Europa Star 6/10-1/11

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MASTER MECHANICS

EUROPE EDITION All Europe - EEC, Central & Eastern Europe, Russia

N° 304 6 /2010 Dec. / Jan. 12

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THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL WATCH MAGAZINE EUROPE

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CH F 1 2 / € 1 0 / U S $ 1 0

1 SIHH and Geneva shows preview 1 Watches and the suburbs 1 Exotic straps

the

leader’s

watch

No other watch is engineered quite like a Rolex. The Day-Date II, launched in 2008, enhances the legacy of the original Day-Date, which was the first watch to display the date, as well as the day in its entirety. Now in a larger, more commanding 41 mm size, the Day-Date II is a natural evolution of a classic. The Day-Date II can display the day in a wide choice of languages and is presented here in platinum.

the day- date ii

4 EDITORIAL europa star

“We are not in luxury.

“We are in quality.”

These few concise words say it all. They describe how the family owners of Hermès responded to Bernard Arnault (LVMH) at the announcement, legally necessary, that he had acquired—as secretly as it was ‘amicably’—17.7 percent of the shares of their company.

“We are artisans. Our goal is to make the best products in the world. We are not in luxury. We are in quality,” stated Bernard Puech, President of the board of directors of the Hermès limited partnership company. This legal arrangement guarantees control of the business to the family, the major shareholder, no matter what happens, even if the family no longer has majority control (today it holds approximately 73 per cent of the company). As Bernard Puech adds, “Even it there is only one single family-held share, the family will maintain control.”

We will not venture into the various possible outcomes of this ‘friendly’ hostile action, which was immediately and energetically rejected by Hermès. The brand obviously fears that the particular friendship of Arnault might become too insistent and end up suffocating it one day. But rather than focus on the strategy of the ‘kiss that kills’, let’s look at the forceful response of Hermès that differentiates ‘luxury’, of which LVMH is the most striking example, from ‘quality’, which is of a whole other order.

The subtext of what Bernard Puech is saying is that quality in the long term— Hermès is in its sixth generation of managers—cannot bend to the strategic family policies of globalized finance. He goes on to emphasize in passing that “the structures that have allowed this attack are the subsidiaries of LVMH

based in Luxembourg, the United States, and especially in Panama, a country that is not the most transparent when it comes to financial regulation and the source of funds.” Moreover, as the directors of Hermès are saying, beyond the financial engineering that made this happen, there is a deeper incompatibility, which is cultural. Luxury is a status; quality is a value. Luxury addresses the exterior; quality addresses the interior. Luxury is an image; quality embodies a product. Hermès, they say proudly, “is not a signature; it is a cultural soil, a culture incompatible with that of a large group.”

This way of considering itself as a ‘soil’ that must be cultivated to grow new fruits ‘every season’, this manner of envisioning time over the long term are culturally at odds with a financial policy that seeks, on the contrary, to annihilate time in its immediacy and in the instantaneousness of the flux of virtual transactions.

Beyond the case of Hermès versus LVMH, the shock of cultures concerns all of us. The battle that is being carried out on the high-end product level is raging everywhere else as well. It is part of what we call ‘the great choices of society’. Do we want to favour the absolute race for performance, the relentless pursuit of growth at any price that demands instantaneity? Or do we opt for the ‘soil’ that will perhaps not give immediate fruits but that we can certainly cultivate for many years to come? In other words, do we want to regulate, organize and plan for the long term or do we prefer to leave everyone free to grab up as much as they can in the shortest time possible? The answers

R Pierre M. Maillard Editor-in-Chief are not insignificant. They will fashion the future, for better or for worse.

As you can see, we are way beyond watchmaking, whether it be ‘luxury’ or ‘quality’. And, having observed Hermès’ activities in watchmaking, we can certainly testify that it has been this ‘culture of the soil’ that has dictated the brand’s patient growth. Step by step, without cutting corners, by planning its activities in terms of decades, and by not claiming to be something it is not, Hermès has, in thirty-two years, gradually acquired the metier of timekeeping, of which it can now rightfully be proud.

The moral of this story is that the most high performance brands are not always those that claim to be. As Hermès declares, “Since going public in 1993, the annual growth in net profits of LVMH has been 7.6 per cent while that of Hermès has been 14.7 per cent.

The shares of LVMH have risen by a factor of six on the stock exchange— those of Hermès by 35.”

The believers in the long term have thus every reason to continue to cultivate their soil.

The Poetry of Time Pont des Amoureux Timepiece - Poetic Complication™ White gold set with diamonds, “Contre-Jour” enamel dial, retrograde mechanical movement, lovers indicate time. www.vancleef-arpels.com

JULES AUDEMARS PERPETUAL CALENDAR

The Jules Audemars Perpetual Calendar watch is a masterpiece of miniaturisation developed on the basis of the extra-thin self-winding Calibre 2120 and the 2802 module.

The entire mechanism is indeed just 4 millimetres thick. Intended to reproduce the intricacies of our calendar by displaying the cadence of the minutes, hours, days, date and months, this complex movement also smoothly handles the irregularity of 30- and 31-day months as well as the leap-year cycle. The calendar module is designed to require no correction before March 1st 2100, a date when the Gregorian calendar will imply an adjustment – exactly the kind of detail true connoisseurs will appreciate.

Pink gold case, brown or silvered dial, applied pink gold hour-markers, pink gold hour and minute hands.

AUDEMARS PIGUET LE BRASSUS (VALLÉE DE JOUX) SWITZERLAND, TEL +41 21 845 14 00 www.audemarspiguet.com

8 CONTENTS europa star

www.europastar.com

THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL WATCH MAGAZINE EUROPE

4

EDITORIAL “We are not in luxury. We are in quality.”

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COVER STORY Chanel continues to challenge watchmaking boundaries

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N° 304 6/2010 DEC./JAN.

MANUFACTURING The Swiss watch planet in movement Part 3 The Master Mechanics

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MECHANICAL GALLERY Harry Winston, Pequignet Chopard, Moritz Grossmann Corum, Zenith

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SIHH PREVIEW Panerai looks beyond the sea Vacheron Constantin takes its Quai de l’Ile to a new level Parmigiani takes on the classics Ralph Lauren gallops ahead Audemars Piguet’s plans in the pipeline Montblanc honours the chronograph Richard Mille – the man, the brand JeanRichard goes deep with the Diverscope Girard Perregaux stays classy with small seconds

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SIHH GALLERY Cartier, Greubel Forsey Baume & Mercier, Panerai

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CASE STUDY MB&F, the strategy of bachelor machines

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GENEVA SHOWS GALLERY Laurent Ferrier, Louis Erard, Jean Dunand, Zeitwinkel Ali Zandidoust, Bovet, DeLaneau, Peter Tanisman BRM, Bulova, Marvin, Tempvs Compvtare Badollet, Catorex, Pierre DeRoche, Ritmo Mundo Artya, Hautlence, Rebellion, Valbray

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BEHIND THE SCENES Exotic straps could turn around and bite you

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RETAILER PROFILE Panama’s La Hora-Alta Relojeria

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POST CARD Roger W. Smith – British watchmaking is alive and well

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LETTER FROM PARIS The suburbanites love their watches

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WORLDWATCHWEB® Understanding China’s clientele of luxury watches online

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EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

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LAKIN@LARGE Bling’s craptastic, but patience pays!

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SPOTLIGHTS Orient Watch

J12 RETROGRADE MYSTERIEUSE by Chanel Black ceramic and 18-carat white gold 47 mm timepiece equipped with a RMT-10 calibre developed for Chanel by Renaud & Papi.

Hours, retrograde minutes and crown on the front of the dial.

Limited edition of 21 pieces – ten in black ceramic and rose gold, ten in black ceramic and white gold and one piece in white ceramic and white gold.

CHANEL Place Vendôme 16 75001 Paris France Tel +33 1 55 35 50 55 Fax +33 1 55 35 50 51 www.chanel.com

Europa Star HBM SA 25 Route des Acacias P.O. Box 1355 CH-1211 Geneva 26 Switzerland Tel +41 (0)22 307 78 37 Fax +41 (0)22 300 37 48 www.europastar.com contact@europastar.com © 2010 EUROPA STAR Audited REMP 2009 The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily Europa Star.

The Ralph Lauren Slim Classique Watch 18K ROSE GOLD 42MM MODEL. ULTRATHIN 5.35MM CASE. ARTISANAL “GUILLOCHÉ” ON DIAL AND CASE. MANUAL WINDING MANUFACTURE MOVEMENT. 131 COMPONENTS, 18 JEWELS, 40-HOUR POWER RESERVE. SWISS MADE.

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10 COVER STORY europa star

CHANEL CONTINUES TO CHALLENGE WATCHMAKING BOUNDARIES High-tech ceramic, extreme water resistance and cutting-edge crowns on dials are just some of the innovations that are positioning Chanel at the forefront of horology.

RSophie Furley

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When Chanel launched its J12 back in the year 2000, the brand could have just put its famous name on a watch and been content to rest on its laurels. Instead the company made a point to do things differently with new materials and captivating mechanics, that have made even the most serious Swiss watchmakers sit up and take note.

Dynamic ceramic It all started with the use of a material that most people associate with the common bathroom tile – ceramic. In fact the word itself comes from the Greek κεραμικός (keramikos) which means ‘of pottery’. However, today’s ceramic material is now an essential component of products as diverse as space shuttles, ballistic armoured vests and bio-medical implants. It is scratch-resistant, hard-wearing and incredibly lightweight which makes it an ideal material for a myriad of applications. However, no one had yet transformed it into a luxury material to rival the diamond until Chanel mastered how to manufacture it.

Link by link The precise recipe for ceramic is not available in the public domain, so it took Chanel’s scientists six years of research, trial and error to come up with the perfect formula. However when you see the results, it was certainly worth the wait. The vast majority of watch brands using ceramic today buy it in block form and then mill it to the desired shape, in comparaison

RÉTROGRADE MYSTÉRIEUSE

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COVER STORY 11

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to Chanel who make each and every bracelet link and case to size, creating a far superior quality of ceramic that is instantly recognisable.

To discover how this magical material is made, see Chanel and the chamber of secrets in Europa Star 5/2009 or on www.europastar.com.

The iconic J12 When the first J12 was launched, it came as quite a shock for the Swiss watch industry whose brands, at that time, hadn’t yet ventured far beyond the use of gold, platinum or steel. Commercially the J12 was an instant success and has evolved in many artistic and technical directions since. 2005 saw the arrival of a J12 fine jewellery collection and a J12 tourbillon. 2006 was marked by a J12 GMT and a haute joaillerie piece with 597 baguette diamonds. In 2008 the company announced a partnership with Audemars Piguet for an automatic movement - the Chanel AP 3125.

2009 saw the presentation of the J12 Noir Intense, a ceramic-set timepiece (instead of baguette diamond set) in white gold. Just as we thought that everything that could be done, had been done, Chanel let off a succession of fireworks for the J12’s 10th anniversary in 2010 with a mini J12, a new depth-defying Marine Collection and a breathtaking new complication that challenges watchmaking as we know it.

of size trends with the addition of a 29 mm case so women who love the style and workmanship of Chanel’s J12, but who are looking for an elegant timepiece that is a little more discreet in size, can also appreciate the beauty of a J12.

The J12 29 mm is equipped with a quartz movement and, like its older sisters, features black or white high-tech ceramic, diamond indexes and a white mother-of-pearl or black lacquered dials.

Mini or maxi?

J12 Marine

Until this year the ladies J12s had only been released in 33 mm, 38 mm, 41 mm or 42 mm relatively large sizes in the history of women’s watchmaking. This trend for large women’s watches has been present in the watch industry for over a decade and remains incredibly strong, but a recent parallel trend for smaller timepieces has also appeared in certain markets. Chanel has responded to this overlapping

The J12 collections have always had a trace of a diving design in their composition, with their bold ceramic bezels and great readability thanks to their contrasting hands and dials.

J12 29 MM

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J12 MARINE

The brand has taken these cues and created a genuine diving timepiece - the J12 Marine whose design and performance are perfectly suited for both deep sea diving expeditions and evenings at the yacht club.

The J12 Marine is available in three versions and two sizes: blue (available in 38 mm or 42 mm), black (42 mm) and white (38mm) and not only looks spectacular, but can also resist pressure equivalent to a depth of 300 metres under the sea, a feat that few diving watches can achieve.

Some of the most impressive features include a date and immersion time reading on the bezel; a highly resistant, mat rubber strap with

openings that allows the release of water; black lacquered dial with luminescent hands and numerals for perfect readability in darkness and a sapphire crystal with blue antireflective coatings on both sides.

The firework finale Chanel doesn’t need to remind us how serious it is when it comes to the technology inside its ceramic cases. Its offering includes GMTs and tourbillons, and the brand has partnered with the prestigious Audemars Piguet for a unique and exclusive automatic calibre, the 3125. But for the finale of its 2010 introductions, Chanel went one step further and joined forces with the famous movement constructor Renaud & Papi to create a timepiece that was like nothing anybody had ever seen before.

Transforming time One of the wishes of Chanel when starting out on the project with Renaud & Papi was to have a completely round timepiece, which meant that the crown had to be relocated to the back or the front of the case. Putting the crown on the back has been done many times

COVER STORY 13

before so the constructors decided to break with all watchmaking codes and put the crown directly on the front of the timepiece, traversing both the crystal and the dial.

From a design point of view, the result was visually stunning, but from a technical point of view, it created all kinds of problems.

However, the great thing with problems is that they can often translate into some of the most intriguing solutions and this is what happened with the Rétrograde Mystérieuse. The problem in this case was that the position of the crown (positioned between ten past and 19 past the hour) blocked the minute hand from continuing its journey around the dial. So the constructors found a solution so that the minute hand would reach the crown and then go backwards all around the dial until it rejoined the 20 minute mark. To avoid misreading the time, a digital display illuminates when the hand is regressing with the correct minute reading. When the minute hand is advancing normally the digital display turns off.

Like many of today’s unusual time displays, it sounds complicated in words, but once you get used to it, two hands can seem rather boring in comparison!

Continuous inspiration J12-mania has now been ongoing for over a decade and there seems to be no end to its success with a multitude of innovations within one collection. The brand continues to challenge the boundaries of watchmaking from the materials, to complications and design.

Just as when it started, Chanel is not content to stagnate, but instead finds inspiration year after year. We can’t wait to see what this year has in store! O For more information about Chanel click on Brand Index at www.europastar.com

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THE SWISS WATCH PLANET IN MOVEMENT – PART 3

The Master Mechanics For the third and last segment of our major inquiry into the ‘boom’ of Swiss mechanical movements, we have taken a look at the ‘watchmaking specialties’. This is a large term, but it covers a wide range of complications where we can find everything and anything, from special displays, among them the retrograde indications, to tourbillons and other mechanical follies.

RPierre Maillard

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Whether they are affiliated with a brand such as Renaud & Papi, of which 78.4 per cent is owned

by Audemars Piguet, or are independent such as Les Artisans Horlogers, whether they are a true verticalized manufacture such as Christophe Claret or a fiercely independent artist-constructor such as Agenhor, or whether they also master virtual imaging and micro-mechanics such as Magma Concept, all these companies have something in common. They are all part of a new generation of ‘suppliers’ that we would do better to call ‘partners in creation’.

Those that we have just cited—but the list is far from being complete so for anyone that we

have not included, please forgive us—have become indispensable for many brands that are caught up in the necessity of having to offer mechanical innovation (sometimes at the risk of mechanical inflation). This mechanical innovation allows brands to reap a lot of media coverage even if not a lot of economic benefits. The designers, constructors, inventors of unusual functions, the mechanical aces and the magicians of the cams often all play a pivotal strategic role.

And from these highly specialized enterprises come a great many watches with high-end labels and brand names. The fact that these timepieces were not made by the brands in question is not always known to the general public. And speaking of brands, there are many different types that turn to the specialty companies. There are those that don’t hesitate to declare their collaboration, and then there

are those who will go to any lengths to hide it.

Some of the former are cited below, but be assured that the list is much longer especially since the latter, those brands that do not promote transparency and those adepts at having so-called ‘in-house’ movements, are much greater in numbers.

A strategic yet exposed position By occupying this central strategic position, the ‘Master Mechanics’ are exposed to all the air currents that agitate watchmaking’s economic sphere. When watchmaking catches a cold, they start to cough. Caught up in the race for mechanical added-value that preceded the financial crisis, they are today faced with clients many of whom don’t really know where to go next. Some of these ‘Master Mechanics’ have admitted this fact to us quite openly: the brands are equivocating;

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they don’t know which model to follow; they hesitate to launch into the creation of a costly innovation, which they are no longer sure will be successful like so many others have been in the past.

And a few premature announcements have left them cold. For example, how much time and engineering efforts were spent by TAG Heuer, a brand that was just not willing to withdraw from the V4 and thus had to continue with this concept, sold to it by designer Jean-François Ruchonnet? Even if, in retrospect, this adventure was worth the effort and that TAG Heuer had been able to capitalize on this very difficult success, it is not sure that the brand would repeat the experience today. Another example is the very interesting Mémoire 1, invented by Les Artisans Horlogers for Maurice Lacroix.

The work started in 2006, and then passed from hand to hand, but it has still never come out—and the investment has still never been recouped. To cite even a third example, what about the difficulties that are met when trying to validate an innovative watch such as the seven years it took Harry Winston to finally present, in 2010, its ingenious Opus 3 invented by Vianney Halter!

Temporal considerations The temporal logic that lead to the development of a brand and its image are quite different than those that lead to the conception of a mechanism, its construction, the development of a prototype, the tests, corrections and necessary transformations. From the idea to the drawing board and then from the drawing board to the realization, the road is long, winding and full of pitfalls. Developing a new movement is a question of years, whether we like it or not. Some, however, have developed strategies to avoid or circumvent these difficulties, as we will see below. But whether one has recourse to the most sophisticated imaging and calculation technologies or proceeds

in a more intuitive manner, whether one creates prototypes or makes the pieces directly, many various practices exist. They cohabitate with each other but no single one is superior to the other. No one cuts corners unless they want to risk clipping their wings.

Added to all that is the fact that most of our ‘Master Mechanics’ have, like all watchmakers, a healthy ego. Having long worked in the shadow of the big brand names, having seen many of their silent partners parading around with what they have designed in solitude and sometimes dreamed of in their sleep, they are happy to see the spotlight turn a little towards themselves. They have become objectively important and, in this new competition, they are advancing—each with his own arsenal of weapons—their special designs and their specific tastes, to the extent that a ‘complication’ invented by X or Y is often recognizable even when it is anonymously placed at the heart of such and such movement, presented by such and such brand. Each of these constructors has his own footprint, his own system, his own way of doing things. And for some of them, they even introduce their own special poetry. But as Giulio Papi says in a burst of sincerity, “Do our concepts always make sense?

We will only know in twenty years.”

RENAUD & PAPI, THE TRAINING GROUND What is the common point shared by Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey, Peter Speake-Marin, Andréas Strehler (who all have their own brands today), Carole Forestier (at the head of watch development at Cartier), Anthony de Haas (at the head of watch development at A. Lange & Söhne), and even Frédéric Garinaud (designer of the Opus 8)? These names do not even take into account all the countless managers of the various ateliers. Answer: they all worked at one time or another in the ateliers of Renaud & Papi,

even Christophe Claret, whose first company, created in 1989, was called “Renaud Papi Claret,” before he repurchased all the shares in 1994 and launched out on his own.

“We became a training ground because we always wanted to hire young people. And they, as I myself did in 1986, would decide one fine day to exert their independence.”

Giulio Papi smiles about this, even if perhaps a little nostalgic when he thinks of all the efforts expended in training them. Yet he does understand the reasons.

In 1986, he was one of the first to strike out on his own. He was only 21 and a bench watchmaker at Audemars Piguet when he understood that it would be a long time before he could even touch a grand complication. So, he decided to make one himself.

Teaming up with Dominique Renaud, he founded his own company, thinking that they could make “two or three watches a year”.

Giulio Papi

EL PRIMERO by Zenith, inventor of the high-frequency self-winding chronograph

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The watch market was regaining steam and the art of mechanical timekeeping was again in the public’s eye. Very rapidly, the demand increased, to such a point that, in 1992, they needed additional financing to enlarge the company and continue their adventure. But the banks, like they are today, were not ready to loan money. It was Audemars Piguet who came to the rescue. The brand was ready to supply the needed capital to develop their company but on condition that it obtain 52 per cent of the shares. The deal was made and, in 1996, Dominique Renaud sold his remaining shares and moved to the south of France. Then Robert Greubel, who still owned 4 per cent, decided to launch his own company and sold his shares to Audemars Piguet, which today owns 78.4 of Renaud & Papi. The remaining 20 per cent are still held by Giulio Papi with the small 1.6 per cent in the hands of Fabrice Deschanel, General Manager of Renaud & Papi.

MILLENARY by Audemars Piguet

Veritable industrial tool

In spite of the fact that the majority of the company is owned by Audemars Piguet, which plays the role of manufacturer for research and development, Renaud & Papi maintains total freedom to work for third parties. “Ideally, our order book is divided 50/50: half for Audemars Piguet and half for other brands,” explains Papi.And among these other brands is the very successful Richard Mille, for which Renaud & Papi “did practically everything”.

Today, Renaud & Papi employs 150 people in Le Locle, working in facilities that are similar to their principal supporter: rigorously organized, ultra-functional, but warm and friendly.

It is quite impressive. This veritable industrial tool allows Renaud & Papi to master the milling of its plates in all types of materials— even very hard ones—as well as to cut out its gears, screws, column wheels, barrels and all circular parts. It also has mastered the creation of the axes, pivots, teeth and pinions, as well as the electro-erosion of the levers, cams and springs. It also fabricates all its fitting tools and prototypes.

Situated in a single location, this impressive array of computer-controlled equipment is connected to other departments by a long hallway. The main building groups together the technical bureau (eight people working in development) and the very important procedures office. Both are directly attached to an office dealing with reliability whose task is to anticipate problems and analyse their source when they arise as well as to an office handling technical and aesthetic controls, in which each piece spends a minimum of one month.

Next door is a specialized atelier whose main

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role is to assemble the first ten pieces of a new model. It is here that the protocols for assembly, lubrication and other operations are precisely defined.

From here, we pass to the ateliers for assembly and encasing that employ nearly 40 people.

Divided into small islands dedicated to one client or to a specific complication, each of these watchmakers is in charge of the complete realization of a watch. This task, on average, takes a full month.

Next to these workshops are the ateliers for decoration and finishing: chamfering, satining, circular-graining, Côtes de Genève, polishing, and skeletonizing. There are also units devoted to after-sales service, to training and one called the Office of Watch Concepts that, until quite recently, was directed by Frédéric Garinaud, the last on our list of having struck out on his own.

Cardinal value: reliability When asked what the specificities of Renaud & Papi are, Giulio Papi responds: “…in no particular order, being able to propose ideas and then make them happen; being intransigent when it comes to the quality of finishing and decoration; and making reliable watches.” He insists particularly on this point: “We aim for zero returns, but let’s face it, to arrive at this point would be like finding the Grail. That has never happened to any watchmaker. In reality, we have about 10 per cent of new pieces come back and about 3 per cent returned after the models are stabilized, a number that we can still be very proud of. We make reliability a point of honour. It is a cardinal value in watchmaking. So, we never introduce a product that is not 100 per cent ready. We never sell anything based on images.”

What therefore does Renaud & Papi sell? “In the realm of calibres,” explains Giulio Papi, “we have three different regulating organs: thus three escapements—one traditional Swiss in-line palettes, a Swiss palettes for tourbillon and one that needs no lubrication, the famous Robin escapement reserved for

Audemars Piguet, that we currently produce only in an artisanal manner. It is thus expensive but we could produce it on an industrial scale. These escapements are equipped with three different balances, with two different speeds, 21,600 vibrations/hour or 43,200 vibrations/hour. Moreover, we have two systems for energy accumulation, with one or two barrels, for power reserves of 48 hours, 72 hours, or ten days. We have a common winding system and time correction in all our watches, except for Chanel’s Rétrograde Mystérieuse, but that is another story (for this watch, see our Cover Story in this issue on Chanel). In terms of complete movements, we propose two different minute repeaters—one small, one large—two different integrated chronographs, a flyback, a grand sonnerie, and three perpetual calendars. And, using these bases, we offer all sorts of variants.”

We might add also that Renaud & Papi has made a name for itself with Richard Mille in the particular domain of ultra-light materials.

We think notably of the latest RM 027, the ‘Nadal’, a tourbillon watch realized in a very special carbon and that weighs only about 20 grammes. “A victory”, in the words of Giulio Papi, “because the perception of value had been up to now always tied to weight—the heavier it is, the more expensive the piece.

We have succeeded in reversing this axiom”.

This experience was acquired with Audemars Piguet and its famous Royal Oak in forged carbon. But Giulio Papi, as fascinated as he is with new materials, remains very cautious, however, when it comes to silicon. “I am not criticizing the technology itself but all our escapements are made in traditional materials.

Why? We know that in time silicon will no longer be used in micro-processors and that the equipment designed to work with this material will disappear. These are the same machines used in watchmaking. I am afraid that in 50 to 100 years, we will no longer be able to repair silicon escapements.”

How has the company weathered the economic crisis? “Since 2008, which was a record

year, our turnover has varied only very little. For 2010, we expected a decrease of five per cent but we ended the year even. For 2011, we are also expecting a five per cent decline, but we will see what happens… It is not so serious for us since all our installations are financed and we have no current leases.”

CHRISTOPHE CLARET’S, (NEARLY) COMPLETE MANUFACTURE The great strength of Christophe Claret is to have succeeded, in 22 years of independent activity, in constructing a very high-end integrated production tool, worthy of the very sophisticated products that the company creates to the level of 90 per cent in-house. Of the 115 people who work there, some 40 are certified watchmakers who produce a very small number of watches—around 420 to 450 per year. The simplest and least expensive is CHF 35,000, while the most expensive reaches around CHF 120,000 (ex-factory price, so multiply that by four, five, six or even seven, depending on the brand!). Besides his undeniable talents as a watch designer, the power of Christophe Claret is that he excels as much in the design and production of his own movements as he does in the cases.

Christophe Claret

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A RACING MACHINE ON THE WRIST

RM 022 “AERODYNE” DUAL TIME ZONE

Baseplate of honeycombed orthorhombic titanium aluminide / carbon nanofiber Power reserver : circa 70 hours dual time zone indicator Torque indicator Power reserve indicator Function selector Variable inertia, free sprung balance Fast rotating barrel (6 hours per revolution instead of 7,5 hours) Winding barrel teeth and third-wheel pinion with central involute profile Barrel pawl with progressive recoil Modular time setting mechanism fitted against the case back Free sprung balance with overcoil Wheel based time setting system (back of the movement) Closure of the barrel cover by excentric screws Ceramic endstone for the tourbillon cage Central bridge in rigidified ARCAP Spline screws in grade 5 titanium for the bridges and case From 368 000 €

www.richardmille.com

24 MANUFACTURING europa star

SHABAKA

by Jean Dunand

series’—12,000 references on the list, or 12,000 operational ranges to develop, and more than 2 million pieces in production and in stock in the ‘Treasure Room’. It is here, in the computer-managed card file, where the finished pieces and the unfinished ones are contained, making up the kits—80 per cent will be distributed for assembly in-house and 20 per cent will be delivered as they are to the brands that ordered them.

Symbioses between movement and the case In 2000, the Christophe Claret manufacture, founded in 1989, set up shop in the Soleil d'Or, a beautiful house built at the beginning of the 20th century by the watchmaker, Urban Jurgensen, on the heights of Le Locle, just below the watch museum in Les Monts. Since 2000, the house has seen the addition of two ultramodern wings. In this compact setting is one of the most complete and performable manufactures, as well as one of the most modern and innovative. With this tool, Claret has been able to realize, in hardly a dozen years, 63 original in-house calibres, of which the simplest is a tourbillon. The day of our visit, the manufacture was working in parallel on 46 different calibres. A record, without a doubt.

All this obviously involves very rigorous coordination when we think of the operational flow that has to be managed, especially when all these pieces are produced in only ‘small

One of the originalities of Claret is the way that the movement and the case are designed, constructed and produced together, in a close symbiotic relationship, if we might use these words. The research department dedicated to calibres, with its ten constructors, is next to the department dedicated to cases. Christian Cartier, head of the design and technical monitoring of the cases, explains that those

“intended to receive very specific and complex movements are necessarily as sophisticated as the mechanism they harbour, protect and showcase. Like the construction of the calibres, the production of the cases is an exercise in innovation: articulated horns, lateral openings, articulated fold-over clasps…”

The Claret ‘style’ is completely evident. By developing his own manufacturing capabilities in the domain of the movement, Christophe Claret has given wings to his own type of watchmaking. He has thus been able to develop specific techniques such as the use of rollers like in the Shabaka, for example, developed for Jean Dunand (of which he is a partner with Thierry Oulevay), a watch that is particularly exemplary of this integration or this mutual pollination between the mechanism and the case.

For the love of machines This development has also been made possible because Christophe Claret is nearly as fascinated by the movements he designs as he is by the machines he develops. A good example is the ‘monster’ that was recently created for the manufacture’s case department: a 17-axis CNC, capable of working in pairs with 2 x 5 axes, which allows not only the operational time to be divided in half, but also, by minimizing the manipulations and adjustments, to offer superlative tooling precision.

An additional example, not far away, in the ebauche department, another machine is the pride and joy of its owner: the Flashcut laser, developed by the manufacture in collaboration

europa star

MANUFACTURING 25

HARRY WINSTON movements

with BC-Technology. This machine cuts out 70 per cent of the component parts. In four hours, it does the work of five electro-erosion machines that would have to run for 24 hours.

This gain in time and energy relegates the other machines to the status of ‘dinosaurs’. In the same workshop, is a Witech machine tool, used up to now only in automobile production, but that Christophe Claret had adapted for watchmaking. It has a system permitting the automatic replacement of 96 tools that it controls, or the auto-control of the pieces being produced allowing for automatic corrections.

And, there are other top-secret machines, hidden behind doors that can only be opened with TOURBILLON ORBITAL by Jean Dunand

DUAL TIME by Christophe Claret

a digital recognition system, such as the mysterious machine capable of automatically polishing the curves of sapphire crystal. (Remember that it was Christophe Claret who was one of the pioneers in the use of sapphire.)

“I am always looking to maintain a very progressive vision of the modes of production,” explains Claret, “and to be as innovative in the domain of equipment as in that of watchmaking.” But this concern has other reasons.

The mastery of the fabrication process, besides bringing an always welcome autonomy, allows for better reactivity by decreasing deadlines, allows for ‘real time’ research and innovation, and for these various factors, is economically determinant.

We cannot go into detail here about all the ateliers of this manufacture—of which the great specialty is the tourbillon—but, other than the assembly of movements that is obviously done in-house, the finishing, polishing and decora-

tions also occupy a choice position: thermal treatments, tempering and then polishing after tempering, electroplating, the impressive chamfering atelier where no less than 15 people work to patiently hand-finish the component parts, and the decoration atelier where finishings such as Côtes de Genève and circulargraining, among others, are carried out.

A style apart In spite of the large diversity of timekeepers produced in the manufacture, we can say that the fascination Christophe Claret holds for the machines, the processes, the savoir-faire and the innovations is the same for the products he designs. Connecting rods, rollers, animations, chimes, mechanical ballets, all play a part in this. The mechanical is not hidden, on the contrary, it is showcased; it is discovered under the sapphire cases; it plays with volumes and depths.

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Jean-Marc Wiederrecht

In this regard, the Dual Tow, launched by Christophe Claret in 2009 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his company, synthesizes and condenses, with its 568 components, the spirit of timekeeping according to Claret.

This single pusher planetary chronograph with chime is equipped with a tourbillon and beltdriven hour displays—no less!—and is a veritable wrist machine. A unique and totally original particularity, the Dual Tow’s chronograph functions thanks to three satellites or planets, linked to a column wheel that drives the operations via six levers and hammers in the shape of ‘legs’ that give the piece a gracious allure. It embodies all that is Christophe Claret in a mix of mechanical fascination, transparency and depth of movement, as well as original displays.

THE MECHANICAL POETRY OF AGENHOR “Twenty-five people, it’s a nice number, isn’t it?” asks Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, sitting in his new ateliers, which resemble a very beautiful and very large ultra-contemporary residence, constructed in keeping with strict environmental criteria. This means zero carbon emissions thanks to a combination of natural cooling, without air-conditioning, geothermal heating, and solar panels. This energy autonomy corresponds well to the idea of independence and self-sufficiency that Jean-Marc Wiederrecht has always cherished above all. His totally independent and self-financed structure allows him to be “solid, supple, open, flexible” and to work closely with his team of three construc-

tors, nine bench watchmakers, five administrative employees, and five managers of supplies and quality. “I am good like this and I don’t want to get any larger,” he concludes.

The security of this total independence has a price: it involves having “a multiplication of products and clients,” he explains. Indeed, Agenhor disposes of a considerable list of clients for a relatively modest enterprise.

There are a dozen or so large clients who are “serious and committed for the long term,” of which five or six make up 70 per cent of the company’s turnover. Among the ones that we can mention are Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chaumet, De Witt, Peter Speake-Marin, MB&F, and Arnold & Sons. The complete list is much longer and includes a number of real heavyweights in the haute horlogerie sector.

Beyond the retrograde Independent since 1978, Jean-Marc Wiederrecht constructed his image notably beginning in 1988 when, along with Roger Dubuis (the man and not the brand, which did not yet exist), he developed the first module of a bi-retrograde perpetual calendar for Harry Winston. This world’s first was rapidly followed by a flurry of inventions such as the Double GMT, the Tri-Retrograde, a Time Equation, and Universal Time, which made his reputation as the ‘King of the Retrograde’.

The mechanical talents of Jean-Marc Wiederrecht went way beyond the retrograde with an entirely other kind of invention in 2002, which allowed him to ‘liberate’ his watchmaking by facilitating the work: a patent for specially split toothed gears realized with Mimotec. By

introducing a form of elasticity in the gearing, avoiding all blockage or tightening of the teeth against each other, and allowing continuous contact of the gears between each other, Wiederrecht opened new opportunities for the mechanical expression of his dreams.

Mechanical poems Since Jean-Marc Wiederrecht is a watchmakerpoet in the best sense of the term, he wanted to create dreams with his gears, gearing and cams.

For this reason, he particularly likes feminine timepieces. He likes to work with them because they “tell stories”, he says with a smile.The most striking example of his proclivity for ladies’ watches is the work he does with Van Cleef & Arpels. The brand turned to Agenhor to create its small mechanical works of poetic art—the Quantième de Saisons, the Fairy, the Midnight in Paris, and the Pont des Amoureux. “Starting with the drawings, the stories, and making the dreams come true in beautiful watches” are evidently what motivates Wiederrecht the most.

One example of a real watchmaking challenge is exemplified by the two lovers who join each other every hour on the bridge in the Pont des Amoureux, but this posed a mechanical problem. At the moment of their separation (their ‘retrogradation’), it was very difficult to exactly synchronize their double movement that is driven by two hands that did not turn at the same minute. It was necessary, therefore, to invent a small hook, new to watchmaking, to lock the two figures together, arm in arm, until it was time for them to leave each other exactly at the same time.

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PONT DES AMOUREUX by Van Cleef & Arpels

Clearly, it is all Wiederrecht, all Agenhor in this tiniest yet crucial detail, which is purely poetic because, if the two lovers separated one before the other, the story told by this watch would have been quite different. It would have been a stormy separation rather than a lover’s ballad.

Only exclusivities Agenhor makes only exclusivities, specifically destined to a precise watch and the story that it wants to tell. Another example demonstrates this very well—the Opus 9 that Agenhor realized in conjunction with the designer Eric Giroud for Harry Winston, and that won the Design catDANDY ARTY by Chaumet

egory at the 2009 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie in Geneva. Working with Giroud, Wiederrecht developed an original and delicate way of indicating the time thanks to two mobile diamond chains. It was a perfectly suitable way of telling time, in both the literal and figurative senses, since the Harry Winston brand has always been associated with diamonds.

On average, Agenhor presents three new movements per year. The rhythm will not increase because, as Jean-Marc Wiederrecht says, “We do not introduce a movement or a mechanism until it is totally reliable, totally developed. This is even more important today than before, during the preceding crazy period. Today, the client OPUS 9 by Harry Winston

rightly demands quality. Everything must be quality, the exterior as well as the interior. The same applies to finishing.”

From this point of view, Agenhor brings to its finishing, quite often invisible, a rare poetic refinement. Examples are the cams hidden inside the movement of the Pont des Amoureux, which are engraved with the silhouettes of the two figures. This decorative poetry also has a practical side: the parts of each watch are immediately identifiable, thus facilitating the work of the watchmakers.

No prototypes Unlike other ‘master mechanics’, Agenhor does not possess a lot of equipment. Everything is made outside, by a network of longstanding and loyal sub-contractors who have been carefully selected for the particular task. The main reason is that, for Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, “all validations must be made on perfect pieces”.

Therefore, he does not pass by the traditional step of the prototype but makes the pieces directly in series based on the plans. When it is assembled and the movement functions, then it immediately passes to its production in series.

“Sometimes,” he admits, “it is necessary to redo one or two components, but everything else is ready, waiting to be assembled.” Obviousy, Jean-Marc Wiederrecht is as practical and efficient as he is poetic. A winning equation.

FOLLOW YOUR CONVICTIONS ”FREE ACCESS TO ALL HUMAN KNOWLEDGE. SOME CALLED IT IMPOSSIBLE, I CALLED IT WIKIPEDIA.” Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia Winner of the Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize 2011

In 2003, Jimmy Wales stayed true to his beliefs by turning Wikipedia into a non-profit foundation.

At Maurice Lacroix, we create our unique movements and award-winning designs by hand – because, like Jimmy, we too follow our convictions.

For more information visit www.MauriceLacroix.com Pontos Décentrique GMT

32 MANUFACTURING europa star

some years earlier. Together, they restructured STT that would become Dimier when it was sold to Pascal Raffy from Bovet. At the same time, they founded Les Artisans Horlogers.

The logic of (luxury) Lego

Laurent Besse and Manuel Spöde

THE GRAND LEGO OF LES ARTISANS HORLOGERS When we enter the ancient 17th century mill where Les Artisans Horlogers is located, the first thing we see are three identical wall clocks that show the same time with a small discrepancy.

Below are not written Paris, New York and Hong Kong, but rather Neuchâtel, La Chaux-deFonds, and Le Locle. This rather humoristic display is a reminder of the company’s roots in Jurassian timekeeping and perhaps also a way to turn their noses up at globalization.

Laurent Besse, Co-founder and associate of Manuel Spöde, welcomes us. Together Besse and Spöde created Les Artisans Horlogers seven years ago, in 2004. Manuel Spöde is both experienced in business—having worked

in management and in sales—and in watchmaking with a diploma from WOSTEP. He has worked in watch restoration, the creation and development of products, industrialization, restructuring of watch companies and commercial services. His diverse background seems to correspond perfectly with that of Laurent Besse, a graduate of the watchmaking school in Besançon, with experience at Nouvelle Lémania and Frédéric Piguet. Besse also worked with Eric Klein, head of the multibrand research and development department at Richemont. While there, he met a good part of the new generation of CEOs in watchmaking such as Antonio Calce (Corum), Hamdi Chatti (Louis Vuitton), and Michel Nieto (formerly at Baume & Mercier). He contributed to the development of products for Cartier and Piaget, but the ambiance of a large group with its decision-making constraints and slowness did not enchant him. He then moved to the Conseil Ray office, and developed movements for Zenith, notably, that he joined some time later when Thierry Nataf arrived on the scene.

But he didn’t stay there very long. He again runs into Manuel Spöde, whom he had met

When they created Les Artisans Horlogers (LAH), their concept was fully developed and their approach was clearly defined. They would take six full years to realize their programme and make their production totally reliable. Laurent Besse compares their idea to the Lego principle: have a repertory of compatible pieces that, starting with the same essential components, would let you create

“everything you want”, or nearly. With these small Lego blocks can be created a chateau, a speedboat or a pirate ship. With the LAH components can be built a tourbillon, a regulator, or an MB&F machine. The central element of the LAH Lego is a basic calibre that was totally developed by them, a calibre that is “well built and simple so that it can be customized without too much effort,” as explains Besse in a few words. “We therefore see many elements from one calibre to another,” he adds, “but this way of proceeding lets us avoid having to always reinvent the wheel and allows us to offer a complete range of products, totally operational, that can also accept existing additional modules. For example, I think of the chronograph modules of DuboisDépraz. Moreover, these calibres are not templates and have strictly nothing to do with

Mobilizing its energy reserves.

With its unmistakable design and its distinctive power reserve indication, the Patravi EvoTec PowerReserve is the new icon among those watch models, which are based on the holistic “Evolution Technology” Manufacture Concept. This is a further demonstration of how Carl F. Bucherer is going its own way with its development of movements and mechanisms. The CFB A1002 represents the expression of this philosophy, challenging the existing and striving for more intelligent solutions, with creative developments, such as the first reliably functioning, peripherally positioned rotor and the innovative mechanism for changing the big date. www.carl-f-bucherer.com

AHEAD OF THE TIMES.

34 MANUFACTURING europa star

clones, but they are compatible.” In passing, we might add that Laurent Besse casts a doubtful eye on the famous ETA clones. In his opinion, “ETA is absolutely unbeatable in the domain of cutting tools and not one of its rivals can touch it, at least not for now”.

The thought behind this approach has permitted LAH to offer a complete range of classic complications, a totally personalizable range that will allow the creation of their specialties, which include the tourbillon in first place. This approach also lets them plan for the longterm vision, to think globally about the collection and the reliability of its production. By standardizing a large part of the components and by being able to purchase in large quantities, they ensure their production according to industrial criteria, thus offering better reliability and greater precision.

Since 2008, LAH has proposed five basic calibres, ranging from 8'''3/4 to 13'''3/4, available in more than 40 versions, with manual winding, automatic winding (equipped with a circular oscillating weight, their great singularity or a small exocentric weight), and even manual winding with a tourbillon escapement (another great specialty).

The importance of dialogue In a few years, their proposition, coupled with their ability to personalize products to the extreme, attracted strongly different brands that asked for specific movements. Among these brands are Maurice Lacroix (Mémoire 1 and Pontos Excentrique, for example), MB&F (with which it has a very close collaboration, resulting in notably the HM1 and the HM4 Thunderbolt), Harry Winston, Universal Genève, British Masters, Peter Speake-Marin, Rebellion, Zeitwinkel, etc. Clearly these brands are quite different from each other.

“In the approach to design and construction, it is necessary to have a very detailed dialogue with the brand that asks you to design a movement,” explains Laurent Besse, “because each time you have to find the internal logic of the brand and succeed in mechanically express-

ing its DNA. So, in order to take this logic to its full potential, we will go as far as creating the case in certain cases, and even in designing the final packaging. We are, of course, watch engineers, but we are also closely interested in industrial design”.

Economies of scale One of the reasons for this success is due to the economies of scale that are fostered by the ‘Lego method’. Despite the fact that they make essentially only small series of timepieces, LAH can still offer an extremely attractive price/quality ratio thanks to the economies realized as much in the realm of construction as in production, stock management, assembly and the ability to meet deadlines.

“Today, we make 1,000 movements per year, but our goal is to increase this number and to lower our costs even more, while remaining a small player, working exclusively in specialty watchmaking. We hope to increase these numbers to 5,000 to 10,000 movements per year within five years.” Is the moment right?

“It is correct to say that movement makers are currently suffering more than during the height of the crisis. Brands are apprehensive, fearful. They want to offer exclusivities, amazing products, but they don’t dare move for-

ward. Pressure on pricing has also increased.

Investors are holding back. We recently studied a demand that would have resulted in 50,000 movements, with the creation of a factory, but the green light never came…”

Another savings factor is the modesty and flexibility of LAH’s own structure. Today 15 people are divided between R&D, construction, prototyping, logistics, controls, the preparation of kits and the assembly of small series (assembly of more than 200 pieces is done in partnership.)

“We don’t want to grow too big and, notably, we do not envision producing the pieces ourselves. On the contrary, as indicated by the three wall clocks at the entrance, we operate between Le Locle, where we are based, La Chaux-de-Fonds, and Neuchâtel, where we have developed a dense network of favoured

H A UTLENCE HLQ 03

PRICE CHF 60’000.Manufacture’s own patented calibre Hand-winding mechanical movement Jumping hours, retrogrades minutes, running second, jumping date Limited and numbered edition of 88 pieces 18k Rose gold, black PVD, Titanium Power reserve of 40 hours Water resistant up to 3 ATM hautlence.com

36 MANUFACTURING europa star

sub-contractors. With them, we have woven a tightly knit fabric of suppliers, whether in the realm of small or large series, for cutting, for gears, for various steps in assembly, for encasing, decoration or finishing. We have calculated that our small structure actually provides work for around 300 people.”

THE MAGMA CONCEPT ‘VIRUS’ “We are a virus, a free electron,” delightfully declares Philippe Thivolet, General Manager, and Cédric Grandperret, Executive Director of Magma Concept, located in Plan-les-Ouates near Geneva. In 2001, along with prototype expert, Manuel Garcia, and digital imaging specialist, Cédric Vaucher, they founded this rather particular hybrid organization. It is active in both imaging synthesis and in the construction of movements.

In the beginning, Magma Concept began to work with 3D modelling as a marketing support. Then, quite naturally, the company turned towards the offer of products. Everything seemed to start in 2003 with the demand for tourbillons by Jörg Hysek, based on a Jaquet calibre. This was followed by collaboration with Chanel for its first J12 Tourbillon equipped with a sapphire upper cage.

In 2006, Cédric Granperret, the mechanical soul of the group and former member of the technical department at Chopard, was lured

away by Jean-Claude Biver who wanted him to create the new technical base for Hublot, to create pilot lines, and to set up the assembly and production unit for Mag Bang. The experience lasted two years and, in 2008, Cédric Grandperret returned to Magma.

In the meantime, the Magma team had totally designed and developed its own tourbillon calibre as well as a series of functions and displays using the 7750 base, but in specific materials such as titanium, aluminium and gold, all “in perfect accord with ETA”. These developments allow Magma Concept today to propose four different 13 ¼''' 28,800 vibrations/hour calibres: the MAG-007 with three hands including centre seconds, large date, in automatic or manual versions, with stop seconds; the MAG005 GMT3, automatic with complication, three hands in the centre, two different GMT indications at 6 o’clock and 12 o’clock, both with their own day/night display, as well as a retrograde date with a 120° hand at 9 o’clock; the MAG-004, flyback chronograph with column wheel integrated into a 7750, featuring hours, minutes, and small seconds at 9 o’clock, 60-second chronograph counter at the centre, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, and 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock, as well as a date window at 5 o’clock; and the MAG-003, an automatic chronograph with cams integrated into the movement, configured like the MAG-004.

As for the MAG-002, it is a tourbillon featur-

ing 3Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour), hours and minutes at the centre, power reserve hand indicator at 12 o’clock, and, optionally, a small seconds on the cage at 6 o’clock.

“It is an intentionally simple tourbillon in its design and its architecture,” explains Cédric Grandperret, “held between two bar bridges, equipped with 60 hours of power reserve and excellent torque that allows for additional new complications to be added without making major changes. This is why it was designed this way.”

This tourbillon equips all the new models for Cécil Purnell, which only offers tourbillons in its collections, and which is currently Magma’s largest client. Among the other customers that we can mention are Artya, Aquanautic and new mandates coming up for deLaCour.

To break old habits As the management at Magma likes to say, “We are constructors of both engines and bodywork. In this sense, Magma operates as a micromanufacture that masters the design and construction as well as the production of a large part of its component parts, whether used for movements or cases. Also providing a design service directed by an industrial designer trained in the automobile industry (PSA), Magma Concept is able to offer advanced personalization of its products, including the form of the movements gears, the lines of the case and details in the casing. Magma’s second site, located in Gland, regroups the production unit and creates plates, bridges, all the steel and brass components, dials, crowns and pushpieces

RUE R OYALE C o l l e c t i o n CALIBRE ROYAL

featuring multiple integrated complications. Fully designed and built in Pequignet’s Haute Horlogerie laboratory. This unique 13 ¾ Calibre, with a maximum thickness of just 5.88 mm, houses all complications on its original main plate: Double Large Day and Date Windows, 88-hour Power Reserve Indicator, Large Moon Phase and dual direction automatic winding system. 21,600 oscillations/hour (3 Hz).

Initial force distribution by a central large barrel axis. High-inertia large balance with compensating screws. These features create an exceptionally accurate and reliable timepiece. This masterpiece of watchmaking innovation and technology represents Plato’s “Beauty is the splendour of the truth”, when the multiple complications of Haute Horlogerie combine in perfect symmetry and elegance.

Tel. +33 (0)3 81 67 30 66 - Contact : patleibundgut@pequignet.com www.pequignet.com

38 MANUFACTURING europa star

CALIBRE CP3888

as well as all small series, while also carrying out traditional tooling and laser engraving.

All of the cutting operations, screws and gears are done outside. As to the assortment—in other words, the balance spring, escapement wheel, palettes and balance—it is made by MHVJ (Manufacture Horlogère de la Vallée de Joux, today part of the Festina group). The finishing, polishing of cases and the decoration of the various pieces is also sub-contracted out to a closely knit network of suppliers.

One of Cédric Grandperret’s favourite domains is that of materials. “I love all that is material,” he likes to say, “and I am particularly fascinated by the realms of steel, because this is a veritable world of super alloys, and of aluminium, which offers very interesting perspectives.” Although he happily considers himself more a micro-mechanic specializing in watchmaking than a watch constructor, Grandperret has been strongly criticized for having promoted machining using water instead of oil, including the case of grade 5 titanium and magnesium, which are especially hard metals.

“I like to break old habits and to look elsewhere on condition that new materials, like new techniques, bring a real plus”.

Like some others, Grandperret is not a big fan of silicon or its future. “It certainly has great precision in the fabrication, but it is easily broken and, from the point of view of the spring, it wears out over time. No, on a functional level, I prefer the steels.”

Still modest, Magma Concept, with its ten or so employees, is nonetheless totally representative of the new breed of companies specializing in the creation and production of complicated movements that are well adapted to the brands that desire them. Often these types of companies are made up of a mixture of various competencies coming from both watchmaking and micro-mechanics, using tools such as digital imaging. This modernity does not however preclude a traditional vision of timekeeping. In this vein, Magma has announced that in the future, it wants to have its movements certified with the Poinçon de Genève.

And the rest? See it during the whole year at Europa Star In three long articles, we have tried to paint the most complete picture possible of the Swiss offer in the realm of mechanical movements. There are, however, many ateliers, watch

CLASSIQUE 43 by Cécil Purnell

companies, and research and development units that we were not able to cover. Starting in 2011, we will have a regular new column, issue after issue, which will take into account the latest developments in this eminently strategic sector. Join us, then in our next issue, Europa Star 1/11. O

BY

One Week Earth

Manufactory calibre ARM09

We design and manufacture each of our own watch movements.

Every plate, every screw, every wheel is individually lathed, milled and polished by hand and ultimately ďŹ nished to perfection.

The result is the ďŹ rst Armin Strom manual winding calibre with a power-reserve of 7 days. Meticulous attention to detail was devoted to all of its 146 individual parts.

The exclusive ONE WEEK collection is available in four variations / elements: Air (titanium), Water (stainless steel), Earth (stainless steel and black PVD coating) and Fire (rose gold). Each variation is limited to 100 pieces.

arminstrom.com

40 MECHANICAL GALLERY europa star

RUE ROYALE by Pequignet Automatic timepiece equipped with an in-house manufactured Calibre Royal with 72-hour power reserve guaranteed. Hours, minutes, small seconds at 4 o’clock, large day and date, large accurate moon phase at 6 o’clock, oscillating weight with sunray finish with rhodium plating, bridges and main plate circular-grained with snail design and Côtes de Genève.

OCEAN CHRONOGRAPH by Harry Winston White gold 44 mm timepiece equipped with an automatic movement with 40-hour power reserve.

Off-centered hours and minutes, small second (Shuriken), triple retrograde chronograph, Côtes de Genève decorative motif on the dial and rutheniumcoloured strip, sapphire crystals, black alligator strap and water resistant to 100 metres.

42 MECHANICAL GALLERY europa star

BENU by Moritz Grossmann Rose gold timepiece equipped with a 100.0 manually wound movement adjusted in five positions. Hours, minutes and seconds, 42-hour power reserve, solid silver dial, Arabic numerals, sapphire crystal with anti reflective coating, handcrafted steel hands with brown/violet hue, hand-stitched alligator strap and limited to 100 watches worldwide.

IM MPERIAL by Chopard Rosse gold 40 mm chronograph equipped with a self-winding moveement. Hours and minutes, mother-of-pearl and silvered dial, rosse gold bracelet or shiny purple alligator strap, rose gold pin buckle and water resistant to 50 metres. Also available in steel and in a 36 mm version.

Impetus VI

masterpieces

Treasure the past, embrace the future | www.titoni.ch

44 MECHANICAL GALLERY europa star

CHRISTOPHE COLOMB by Zenith Yelllow gold 45 mm timepiece fitted with an Academy 8804 manual movement. Hours and minutes off-centered at 12 o’clock, selfregulating gyroscopic module at 6 o’clock, small second display at 9 o’clock, power reserve display at 3 o ’ clo ck, s a pphire crys ta ls and dome, silver rounded barleycorn guilloché dial with Clou de Paris on the small second counter and water resistant to 30 metres.

MISSS GOLDEN BRIDGE by Corum Tonneau shaped, 18-ccaraat reed gold timepiece equipped witth a mechanical baguette movement. Hours, minutes, 40-hour power reservve, no dial, hand-w wound by a stem at 6 o’ccloock, black skelleton hour hand, minute baton hand, sapphire crystalss, black crocodilee straap, red goldd tongue buckle and water-rresistant to 30 metres.

HERITAGE COLLECTION INSTRUMENT BR 03 42 mm VINTAGE BR 126 41 mm Natural Leather strap

Information: Bell & Ross Switzerland +41 32 331 26 35 . Europe +33 (0)1 55 35 36 00 . information@bellross.com . www.bellross.com

46 SIHH europa star

Panerai looks beyond the sea One of the highlights of last year’s SIHH was the unveiling of Panerai’s Jupiterium, a planetarium clock created as a homage to Galileo Galilei. This year the tribute to Galileo continues with an exhibition and two new collections. Europa Star’s Sophie Furley was in the Italian city of Florence to find out more.

RSophie Furley

Galileo Galilei i P.2005, P.2005/G and P.2005/P movements

From the sea to the solar system Following the astronomical and horological achievement of the Jupiterium, Panerai is continuing its tribute to Galileo Galilei with a special exhibition in Florence entitled ‘Time and Space: A tribute to Galileo Galilei’. The exhibition showcases an enormous selection of timekeepers and instruments from the brand’s historical and contemporary collections, and is unveiling two new collections that will be presented during the SIHH this year.

L’ASTRONOMO

Angelo Bonati

L’Astronomo The first collection is Panerai’s Luminor 1950 Equation of Time Tourbillon Titanio – 50mm L’Astronomo, which was created to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first celestial

observations and is the most technically complicated watch that the brand has ever produced.

The timepiece includes a tourbillon with equation of time, indication of sunrise and sunset times for the owner’s city, as well as a map of the night sky of the same region on the caseback (the map can rotate both ways depending on which hemisphere the owner lives in). The Astronomo is equipped with Panerai’s P.2005 in-house calibre which has been modified to include the new functions (P.2005/G) and is also available in white or rose gold. As soon as the collection was announced, Panerai fans started fighting to get their hands on a piece.

“We are only making 300 pieces, but have already received 2,600 requests,” shares Angelo Bonati, Panerai’s Managing Director.

Lo Scienziato The Radiomir Tourbillon GMT Ceramica – 48mm Lo Scienziato, the second collection to be previewed before the SIHH, was also conceived as a tribute to the famous scientist, mathematician and philosopher. The Scienziato timepiece comes in a zirconium oxide ceramic case and its striking skeleton structure is made out of a fine mesh that supports the indexes and the sub dials. The P.2005/P movement

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and the same number of additional franchises, over the next two years. As a reminder, Panerai already has 18 flagship stores worldwide.

“Boutiques are extremely important in emerging markets,” notes Bonati. “Rapid evolution in China and the Far East is very different from the rest of the world with its malls instead of traditional stores. If you don’t have a flagship store, you are just not visible.”

Star gazing LO SCIENZIATO

powers the tourbillon (which rotates perpendicularly to the axis of the balance and completes two rotations per minute instead of one), small seconds, am/pm indicator and second time zone. The collection is limited to 30 pieces.

Museo Galileo In addition to the Jupiterium, exhibition and two limited editions, Panerai is also sponsoring the Institute and Museum of the History of Science which was recently reopened under the name of Museo Galileo, after two years of extensive refurbishment. The company has generously donated its Jupiterium clock to the museum so it can continue to be admired by everyone. “We were offered two million Euros for the Jupiterium,” explains Bonati “but it wasn’t manufactured to sell, it was created to convey our watchmaking skills”.

The new Galileo Museum is an incredible collection of five centuries of scientific instruments JUPITERIUM

that were put together by Florence’s Medici and Lorraine families. The star of the exhibit is Galileo’s original, 400 year-old telescope that he used to discover Jupiter’s moons in 1610.

Preview of a new movement – 3000P News from the brand doesn’t stop there, however, a new family of in-house calibres joins the ranks at the base of the Panerai movement pyramid. This 3000P hand-wound movement is 5.3mm thick and has a diameter of 16 1/2 lines.

Other features include a three day power reserve, 21 jewels, 21,600 alternations per hour, Incabloc® anti shock devices and two spring barrels connected in series. The construction is solid with a large bridge next to a smaller bridge that covers the majority of the mechanical parts and which is fixed to the bottom plate by a series of thick screws. This robust structure doesn’t sacrifice the aesthetic side though, with brush-finished bridges and chamfered angles.

The 3000P sits next to Panerai’s smaller P.999 calibre, which was a response to the Asian market for a smaller movement.

Brand boutiques in abundance Thanks to the increasing number of in-house movements that the brand is mastering, and the fact that the company’s case manufacture is now owned by the group, there should be a constant flow of timepieces in the future. This will be important for the brand as it initiates its strategy of opening 40-50 brand boutiques,

Panerai has always strongly promoted its link to the sea and its collaborations with the specialist forces of the Italian navy, so this year of Galileo tributes and star gazing may seem strange to some. But the connections between the Tuscan scientist and Panerai are many, with both scientist and brand coming from the city of Florence, historically recognised for its connection to both art and science. In addition to Galileo’s many inventions and astronomical discoveries, he is also credited with discovering that the oscillations of a pendulum are isochronous. “To pay tribute to

3000P movement

Galileo conveys our technical image through science,” notes Bonati. “Today’s companies must support museums, especially in Italy where many risk closing down.” Whatever the reason for such a partnership, the fruits of this year of tributes certainly haven’t disappointed Panerai’s fans who are as fervent for the brand’s timepieces as ever. O For more information about Panerai click on Brand Index at www.europastar.com

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Vacheron Constantin takes its Quai de l’Ile to a new level RSophie Furley

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The Quai de l’Ile was launched in 2008 to much acclaim thanks to the collection’s numerous possibilities for customization, its state of the art security printing with passport, client service, fine workmanship and avant-garde design. Now the brand has unveiled an alternative Quai de l’Ile Retrograde Annual Calendar with a new in-house movement and even more options to choose from.

This latest Quai de l’Ile is equipped with a brand new 2460 QRA automatic retrograde annual calendar that has been entirely developed and produced in house and is stamped with the prestigious Geneva Seal. The annual

calendar is one of the most useful complications available as its date only needs to be modified once a year in February, unlike simple calendars that require regulating at the end of each month. Coupled with a retrograde date, these two features take the Quai de l’Ile to an exciting new level .

The main functions of this new model include: Hours, minutes, small seconds at 9 o’clock, retrograde date, months, phases of the moon (that only need correcting every 122 years), 40-hours power reserve and a stop second for precise setting.

The cushioned case has increased by 2 mm to 43 mm and its middle section comes in seven different parts that can be chosen in rose or white gold, or a combination of both. There is also a vast selection of dials to chose from, including the version photographed here, which has a vertically satin finished inner dial and

opaline outer ring. There are many other customization possibilities available that raise the amount of variations to a staggering 700.

The security of each piece remains an integral part of the Quai de l’Ile concept, with an ink printing of a sun between four and five o’clock (inspired from the clock on the Tour de l’Ile in Geneva’s Place Bel-Air) that can only been detected under ultraviolet light – definitely something that will put the counterfeiters off, especially when they discover that each timepiece comes with its own passport that uses the same security technology as the Swiss passport too.

This new Quai de l’Ile Retrograde Annual Calendar is being presented for the first time at the SIHH this January – so make a note to stop by and take a closer look. O For more information about Vacheron Constantin click on Brand Index at www.europastar.com

atelier-zuppinger.ch

An elected official or a part in a striking watch?

Discover the world of Fine Watchmaking at www.hautehorlogerie.org

The Foundation’s Partners : A. Lange & Söhne | Antoine Preziuso | Audemars Piguet | Baume & Mercier | Cartier | Chanel | Chopard | Corum | Fédération de l’industrie horlogère suisse | Girard-Perregaux | Greubel Forsey | Hermès | Hublot | IWC | Jaeger-LeCoultre | JeanRichard | Montblanc | Musée d’art et d’histoire de Genève | Musée d’Horlogerie Beyer, Zürich | Musée d’horlogerie du Locle, Château-des-Monts | Musée international d’horlogerie, La Chaux-de-Fonds | Panerai | Parmigiani | Perrelet | Piaget | Richard Mille | Roger Dubuis | TAG Heuer | Vacheron Constantin | Van Cleef & Arpels | Zenith

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Parmigiani takes on the classics Parmigiani’s new Tonda 1950 is by far the most classic model to be released by the brand to date, with an extra-flat self-winding movement and timeless design.

RSophie Furley

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The return of the classical watch has been one of the most prominent watch trends that has appeared in the watch industry over the last 12 months. While some brands have strived for the ultimate slenderness in both their watches and movements, others have moved away from trendy designs in favour of more subdued shapes and styles – all with a view

to capture wider audiences. “A collection will not be complete unless a classic timepiece is part of it,” explains Michel Parmigiani. “The Tonda 1950 has been introduced in order to achieve this and to offer a complete range to our customers.”

Parmigiani’s new Tonda 1950 leaves behind the tonneau case of the brand’s Kalpa Collection and the sporty lines of its Pershing models for a totally new, subdued classic shape. The design couldn’t be cleaner with a plain graphite or white grained dial and elegant diamond-polished appliques. “The challenge in design that was achieved with the Tonda 1950 is that we were able to develop a complete new product, without distancing ourselves from our brand’s identity and soul,” shares Michel Parmigiani.

Despite the simple lines, the brand’s DNA certainly shines through with the company’s signature Delta-shaped hands with luminescent coating and four of Parmigiani’s round and ergonomic, iconic lugs.

The Tonda 1950 is equipped with Parmigiani’s new PF700 automatic movement with a 42-

hour power reserve and a diameter of 30mm (131/4 lines) and a thickness of 2.6mm. The movement has an off-centred micro-oscillating weight in platinum and is finished to the highest standards of the brand. The nickel silver main plate is sand blasted, circular-grained and then rhodium plated, while the bridges are sand-blasted or decorated with the Côtes de Genève motif, before being bevelled by hand and rhodium plated. Each wheel is also bevelled, sunk, circular-grained on both sides and then gilded before cutting.

The entire exterior and the movement of each Tonda 1950 timepiece is created exclusively inhouse thanks to the different centres of expertise that make up the Parmigiani Manufacture.

“Retailers will discover the new Tonda 1950 during the upcoming SIHH 2011. We are confident that the response will be very enthusiastic but time will tell…” muses Michel Parmigiani.

At Europa Star, we don’t think he has anything to worry about! O For more information about Parmigiani click on Brand Index at www.europastar.com

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Ralph Lauren gallops ahead Ralph Lauren is an icon in the fashion world, an abiding force that creates trends but doesn’t chase them. Ralph Lauren Watches and Jewellery, headed up by Guy Châtillon, President, is using the same approach in the watch industry.

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When Ralph Lauren Watches first debuted, the brand introduced three collections: Sporting, Slim Classique and Stirrup. Where other brands might expand on this at every exhibition, Ralph Lauren Watches has eschewed this approach.

Instead, the company is intent on broadening the offers within those collections, focusing on quality and products that make sense for the Ralph Lauren customer.

“We are going to further expand the three existing lines, emphasizing the craftsmanship, so you will see product enhancing the workmanship, including the guilloché,” says Châtillon.

“We will continue to focus on timeless watches.

We are also going to investigate new materials in the near future.

“When you are a newcomer, you need to build credibility,” adds Châtillon. “In the past, every

RKeith W. Strandberg brand created a bubble with new product. Now, you will see less newness and more consistency, building up more long term products. Our objective was to come strong with three collections. This doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to be working on new products, but for the time being it’s line extensions, not new collections.

This year, we are entering Asia Pacific, so we need smaller sizes, diamonds, and this was very well received by the industry. We are trying to be consistent, We say what we do and we do what we say. We are using the best manufacture movements and prestigious materials.”

The watches A new version of the Sporting: For 2011, Ralph Lauren presents the first timepiece inspired by his personal car collection, with the introduction of a Ralph Lauren Sporting watch featuring an elm burl wood dial inspired by the interior of his model 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe.

i RALPH LAUREN SPORTING WATCH

A black galvanic centre and black calf leather strap contrasts with the warmth of the wood, echoing the wooden dashboard and black leather seating in this prized vintage automobile. For enhanced readability and to recall the dials on the dash of the car, this watch uses Arabic numerals. The bezel and dial are accented by functional screws, while the crown is emblazoned with the iconic RL initials logo.

Powering this watch is a manual winding mechanical movement, calibre RL98295, made

by IWC for Ralph Lauren, featuring a power reserve of 45 hours. As with all Sporting Collection models, this timepiece features a sapphire crystal case back, revealing the movement’s Côtes de Genève and Perlage finish work on the plate.

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Another introduction, this one tied to the opening of the women’s Ralph Lauren boutique in New York City, and the introduction of the Ralph Lauren jewellery collection, is the Stirrup all diamond chain watch.

888 Madison Ave In November of 2010, Ralph Lauren opened its first watch and jewellery salon in the United States. Located within the new flagship store devoted to the brand’s Women’s and Home luxury offering at 888 Madison Avenue in New York, the Watch & Jewellery Salon features the collections of Ralph Lauren Timepieces complemented by the introduction of Ralph Lauren Fine Jewellery.

Located across from the Ralph Lauren Men’s boutique (867 Madison, in the Rhinelander STIRRUP ALL DIAMOND CHAIN WATCH

mansion), the new flagship is 22,000 square feet (2,044 square metres) of the Ralph Lauren world, dedicated to women and the home.

The new store will offer the Ralph Lauren Collection, Women’s Black Label, Blue Label, Double RL, RLX Ralph Lauren and Home merchandise, along with fine jewellery, made-tomeasure women’s suits and sleepwear.

The jewellery This year, Ralph Lauren is introducing his jewellery collection, which will take pride of place right next to the watches.

“We worked on the jewellery together,” says Châtillon. “There are similarities of authenticity, legitimacy, design and quality with the watches. We started designing a year ago.

Ralph came with an idea. He said here are the directions and we came with the proposals. In a record time we developed prototypes we

were able to show him. When you understand how he works, it makes the process much simpler. “It’s going to be several families, all inspired by the environment of Ralph Lauren (equestrian, new romantic, diamonds, etc.),” he continues. “We had to reduce the number of initial offerings, but it’s amazing what we have been able to do. Then, after the introduction we will add more pieces to the collection during the roll out. We are in the world of fine jewellery, with incredible craftsmanship, precious metals, quality diamonds and more.

It is definitely in line with what the Ralph Lauren customer expects. We have ideas for men’s jewellery, but for this introduction, we are focusing on the feminine. There are definitely many different directions we can go.” O For more information about Ralph Lauren click on Brand Index at www.europastar.com

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Audemars Piguet’s plans in the pipeline

RKeith W. Strandberg

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2010 was a good year for Audemars Piguet.

Fresh off heavily investing in new facilities, equipment and personnel. “The market demand is very strong again,” says Philippe Merk, President, Audemars Piguet. “We are seeing that the Chinese customer is one of the major drivers today, and there is also strong demand in Latin America, which has been in consistent evolution for over three years now. The most worrisome situation is that of the Swiss franc, which is appreciating against all major currencies.”

Merk is particularly excited about the brand’s new product development, always a strength for Audemars Piguet.

“We have some very good plans - we are making collections that have classical values, without neglecting where we are strong, with elegant sports watches as well as the avant-garde timepieces,” he details. “On a smaller scale, I’m excited about the relaunch of the Millenary gents watches in the core collection. We have some exciting things to show in the Offshore,

and in the Classical field with the new Jules Audemars. We are certainly seeing a trend back to classical and traditional, and I hope that this is a lasting trend. The Chinese customer has introduced this but it is everywhere right now.”

The Millenary Minute Repeater The one watch Audemars Piguet released prior to the opening of the SIHH is a new Minute Repeater in the Millenary collection. “It’s a Grande Complication in titanium, because of the acoustic properties for the sonnerie, with a very cool design,” Merk says. “It’s going to be very restricted because of our production capacity.”

Looking forward, Merk knows that 2012 is going to be a big year, as it is the 40th anniversary of the Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet’s most iconic watch.

Growing distribution Audemars Piguet is looking at expanding its boutique network, currently at 12 wholly owned stores, along with more than 20 that are in partnership with retailers. “In certain areas, we need to work with a local retailer to share the projects,” Merk explains. “In terms of high level retail concepts, we want to approach a

total of 30 – 40 stores in the world, and at the same time we are improving in general our retail distribution.” O For more information about Audemars Piguet click on Brand Index at www.europastar.com

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS REFERENCE 26371TI.OO.D002CR.01 Manufacture Audemars Piguet Calibre 2910 Offset hours/minutes at 3 o’clock, offset minutes at 7 o’clock; three-position winding crown; repeater slide serving to activate the minute repeater at 7 o’clock Movement dimensions (width and thickness): 37.90 x 32.90 mm Casing diameter (width and thickness): 37 x 32 mm Total movement thickness: 10.05 mm Direct-impulse AP escapement Variable-inertia balance fitted with inertia-blocks Diameter of the balance: 11.90 mm Flat double balance-spring Power reserve: 165 hours Frequency: 21,600 vph (3Hz) Number of parts: 443 Number of jewels: 40 Finishing: all parts finished by hand, with handpolished bevelling, interior angles, snailing, handdraw file strokes, horizontal Côtes de Genève motif and circular-graining on the mainplate.

Case: Titanium oval case; width: 47 mm / thickness: 42 mm; sapphire crystal caseback; non water-resistant Dial: Anthracite grey dial, applied pink gold Roman numerals, silvered small seconds sub-dial Strap: Hand-sewn black crocodile leather “with large square scales”, fastened by a titanium AP folding clasp Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, minute repeater

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TOURBILLON AND CROCCODILE GENEVA SEAL CALIBRE 9458 MC by Cartier Rhodium-plated,18-carat white gold, 44 mm timepiece equipped with Cartier’s manual manufacture calibre 9458 MC with 50-hour power reserve. 585 gems (totalling 8.2 carats), sapphire crystal, rhodium-plated 18carat white gold buckle set with gems and water resistant to 30 metres. Limited edition of 50 pieces.

ASTROTOURBILLON by Cartier Titanium, 47 mm, astrotourbillon equipped with the brand’s in-house manual 9451 MC calibre with 48-hour power reserve. Sapphire crystals front and back, titanium crown set with a facetted blue sapphire, black alligator strap, Roman numerals, 18-carat white gold double deployment buckle, water resistant to 30 metres and limited edition of 192 pieces.

DOUBLE TOURBILLON 30º - EDITION HISTORIQUE by Greubel Forsey Platinum 950, 44.50 mm timepiece equipped with an inner tourbillon inclined at a 30º angle and an outer tourbillon that rotates in 4 minutes. Hours, minutes and small seconds; 72-hour power reserve; 18-carat, anthracite coloured dial, sapphire crystals front and back, black alligator strap and water resistant to 30 metres.

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LUMINOR MARINA 1950 3 DAYS AUTOMATIC COMPOSITE – 44MM by Panerai Brown Panerai composite timepiece equipped with the brand’s P.9000 in-house calibre with three-day power reserve. Hours and minutes; small seconds at 9 o’clock; date at 3 o’clock; brown dial; luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers; sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating; personalised leather strap; large-size Panerai buckle; water resistant to 300 metres.

CLASSIMA RED GOLD DUAL TIME ZONE AND POWER RESERVE by Baume & Mercier Red gold, 39 mm automatic timepiece equipped with a Soprod 9035 movement adorned with a Côtes de Genève décor. Dual time; power reserve; date at 3 o’clock; black, guilloché dial; appliqué indexes; Roman numerals; sapphire crystals front and back; black alligator strap and water resistant to 30 metres.

CLASSIMA AUTOMATIC JUMPING HOUR by Baume & Mercier Steel, 42 mm timepiece fitted with an automatic Dubois Dépraz 14400 movement adorned with a Côtes de Genève motif. Jumping hours, silvered ‘barleycorn’ guilloché dial, black Arabic numerals, riveted dots and indexes, sapphire crystals front and back, black alligator strap, adjustable triple folding buckle and water resistant to 30 metres. Limited and numbered edition of 500 pieces. Also available in black.

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Montblanc honours the chronograph RKeith W. Strandberg

NICOLAS RIEUSSEC CHRONOGRAPH

COLLECTION VILLERET 1858 VINTAGE PULSOGRAPH

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For this year’s SIHH, Montblanc is celebrating the invention of the chronograph, 190 years ago this year. Montblanc considers itself a chronograph specialist, so this year at SIHH, the brand is introducing three special chronographs, as well as an affordably-priced GMT timepiece.

“The biggest challenge we face is to communicate our deep know-how in two areas: state of the art high horology with Montblanc and artisanal watchmaking in Villeret,” says Alexander Schmiedt of Montblanc. “People don’t necessarily think of watches when they hear Montblanc and we are out to change that.”

Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph To commemorate the invention of the chronograph by Nicolas Rieussec in 1821, Montblanc Villeret is bringing out a new sober interpretation of the brand’s iconic Nicolas Rieussec monopusher, column-wheel chronograph. This timepiece comes in two versions, an automatic in a regular series, while the manual winding watch is available in a limited series (25 in platinum, 90 in white gold and 190 in red gold).

TIMEWALKER TWIN FLY CHRONOGRAPH

Collection Villeret 1858 Vintage Pulsograph Based on the famous Pulsograph chronograph, a monopusher with a scale for determined pulse rates, Montblanc Villeret is introducing a new smaller size (39.5mm) chronograph, with 58 watches in white gold and 58 in rose gold. Finished by hand, this piece is something truly special.

TimeWalker Twin Fly Chronograph Next is the TimeWalker Twin Fly Chronograph, a new calibre that Montblanc developed in collaboration with movement manufacturer

STAR WORLDTIMER AND RETROGRADE

Val Fleurier - a monopusher flyback chronograph with the seconds and the minutes on the central axis. This watch is available in a 300 piece limited edition in Titanium DLC and a non-limited steel version.

which has an annual calendar, a retrograde date, a day of the week subdial and a power reserve indication.

“We want to play with small complications in our classic Star range,” says Schmidt.

Star WorldTimer and Retrograde

Montblanc’s slate of new chronographs is designed to cement its status as the chronograph specialists across the board, from volume manufacturing in Montblanc to the artisanal, handmade timepieces from Villeret. O

To introduce real watchmaking at an affordable price, Montblanc has developed the Star WorldTimer. Using an ETA movement with a Montblanc patent on the world timer system, the WorldTimer is a GMT with world time, with all functions controlled by the crown.

Also in this range is the new Star Retrograde,

For more information about Montblanc click on Brand Index at www.europastar.com

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Richard Mille – the man, the brand The Richard Mille brand has gone through some interesting transitions since its introduction in 2001. Then, it was a boutique brand with severely limited production. As the years went on, Mille upped the production numbers slightly and expanded his offering, while still focusing on his unique style and real watchmaking values. Last year, Richard Mille debuted at the SIHH and took its place in the watchmaking pantheon, having accomplished a great deal in the short nine years since its inception.

RKeith W. Strandberg

The strongest markets for Richard Mille timepieces are Asia, followed by the European Union and then the United States, and Mille is optimistic about the coming year. “We are feeling totally confident about 2011,” he says. “We believe it could even become better than expected with the general market mood becoming even more positive.”

The image Richard Mille the man and Richard Mille the brand are nigh on indistinguishable, because, unlike many other brands, all the ideas and creations start in the mind of Richard Mille, then make their way into the brand’s production.

For 2011, Richard Mille’s mind is set on North and South America.

Richard Mille, in partnership with John Simonian, President of Ildico, the United States distributor of Richard Mille, opened the first boutique in Beverly Hills in November of 2010.

“My objective is to have a presence in terms of image - I am not obsessed with opening up boutiques, I think of it as more of a showroom for the brand,” Mille explains. “My ladies watches are less successful, because most of the retailers are watch technical people, they are sharp and very macho, and 90 per cent of their clientele are men. The boutique is to enhance and promote the ladies versions, to spread the word. My boutiques are not macho temples. I have seen that the sales of the ladies models are really booming in the boutiques, and I like that. My objective was to launch a ladies model without losing my soul and without losing the technical image I have. I wanted to combine both worlds in harmony. The watch is feminine, but it still very mechanical.”

The Richard Mille boutique in Beverly Hills will share the same DNA as other Mille boutiques around the world, but with a distinctive American feeling.

The current situation Business is coming back after the downturn of the worldwide economic crisis. “So far we have

Richard Mille

nothing to complain about, despite the problems one hears discussed daily,” says Mille.

“Sales this year have been higher than last year, and even last year’s turnover was much higher than the year before...so we are really pleased. Nonetheless, we will not sit back and relax because of that, we will work even harder to keep this upward trend going strong.”

Mille sees the watch industry breaking up into niches, with each niche existing on its own and not necessarily impacting the others.

“The market is ‘splitting up’ into segments, separate areas,” he details. “It used to be that a general trend, like hemlines, caught on and went worldwide. Now, you have to have smaller, flatter watches, large watches, simple watches, complicated watches … there are no really general, broad trends anymore and everyone follows their own taste, and as a watch brand you have to offer everything to the public.

“We are watching a few trends,” he continues.

“It is interesting to see that since I introduced my RM 020 tourbillon pocket watch a few years ago, pocket watches are getting more attention from several brands than was previously the case. Also, we are seeing more ultra flat models being introduced, after we had launched the RM 016, a few years ago.”

SIHH For SIHH, the Richard Mille booth has been expanded to make more space available, and the method of presentation has been tweaked and improved.

“It’s hard to choose just one new product to talk about for 2011, but for me, the most exciting product would have to be the new RM 017 Tourbillon with its titanium base plate,” Mille says. “I really love rectangular forms, and I have always wanted to produce a tourbillon in a similar case to the RM 016, keeping the look of depth of the movement design despite the fact that this watch is very thin. It was hard to achieve, but now I’ve achieved the look I want and it will be fantastic.”

“I am having fun because what I love is to work on new developments,” Mille continues.

“It’s fun all the time, and for me it’s only pleasure. I develop new models, I have fun, though sometimes there are headaches with problems and issues to figure out, but in the end, it all works out. My only problem is to define the proper planning for each model. You always know when you start, but you never know when it will end.”

A key case in point is the Richard Mille numbering system which, believe it or not, was supposed to be logical and in order. However, once some watches were delayed, things got out of hand. “It’s a mess,” Mille admits. “I put

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RM 017 TOURBILLON

the numbers in the order of their creation, so RM 018 was introduced way before RM 025, but RM 025 is already on the market, while RM 018 has not yet been delivered.”

The reason for the delays? “When you think you have solved a problem, then you have ten more problems,” Mille explains. “I love the challenge and the problems. Taking seven years to bring 30 watches to market sounds like nonsense, but this is the way I love my watches to be. In Formula One, it’s just like this – a huge amount of work and research to release only a few models, like the Richard Mille brand. I don’t want to change this way of working. Two years ago I made about 2,000 units, last year I did less than 2500, this year maybe 2,800, my target for the long run is to do 5,000 pieces and no more. This is exactly the bracket where I want to stay.”

Mille wants to spend his time on research and development and design, not in marketing, which is what he would have to do if he moved into higher volumes. “When you go over those limits, you enter another world

where you spend more time in the commercial realm, more time with artificial things and less time to take care of technical and design details,” he says. “My strategy doesn’t prevent me from making money. The objective is to have good economical results, but I invest a lot in research and development.“ Richard Mille is seen as a provocateur in the watch industry and he relishes this role. “My friends in the art world tell me that the successful artists were all provocateurs,” he says.

“What I do is very provocative, it is a rupture, but at the same time, there is a lot of legitimacy to the products. I compensate for my lack of history with a pure, genuine product. Nowadays when marketing talks very loudly, it is more important than ever to be genuine and very honest. I fight against marketing devices because it doesn’t correspond to extreme luxury. Today, we have final clients who are very aware of what is happening in the watch industry, they know the truth about all the brands, and sometimes the clients know more about the watches than the sales people in the

retailers. They are passionate and they know a lot about the brand, so it’s more important to be genuine. You cannot lie. When you reach the level of prices that I am at, it’s very important that people understand why it’s so expensive.

They know that my watches are unbelievable in terms of technique, every watch starts from a blank sheet, and at the end of the day, they are very complex and in only very limited series.”

The future for Richard Mille holds more of the same. “We will continue to combine the best of extreme technique and innovation with the best of artistic and architectural dimension,” Mille details. “Contrary to the people who are obsessed by volume, trying to increase production every year, I am more interested in hearing people say that they were surprised by our new watch, our new developments. My only objective is to carry on surprising people.

We will still have limited production, limited distribution, and we will work with friends and we will enjoy developing crazy objects.” O For more information about Richard Mille click on Brand Index at www.europastar.com

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JeanRichard goes deep with the Diverscope RKeith W. Strandberg

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS Case: Sand-blasted titanium case; 43 x 43 mm; anti-reflective sapphire crystal; internal bidirectional rotating bezel; water-resistant to 300 metres; two screw-in crowns Movement: JeanRichard movement JR1000 Mechanical and self-winding; calibre 111/2 ’’’ Frequency 28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz); 27 jewels Power reserve: 48 hours minimum Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds and date Dial: Opaline dial, titanium colour; luminescent Arabic numerals and indexes; black and white hands with luminescent material.

Strap: Anthracite fabric and black rubber straps with folding buckle in sand-blasted stainless steel.

J JeanRichard this year at SIHH is going deep with a 300 metre water resistance in its popular Diverscope. The New Diverscope Titanium features a JeanRichard manufacture movement, the JR1000, in a sand blasted, speciallytreated mat grey titanium case.

According to JeanRichard, each component of the new Diverscope was adapted for underwater use - the sapphire crystal, for example, is two-and-a half times thicker than that of a standard watch. The luminescent hands and indicators on the dial are designed for optimal readability in murky conditions.

Harder than steel yet 40 per cent lighter, titanium is used in the Diverscope because it is

extremely resistant to corrosion, including sea water. The case’s rough and ready appearance is accomplished by sand-blasting, which also produces the dark grey colour, complementing the dial and fabric strap.

The Diverscope Titanium has two screw-down crowns: the crown at three o’clock is used to set the time and date, while the one at nine o’clock is used to adjust the internal bidirectional rotating bezel, which helps track the dive

time. To prevent accidental movement caused by impacts, JeanRichard has incorporated a safety system: the settings can only be made once the crowns have been unscrewed.

The new Diverscope Titanium from JeanRichard is an extremely attractive watch designed to perform in extreme situations. O For more information about JeanRichard click on Brand Index at www.europastar.com

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SIHH 61

1966 SMALL SECOND

I

Girard-Perregaux stays classy with small seconds

In keeping with the theme of classical and traditional running through the watch industry, Girard-Perregaux is introducing two new watches –a new 1966 and a new version of the Cat’s Eye.

Girard-Perregaux 1966 Small Second Continuing the legacy of Girard-Perregaux’s clean, refined style, the latest creation in the Girard-Perregaux 1966 collection is the 1966 Small Second, with a pure, simple, elegant design.

The new Girard-Perregaux 1966 Small Second features a 40 mm round case and is inspired

by Girard-Perregaux’s 19th century pocket watches, right down to the grand feu enamel dial. The dial has painted Arabic numerals and blued steel leaf-shaped hour and minute hands, with a small second counter at six o’clock.

Powering the 1966 Small Second is the GirardPerregaux calibre 3300-50, and this timepiece is available in white or pink gold.

RKeith W. Strandberg Cat’s Eye Small Second Since its introduction in 2004, the Cat’s Eye collection has combined feminine curves with precious mechanisms. For SIHH 2011, GirardPerregaux introduces a new version featuring a small second on a mother-of-pearl dial. The gold oval case, available in pink or white gold and set with 62 diamonds, houses the GP33000044 automatic movement, which is covered by a dial in white or black mother-of-pearl. The date is displayed in a window at three o’clock, while the small second is situated at nine o’clock and is enhanced by a radiating ray motif delicately traced on the dial. Each of the hour indexes is a precious, set stone, with numerals sculpted in gold cut wire and hand-polished before being riveted to the dial.

Girard-Perregaux’s new creations help customers value each “small second”. O For more information about Girard-Perregaux click on Brand Index at www.europastar.com

CAT’S EYE

62 CASE STUDY europa star

CASE STUDY is a regular new column in Europa Star that will appear in each of our issues. Its objective: a quick analysis of the singular strategies put into operation either globally by a brand or exceptionally for a particular launch. Our first CASE STUDY takes a look at the MB&F brand.

HM4 THUNDERBOLT

MB&F, the strategy of bachelor machines RPierre Maillard

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In the landscape of independent brands, MB&F—for Max Büsser & Friends—has occupied a very particular niche for the last five years. More than any other watchmaking start-up (a term that Max Büsser will immediately refute), MB&F is setting out on an original path that seeks to give mechanical watchmaking a radically new stylistic dimension.

How could we define it more precisely? From one model to another, each is different and yet each is immediately recognizable from the touch of a certain creative hand. Between the first Horological Machine (the HM1 in the shape of a large eight) and more recently the HM4 Thunderbolt (that takes the form of a stealth

bomber), while passing by the HM2 (a large sapphire table) and the HM3 (with its two protuberances that are transformed into the eyes of a frog in the HM3 Frog version) or the jewellery delight of the recent Jwlrymachine created with Boucheron, the forms, functions, appearance and the feeling that emanate from each of these timepieces are each quite particular.

The great strength of these Horological Machines (developed by Max Büsser who, as we recall is the creator of the concept for the Opus series for the Harry Winston Rare Timepieces, which he directed for seven years) is that they totally escape from the contingencies of the dominant trends by proposing ‘bachelor machines’ that are stylistically autonomous, freed from the confines of current aesthetics— a little like something made by a single artist.

The art practiced by Max Büsser, however, is more like that of an orchestra leader.

The other remarkable particularity of Büsser’s

global concept is to have excluded, from the beginning, all vague desires for verticalization or for becoming a manufacture. Rather, he chose to work in total transparency with only a large circle of ‘Friends’. These Friends are external creative collaborators and include, among others, the designer Eric Giroud (the loyal first violin) as well as high-level suppliers such as Agenhor and Les Artisans Horlogers, which are the subjects of portraits in the article, Master Mechanics, in this issue. This is another way of demonstrating that he is the ‘son’ of no man but the friend of many—a form of declaration of independence and of difference that is inscribed even in the name of the brand itself.

A huge buzz and organized rarity The third particularity of this veritable concept company is the detailed promotional organization that began with the founding of MB&F

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CASE STUDY 63

Max Büsser

five years ago, and also the meticulously organized rarity of its pieces: 145 pieces in 2010 sold through 20 points of sale worldwide, with a 100 per cent sell-out in 2009 (the figures for 2010 were not known at the time of going to press), giving a turnover of around CHF 7 million (for an average sell-in price of CHF 48,000 per watch).

To arrive at this stage, the orchestra leader had to transform himself into a globetrotter. Literally everywhere all the time, he incessantly promoted and advocated for his proper cause. But we must emphasize that he had at his disposal a solid advantage, one that many young brands would correctly envy him for: an address book from his Opus days at Harry Winston that immediately opened many doors that would otherwise have remained tightly shut.

Büsser knew how to skilfully organize a veritable planetary buzz around the introduction of his pieces, a sort of organized suspense for each of the new horological machines. Perfectly mastering the large palette of communication tools at his disposition today—having understood before all the others that, in the competitive world of the watch media that had sprouted up all over in electronic or paper form, journalists are ready to sell their soul to get an exclusive or a preview—he was able to create a media coverage that even the very large brands could envy. He thus deliberately targeted a new generation of young and rich

HM3 FROG

HM2

Asian aficionados avid for exclusive mechanical ‘follies’ and a new class of collectors desiring avant-garde timekeeping.

Promise only what you can deliver All of this would have been in vain, however, if the product had not been up to the expected standard and if the deliveries had not kept up with the promises. Avoiding pure marketing announcements like the plague, Max Büsser was able to deliver what he said he would. In 2010, he announced, launched and delivered four lines: the HM2 Saphir, the HM3 Frog, the furtive HM4, and the Jwlrymachine made in concert with Boucheron.

But he himself recognizes that in spite of the power of persuasion and the well-organized media ‘machine’, each new launch is a gamble.

He is thus confronted with a sensitive challenge since 80 per cent of his turnover this year comes

from new pieces. If only one does not meet the approval of the public, his entire structure will be weakened since it is the success of one model that finances the following. And, 2009 has not been a simple year as Büsser himself admits, having had to ‘battle hard’ to produce all of his 145 pieces. In the end, he did succeed and he will certainly succeed this year, while hoping to gradually increase production to 200 pieces per year.

To better distribute his particular approach to timekeeping and qualify it even more, Max Büsser will probably open an art gallery. In his opinion, “showing how we work, how we design and how we create a watch is as important as the piece itself.”

But he also has two or three small secrets.

While he sometimes demands the impossible for his watches, such as the HM4’s block of sapphire crystal that takes 150 hours per piece to make and costs CHF 15,000, do you know why none of his watches has a seconds indication? Or why none will ever be delivered with a rubber strap? We cannot tell you because then they would no longer be his little secrets. O For more information about MB&F click on Brand Index at www.europastar.com

64 GENEVA SHOWS GALLERY europa star

TOURBILLON ORBITAL by Jean Dunand Platinum 950 (45 mm) one-of-a-kind timepiece equipped with an Io 200 manually wound rotating movement with off-centre flying tourbillon, exclusive watchmaking ball-bearing system with triple rotation within one block, moon phase display, vertical winding and setting through the centre of the movement from the case back, centre dial in blackened gold with fir-tree pattern and outer ring in Burma Jade. 130 hour power reserve indicator in the case band, four domed sapphire crystals and water-resistant to 30 metres.

REFERENCE LCF001-J by Laurent Ferrier 18-carat 41 mm rose gold timepiece equipped with a manual winding tourbillon double balance spring movement with 80-hour power reserve. Hours and minutes in the centre, seconds in a sub-dial at 6 o’clock on the tourbillon frame pivot; white grand-feu enamel dial, black Roman numerals, sapphire crystals front and back; view of the rotating tourbillon cage from the case back; rose gold crown in the shape of a ball; highly shined brown alligator strap; water resistant to 30 metres.

1931 by Louis Erard 18-carat 44 mm rose gold chronograph equipped with an automatic ETA 7750 Valjoux movement.

Hours, minutes, seconds and chronograph; date at 6 o’clock; tachymeter; sapphire crystal with doublesided anti-reflective treatment; transparent case back, black or white dial; SuperLuminova hands; counters for the hours, minutes and seconds at 6, 12 and 9 o’clock respectively; black alligator strap and water resistant to 50 metres.

ZEITWINKEL 273° by Zeitwinkel 316L stainless steel timepiece equipped with an in-house automatic movement with 72-hour power reserve. 387 components; plates and bridges in German silver; hours and minutes in the centre. Small seconds at 6 o’clock, big date at 11 o’clock and power reserve indication between 1 and 2 o’clock; black dial; black Louisiana alligator strap.

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GENEVA SHOWS GALLERY 65

CARROUSEL by Peter Tanisman White gold rectangular timepiece equipped with an ETA 2004-1 automatic movement. Hours, minutes and seconds in the centre; date at 6 o’clock; 40-hour power reserve; rotating carrousel; 50 mm x 35 mm x 11 mm; 552 diamonds graded G VVSI (12.75 carats) on the case and cylinder; alligator strap; diamondset buckle; water resistant to 50 metres.

FLEURIER 39 LADIES TOUCH by Bovet 18-carat 39 mm white or red gold convertible timepiece (wristwatch and pocket watch) equipped with an automatic 11BA13 movement with a 72-hour power reserve. Hours and minutes; black or white mother-of-pearl dial with 12 diamond indexes; miniature painting of a butterfly (choice of painting or initials on request); alligator strap; choice of chains in different materials and lengths.

ZANDIDOUST by Ali Zandidoust 18-carat red gold 44 mm timepiece equipped with an ETA 2892A2 automatic movement. Hours and minutes in the centre. 1,990 diamonds totalling 21.48 carats – 1.252 black diamonds (diameter between 1.9 and 0.9 mm) and 735 Top Wesselton white diamonds (diameter between 2.15 and 0.9 mm); two-year guarantee.

ATAME by DeLaneau 18-carat white gold timepiece equipped with an automatic movement. Diamond set bezel; miniature painting of white Clematis flowers that takes several hours to complete (choice of high-fire enamel and mother-of-pearl dials too); 33 mm by 23 mm; suede and leather strap; hexagon crown; also available with baguette diamonds or other precious stones.

66 GENEVA SHOWS GALLERY europa star

CL by BRM Titanium and black PVD 44 mm chronograph fitted with an automatic ETA Valjoux 7753 movement with a 46-hour power reserve. Hours, minutes and seconds; date at 4 o’clock, honeycomb dial, super light white hands, extra hard black PVD bezel, sapphire crystals front and back, double stitched racing material strap with three holes; water resistant to 100 metres; three-year guarantee.

LOEB SPECIAL EDITIONS by Marvin 44 mm Steel chronograph fitted with a Valjoux 7750 automatic movement. Hours, minutes and seconds in the centre; day and date at 3 o’clock; screw-in case back; screwdown crown; black PVD treated pushers; sand-blasted and fine-brush finish; antireflective sapphire crystal; black or silver dial; SuperLuminova C1 on hour markers; black rubber strap; water resistant to 100 metres; two-year guarantee.

SEA SHEPHERD by Tempvs Compvtare Steel DLC 47 mm timepiece fitted with an ETA 7750 automatic chronograph with 42-hour power reserve. Hours and minutes in the centre; small seconds; day and date; calculation of immersion time; anti-reflective sapphire crystal; animal skin free strap; water resistant to 200 metres.

AMERIGO COLLECTION (63C103) by Bulova Stainless steel timepiece fitted with Bulova’s Accutron quartz movement. Hours, minutes and seconds, retrograde day hand in an arc between 8 o’clock and 12 o’clock with yellow days and hand; black sunray patterned dial; big date at 1 o’clock; curved anti-reflective sapphire crystal; screwcaseback; locking deployment buckle; also available with silver-white dial and black leather strap or two-tone bracelet; water resistant to 50 metres.

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GENEVA SHOWS GALLERY 67

GRAND CLIFF MILADY by Pierre DeRoche Polished and satin-finished 42.5 mm steel timepiece fitted with a Dubois Dépraz automatic movement decorated with an engraved rotor. Hours, minutes and seconds; large date; chronograph with 60-minute counter; silvered, sunray dial; diamond-set bezel with 64 diamonds (1.28 carats); screw-down crown, double-sealed push pieces; anti-reflective sapphire crystals front and back; crocodile strap; water resistant to 100 metres.

NEW LONDON UNISEX COLLECTION by Catorex 316L Stainless steel 42 mm timepiece equipped with two hand-winding mechanical movements (calibre 83/4 Unitas 6565 from the 1960s). Reconditioned, skeletonized and engraved movement with circular-grain pattern on the top, Côtes de Genève motif on the back and rhodium treatment; two time zones, bezel set with 80 VVSI diamonds; curved sapphire crystal on the front; flat sapphire crystal on the back, genuine Louisiana alligator strap and water resistant to 30 metres. Limited to 399 pieces.

THE OBSERVATOIRE 1872 MINUTE REPEATER by Badollet 18-carat white gold 44 mm minute repeater equipped with a hand-wound movement with 80-hour power reserve. Tourbillon visible on the dial side at 6 o’clock; minute repeater with striking mechanism at 9 o’clock; 18-carat gold opaline silver-coloured dial set with 72 diamonds and 12 sapphires; glare-proofed sapphire crystals front and back, Mississippi alligator strap and water resistant to 30 metres.

LADIES PERSEPOLIS

by Ritmo Mundo Stainless steel 42 mm ladies timepiece equipped with a Swiss Ronda 1032 quartz movement. Hours and minutes; orbital case which rotates 360 degrees; Arabic numerals and indexes; window chamber with floating stones; two recessed push/pull crowns; mother-ofpearl dial; assorted diamonds and sapphires totalling 304 gem stones; leather strap; water resistant to 50 metres.

68 GENEVA SHOWS GALLERY europa star

“COUP DE FOUDRE” 500,000 V by Artya Stainless steel timepiece equipped with a selfwinding movement entirely manufactured in Switzerland. Hours, minutes and seconds; 42hour power reserve: engraved, mutilated, tortured and ‘lightening struck’ cases (100,000 volts, 200,000 volts, 500,000 volts or 1,000,000 volts); unique, hand decorated dial using 17 exclusive artistic processes; choice of Alzavel waterproof treated leather strap, hand-sewn high-tech rubber strap or tanned cane toad; water resistant to 50 metres; unique pieces.

PREDATOR by Rebellion 48 mm steel timepiece equipped with a RE-1 automatic movement with 50-hour power reserve. Modular case construction; hours and minutes in the centre; date at 3 o’clock; sectorial seconds at 9 o’clock; black DLC honeycomb dial; black rubber strap; patented deployment buckle; water resistant to 50 metres; special limited edition – Chronograph 24 Hours - of 24 pieces available that was worn by the pilots during the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2010.

V.01 by Valbray 47 mm achromatic grey chronograph equipped with a V.CA1 automatic movement on a Valjoux base. Dual display with a manual concentric circular system to reveal the second time zone; hand finished and assembled multi-layer dial; sapphire crystal with double-sided anti-reflective treatment; sapphire crystal case back; alligator strap; deployment buckle; water resistant to 50 metres.

HLC02 by Hautlence Black PVD titanium and 18-carat pink gold timepiece equipped with a hand-wound mechanical movement.

Jumping hours; retrograde minutes; jumping date; 40hour power reserve; honeycomb stitched watch dial with hand applied ‘Moebius’ sign; intermediate dials and tracks with laser-cut minute figures; 18-carat pink gold lugs, bezel and crown; water resistant to 30 metres.

CHANGE.

YOU CAN.

72 BEHIND THE SCENES europa star

Exotic straps could turn around and bite you Visit any high-end watch brand’s facilities and you will discover how the Swiss love to be environmentally friendly: Their buildings use renewable energy resources, they are constantly reducing the impact their production has on the environment, they support all kinds of ‘green’ charities, and they are even putting their press kits on bio-degradable USB keys to avoid wasting paper… but ask them about the origin of the alligator that ended up as one of their straps, and not only do they not always know, but their heads are often buried in the sand.

RSophie Furley Controversial report On October 7th the Swiss German television programme Rundschau released an extremely controversial report denouncing an exotic skin outlet in Indonesia. Decontextualized images of lizards in bags with their legs tied and snakes seemingly being skinned alive were almost unbearable to watch. The Swiss watch industry was targeted. The Swatch Group released a statement, as did the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) and the Geneva Time Exhibition (GTE). Everyone else made a call to their local strap supplier to check that they were covered, and that was that! End of scandal. Well maybe not…

An orchestrated campaign So far this television report has been contained to Switzerland, but what if the international media decide to broadcast the subject? And

what if consumers worldwide start to get upset and boycott products? It won’t be enough to just say that straps come from a reputable source. Brands will need to be able to prove where their straps come from and prove that the animals have been killed humanely. This is where things get complex; skins pass through many hands before they are bought by the leatherworker to be crafted into watch straps.

A skin may originate in Indonesia, for example, go to Singapore for a first tanning process, then a second tanning in Italy, before being finished in France and delivered to a leatherworker in Switzerland, making traceability an urgent priority.

Many animal activists are fighting for a total ban on the use of animal products, but controlled use of animals is not only beneficial to sustaining the survival of some of the world’s most threatened species, but also helps conserve ecosystems, protects other wildlife and provides an essential form of revenue for many of the world’s regions.

What is CITES? One treaty which is committed to the controlled use of the world’s endangered species is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) with its secretariat based in Geneva, Switzerland. CITES is a agreement that was adopted in 1973 and whose Secretariat is provided by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It works with nations worldwide to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. A name well known in the watch industry, every exotic watch strap that leaves Switzerland must be accompanied by an import and export permit. The veterinary office of Switzerland has put in place an express service to deliver permits in 24 hours for watch manufacturers who ship watches worldwide every day.

Around 100,000 permits are delivered every year. If a strap arrives at its destination with-

BEHIND THE SCENES 73

Photo credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service.

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out a permit, a very nice customs officer in a brown uniform will politely cut off the strap with a pair of heavy duty scissors. For most watch brands, knowledge of CITES ends with these images, which is unfortunate as CITES is probably the only international programme working to ensure that there will be enough exotic straps for the watch industry in the future.

“We are here to make sure that the trade in wild animals and plants is sustainable for the longterm and is conducted in accordance with our requirements, ” explains CITES Communication and Outreach Officer Juan Carlos Vasquez.

“CITES documents and permits are the visible part of the system, like visas in your passport, but it is everything behind this, the years of scientific research, thousands of jobs and most importantly thousands of years of nature evolution that need sustaining.

“There is an incredible opportunity for the big brands to step up and take the lead by engaging and incorporating sustainability into their business strategies,” says Vasquez The CITES Secretariat is open to discussion with watch industry leaders to help them find solutions to protect themselves and their consumers from illegal players and ensure that the skins they are using are not depleting the world’s biodiversity. It is also ready to offer courses to the industry’s buyers on how to buy intelligently and it is always open to discussion about easing the red tape connected to international trade.

The animal welfare debate

Alligator skins

One common misconception about CITES is that the convention deals with issues of animal welfare. This is not the case. CITES focuses primarily on conservation and the overall effect of the volumes of trade on the species that it protects.

No animal should suffer unnecessarily and companies that tolerate, or turn a blind eye, to such practices are taking great risks. This doesn’t mean that we need to eliminate the trade of such products to ensure welfare treatment.

“Eliminating trade is not a solution for species whose populations are in good shape thanks to good conservation programmes.The minute a ban is put in place for an abundant species, illegal players spring up and the remedy becomes more perverse than the problem we are trying to solve,” notes CITES’s Vasquez. It may sound counterintuitive but sustainable use of animal products is good for species conservation and good for business. However, over-exploitation and cruelty to animals has no place in business. The watch industry could wait for more regulations to be enforced, maybe from national veterinary services, but these things take time. The best and fastest solution would be for the watch industry to acknowledge the problem, verify that the exotic skins used for their straps come from reliable sources that meet the industry’s criteria, insist that all animals are killed using humane methods, and look into systems of traceability for their supplies.

One of the most famous alligator farming/ ranching industries is to be found in Louisiana in the United States and is one of the world’s most recognizable conservation success stories.

The management programme harvests eggs from the wild to provide stock for the farms, and then releases 12 per cent of alligators back into the wild. This system protects large numbers of alligators from various mortality factors such as flooding, storm surges, drought, predation and cannibalism. Every skin is identified with a serially numbered and bar coded CITES tag that remains attached to the skin throughout the tanning and finishing processes (travelling with each skin across continents until the manufacture of the product) indicating exactly when and where the alligator was farmed.

Since the inception of the programme in 1972, over 6.7 million alligator eggs have been collected from the wild, over 800,000 farm-raised alligators have been sold (estimated at US$509,000,000) with part of the money being reinvested into research, conservation, education, marketing, industry development and CITES activities.

The American alligator is not an endangered species; it is listed on Appendix II of CITES’s endangered species because it is similar in appearance to other more endangered crocodilians, such as the Nile crocodile which has greatly benefited from management under CITES. The populations of Nile crocodiles were

74 BEHIND THE SCENES europa star

previously in real trouble, however the ranching of the Nile crocodile is of great importance, especially in places like Zimbabwe and is the origin of many skins or products coming into Switzerland. The skin is also considered extremely valuable.

The GTE and the FH take a stand Following the broadcast of the Rundschau film, the Geneva Time Exhibition (GTE - show of 60 watch brands held from January 16th to 21st in Geneva) and the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) have been encouraging their respective members to acknowledge the situation and check the sources of their straps.“We sent a press release to all our partners and received positive echoes from the brands in return,” shares Florence Noël, Director of the GTE show. “Brands such as Pierre DeRoche only use Mississippi alligator, but shared with me that they would consider not using exotic animal skins if they couldn’t verify their source,” she continues. Some brands, such as Tempvs Compvtare, also exhibiting at the GTE show, have made a point from their inception never to use any animal products in their collections.

Food for thought For those who saw the Swiss German television report (available on the Europa Star website), it is difficult not to be shocked by the sensational images that were broadcast.

However, we must remain attentive to certain elements of the report.

Firstly, the film switched back and forth from the Indonesian rural outlet to the shop windows of luxury watch brands without any proof that they were linked in any way.

Secondly, the film shows the CITES permits for the skins as if to accuse the treaty of not controlling the animals’ wellbeing, without any apparent understanding that the CITES treaty is designed to ensure the sustainability of the species, being exported, and has no control over what happens within the borders of any country.

Thirdly, each country, each nation, each culture, has a different relationship to animals.

The rural relationship to animals is very different from that of many urban people – why else would Indonesians have been happy to let a film crew in if they were ashamed of what they were doing? Certain images showed animals moving after they had supposedly been killed. Many animals continue to move minutes after they are clinically dead (think of the chicken that continues running after it has had its head chopped off).

And lastly, images showed snakes being hit over the head, which obviously appears barbaric on screen, but is actually one of the most humane ways to kill a snake rapidly.

These are all facts that watch brands and their retailers should know, facts that they need to communicate to their customers correctly, facts

that should make them proud of contributing to biodiversity conservation, but encourage them to be more attentive to a part of their business that could change the way we protect nature. “‘Business as usual’ won’t work anymore; the planet cannot support it and the people won’t allow it. I hope that good things will come out of this report and businesses will stand up and take action,” concludes Vasquez.

What the watch industry can do to help The watch industry needs to inform itself about the provenance of its straps and the ways in which the animals were killed. If the watch brands take action and become more demanding, this will put pressure on those working in the skin trade, farms, ranches and governments to take initiatives to better protect animal wellbeing and the environment, like the great programmes that have been set up in Louisiana and Zimbabwe. There is no need for watch brands to stop using exotic animal skins, on the contrary, but if they do not start to pay attention to this important part of their business, there is a risk that it could turn around and bite them.

For more information including the Swiss television report (in German and French) press releases from The Swatch Group, The FH, The GTE and The State of Louisiana (the world’s largest alligator farming/ranching industry) click on www.europastar.com. O

CONTACTS PROMOTE SUCCESS.

MUNICH, 25 – 28 FEBRUARY 2011 Messe München GmbH Tel: (+49 89) 9 49 -1 13 98 info@inhorgenta.de www.inhorgenta.com

For trade visitors only

38th International trade fair for jewellery, watches, design, gemstones and technology

76 RETAILER PROFILE europa star

Panama’s La Hora-Alta Relojeria Panama is a burgeoning tourist area and the economy has now started to come back from the crisis and the H1N1 outbreak. Europa Star’s International Editor Keith W. Strandberg talked with Hamudi Waked, Luxury Director of Grupo WISA, about the newest La Hora-Alta Relojeria retail store in Panama, which opened in October of 2010.

RKeith W. Strandberg Europa Star: How's business?

Hamudi Waked: 2008 was great and it was our best year since we opened the La Hora store. In 2009, all retailers went down because of the crisis and H1N1. This year we are up 40 per cent vs. 2009, but our goal is to achieve at least the sales figures from 2008 and hopefully more. We have opened a new store which is bigger and carries only high-end brands. It is phase two of our mission, which is to upgrade and separate our medium and fashion brands from our high-end ones.

We opened the first La Hora store in Panama five years ago. It was very hard at the beginning since all brands were already working

with retailers and we had no brands and no know-how. We started knocking on doors and attending conventions; and we started taking big and prestige brands that were very strong in Asia, the Middle East and Europe but were not well known in our region. So with passion, motivation and great help and support from our suppliers, we started the marketing campaigns for each brand. The first brands we took were: Hublot, Blancpain, GlashĂźtte, Breitling and Corum. Today we have an independent watch department that takes care of the purchasing, another department that is strictly marketing and PR and now we have more experienced people in the stores.

One thing that we have learned over the years is that in order to succeed in this busi-

ness you need a great staff before getting the great brands, as buying and placing the products in the store is easy. We are a sell-out oriented company and we only want to work with brands that have a watch philosophy and that want to really support their retailers.

ES: How has business changed in recent years?

HW: Now you have more retailers, good but also bad. The problem is that the bad ones go to conventions and exhibitions and promise things they cannot deliver. In addition, brands are now demanding a great deal in every way.

When you start with complex and high-end brands, you are truly entering another level.

ES: What is the secret of your success?

HW: Humbleness, dedication, determination.

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ES: What is your relationship like with other retailers?

HW: Well it’s a complex matter as all retailers compete with each other for the brands but we have respect for one another.

ES: Who is your customer?

HW: Panamanians, Colombians, Mexicans, Venezuelans, and now we are receiving lots of tourists and business people from the south.

Also, we have had sales from Europeans.

ES: What do you like about your job? , HW: I m able to meet lots of great people and I like to learn a lot from them. I hate being stuck in long meetings and I like to make very good use of my time.

ES: How important is customer service?

HW: It’s vital to our success.

ES: What is the biggest challenge facing your store right now?

HW: Our biggest challenge is to perform and to be able to show brands who trusted in us that they made the right decision.

ES: What is the biggest challenge facing the watch industry right now?

HW: There are too many brands and the final consumer is, ultimately, the same. It’s a real fight out there.

ES: Do you do repairs at your store?

HW: In almost all cases we send repairs back to the factory. Our objective is to have an after sales service centre with a watchmaker within the next six months.

ES: How do you do training?

HW: We send our sales team and managers to the factories and in some cases, the brands come and train us in Panama.

ES: How important is security?

HW: Very. In our store we have 16 cameras and security guards at the door. For us it is

RETAILER PROFILE 77

FACTS AND FIGURES Name: La Hora-Alta Relojeria Location: Panama, Multiplaza Mall How long: 10 months Employees: Six Size of store: 160 square metres Average sale: US$10,000 Price range: US$5,000- US$100,000 Brands: Breguet, Blancpain, Tiffany & Co., Glashütte Original, Hublot, Richard Mille, Breitling, Graham, Romain Jerome, Ulysse Nardin, Bvlgari, Jaquet Droz, Bell & Ross, Corum.

important that the client feels secure. Our store has been robbed and it was a very upsetting day. Since that day we have more cameras, more controls, more guards, more procedures and more protocols.

ES: Are you optimistic about the future?

HW: Yes, absolutely, very optimistic. I think 2010 will finish very positively and 2011 will be a strong year. Demand today is high and supply low so both brands and retailers can make more profit.

ES: What does time mean to you?

HW: For me, it is the way you organize your life. It’s key that you give 200 per cent at work but also give 300 per cent to your family.

Many thanks to the people at La Hora and Grupo WISA for their time and candour. O

78 POST CARD europa star

Roger W. Smith British watchmaking is alive and well As Keith W. Strandberg rode his rented Triumph Bonneville, a proper British motorcycle, around the Isle of Man, on his way to visit independent watchmaker Roger W. Smith, he had the chance to reflect on the challenges facing independent watch brands today.

RKeith W. Strandberg

C

Certainly, independent brands face an uphill battle against the bigger brands. Major brands have big marketing budgets that make it possible for them to be in front of customers every issue of every magazine, while the small brands don’t have the funds to do this. They have to rely on the great work they are doing to get them noticed, by journalists, bloggers, collectors, retailers and, finally, end customers. The reality is that smaller brands, in order to be successful, have to be better marketers because they can’t just spend money. They have to be innovative and creative and find new ways to start people talking.

At the same time, however, Smith and his fellow independents are living in the right time to do that marketing, with the communication possibilities made available by the Internet, watch forums, Facebook, Twitter and other social media. These small brands can reach people all around the world.

Smith has been very active in all these areas and he has also decided to make things happen himself and invite journalists to his workshop on the Isle of Man, to see how his brand

of watchmaking differs from that of mainstream Swiss brands.

And, it is different, and not just because of the relative isolation of the Isle of Man. Smith doesn’t travel in the same circles as the Swiss watchmakers, who see each other all the time and know what each other are doing. Smith was blissfully unaware of recent developments in the industry and new product introductions. In addition, there is no supplier network on the Isle of Man, so Smith is forced to do it all himself.

“My way of working is different from everyone else because I didn’t go through the Swiss watch industry, and I don‘t have the influences of the Swiss industry in my work,” explains Smith. “I think it’s done me good to not be in the Swiss industry. I had to learn everything from scratch. I have been able to keep the English way and my workshop is

europa star

POST CARD 79

George Daniels and Roger W. Smith

really English. No one else is doing what we are doing - we are doing very individualized pieces. We don’t use the CNC machine for volume, but for precision, then we finish everything by hand.

“We have gilded and frosted pieces, so the aesthetic is very English,” he continues. “We have raised barrel bridges, where we hide the winding mechanism, which is a very English feature. We have black polishing throughout the pieces, and the watches are very three dimensional, with lots of different layers and levels. This is to me what an English approach should be. We are not bothered by the fashions, it’s about the quality of the piece. For me, even an insignificant component under the dial, is as important as the case and the dial. I pay the same attention to every piece. We are concentrated on putting some of the making back into English watchmaking.”

Smith, 40, first came to the Isle of Man to work with the famous George Daniels, the brilliant English creator of the co-axial escapement.

When his time working with Daniels came to an end, Smith stayed on, using this beautiful island as a place to create his watchmaking masterpieces. Smith is still working with Daniels (they only live about 20 minutes apart) on special projects, and Smith has built his own brand into an independent standard bearer for English watchmaking - made in the UK. Smith has orders for his hand finished and hand built watches for at least the next three

years, and his goal is to get that order backlog down to two years.To date, Smith has delivered 40 watches, ranging in price from £72,500 to £114,000, with bespoke watches going up to £250,000.

Many thanks to Roger W. Smith and his lovely wife, Caroline, for their hospitality while I was on the Isle of Man. And cheers also to Jason Griffiths Motorcycles for the Triumph I rode around the famous TT course. O

CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH WATCHMAKERS: England has a long history of watchmaking, and carrying on that tradition today are the following English watchmakers: 1 George Daniels (Isle of Man, UK) 1 Roger W. Smith (Isle of Man, UK) 1 Peter Speake-Marin (Rolle, Switzerland) 1 Stephen Forsey (La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland)

BRANDS WITH BRITISH HERITAGE: Arnold & Son (part of the British Masters group in Switzerland) 1 Graham (part of the British Masters group in Switzerland) 1 Bremont (Swiss timepieces, designed by the brothers Nick & Giles English) 1 Dent 1 Dunhill 1 Backes & Strauss 1 IWI Watches (Lancashire, England) 1 York Watches (Schaumburg Land, Germany)

80 LETTER FROM FRANCE europa star

France

888888

The suburbanites love their watches At the Rosny 2 shopping centre, in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis, near Paris, the watch market seems to be doing quite well. A first-hand report.

Like all shopping centres as we approach the holiday season, that of Rosny 2 in Seine-Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris, has its own Santa Claus. Wearing a red cape and hat trimmed with faux fur, with a fluffy white beard, he promises gifts to the children who are delighted to pose for a quick picture with him. The young Muslims are especially lucky. In one month, they enjoy not only the celebrations of Eid but also the Nativity. This festive syncretism delights merchants, even if the parents are not so thrilled.

Rosny 2 is twelve minutes from Paris by the RER, the express regional train that serves the suburbs around the capital. Upon descending from the train, the visitor sees, next to the rail lines, the neighbourhood of Bois-Perrier, with its medium-sized buildings on one side and the spacious, well-lit, and attractive shopping mall on the other. Making this centre even more attractive is the cinema multiplex, UGC Ciné Cité Rosny, with fifteen theatres, a preferred destination for adolescents.

The latest Harry Potter film is currently a big draw.

Let’s take a look around at some of the stores. One of the shoppers, Karima, is at the mall this day, to find something for her daughter— who will soon celebrate her fourth birthday—for Eid and Christmas.

The young mother is looking in the watch and jewellery boutique, ‘L’Or du Temps’, on the ground floor next to the large H&M store. “It is nearly a year now that my daughter talks about getting her first watch,” she tells me. “I am looking for a Flik Flak.” At this store, there are Guess, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein, Festina and Lotus, as well as other timepieces, but no Flik Flaks. The store does not carry children’s watches.

Saturday shoppers Karima wears a Guess. “It is my first Guess, and my third watch in all.

It does not last more than a year and a half. My next one will also be a Guess, but I am waiting for the square model to come out. My brother

has a Festina.” Karima leaves the boutique without a gift for Elyes, but she still has a few days to find a Flik Flak.

It is Saturday, and the many shoppers, alone or in small groups, stroll through the corridors of the mall. A young woman wearing a foulard over her hair stops in front of one of the windows of L’Or du Temps. “I have a watch in mind, a square one, silver and gold, like my wedding ring,” she explains. “This will be my first watch. I don’t plan on something that is more than 120 euros, but it is not me who will buy it,” she adds, happy at the idea of getting her first timepiece.

A young man arrives, her husband, the future buyer of the watch. Her name is Touria, his is Youssef. When asked about the price of the watch, he answers that he has a budget of 160 euros maximum. His wife smiles as she reveals the amount that she was planning. He is wearing a Festina, the same for the last four years, in shiny steel. “It still works and I don’t have any plans to change it in the immediate future,” he says. Youssef and Touria just moved to Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis, the phantasmagorical 93.

Earlier, they lived in Alsace. He works at the atomic energy commission and she is training at the hospital.

Yvonnick, 25 years old, a salesperson at L’Or du Temps, seems quite selfconfident in her business suit as she gives an overview of the store’s customers. “Young girls purchase for their boyfriend. In the high-end range, it is the man who comes in to choose his watch,” she explains. “Here, we sell primarily brands, rather modern watches, not intended for the long term. The clients come back often to change them. Our clients are mostly young and those above 40 years, whose choices generally centre on the brands Certus and Go. The retired clients like Go. What is really popular with the boys is the ado-sport styles such as Festina and Lotus. Some people pick out a watch as a function of their clothing or musical tastes.

Guess, for example, with its bling-bling and hip-hop sides, fairly loaded, fairly thick, is appreciated by girls as well as boys.”

82 LETTER FROM FRANCE europa star

888888 Upstairs to upmarket To see more upmarket watches, we take the escalator up to the Didier Guérin shop, which is affiliated with L’Or du Temps, but is decorated in soft pastel tan shades and has seemingly thicker display cases. The most expensive watch—if we understood correctly—is a Dior, selling for 7,600 euros, much higher than the prices at its counterpart downstairs.

Myriam and Caroline, mother and daughter from Neuilly-sur-Marne, a town in Seine-Saint-Denis, have come to Rosny 2 to look for a present for Caroline’s boyfriend, Luis. Of Spanish origin, Luis will be 23 in a few days. Together the two women will chose the gift, obviously a watch.

Luis, however, does not know about it, so it will be a surprise. “He likes brands,” says Myriam, who seems to have a good opinion of the young man. “I am looking for something classy, simple, not bling-bling,” adds Caroline in a neutral tone. “He likes to dress well. He has a Diesel, which I bought him for 139 euros.” Luis offered his girlfriend a diamond pendant. “She likes jewellery. She likes everything,” remarks her mother. Both women decide on an Armani, which is rectangular, reasonably thick, and has a light grey dial with Roman numerals. It costs 179 euros. “I am the one who is paying,” smiles Caroline.

With the next customer, Olivier, the search turns more technical. A 32year old commercial engineer, he came to the Didier Guérin boutique with his wife. A native of department 93, he works for Solidworks, a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes. “We have developed software that measures the resistance of materials in 3D constructions,” explains this aficionado of higher-end watches. He is wearing a Baume & Mercier that he says cost him 1,900 euros. “Among our clients,” explains Olivier cheerfully, “is the Swiss watch brand, Frédérique Constant, as well as Zenith, which was doing badly but should do better after its acquisition

by LVMH. Zenith even brought out a 30th Anniversary model for 7,900 euros…” He goes on to say, reassuringly, “Watches are moving again.”

from the shoulder. On one side are the Haussmann style buildings, however faded, while on the other side is urban claptrap, where the ring road looms over cheap buildings, small hotels and surviving homes of the working-class inner suburbs. Welcome to Clignancourt, realm of the flea market and the counterfeit everything. Here, the prices of watches fall sharply, adapting to a more modest clientele. Small shops run by Indians and Pakistanis offer a little of everything—gloves, scarves, handbags, jewellery, and of course watches. Real, fake? Very few people even ask the question. The brands have names that have never graced the pages of a glossy magazine— Firmax, Ernest, FLR, Celsior… Most are sold for

less than 20 euros, some even as low as 5. Only some strange Citizen models break the 50-euro barrier, displaying the single price of 69.90 euros in a small shop the size of a food stall, located in the lower level at the entrance to the metro.

It would be a mistake to think that outside the ring road lives a lumpenproletariat that buys only ugly watches. First of all, everything is not lumpen in the suburbs. A middle class lives there quite comfortably. And, as our little visit to the Rosny 2 shopping centre shows, the choices of watches are varied, with something for all prices and all tastes.

All tastes? Well maybe not all. Mehdi, 18 years old, living in SaintOuen, in Seine-Saint-Denis, in his first year of university in Paris, would probably not have found the Lego watch designed by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac that he is wearing. “I bought it for 100 euros in Paris in a Castelbajac boutique,” he says. It is colourful—yellow, green, and red, with a black dial. “I don’t use it for telling time,” he adds. “I have my mobile phone for that, but I like its colours. I find it attractive.” And, yes, in the suburbs, we also find boys who like pop art. O

Moving north We leave the warm cocoon of Rosny 2 for the dry cold of the Porte de Clignancourt, at the northern edge of Paris. The divide between the capital and the suburbs is as clear as the guardrail that separates the road

Antoine Menusier

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84 WORLDWATCHWEB europa star.com

Understanding China’s clientele of luxury watches online RIn collaboration with Florent Bondoux, IC-Agency, Luxury Digital Marketing™

P

Predestined to be fuelling the industry’s major growth for years to come, China, along with the other BRIC markets, represents a strategic opportunity for luxury watch brands. If significant signs of recovery in sales have been announced by most of the industry’s leaders, it is largely due to the demand increase for Swiss watchmaking in these regions. They have become true ‘Eldorados’, not only for Swiss watchmakers, but for the luxury industry in general.

China represents the pillar of the current growth of the industry, with performance numbers that easily surpass those of the other emerging markets. This market is currently the third largest consumer of luxury goods, and will rank first by 2015.

Deciphering local preferences Due to the vast expanse of the country and the multicultural diversity in the fast-growing affluent regions, it is difficult to draw up a standard profile of the typical Chinese consumer with regard to luxury goods demand, even though, “they need these goods to represent their own purchasing power and to taste psychological satisfaction” according to David Chang , Founder of the Research Office for Haute Horlogerie and China.

According to the online findings revealed in the past two years in the WorldWatchReport, the Chinese consumer is for the most part brand-name focused. He/she is influenced by the high-profile ambassadors who promote the brands, preferring those who personify excellence in competition in the world of sports. In addition, they are drawn to strength of character, as demonstrated even through fictional characters, such as James Bond. International cinema and television stars are emulated by the Chinese consumer, whether they are current or classic, male or female.

Online brand building in China China’s strategic importance has pushed Internet growth at the expense of print media. If brands would traditionally invest in magazines, they cannot replicate this recipe in China where the magazine market is constantly evolving and erodes any coherent or lasting image. While the Internet is considered the primary factor influencing purchasing, boutiques are considered to be in second position and magazines only in seventh (BCG Asia).

Nevertheless, David Chang stresses that “the print Media’s advertisement is still a very important method to target Chinese Luxury goods consumers. But, with the development of the Chinese market, the online share will be more important. More people, including younger consumers, want to access watch knowledge rapidly, and the Internet is the most convenient way” .

europa star.com

In regards to the search for information, Baidu is the uncontested search engine leader with nearly two thirds of the search market share in China, far ahead of Google which seems unsuccessful in imposing its leadership in the Middle Kingdom. When deciphering the local clientele search behaviour, it remains mostly brand-oriented due to the challenge for brands to translate and adapt their product ranges and campaign messages to the local languages and preferences. “China’s market is not very mature, many brands entered this market late and they have not yet been recognized. People mainly want to know about the different brands, their history and positioning. Moreover, many model names are not translated into Chinese, so it is not convenient for online searching. Though people know some names through watch advertisements, a limited amount of people recognize model names,” points out David Chang.

When looking at watch aficionados’ online conversations, the Chinese clientele has no reason to be jealous of western watch platforms. Hundreds of thousands of watch enthusiasts participate actively in online forums dedicated to the art of fine watchmaking, such as Iwatch365.net, Watchbus.com or Watchstore.com.cn where page view statistics can range from one to three million per month. Besides discussions about world famous brands, style and technology of watches, a significant portion of some forums are dedicated to watch sales transaction, where people set up their shop page and sell watches online.

One of the key challenge for Swiss watch brands wanting to succeed in China will be to define the right online positioning which emotionally connects to China’s affluent clientele. While mapping its online media consumption would be the first step, mastering language specificities, clientele preferences as well as defining the appropriate engagement drivers are crucial success factors for luxury watch brands in China. O

WORLDWATCHWEB 85

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Managing Director: Philippe Maillard EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief: Pierre M. Maillard • pmaillard@europastar.com Senior Editor: D. Malcolm Lakin • mlakin@europastar.com International Editor: Keith W. Strandberg • keiths821@aol.com Managing Editor: Sophie Furley • sfurley@europastar.com Asst. Publisher: Nathalie Glattfelder • nglattfelder@europastar.com CONTRIBUTORS • Italy: Paolo de Vecchi • Germany: Gerhard Claussen • France: Antoine Menusier • UK: Michael Balfour • Australia: Martin Foster • Russia: Vyacheslav Medvedev • Portugal: Miguel Seabra • Rumania: George Gisca • Art & Techniques of Watchmaking: Jean-Claude Nicolet ART Alexis Sgouridis • asgouridis@europastar.com Dummy: Fonderie Grafix, Geneva MARKETING & CIRCULATION PRINT/E-MEDIA Marketing & Circulation Director: Nathalie Glattfelder • nglattfelder@europastar.com Marketing & Circulation Manager: Jocelyne Bailly • jbailly@europastar.com PUBLISHING & PRODUCTION PRINT/E-MEDIA Production Director: Francine Papaux • fpapaux@europastar.com Advertising Manager: Laurence Chatenoud • lchatenoud@europastar.com

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Editorial & Advertisers’ index A, B A. Lange & Söhne 16 Agenhor 14, 28, 30 Ali Zandidoust 65 Aquanautic 36 Armani 80 Armin by Armin Strom 39 Arnold & Sons 28, 79 Artya 36, 68 Audemars Piguet 6-7, 14, 16, 20, 53 Backes & Strauss 79 Badollet 67 Baume & Mercier 32, 82 Bell & Ross 45, 77, 88 Blancpain 76, 77 Bovet 32, 65 Breguet 77 Breitling 76, 88 Bremont 79 British Masters 34 BRM 66 Bulgari 77 Bulova 66 C, D Calvin Klein 80 Carl F. Bucherer 33 Cartier 16, 32 Catorex 67 Cécil Purnell 38 Celsior 82 Certus 80 Chanel COVER I, 10-13, 22, 36 Chaumet 28 Chopard 36, 42

Christophe Claret 14, 16, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29 Citizen 59 Corum 32, 44, 76, 77 Cousins Global 87 deLaCour 36 DeLaneau 65 Dent 79 DeWitt 28 Diesel 82 Dior 82 Dolce & Gabbana 80 Dunhill 79 E, F Ernest 82 ETA 34, 36 Fédération of the Swiss Watch Industry 72, 74 Festina 38, 80 Firmax 82 Flik Flak 80 FLR 82 Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie 49 G, H George Daniels 79 Girard-Perregaux 61 Glashütte Original 76, 77 Go 80 Graham 77, 79 Greubel & Forsey 16, 79 GTE 72, 74 Guess Watches 80 Harry Winston 16, 25, 28, 30, 34, 40

Hautlence 35, 68 Hermès 4 Hublot 36, 76, 77, 88 I, J Ice Watch 69 Inhorgenta 75 IWI Watches 79 Jaquet Droz 77 Jean-Charles de Castelbajac 82 Jean Dunand 21, 23, 24, 64 JeanRichard 60 Jörg Hysek 36 L, M Laurent Ferrier 64 Les Artisans Horlogers 14, 16, 32, 34 Longines 88 Lotus 80 Louis Erard 64 Louis Vuitton 32 LVMH 4, 82 Magma Concept 14, 36, 38 Marvin 66 Maurice Lacroix 16, 31, 34 MB&F 28, 32, 34, 62, 63 www.europastar.com

Milus 18-19 Mimotec 28 Montblanc 56 Moritz Grossmann 42 O, P Omega 88 Orient Watch Company 70-71 Panerai 15, 46-47, 64, 88 Parmigiani 50 Patek Philippe 2-3 Pequignet 37, 40 Peter Speake-Marin 16, 28, 34, 79 Peter Tanisman 65 Piaget 32 Pierre deRoche 67, 74 R, S Ralph Lauren 9, 51, 52 Rebellion 34, 68 Renaud & Papi 14, 16, 20, 22 Richard Mille 20, 22, 23, 57, 58, 77 Richemont Group 32 Ritmo Mvndo 67 Roger Dubuis 28 Roger W. Smith 78-79

Rolex COVER II-1, 88 Romain Jérôme 77 Savstar 83 Seiko 88, COVER III Swatch Group 72 T, U TAG Heuer 16, 88 Tempvs Compvtare 66 The Watch Avenue 81 Tiffany & Co. 77 Titoni 43 Tudor 26-27 Ulysse Nardin 77 Universal Genève 34 V, Y Vacheron Constantin 48, COVER IV Valbray 68 Van Cleef & Arpels 5, 28, 30 Victorinox Swiss Army 41 Yema York Watches 79 Z Zeitwinkel 34, 64 Zenith 17, 44, 82

88 LAKIN@LARGE europa star

Bling’s craptastic, but patience pays!

I was strolling around the vast refurbished watch section in Selfridges, London, when a large hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me round. “Hey man, you ‘member me?”

Standing more than a head and shoulders taller than me with his dazzling smile that flashed more ivory than a Steinway piano, was Leroy Hornblower, a black American I met some years ago in Rome. His hip look back then at the height of the bling era was jeans, shirt open to the navel to reveal gold chains accompanied by a blinding diamond-set gold watch on the wrist. Now, before me stood a man with the sartorial elegance of a successful businessman: striped blue suit, light blue button down shirt with a royal blue tie, double cuffs held together with what appeared to be white gold cuff links set with a single blue sapphire, completed by a stainless steel Royal Oak wristwatch with a blue dial.

The transformation was surprising and I sought the reason.

“Bling’s out man, it’s craptastic.” he explained, “Elegance is cool.

Would ya believe I’m in sales now?”

“Selling what and where Leroy?”

“Watches in the Big Apple man, where else?”

Over a beverage in one of Selfridges’ coffee shops, Leroy told me about how a friend of his managed one of the biggest watch stores in New York and asked him to come and work for him on the condition that he changed his look from the outmoded bling to the cool man-abouttown. Weeks later, having donned a suit and tie, quickly learned what makes a watch tick and read the sales manual, he soon became the emporium’s leading salesman.

“So what are you doing in London Leroy?”

“I’m buyin’ a coupla yo’ beeespoke English suits man,” he says with a nod and a smile.

“You must be earning a bundle then Leroy,” I suggested.

“You betta believe it baby!” he mumbled, giving another of his piano key grins.

I asked if it was his imposing size and blinding smile that influenced the punters. “Hey no, man. I’m as cool as I ever was, but I gotta gimmick: I listen, I suggest and I show a whole lotta patience.”

As an explanation, Leroy told me about a customer he had just before he came over to London who came into the store and gazed around open-mouthed at the vast collections of watches in the showcases.

“So I coolly mosey over to him and quietly ask if I can help and he toll me he was lookin’ for a sporty watch. So I ask him what for and he toll me his grandpa gave him some money and … so I say sorry sir, I

mean what do you want to use the watch for? He looks at me weird like I’m a crazy and says, ‘to tell the time.’

“So this is where my patience shtick clicks in man.

I explain about all the different things I learned, like watches with moon phases and power reserve and chronographs and tourbillons and he looks like he’s in the middle of the desert without a camel. So I show him the Omega moon watch and he shakes his head tellin’ me ain’t into heights ‘cos he gets vertigo.

“So I show him a TAG Heuer Monaco and tell him that Steve McQueen wore one driving a Porsche in the movies and he toll me that’d be no good since he don’t drive.Well, here I can feel my ol’ patience being pushed a bit so I say hey, what about a Panerai Luminor Submersible, give the spiel about all the functions and how it’s water-resistant to 300 metres and he gives me a real pale look and says he gets seasick in boats. So I say how ‘bout a diving watch then and he say nope, can’t swim.

“So then with my patience really strained, I go through our range: golf watch – he’s gotta bad back; a Breitling – he scared a flyin’; Hublot Big Bang – man, wouldya’ believe he’s got Loud Noise Phobia; a Seiko – he wanna Swiss piece; an all black Bell & Ross Phantom – black ain’t his colour; a Rolex – he’s scared a being’ mugged. So then I put it to him that maybe he should forget about sports watches and he says, no way, he gotta impress his new lady friend and he makes for the door.

“Suddenly he stops in front of the Longines’ display, smiles and points to a photo of Andre Agassi wearin’ a watch from the Master Collection and says ‘That one. That’s the one for me!’ So after a coupla hours, cool as ya like, I make the sale. He pays and I say, hey man, what made you choose this particular watch? So he goes, ‘Well, it’s Andre Agassi.’

So I nod like yea what else, give him my thank you smile and he goes, ‘He’s bald, just like me!’”

A quick bone-crunching handshake, another Steinway beamer and Leroy was off to Saville Row for a fitting. It seems patience really does pay!

D. Malcolm Lakin Roving Editor

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dedicated to perfection ANANTA. More than 30 years ago, a SEIKO engineer dreamed of a new kind of watch that would reflect the real flow of time.

28 years of R&D later, Spring Drive was born, the only watch in the world with hands that move with no tick and no noise, in perfect glide motion. Today, with an accuracy 5 times greater than any other mechanical chronometer and a design inspired by Katana, the ancient Japanese art of sword making, only the Spring Drive Moon Phase respects the continuous silent and graceful orbit of the planets. seikowatches.com

17th of September 1755. In the offices of the solicitor Mr. Choisy, a young Master Watchmaker from Geneva named Jean-Marc Vacheron is about to hire his first apprentice. This agreement is the first known reference to the founding watchmaker of a prestigious dynasty and it represents the establishment of Vacheron Constantin, the oldest watchmaking manufacturer in the world in continuous operation.

Ever since this agreement, and true to the history that built its reputation, Vacheron Constantin has been committed to passing on its knowledge to each of its Master Watchmakers in order to guarantee the excellence and durability of its craftsmanship and of its timepieces.

Patrimony Traditionnelle Calibre 2755 Hallmark of Geneva, Pink gold case, Hand-wound mechanical movement, Minute-repeater, Tourbillon, Perpetual calendar Ref. 80172/000R-9300