A recent article in Europa Star has caused us to reflect upon the relationship that watchmakers, or rather watch “companies” and “brands” have with their critics and memory.
It is readily apparent that they are not, in any manner, used to criticism. Take an author, filmmaker, or politician, for example. They all must develop a very thick skin where critics are concerned, who, you can be sure, will not handle them with kid gloves nor will they worry about hurting their feelings. A doctor, a chef, and even your plumber are also not immune to criticism. But when it comes to criticizing a watchmakerı Don’t even think about it.
Up to now, it must be said that watchmakers have been coddled. The great majority of journalists who deal with the watch industry are green with envy: they admire all of the marvels; they touch and feel the gold and evaluate the diamonds; they fearlessly approve and applaud all the superlatives. How many “masterpieces” has the watchmaking industry produced over the last ten yearsı Quite simply, we don’t count them anymore!

With the arrival of the computer, the copy/paste function has also invaded the minds. Writers and editors receive extraordinary press releases before even one single watch has left its ultra-realistic virtual drawing board. Before the lathe has made even one turn, or the CNC drill has made a single hole, or a master watchmaker has even bent over to look at the newborn, a thousand eulogies and beautiful virtual pictures are already being circulated around the world. A barrier of words and images is quickly erected to filter out any inquisitive gaze seeking to judge the true value of this as-of-yet unachieved promise.
The market impatiently waits and expects, a saturated market, which is all-too-soon ready to move on to other things. In this way, one often loses all notion of what is essential. Without standing back and taking a second look, it is impossible to evaluate what is really happening – there is simply no time. The parade has passed.

Watchmakers not only cannot stand criticism, but also they have no memory. In trying to bring some perspective to the disorderly flood of new models at the Spring watch fairs, we moved up to “higher” ground in the hope of seeing things a little more clearly. After all, isn’t watchmaking the art and industry par excellence in which the essence of Time, over the long term, is primordial!
And yet, the watchmakers, having already forgotten that just ten years ago they had already “killed off” the tourbillon, are nonetheless launching themselves into a new tourbillon craze, that will kill off the tourbillon for a second time.
They are forgetting an essential historical concept: the quest for the simplicity and efficiency used to achieve a desired result are the basis of every art, watchmaking included.
Recently, we reminded the industry of this fact and we were reprimanded.
In a sense, this reaction was comforting. Are the “markets” so sensitive that a few lines in your magazine, Europa Star, might possibly weaken themı We offer our thanks for the indirect recognition.
On the other hand, the brands’ ultra-sensitivity to their immediate wishful thinking has also made us, we must admit, a little sad. Would the watch industry be worse off if, at its core, at the heart of the profession, in a spirit of respect and “fraternity”, the critical wind blew a little more often, putting current creations into perspectiveı No. We are convinced, and will remain convinced, that the opposite is true. With a little more recall, the industry, which is remarkably healthy, would only be better in the long term.


Source: June-July 2005 Issue

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