NEW TIME ZONE

WORDS JACQUIE MYBURGH CHEMALY

My mind was bent completely by all of this, and the irony of being in the heart of watch world and not knowing exactly what the time was, was not lost on me. I decided to use my very best French efforts and called on the hotel concierge for assistance. He was rather amused, and promised to work it out and wake me the next morning. He did – I made my flight – but I still had no idea what the time was for most of that day.

There is something about travelling to a Swiss watch factory that will always have yourluxury.africa

Ayou thinking of gingerbread houses and cuckoo clocks. As you drive through the narrow roads that take you into the heart of Le Locle – the centre of Switzerland’s watch-making universe about two hours from Geneva – there are plenty of these gingerbread buildings around to remind you that the roots of Le Locle date back to the 1600s. It is in this valley that you will find the beating heart of the Swiss watch industry. The fancy offices and neon signs may be in Geneva, but it is in the countryside where the remarkable watch workforce has resided for generations – children following in their parents’ footsteps to create the world’s most luxurious timepieces.

Then you round a corner and a massive modern red-and-black structure reminds you that the watch industry is very much a dynamic one, marching through the 21st century.

The building is the brand-new Tudor watch manufacture, and a bold statement that the watch which has for so long been referred to as the sister brand to Rolex, has very much found its own identity.

At the recent opening of the Tudor facility, attended by media from all over the world, we were introduced to this state-of-the-art facility which brings together the knowhow of skilled watchmakers, a streamlined production management system and fully automated (read robots!) testing systems. With robots doing the repetitive work and the finer movement assembly done by hand, man and machines work together to ensure the creation of a luxurious timepiece at an affordable price.

The new Tudor manufacture is physically and commercially connected to another building called Kenissi – a name inspired by the word kinesis, meaning movement. With this Kenissi facility and a network of Tudor-owned suppliers, Tudor has been able to develop and produce high-performance watch movements not only for its own watches, but also for some of the world’s leading watch brands, including Breitling, TAG Heuer and Chanel.

One of the fastest-growing luxury watch brands, the Tudor name was first registered in 1926 but was only officially launched by the Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf in 1946. He realised there was a market for a watch with the reliability of a Rolex, but at a more affordable price. It’s a reputation that has stuck, and Tudor really grabbed the watch world’s attention in 2012 with the launch of its Heritage Black Bay model. In fact, Black Bay continues to be the brand’s most important watch.

It was no coincidence, then, that two days after the opening of the new manufacture, Tudor revealed its latest collection for 2023, which includes the first Black Bay Master Chronometer. It was also revealed that all future Tudor watches would be Master Chronometer tested. With this major movement revamp – certifying the watch’s precision and accuracy – as well as the opening of the super-efficient new manufacture, Tudor has surely done Mr Wilsdorf proud. ■