Swiss Watch Wire

Swiss Watch Advertising Jumps in 2011

2012-05-16T00:40:04Z

In another sign that the Swiss watch market continues to grow even in the face of economic headwinds, Kantar Media and WatchTime report that spending on watch advertising in the United States jumped 16 percent in 2011 to $365 million.

Rolex ($46.9 million) and Breitling ($26.5 million) continue to lead the way for Swiss watchmakers. TAG Heuer is number three at $19.8 million spent.

Bulova (now part of Japan's Citizen Group) spent $26.4 million to lead non-Swiss watch manufacturers.

The French luxury brands turned in strong performances with Cartier ($21.1 million), Chanel ($17.7 million), Louis Vuitton ($7.2 million), Montblanc ($6.4 million), and Dior ($5.3 million) leading the way. Although these brands tend to make Swiss made watches, they aren't counted as Swiss companies here.

The top 10 Swiss watch advertisers are listed below. Any surprises?

Rolex Awarded Damages Against Replica Seller

2012-05-13T01:22:16Z

Ernies Romers of Watchuseek is reporting that Rolex USA has won a nearly $160,000 judgement this week against the owner of two websites peddling fake Rolex watches. The defendant, Gabriel Alvarez, sold Rolex replicas from two sites: deviousdesires.net and deviousdesires.com for about $100 a piece.

In addition to the award for damages and fees caused to Rolex, the judge ruled that the websites must be transferred to Rolex or turned off. Any additional counterfeit product must be destroyed.

5 Watch Design Trends from Baselworld 2012

2012-05-11T01:42:33Z

As always, Baselworld is ground zero for emerging trends and themes on the product front. Here's where watch design seem to be headed in 2012 and beyond:

The trend we first saw in 2010 toward understated and classic watch designs has accelerated in part because consumers in emerging markets, like China, prefer them. That means many vintage and retro watch designs based on past, successful models.
Ceramic seems to be the consensus alternative material of choice for cases and bezels.
Mesh bracelets, once popular in the 1960s and 1970s, are catching on again.
Two-tone watch designs, especially gold and steel, are popular.
World and multi-zone timers, such as the Glycine Airman SST 12 (pictured above), are in high demand.

Antiquorum to Hold ‘Extraordinary Auction’ of Swiss Watches

2012-05-06T22:23:55Z

The world's leading watch auctioneer, Antiquorum, is gearing up for a very special auction of "Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces" on Sunday, May 13th in Geneva. The highlight of the sale is arguably a unique Patek Philippe (Ref. 953) perpetual calendar tourbillon pocket watch, one of the world's most accurate mechanical precision watches from the 20th Century and winner of multiple awards for timekeeping precision. This historic timepiece has a yellow gold, keyless, ultra high-precision lever chronometer deck watch with one-minute tourbillon, special balance bridge, perpetual calendar, 24-hour indication, and moon phases.

Other highlights from the event include:

several rare Patek Philippe watches, including a 1953 Worldtime (Ref. 2523) with a gold guilloche in the middle. The watch is estimated to sell for between $550,000-$750,000 (US).
a Rolex Submariner (Ref. 5512) owned by the former owned by Isser Harel, one of the most powerful men in Israel in the 1950’s and 60’s, that dates from his time as Director of the Mossad.
a special collection of Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks in honor of the iconic model’s 40th anniversary. As Audemars Piguet has collaborated with Antiquorum on this sale, each timepiece in this section has been sent to the manufacture in Le Brassus to be checked for authenticity and will be delivered with an Audemars Piguet certificate of origin.
More than 50 Audemars Piguet watches in total will auctioned off at the event, including the Audemars Piguet Grand Complication Piece Unique No. 1/1 produced as a unique piece in 1994 (pictured above). This extraordinary 18K white gold and diamond timepiece features a large minute-repeater, co-axial round button split-seconds chronograph, and a perpetual calendar with indication of the weeks and moon phases. The pre-auction estimate for this watch is $650,000-$1,100,000 (US)

What Does Water Resistant Really Mean?

2012-05-03T01:35:31Z

Water resistance refers to the ability of a watch to withstand water from entering the case, as defined by the International Organization for Standardization. The ISO 2281 water-resistant standard prohibits the term waterproof from being used.

In our experience, the ISO water guidance classifications are too liberal and we believe it is better to be safe than sorry. So we've revamped the criteria as follows:

Water resistance 50 meters (165 feet): It is wearable while playing sports. It should not be worn in or around water or even around household sinks. Wearing the watch in light rain is fine.

Water resistance 100 meters (330 feet): It is wearable around household sinks, while playing sports or taking showers, and in shallow water. It may be suitable for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, or poolside diving, depending on the brand. Some brands, especially those with a strong aquatic, diver orientation--such as Rolex, Omega, Luminox, and Tissot--have better reputations for water resistance and should be fine for water-related activities. Under no conditions should a watch with this rating be worn while scuba diving.

Water resistance 300 meters (990 feet): It is wearable around household sinks and while playing sports, swimming, surfing, snorkeling, poolside diving, and scuba diving at depths not requiring helium gas. Most manufacturers recommend these watches be pressure tested and seals replaced by an authorized service and repair facility every two to three years. We don't believe that's necessary unless you frequently wear your watch in water.

IWC Opens Big Apple Flagship, Honors Ali

2012-04-28T01:20:10Z

On April 25th, Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC opened the doors to its first boutique store in the United States. The Manhattan-based Madison Avenue flagship is the largest IWC store in the world.

"The opening of this flagship boutique in New York City is very special for us," explains IWC CEO Georges Kern. "It reflects our unique identity and provides an exceptional customer experience."

IWC also launched a new watch to commemorate the event: the IWC Big Pilot's Watch Edition Muhammad Ali. Limited to 250 pieces, this striking timepiece is dedicated to the boxing icon and is modeled on the original Big Pilot's Watch from 1940.

Ali's daughter, Miya, represented him at the event.

What Is a Hidden Deployment Clasp?

2012-04-24T18:36:39Z

You may have seen or heard the term "hidden deployment clasp" in reference to a watch and wondered what the heck that means. You wouldn't be the first.

Also known as a push button or butterfly clasp, it's the link in the middle that brings together both ends of a bracelet. It's considered aesthetically pleasing because a hidden deployment clasp is virtually invisible when worn.

To release the clasp, you simultaneously depress the two buttons on either side of the bracelet.

What Is the Guilloche of a Watch?

2012-04-21T02:45:01Z

Guilloche, in the context of watches, is a form of decoration for watch dials, which give the dial depth and visual complexity.

Guilloche is most often applied to silver and black dials via a decorative engraving technique highlighted by precise, intricate, and reptitive design or patterns mechanically engraved into the dial surface.

Where to Buy a Genuine Rolex Watch Now

2012-04-17T01:43:27Z

Since we don't carry Rolex watches very often, we get a lot of questions about where to go to find an authentic Rolex at a reasonable price. We can recommend a couple of reputable places online but your best bet might be to plan your next vacation in a country known to have a favorable pricing climate for Rolex watches. Where might that be?

The conventional wisdom is that Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Bahamas are the best places to find a deal on a new Rolex. Indeed, it is not unheard of for intrepid shoppers to negotiate a 10-30 percent discount off retail and pay no sales tax.

Ironically, Switzerland is one of the worst places to buy a new Rolex because of tight price controls and a strong Swiss currency.

National Council: Watches Must Be 60% Swiss to Be ‘Swiss Made’

2012-04-13T18:11:53Z

The National Council of Switzerland has approved a measure put forth by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) to make it more difficult to pass off a watch as being Swiss made.

At least 80 percent of mechanical watches and 60 percent of quartz timepiece would have to be made in Switzerland to qualify for the new label (up from 50 percent for either type of watch now). The Council of States still has to vote on the measure for it to become law.

The “Swiss made” issue has become a controversial one in the Swiss watch industry. It's been criticized for years by many in the Swiss watch industry as being too lax. But some watch manufacturers, such as Mondaine, have said the move only benefits Switzerland's biggest watchmakers who can easily absorb the costs of more expensive watch components; smaller firms, on the other hand, might be forced to raise prices or even close.

Current law According to the current Swiss law, a Swiss-made watch means that at least 50 percent of the parts are Swiss made and that the assembly, finishing, and final inspection occurs in Switzerland.

We'll continuing watching this story. Stay tuned.