How many watches are manufactured each year in the entire world? Answer: 1.5 to 1.7 billion, or in other words, one watch for every six to seven inhabitants. How much are they worth (at export)? Answer: perhaps 20 to 22 billion Swiss francs, but no one knows for sure. What we do know, on the other hand, is that the recently announced export numbers for 2007 for the Swiss watch industry showed a record year. With double digit growth, the total exports were valued at around 16 billion Swiss francs as compared to 11 billion francs in 2004—a definite increase.
This record level was derived from the sale of some 25.9 million termin-ated pieces. But, putting it in perspective, this means that Swiss timepieces represented only a fraction of total world watch production—about 1.8 to 2 percent! And yet, these are the watches that everyone is talking about. The watch media is a little like the people media—it is only interested in the stars. The others—all the others—are obliged to stand on the sidelines and watch the tourbillions as they move down the red carpet.
As we begin this New Year, Europa Star will expand its horizon a little and mix up the genres, in a sort of democratic mix, showing the swankiest pieces along with the most modest. This is because, as the saying goes ‘It takes all kinds to make up a world’. And watchmaking is assuredly a world, a world with very distinct ‘classes’, with more or less boisterous ‘tribes’, with those who boast the finest mechanicals and those who offer much more unassuming products. Oh, of course, the watch world is way too vast and too diverse to cover it all, but this diversity is what gives the sector its richness.
So, let’s start our tour. We will visit the ‘Über-watches’ that are flying high right now and then take a trip to the kindergarten to see what the kids are doing. We will examine the latest advances in the domain of ‘new materials’ and also travel to Shenzen to visit a Chinese watch factory. We’ll strut along with the ‘Made in USA’ fashion commandos and look at the latest innovations in quartz and hybrid technology. We will also offer a sneak preview so you can admire a few of the strongly distinct timekeepers that will be unveiled during the upcoming watch shows. What a world this ‘Horlocosmos’ is!

Photo: Monkey gaping at a full moon
High relief carving in Japanese lacquer on ‘ishime’ ground, full moon incrusted in silver, from the Angular Momentum ‘Tec & Art’ Collection.


Source: Europa Star February-March 2008 Magazine Issue