STRENGTHENING THE BASE OF THE PYRAMID
March 2017
High on the intoxicating returns from its ascent to the dizzying heights of luxury, the Swiss watch industry has now fallen back to earth. And it’s asking (…)
A LAST WORD TO START - “The danger is not the humanisation of robots but the robotisation of humans”
March 2017
The German futurologist Gerd Leonhard was invited to the 8th Haute Horlogerie Forum last autumn. He had one piece of advice to give to young people looking (…)
Don’t forget the middle class!
DOSSIER
March 2017
In recent decades, Swiss watchmakers have been preoccupied with scaling the summits in terms of pricing, mechanical sophistication and artistic refinement, (…)
What exactly is a mid-range watch?
DON’T FORGET THE MIDDLE CLASS
March 2017
Watchmakers would be the first to say that they don’t like the term “mid-range” – they find it disparaging. And, in fact, there is not a single mid-range – (…)
Target: middle class
VERBATIM
March 2017
Three CEO speak out: Alain Zimmermann, CEO BAUME & MERCIER; Alain Spinedi, CEO LOUIS ERARD; Rolf Studer, co-CEO ORIS.
Have I got news for you!
FREELY SPEAKING
March 2017
Slouched in a deckchair on the terrace in the sun, puffing serenely on my pipe with the remnants of a delicious cappuccino beside me, my mobile telephone (…)
French and English: an Entente Cordiale
WATCHWORDS
March 2017
As a translator, my job is essentially to take a load of French words, and turn them into a load of English words. Although it’s unclear exactly how many (…)
Watch prices: the great upheaval
REPORT
January 2017
A SPECIAL REPORT COMPILED by Pierre and Serge Maillard – Reshuffling the price cards – Price constellation – It’s the fault of… – An objective look – (…)
Reshuffling the price cards
ANALYSIS
January 2017
The very serious slowdown experienced by the Swiss watchmaking industry in 2016 had at least one positive effect – it provided a clearer view of things, (…)
A price constellation
REPORT
January 2017
The price issue is at the heart of the current watchmaking crisis. Pricing is indicative of a systemic crisis with numerous causes, the consequences of (…)
Watch prices: it’s the fault of…
REPORT
January 2017
It’s the fault of… It is true that any number of reasons of all kinds, a whole interwoven knot of reasons, have placed the watchmaking industry in a (…)
Watch prices: an objective look
REPORT
January 2017
Before we start analysing the current situation, let’s cast our eyes back. Because, although the watchmaking business is all about time, it often has a (…)
