Swatches – The Watch that saved the Swiss Watch Industry
Swatches – Bold, brash and sassy, they took the world by storm in the 1980s. And just in time. While Swiss watchmakers accounted for 80% of the watches in 1945, in 1951, the US Time Corporation (later Timex) combined automation, precision tooling and simpler design to create robust watches available to the smallest of
Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) was founded by Antoine LeCoultre in 1833 in Switzerland
Jaeger-LeCoultre Watches Jaeger-LeCoultre watches are recognized as being among the very finest hand-crafted watches in the world. Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) was founded by Antoine LeCoultre in 1833 in picturesque Le Sentier, Switzerland. It manufactures high-quality luxury watches and clocks and supplied movements and parts to other prestigious watch manufacturers such as Cartier and Patek Phillipe. Antoine
Patek Phillipe-Making Watchmaking History
Patek Phillipe came into being when Polish watchmaker Antoni Patek combined his talents with French watchmaker Adrien Phillipe in 1851. Did that joining help them to become providers of watches to royalty? Hard to say, but in that same year, Patek Phillipe supplied timepieces to both Queen Victoria and her consort. No doubt one of
The Popularity of Gold Watches as a Wearable, Function-able Investment…
Is Your Watch Golden?… You're well aware that gold is known as a very special, precious commodity… simply because it's difficult to find, mine and process… A quick check on the spot commodities exchange underscores its value. Gold Watch – images provided by Anjan The popularity of gold watches for men has increased in financial
How To Get A Great Deal On Your Next New Watch
I have been collecting mens wristwatches for several years now and finally learned the ins and outs of buying watches of all sorts. My collection ranges from mens luxury watches to an inexpensive stopwatch. So I have learned how to get a great deal on the best mens watches. Unfortunately, watches are part of the
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I have been collecting mens wristwatches for several years now and finally learned the ins and outs of buying watches of all sorts. My collection ranges from mens luxury watches to an inexpensive stopwatch. So I have learned how to get a great deal on the best mens watches.
Unfortunately, watches are part of the Jewelry industry which means the price you pay for the exact same timepiece is often way different from one seller to the next. Like buying a new car, haggling is expected and if you are like me and don’t like haggling. this guide will really help you save a lot of money.
Fortunately, watches are the same no matter where they are bought so comparing deals is easier than comparing jewelry. If you have chosen a watch or not, the first thing to determine is your budget. You can choose a watch in advance or not. The real key is to determine if you are interested in expensive mens watches, modern mens watches, or a vintage investment watch for the ladies because budget should determine where to make your watch investment. So we will start with my number one rule… Read the rest of this entry
People whose mission—and lives—depend on their watch depend on Bell & Ross.
Astronauts, military pilots, elite police, race car drivers, divers and underwater bomb-disposal experts all count on Bell & Ross watches to go the distance despite violent accelerations, dramatic temperature swings, high pressure and other extreme conditions so they can get the job done.
From Cockpits to Wristwatches
Founded in 1992 by childhood friends Bruno Belamich and Carlos A. Rosillo, Bell & Ross is a youngster among the Swiss watchmakers. But their bold, utilitarian timepieces immediately made a mark with aerospace and military professionals. Two years later, they began selling to the public.
The first watches were crafted by Sinn, a German manufacturer of dashboard instruments. In fact, the first Bell & Ross model (Space 1) was actually a re-issue of Sinn 142—the first automatic chronometer used in space, worn by German astronaut Reinhart Furrer on the 1983 Spacelab mission.
Space 1 and subsequent Sinn models re-issued under the Bell & Ross name featured both companies' logos. The partners also collaborated on new watches until 2002, when Bell & Ross began its own independent production in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
Swatches - Bold, brash and sassy, they took the world by storm in the 1980s.
And just in time.
While Swiss watchmakers accounted for 80% of the watches in 1945, in 1951, the US Time Corporation (later Timex) combined automation, precision tooling and simpler design to create robust watches available to the smallest of budgets. (Nearly 40 years later, a similar combination would catapult the Swiss back as leaders.)
Formerly the nearly-exclusive domain of jewelers, watches now showed up as affordable merchandise in department stores, catalog showrooms and sporting goods retail.
But, in a one-two punch, watchmaking innovations, shunned by the Swiss were picked up by the Japanese, thus further killing off dominance by the Swiss. In 13 short years, from 1970 to 1983, the number of Swiss watchmaking firms and employment declined by about 2/3rds.
SSIH and ASUAG, the leading Swiss watchmakers of the time faced foreclosure by their own Swiss banks, and esteemed Swiss brands such as Omega, Longine and Tissot were in danger of falling into competitors' hands.
Much credit lays at the feet of Nicolas G. Hayek, who brought together a combination of business, marketing and technological savvy to create what is now, in the 2010s, the world's largest watchmaker.
Just how that happened, and more about the Swatch "concept" watches will be discussed in future articles.
Alpina Geneve, Swiss watch manufacturers, has created and delivered boldly designed high-quality sports and lifestyle watches since 1883. Their strategy is to produce these watches at accessible luxury prices to reach the younger watch enthusiast, and investor.
Alpina Geneve is all about passion, and their brand is a fully integrated and involved in all stages of production, from initial design through to final assembly, including the building of its own calibers and an exhaustive quality control.
Each watch by Alpina is hand-assembled by a team of highly qualified technitians and artisans. They also employ state-of-the-art digital machinery to maximize watch quality and life longevity.
Every watch Alpina Geneva they produce shares the following characteristics… Accuracy, readability, shock and water resistance, strength and reliability. Their core themes have been developed around… Adventure, Aviation, Racing and Club.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre watches are recognized as being among the very finest hand-crafted watches in the world. Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) was founded by Antoine LeCoultre in 1833 in picturesque Le Sentier, Switzerland. It manufactures high-quality luxury watches and clocks and supplied movements and parts to other prestigious watch manufacturers such as Cartier and Patek Phillipe.
Antoine LeCoultre spent his life discovering the finest inventions for precision and perfection of the timepiece. He capitalized on his notable skills as an inventor, creating tools for making pinions for watches and clocks. He invented the Millionometer, the first instrument that can measure thousands of a millimeter, which becomes instrumental in the making of precision timekeepers for well over a century. He also developed the first crown winding system which eliminated the need for a separate key to wind the watch.
Patek Phillipe came into being when Polish watchmaker Antoni Patek combined his talents with French watchmaker Adrien Phillipe in 1851. Did that joining help them to become providers of watches to royalty? Hard to say, but in that same year, Patek Phillipe supplied timepieces to both Queen Victoria and her consort.
No doubt one of the appeals of the Patek Phillipe watches was the invention of the stem winding and setting system invented by Phillipe in 1845, according to Patek Phillipe's history on their site.
Patek Phillipe describes this as "The Keyless Watch" because, prior to the stem winding mechanism, watches had to be wound by keys! in the 250 years prior to this wickedly clever invention, watch owners were plagued with having to keep track of the key. Worse yet, the key needed a hole, and the holes let in dirt.
If you've used a stem winding watch, where you pull out to set the time and then push in to wind, you probably never realized how old that invention was! Nor how long watches had existed without this slick device!
Located in Switzerland, the company undoubtedly has helped to give rise to the re-known which "Swiss watches" are known for.
Patek Phillipe watches claim fame by having made some of the most complicated watches in the world, in fact, they herald their "complications" on their website.
Along with its over 70 patents, Patek Phillipe watches catch the eye of collectors and investors, having held records for the most expensive watches sold at auctions over time. One such was one produced for Henry Graves, Jr in 1933. In December of 1999 this pocket watch was auctioned off for $11,000,000 by Sotheby's, making it the most expensive watch ever auctioned off.
In fact, one of the top collectibles in 2011 has been the 1928 Patek Phillipe, auctioned off for over $3.6 million at Christie's.
Inventiveness, "complications", beauty, and history have made Patek Philippe timepieces one of the most collectible and admired line of watches in the world.
