend at the moment.

Sylvain Dolla, CEO of Hamilton

But why would a young man purchase a new Ventura, when he could find one at a lower price, and with a personal story behind it, on a second-hand website? Doesn’t this new digital competition intimidate you?

Personally, I enjoy seeing people purchasing pieces from the past. That means that they truly have an affinity for watchmaking. It is the sign of a healthy market, which incites people’s interest and attracts new collectors. Tomorrow’s aficionados might be interested in the new versions of the Ventura or the Khaki Field...

For a brand like yours, and within a price range of 500 to 1,500 dollars, what would your “ideal” point of sale be?

I would say... “Omnichannel”! Today, I think that it would be a mistake to concentrate solely on e-commerce. Clients show very varied purchase modes. On the one hand, we were one of the first watchmak-

ing brands to conduct e-commerce in the United States, more than five years before launching our commercial sites in France, the United Kingdom and Germany; and soon we will launch one in Japan. And at the same time, we have been investing more than ever in our brick boutiques. Last autumn, we launched a new boutique in Japan – our number-one market – in a New York City-style loft built in wood and brick materials. The concept is spreading throughout the world, including in Interlaken in Switzerland.

How can you work in a complementary way, and not a destructive one, both online and offline, both in your own-brand boutiques and in those of your partners?

What has surprised me most is that collections for the internet and those for physical stores are not put together in the same way. For example, in France, we are represented by 190 very high-quality points of sale.

Each one presents between 40 and 60 product references. However,

on our French website, we present no fewer than 200. That means that while a retailer might (legitimately) filter the models to be made available in his or her boutique, the client will always have the possibility of finding other models online. For example, the Khaki Field Mechanical model was not distributed at first in physical points of sale in France. But it became number one on the French e-commerce website... Ideally, in an omni-channel world, we would like clients to be able to see the 200 product references both online and in boutiques.

What measures did you take in terms of your physical retail network as you launched your e-commerce websites? Did you reduce the number of retailers?

It depends on the country. In the United States, we reduced our presence to 450 points of sale, but that reduction was not related to e-commerce. In France, we stood by our 190 very high-quality points of sale.

In Italy, where we have more than

The most “touchy” reactions came from in-house... But it’s time to stop overreacting about the internet. E-commerce still represents a relatively minor part of our turnover. Even in the United States, online sales only represent between 5% and 12% of our total sales. Some use e-commerce websites to verify the origin of a watch. One thing is sure: the client profile – whether hyper-connected or not – plays a more decisive role than other factors such as geographical distance from the nearest point of sale. The most built-up urban zones, where we have the most physical points of sale, are where we always register the most online sales.

Sixty years ago, your brand was a leading “mainstream” brand in the United States. Today, your two greatest markets are Japan and Italy... Do you think you’ll be able to make a comeback to your original market?

In just five years, we doubled our turnover in the United States. In my opinion, there are two countries where Hamilton can truly hope for two-digit growth over several years: China and the United States.

What about connected watches?

Personally, I have no faith in the concept when it comes to traditional brands. However, bringing “intelligence” to certain pilots’ watches in the form of digitisation... To that, we are open.

SWATCH GROUP

WATCH AFICIONADO | 27

Certina: “The look of the period with ultramodern materials” Rather discreet in comparison with the heavyweights of the Swatch Group, the brand with the turtle logo is appreciated in northern and eastern Europe for its robust sports timepieces. It is currently looking to expand into China with some new, more classic models and vintage reissues. We met Certina’s CEO, Adrian Bosshard.

Interview by Serge Maillard

What was the highlight of the last Baselworld in this anniversary year for Certina?

If I had to cite just one model, I’d mention our reissue of the DS PH200M watch that was popular with divers in the 1960s and 70s.

During those two decades, Certina put the toughness of its watches to the test in a series of research projects and expeditions in mountainous regions and on the sea. That gave rise to a model dedicated to life underwater: the DS PH200M. This reissue, fitted with a Powermatic 80 calibre, combines the look of the period with ultramodern materials. Like on the original model, you can see the turtle in relief on the back of the watch, our logo since 1959, the same year in which the DS system (Editor's note: DS for Double Security) was invented. Today this symbol embodies modern environmental preoccupations – since last year we’ve been collaborating closely with the Sea Turtle Conservancy foundation.

But why did you choose a turtle as the logo in 1959? Environmental preoccupations weren’t as strong then as they are now. The symbolism has evolved...

You’re right. That animal was chosen first of all to reflect the robustness of the DS system, which has really constituted the core of Certina’s identity since 1959.

Guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 200 metres thanks to gaskets on the winding stem and crown, a reinforced case back and scratchproof sapphire crystal (Editor's note: in later versions), this system herald-

Adrian Bosshard, CEO of Certina

ed in new standards of robustness in watchmaking.

Today, we still target active people, people who love adventure and strong sensations. This is why we’ve also launched a special DS-1 Powermatic 80 Himalaya model, which pays tribute to a Swiss expedition equipped with the Certina DS-1, which conquered Mount Dhaulagiri, near Everest, in 1960 for the first time.

ciate those characteristics, all the more so in a tough climate. And it’s also a market with a historical watchmaking culture – which other brands of the Group, like Tissot or Breguet, also take advantage of.

So we have both heritage and credibility. Not to mention excellent partners out there. And attractive prices – we cover a range from 300 to 1,500 francs, with the average price at 600 francs.

Unlike other Swatch Group brands, which are present all over the world, you have a strong presence in certain, very specific markets...

What are the main differences between the markets of northern and eastern Europe?

The difference is that we’ve always been an international brand, but never a global one. In other words, we cover very specific markets: historically, our markets have been Europe (Switzerland, Germany, Scandinavia, Spain), but the two markets where we’ve gained a foothold more recently, in the past decade, are eastern Europe (Russia and Poland) and China.

In fact you're also in charge of eastern countries at the Swatch Group.

How do you explain Certina’s success in Russia, especially after the fall of Iron Curtain?

Certina has always produced robust sports watches… and rather large ones. In Russia, people appre-

In Scandinavia we mainly sell models with metal bracelets, whereas in Russia leather straps predominate. Titanium is a keenly sought-after material in northern Europe (Scandinavia, Germany, Switzerland), where it’s appreciated for its strength and lightness, while also being antiallergenic. Conversely, heavier watches are preferred in Russia and Asia, where they’re viewed as “real” watches. As for movements, we sell more quartz watches in Europe, whereas in Asia mechanical calibres predominate.

Is your next horizon China, where other brands of the Swatch Group – Longines especially – are already well-established?

Indeed, we’re going to continue

DS PH200M

“We’ve always been an international brand, but never a global one. In other words, we cover very specific markets in Europe and Asia.”

expanding into China. With our very sporty image, we didn’t really correspond to what Chinese customers are seeking above all – elegance and finesse – until now.

Today, we cover four worlds that give us broad appeal – sport, diving, urban and heritage. But we still have room for improvement in Europe, where I see two markets with strong potential for Certina: Germany and Spain, where we can still win market share.

Union Glashütte: a Swatch Group’s German brand Besides Certina, headquartered in Le Locle, Adrian Bosshard also heads up the German brand Union Glashütte, founded in 1893 by Johannes Dürrstein: “He was the distributor for A. Lange & Söhne and his dream was to develop a top-class brand but in a lower price segment than A. Lange & Söhne,” explains the CEO. The company was successful until World War Two. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Swatch Group acquired Union Glashütte at the same time as Glashütte Original, in 2000. “The stratification of the two brands is clear,” explains Adrian Bosshard.

“Glashütte Original is a luxury manufacture that develops its own calibres. Union Glashütte is a historic brand that uses ETA parts as the basis but makes its own oscillating weights, bridges and three-quarter plates for its manual-wound calibre and assembles the movement and watch in its workshops in Glashütte.”

With its classic design, very Germanic style and exclusively mechanical models, the brand has a virtually all-German customer base, but also some Asian and Russian customers.

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28 | WATCH AFICIONADO

Photograph: Fabien Scotti

IWC: “Taking over a successful brand is no mean feat!”

He's faced with the daunting task of succeeding Georges Kern. We meet Christoph GraingerHerr, the young new CEO of IWC, who comes to the engineering brand with an unusually artistic background.

Christoph Grainger-Herr took a unique route to IWC: through the brand museum! The young designer's studies were "purely artistic", he stresses, in the UK, then Basel, Switzerland. He was first commissioned by the Schaffhausen manufacture to create a museum looking back at the brand's 150-year history.

He never left and was named CEO in March 2017. It's a daunting task to succeed the effusive Georges Kern who brought about a tenfold increase in IWC turnover in 15 years, then went on to become Richemont’s Head of Watchmaking before suddenly taking off for pastures new at a competitor.

It's one thing to take charge of a company that isn't doing well and look to steady the ship but it's quite another to take over a successful brand. It's no mean feat – quite the opposite. My challenge is to continue in the same vein and look to surpass it. I need to be careful and factor in past achievements while working towards long-term goals, adapting to changing conditions and imagining the future.

Aside from yourself, in the Richemont CEO galaxy, only Nicolas Bos comes from the artistic world. You could understand it for an 'artistic' brand like Van Cleef & Arpels but IWC is seen as an 'engineer's' brand. Do you see your background as an advantage?

Is it a shift in culture?

As a designer, you're a central part of the creative process. You have to factor in all the different components and the artistic, technical and commercial reality. You must have a holistic viewpoint, be com-

But let's go back to the IWC offer. How would you describe it and what are your flagship collections?

Our three flagship collections are the 'three Ps': the Portugieser, the Portofino and the Pilot. They embody the IWC spirit: a system conscientiously devised by engineers and decorated with subtlety and care. And they offer undeniable value for money. It's our overriding aim to offer complex but practical features and simplify them to improve accessibility. From this point of view, innovation is central to our approach. Let's take calendars, where we aim to be the clear leaders.

Interview by Pierre Maillard

It's not easy to succeed the highly publicised Georges Kern, who left the brand after a hugely successful tenure.

what has happened with apps. The best app kills all the other apps and takes all the winnings but no one feels any real benefit. The future no longer means the 'best'.

We have to accept it but we don't necessarily want it. Look at the driverless car. It's coming but who really wants it? Mechanical watches are reassuring in a Big Brother environment. They create a feel-good factor. And what is the luxury industry if not a feel-good factor?

What does the future hold for your distribution channel? What proportion is e-commerce? You recently announced further progress in this area.

Our main target is to offer our customers a wide range of options to choose from. The customer must have easy access to a physical location, if they so desire, and be able to combine the physical and virtual worlds or opt for the e-commerce channel alone. It's essential that we offer a choice and a holistic service.

But we mustn't bury our heads in the sand: selling a luxury product through e-commerce alone is and remains difficult. Watches have become essentially emotional pieces.

Who has a purely utilitarian need?

Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC

pletely open-minded and create a physical manifestation of a complex reality, whether that's an object, a watch or a museum. That said, after overseeing the brand's museum design – which required a retrospective approach with a future focus – I gained experience in marketing, distribution and sales.

What can you tell us about the developments you intend to bring to the brand offering? Are you wary of the mounting competition, especially, and ironically, from Breitling?

IWC is in a great position. We have stood firm over the years and established a strong position in the 5,000–6,000 francs and 10,000– 12,000 francs price points. The brand is strong with good foundations. It has been around for 150 years, was a pioneer in the industrialisation of Swiss watchmaking and has iconic lines and products at various positions and in various segments. IWC is a strong international brand in every sense of the

word and we operate everywhere.

But the brand has great potential for development. We don't fear the competition edging towards us.

There has always been competition so that's nothing new.

The Jubilee collection was much talked about during the latest SIHH. Many observers saw a 'vintage' or even 'neo-vintage' slant in your collections.

Work on this collection began before my appointment. Inspired by one of our pocket watches, the digital display movement took five years of development to transition to wristwatch format. We had to change everything. The 10th of a second instantaneous disc jump required formidable precision and a very light disc. The watch has two barrels: one for the movement itself and one for the instant jump mechanism. This movement fascinated us and seems to have fascinated many people. It comes at the right time.

Practically speaking, how many physical sales outlets do you have and what is your online strategy?

PORTUGIESER

Some people are unhappy about a widespread return to historic watchmaking codes.

As global digitisation gathers pace, we have realised that people seek out and cherish the simplicity of the 'analogue' world. Times have changed. When modernity and productivity were flourishing, we believed that the new objects on offer were moving in the direction of a general improvement in living standards. The future beckoned and it meant striving for the best.

But since the 1980s, a disconnect has emerged between productivity and a better life for all. Look at

We operate everywhere in the world with 50 stores in our own name and around 600 to 800 wholesale retailers. We have no intention of reducing the number of stores, quite the opposite. Each channel must be at the top of its game. We began our e-commerce activity in the USA in a mature market. In Europe, we still focus on telephone-based sales, entailing a direct link with the customer. This channel works really well and allows us to better meet our customers' expectations on these markets. But it's under construction as a whole. As it stands, prices are on display only in places where our e-commerce activity is fully established. But they will be extended to all markets, without compromising on the brick and mortar side of the business. (…)

The complete article is on our website www.europastar.com

RICHEMONT

WATCH AFICIONADO | 29

Vacheron Constantin: “Customers are the real influencers” Vacheron Constantin's launch of the Fiftysix line at the latest SIHH had its name on everyone's lips.

This coincided with a generational change at the helm of the majestic Genevabased watchmaking house which produces around 25,000 timepieces a year. Is this the sign of a new 'low-cost' offensive (notwithstanding the entry price of more than 12,000 Swiss francs)? Breakthrough or continuity? Europa Star met Laurent Perves, the brand's new CMO (Chief Marketing Officer).

FIFTYSIX DAY-DATE

Photograph: Fabien Scotti

Tourbillon, a very clean automatic watch with a peripheral rotor. This piece is very much the result of a real demand among customers for a lightweight, simple tourbillon in a flat watch with contained proportions. This led to the peripheral rotor in a mix of demand, aesthetics and watchmaking art.

We will keep our ear to the ground but we do not intend to withdraw from complications nor from the Métiers d'Art. And our range of unique and customised pieces in the Cabinotiers category is another laboratory and a very fertile field of experimentation. The demand for made-to-order pieces is growing.

Interview by Pierre Maillard

Does the launch of the new 'entry-level' Fiftysix collection at Vacheron Constantin signal a strategic turning point for the brand?

Nobody expected it of us and, in this sense, it's a big 'coup' and the offshoot of a deliberate and determined policy which began a year and a half ago before I arrived at the company. But this very public introduction may have somewhat disguised the fact that it comes within a wider context. We have optimised the Overseas family, for instance, making it livelier with bolder features, such as the 'black dial' Overseas – and our other lines have all been refreshed.

Is this because of a need to seek out younger customers for a brand whose image remains very traditional?

It all depends on what you mean by 'traditional'. We are undoubtedly an understated brand. There's a definite simplicity, formal harmony and classic, timeless dimension. So, yes. But, don't be fooled. Our average customer is around 40 years old. Generations move and get rich quickly, especially in Asia and

Laurent Perves, CMO of Vacheron Constantin

the Middle East where our results are buoyant. It's a dynamic, very well-educated generation thanks to the distribution of information. An interest in watchmaking can quickly develop into expertise, much more so than before. In 263 years, Vacheron Constantin has continued to 'revamp' itself, staying in tune with the times.

“Nobody expected it of us and, in this sense, it's a big 'coup' and the offshoot of a deliberate and determined policy which began a year and a half ago.”

What is the present time?

There's a breed of customer looking for an everyday steel piece with a strong, distinctive, yet understated design for informed enthusiasts.

Entry to the circle of connoisseurs.

We have also observed a clear spike in interest among these young yet mature customers for collections such as the Historiques and some Métiers d'Art segments.

Is this another way of responding to the vintage trend?

The vintage style is hardly a new development. Vacheron Constantin

began faithfully revising some of its historic icons 15 years ago, including the Chronographe Royal from 1907, the American 21 from 1921 and the Cornes de Vache from 1955.

These are all recent dates for our house. The vintage trend has come as no surprise for us. We've also created the Les Collectionneurs department which restores and, if necessary, repairs real vintage pieces in our restoration workshops and gives them new two-year warranties. They're sold during one-time events and special occasions and they're exceptionally popular.

But, going back to the Fiftysix, does its "group calibre" not immediately move it into another category?

The group calibre we use is a base movement used in Swiss watchmaking. We put our own spin on the movement and decorate it in line with our brand hallmarks. The watches are made from gold and we have five different types of finish. It's a Vacheron Constantin in its own right, assembled in our workshops.

Believe me when I say it's highly anticipated and will go on sale in September.

But is this nonetheless a sign that your offerings are drifting away from complications?

Not at all. We can work successfully with shared base movements while developing our own complications on a completely independent basis. Our work is ongoing and we've lost none of our expertise in this area. It was on show at the last SIHH with our Traditionnelle

In the field of applied arts, Vacheron Constantin has released some exceptional series such as the Masques and others, demonstrating a wonderful, coherent creativity.

We have in-house expertise in many trades, allowing us to fully exploit and continually explore this area.

We're pushing the Métiers d'Art in several directions at once. The themes are varied. We're combining disciplines, inventing and mixing arts and crafts with watch complications.

We've developed movements with a window display for greater freedom and others are in the pipeline.

But we're prioritising themes linked to our long history of travel, discovery, culture and artistic excitement. Needless to say, we intend to continue in this vein.

We often discuss 'new materials' from 'laboratories'.

There's an expectation of us. We are, however, working on all the topics that 'mould' the watchmaking process. So we're taking a very close look at steel and its developments, as well as the Fiftysix and Overseas.

We regularly work with platinum and we've designed a silk and platinum wire bracelet as a sample. But the bulk of our research is focused on watchmaking itself and complication development. Ultimately, the real judges are the customers.

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RedBar: uniting collectors worldwide This is undoubtedly the most successful ‘organic’ initiative looking to bring together watch aficionados worldwide. Paradoxically, it all began online, leading to more than 40 clubs in New York, London, Melbourne and many other cities. This is the RedBar story, told by its founder Adam Craniotes.

Interview by Serge Maillard

We had the chance to see Adam Craniotes in action during a watch event earlier in the year at the Montblanc store in Aventura, north of Miami. The RedBar founder, widely recognisable with his New York accent, energetic outspokenness and thick beard, was presenting the new SIHH offerings from the Richemont brand to a panel of visitors. There's no doubt that Montblanc’s neo-vintage style, initiated under the watchful eye of Davide Cerrato (read his interview in issue 1/18 of Europa Star), has won over this community of watch en- Adam Craniotes thusiasts.

We saw Adam Craniotes again, With the internet, we saw a prolifermore recently this time, at the ation of watch information online CoutureTime show in Las Vegas. and a 'freedom of speech' among He was there to host the first annu- customers and collectors. al national American meeting for One day, I met another collector, RedBar as well as panels on the state Jeffrey Jacques, and we discussed of the watchmaking industry and continuing the conversation offline the perspective of the contemporary rather than talking online. We went watch collector. He was also tasked to a bar that we found in Koreatown with attracting end buyers – increas- – Red Bar, which no longer exists. ingly courted by brands themselves And we decided to meet up there – to the show which was previous- every month! Nowadays, New York ly a retail-only affair. And we can ex- meetings take place weekly at a sepect to see him ever more frequent- cret location in Koreatown. ly in the watchmaking hotspots as his community of collectors grows, So you have paradoxically exploitunited by an informal, expert spirit. ed the internet boom to revert back We’re introducing a ‘Vintage & to physical meetings!

Collectors’ section to Europa Star so we simply had to find out more! The irony is that the internet has allowed the ‘physical’ meetings to grow Encounter. in terms of both the watch busiWhen and how did the RedBar ness itself and our meetings. Then Instagram arrived and we launched adventure begin? the #redbarcrew hashtag, which has In 2006, in New York. The internet attracted a lot of attention. But some had really begun to take off in the are tired of doing everything online. watchmaking industry at the time. A group of collectors and enthusiasts I was already reading Timezone fo- can talk for hours so better that we rums in the 1990s but the internet do it face-to-face, watch on wrist! achieved a sort of maturity in the 2000s and sites such as Watchuseek, So is it also a platform for exchange, Ablogtowatch and Hodinkee began loans or even the sale of watches to emerge. among members?

THE ORIS DIVERS SIXTY-FIVE REDBAR

Many people exchange or even sell watches through the club. We publish a list of watches for sale but it’s not a business and we earn no commission. It’s a good thing you reminded me because it’s a while since I’ve seen a Rolex I lent to a RedBar member!

partnerships with brands for whom we organise events and provide consulting services. We partner with shows such as CoutureTime. We’ve also designed watches with Maurice Lacroix and Oris.

Is it your job now?

It’s about visibility but not direct sales. I never promise to sell a certain number of watches during an event. It’s about access to collectors and that’s a more emotive subject.

Yes. When I started RedBar, I was a copy director at Macy's, I wrote for iW Magazine and Gear Patrol and I was a forum moderator on the Timezone site, especially the IWC forum. But I gradually felt better and better during RedBar meetings and worse and worse in my everyday work.

Two years ago, I took the plunge and officially launched the RedBar Group which now operates in 40 cities on four continents. We also established the RedBar Fund, which supports charitable work.

What do you give to partner brands?

How has RedBar grown?

People outside of New York gradually began to contact me as they wanted to organise the same initiative in their city. I was contacted today by someone wanting to open a RedBar branch in Buenos Aires. We’re in the process of opening branches in Geneva and Basel, as well as in Tokyo!

What is your business model?

What are the criteria to open a local RedBar branch?

Members do not pay a subscription fee and we are committed to keeping the club free. We earn money from

The branch managers must be charismatic and inspire the people they bring together. Most important is

The independent Swiss brand partnered with the collectors’ club to launch a special 40mm version of the SixtyFive Oris watch, with bronze bezel, gold hands, gold indices, and of course… a remarkably red dial. The watch has a definitive vintage appeal.

It was introduced at CoutureTime in Las Vegas last June, is priced at $2,100 and is limited to 100 pieces.

that the atmosphere be laid-back.

RedBar has already played matchmaker twice!

How do you become a member?

The only requirement is to be a watch enthusiast. Some people don’t yet have a timepiece when they start coming to our meetings. You know, when you say that you’re a watch collector, people’s first reaction is often to take you for a rich person or a fool.

Or a rich fool! But a group of collectors and enthusiasts can talk for hours. The 'cost' factor is irrelevant.

You’re a collector yourself. What was your first watch?

A Casio F-7 series digital model. I received this watch from my grandfather and gave it to my son on his third birthday. As such, his first watch was also my first watch! Passing down through the generations is not exclusive to luxury watches…

| 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 2018 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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