europa star watch aficionado usa 5.11

Europa Star is brought to you direct from the heart of the Swiss watchmaking industry

WATCH AFICIONADOSpecial Web & iPad Edition

USA & CANADA VOL.47 N°05 OCT./NOV. 2011

Free and direct iPad access via www.europastar.com

Linear-winding automatic movement, 18K red gold case with sapphire crystal sides and back.Engraved gold version of the first CORUM automatic baguette-shaped movement.

www.corum.ch

For more information please call 949-788-6200

GOLDEN AFTERNOON by DeWitt18-carat white-gold case, 39mm diameter. Set with a total of412 brilliant-cut diamonds (2.99 carats) on the case middle,bezel, lugs and the crown, which is also adorned with a sap-phire cabochon. Mother-of-pearl dial with partially diamond-set floral decoration, stylised hands and French script hours.Self-winding movement with 42-hour power reserve andpersonalised DeWitt rotor. Blue alligator leather strap. Waterresistant to 30 metres. www.dewitt.ch

www.europastar.com

EDITORIAL The grand dance of the hypocritesHIGH-MECH The first Patek Philippe watch with a regulator dialCOVER STORY DeWitt’s golden afternoonNEWCOMER Blacksand readies for take-offON THE SCENE Bédat & Co’s first ladies’ chronograph

Emile Chouriet is a family firm with a differenceFOCUS ON GERMANY Introduction: Glashütte, cradle of German haute horlogerie

The Lange Akademie, getting to know the tree and its roots The 150th Anniversary of Junghans

CERTIFICATION A visit to the COSC, the temple of Swiss chronometry testing HONG KONG WATCH Introduction: Swiss watches in the Chinese mirror

China’s sphere of interest: Hong Kong show report

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NEW MOVEMENTS Laurent Ferrier, the right watch at the right timeKari Voutilainen, happy watchmaker, happy man

NEW MATERIAL When François-Paul Journe goes sportyCASE STUDY Louis Erard’s very competitive neo-classic offerWATCHMAKING CAPITAL The resurrection of BesançonMANUFACTURING Ulysse Nardin, the credo of innovation and independence

Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier: two new basic movementsLETTER FROM CHINA The Beijing watch factoryRETAILER CORNER Ace Jewelers, AmsterdamWORLDWATCHWEB® China – A brand new world for online luxury

HIGH-MECH Hautlence, at a strategic turning pointGallery: the latest high-mech watches

PERSPECTIVES Raymond Weil, maestro of independenceGALLERY Chronographs, Diamond watchesFOCUS ON GERMANY Tutima’s “hommage” as a symbol of its new ambitions

The Original from GlashütteNomos, doing things differently

MANUFACTURING 110 Years of Dubois DéprazRETAILER PROFILE King Fook Jewellers, Hong KongWORLDWATCHWEB® Looking beyond Facebook and TwitterLAKIN@LARGE Battered, bruised, but British!

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EUROPA STAR WEB & iPad SPECIAL

Who, besides perhaps the directors of theFederation of the Swiss Watch Industry, really wantsto enforce the rules regarding the Swiss Madelabel? Well, frankly, no one! Contrary to what isshouted from the roof tops—a way to proclaimtheir own virtue—a large number of watchmakersfeel that the widespread ambiguity surroundingthe criteria defining what is, and what is not,Swiss Made is quite advantageous. Conveniently, itleaves ample space for all sorts of small dealsbetween cronies (and sometimes between thosewith less than honourable intentions). The battle for stricter conditions in order for awatch to be labelled as “Swiss Made” is like notseeing the wood for the trees. But this isn’t evenwhere we should be looking, as some individualinitiatives are starting to show. A few examplesimmediately come to mind. The small brandHautlence has chosen to replace “Swiss Made”on its dials with the term “Horlogerie Suisse”.This change is obviously not because the brandcannot meet the Swiss Made criteria. On the con-trary, Hautlence timepieces largely exceed thesestandards since its watches are 90 per centSwiss. In this particular example, the brand’s lat-est and highly complex model is Swiss in allrespects except for its unique sapphire crystal.No manufacturer in Switzerland dared to makethis particular crystal, and Hautlence found onlyone company that was up to the task, and thatcompany was Chinese.Bédat & Co. have registered their own certifi-cate, the AOSC® (Appellation d’Origine SuisseCertifiée, or Swiss Certified Label of Origin), whichguarantees that the watch has been assembled inSwitzerland using a case, movement, dial andhands manufactured in Switzerland. Another example is Patek Philippe. When thebrand decided to create its own quality label, thePatek Philippe Seal, the venerable company brokenew ground. After all, it is not the Swiss Madelabel that confers quality upon a watch —it is the

brand itself that must prove it can match its ownreputation and provide the quality expected byits consumers. Thus, we are seeing the slow exit ofthe term Swiss Made, which is losing its validityafter having been open to different interpreta-tions for so long. (And increasing the percentageto 60 or 80 will not change things much.) But, the real reasons for the Swiss Made fight lieelsewhere, namely in the fierce battle over thesupply of mechanical movements, a battle thatis giving rise to many different manoeuvres.One example was seen in a recent article in theprominent Swiss newspaper, Le Temps, whichdenounced the practices of Sellita that, horror ofhorrors, sells Swiss Made mechanical movementsto Hong Kong at the rate of “several tens or evenseveral hundreds of thousands of pieces” (notethe absolute imprecision in the numbers). Thispractice has been used by everyone, includingthe Swatch Group. Large numbers of these move-ments come back to Switzerland in the form ofkits, with the case, dial, and hands made inChina, and the final product receiving the SwissMade label. Watch industry observers see, in this attack onSellita, an underwater torpedo launched by theSwatch Group with the aim of destabilising acompetitor, whose growing size has begun to bea little more than worrisome. (In 2011, Sellitaproduced 800,000 in-house movements.) Startingin 2012, the Swatch Group will begin reducingthe number of movements and assortments thatit supplies to third parties. This reduction is provi-sionally authorised by the Swiss COMCO (theCompetition Commission) pending the final con-clusion of a report that will determine if this cut-back is “an abuse of its dominant position” or not.While waiting for the next developments, whichwill take several years more, Sellita’s risingstrength is visibly disturbing to the largest play-ers in the watch arena. In 2009, the announcement by Nicolas Hayek ofthe reduction in supply to third parties wasthought to be healthy for the industry as awhole, since it would force the so-called “manu-factures” to finally invest in their productioncapacities. It is essential, therefore, not to blockthe path of those companies that are rising tothis challenge. Otherwise, it is the entire industrythat may suffer.

R Pierre M. MaillardEditor-in-Chief Europa Star

THE GRAND DANCEOF THE HYPOCRITES

EDITORIAL

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P atek Philippe recently presenteda new timepiece, never beforefeatured by the Geneva manu-

facture—a “regulator” type dial that alsoincludes an annual calendar function. The watch is driven by a new self-windingcalibre, the 31-260 REG QA, an ultra-thinmovement (33mm in diameter with a com-bined thickness of 5.08mm for the basicmovement plus annual calendar) with aunidirectional micro-rotor offering a powerreserve of 60 hours.

Designed for the new technologyThis new calibre, directly inspired by thefamous ultra-thin calibre 240, launched in1977, was designed from the very begin-ning to accommodate a regulating organmade in Silinvar® with its Spiromax®balance spring and Pulsomax® escape-ment (with pallets and pallets wheel inSilinvar®).In itself, the use of a Silinvar® regulatingorgan, developed specifically for PatekPhilippe, is nothing new because, alreadyin 2006, Patek Philippe revealed its firstescapements made in this special alloy ofsilicon. (For more on the use of silicon,

see the article, The Silicon Revolution onwww.europastar.com).Improved in isochronism and an increasein efficiency leading to an optimisation ofthe calibre’s operation and reliability arethe main advantages of this technology.The planned integration of this technologyinto the new calibre has allowed PatekPhilippe to optimise the profiles of the teethon the gear train, from the barrel wheel tothe pallets wheel. These new profiles ensurebetter meshing between the wheels andthe pinions, a reduction in friction, and thusmore efficient energy transmission. Another notable point is that, using thesetechnologies, Patek Philippe has beenable to increase the frequency of the newmovement to an unheard-of 23,040 vibra-tions per hour, or 3.2 Hz, which representsan increase in frequency of 10 per cent.According to the watchmakers at PatekPhilippe, this higher frequency “makes iteasier to adjust the precision to withinthe brand’s tolerances, which are -3 to +2seconds over 24 hours”, in other words,a delta of 5. The COSC has establisheda delta of 10. (As an aside, Patek’s watch-makers are the only ones capable of cali-brating their watches to this frequency

since no commercial machine does it, fur-ther demonstrating the determination forself-control and self-certification behindthe Patek Philippe Seal).The increase in energy efficiency obtainedby these various innovations has thus per-mitted Patek Philippe to utilise a less power-ful and much longer mainspring, enablingthem to raise the power reserve from 48hours, in the previous calibre, to the current60 hours (a gain of 25 per cent). A relatedadvantage is that the torque curve of thisextra long spring is much flatter all alongthe length of the disarming process, thusprocuring a better stability in the amplitude.So, it is on this new base that Patek Philippehas “grafted” a mechanism for an annualcalendar, displayed in three windows (theday, month and date require only one singlecorrection per year). Introduced in 1996,this “useful complication” is among thegreatest commercial—and technical—successes of the Geneva manufacture.

Timeless technical elegance The annual calendar ideally complementsthe regulator-type display of the new time-keeper. We have become accustomed toseeing the three calendar windows locatedin an arc between 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock,but in this case, it was not possible to main-tain this configuration. Here, the “regula-tor” display provides a central minutehand, hours at 12 o’clock, and seconds at

6 o’clock (in passing, this was not possiblewith the previous calibre 240 whose smallseconds display was at 5 o’clock). The day is placed at 10 o’clock, while themonth is at 2 o’clock, and the date is seen inits window at 6 o’clock inside the secondssub-dial (which some people might regretsince, in a regulator, one should be able tocontinuously see the ticking of the sec-onds—but here there is no other optionunless one forgoes the annual calendar).All in the aim of high readability, workingprecision oblige, the general design of thiswatch evokes exemplary classicism. Thewhite gold 40.5mm case, of the Calatravatype, traditionally constructed on three lev-els: the transparent case back, horizontally-satined middle case, and bevelled bezelwith a flat profile, as well as the long bev-elled horns, which confer upon the piece agrand and discreet elegance. Standing out from the vertically-satineddark silver-grey dial are the snailed sub-dials, treated with a lighter grey, and theblue minute markers. Simple Arabic numer-als, delicate indices, and blued baton handsall reinforce the elegantly technical natureof the watch. Selling for CHF 44,000 and hardly out ofthe ateliers, this classic and precise newtimepiece already seems like a classic ofthe Geneva brand.For more information about Patek Philippeclick on Brand Index at europastar.com

THE FIRST PATEK PHILIPPE WATCH WITH A REGULATOR DIALHIGH-MECH


THE RALPH LAURETHE RALPH LAURENN CERAMIC CERAMIC CHRONOGRAPHCHRONOGRAPHBLACK MATTE CERAMIC 45MM MODEL. SMOKY SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL CASE BACK. MANUFACTURE MOVEMENT.

SELF-WINDING CHRONOGRAPH. 261 COMPONENTS, 48-HOUR POWER RESERVE. SWISS MADE.

NEW YORK BEVERLY HILLS LAS VEGAS DALLAS CHICAGO BAL HARBOUR LONDON PARIS CANNES

MILAN GSTAAD ST MORITZ TOKYO SHANGHAI HONG KONG MACAU SINGAPORE

RALPHLAURENWATCHES.COM

EUROPASTAR US_229X267 RLW&J_Watches_FA11_OCT-NOV.indd 1 22/09/11 17:13

EUROPA STAR WEB & iPad SPECIAL – COVER STORY

T he Pre-Raphaelite movement wasfounded in London in 1848 by agroup of disillusioned artists and

students of the Royal Academy of Arts,who rejected the approach adopted by theMannerist artists who succeeded Raphaeland Michelangelo and advocated a returnto the intense colours and complex compo-sitions of quattrocento Italian and Flemishart, hence their Pre-Raphaelite name.

In particular, the Pre-Raphaelites consideredthe classical poses of Raphael a corrupt-ing influence on the academic teaching ofart and also objected to the influence ofSir Joshua Reynolds–the Royal Academy’sfounder–on the academic world. The found-ing artists, led by William Holman Hunt, JohnEverett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti,were later joined by other peers to form aseven-member “brotherhood”.

Julia Margaret Cameron, an early portraitphotographer, was also influenced by thePre-Raphaelites and developed a uniquestyle of portraiture that was closely cropped,in soft focus and which emphasised theemotions of her subjects. Cameron's sisterhosted a salon at Little Holland House,which was visited by many artists. This gavethe photographer many famous subjectsfor her portraits, such as Charles Darwin,Alfred Lord Tennyson and Robert Browning.

Cameron also had associations with thePre-Raphaelite movement, through whichshe met fellow photographer CharlesDodgson – who was better known underthe name Lewis Carroll. Dodgson had oftenused Alice Liddell (the inspiration for his“Alice” stories) as a child portrait subjectand Cameron later recognised Liddell asthe perfect Pre-Raphaelite portrait model.

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DEWITT’S GOLDEN AFTERNOONDeWitt’s intricate Golden Afternoon ladies’ model draws its inspiration

from the Pre-Raphaelite movement in order to pay a fitting tribute to the women for whom it is destined.


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The Golden AfternoonIn his preface to “Alice’s Adventures inWonderland” Lewis Carroll recalls themoment he improvised the story to enter-tain the three Liddell sisters, Alice, Edithand Lorina, on a boat trip from Oxford toGodstow.

The story starts:

If you can conjure up a mental image of thisidyllic riverbank scene on a golden after-noon and then compare it with DeWitt’sfully-paved timepiece of the same name,then you will find various similarities.Imagine the sky of a summer afternoondotted with clouds, the wind blowingthrough wild flowers and water lilies gentlybobbing on the river.

You will find all the elements of this scenebeautifully created on the watch’s dial.Against the background of a mother-of-pearl dial (the sky and clouds), a mixtureof diamond-set water lilies and colourfulflowers have been applied in different sizesand with overlaps that create a sense ofperspective and recall the slightly out-of-focus portraits of Julia Margaret Cameron.

The playful arrangement is complementedby diamond hour markers underneathwhich the hours are written out in French.Stylised angel wings as the hour andminute hands finish off the fairy-tale lookof the Golden Afternoon’s dial. There arethree different diamond-set models avail-able, “soft” with 146 diamonds, “medium”with 287 diamonds and “full” with 412diamonds. Add to this sparkle the mother-of-pearl dials in white, chocolate brownand black, together with the bold coloursof the flowers on the dial and DeWitt hasproduced a wonderfully whimsical time-piece that exhibits all the Pre-Raphaelitevalues.

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DEWITT GOLDEN AFTERNOON

Case diameter: 39mmMaterial: 18-carat white goldCrown: 18-carat white gold with blue sapphirecabochonDial: Mother of pearlStrap: Alligator leather or satinWater resistance: 30 metresMovement: ETA 2892 self-winding calibre with42-hour power reserve and personalised DeWittrotor.

Diamond settings:“Soft” with white-gold case and white mother-of-pearl dial or rose-gold case and chocolate mother-of-pearl dial and a total of 146 brilliant-cut diamonds(84 on the bezel, 48 on the two strap attachmentsand 14 on the dial) totalling approx. 1.404 carats.

“Medium” with white-gold case and black mother-of-pearl dial and a total of 287 brilliant-cut diamonds(117 on the case middle, 84 on the bezel, 48 onthe two strap attachments, 24 on the crown (alsoadorned with a ruby cabochon) and 14 (plus fourrubies) on the dial) totalling approx. 2.17 carats.

“Full” with white-gold case and white mother-of-pearl dial and a total of 412 brilliant-cut diamonds(165 on the case middle, 108 on the bezel, 48 onthe two strap attachments, 24 on the crown (alsoadorned with a blue sapphire cabochon) and 67on the dial) totalling approx. 2.89 carats.

All in the golden afternoonFull leisurely we glide;For both our oars, with little skill,By little arms are plied,While little hands make vain pretenceOur wanderings to guide.

For more information about DeWitt clickon Brand Index at europastar.com

ARMIN Racing One Week

arminstrom.com

Exclusive distribution for USA and Canada: TWI, LLC - 724 263 2286 / 212 828 7749 – 1760 Second Avenue

Suite 7C New York, NY 10128-5355

Together with its Formula-1 partner, Marussia Virgin Racing,

Armin Strom has developed a collection of exclusive time-

keepers, custom-built for motor racing refl ecting the Marussia

Virgin Racing team colours. Materials used in motor racing

are also used in the movement components – a fusion between

the motor industry technology and the art of watch making.

The ARMIN Racing One Week with the ARM09 Manufacture

movement is limited to 40 pieces.

Manufactory calibre ARM09-MVR


G ermany has always been agreat watchmaking nation.It has two main areas—one

in the southern part of the nation in theBlack Forest, and one in the northeast, inthe Dresden region of Saxony, where mostof the watch industry has historically beenconcentrated in the village of Glashütte.Unlike Switzerland, which was spared his-tory’s dramatic upheavals, Germany suf-fered many crises, wars, and governmen-tal changes. On a number of occasions,Glashütte nearly disappeared from the time-

keeping map altogether. After World War Icame the devastating economic crisis, andthen following World War II, the communistregime took over in Eastern Germany andconverted all the established companies, ori-enting watch manufacturing towards mass-produced watches for the low-end market. Despite these obstacles Glashütte, in thesame manner as Lange & Söhne, GlashütteOriginal, and Tutima, rose from the ashes.Over this time, the links between Glashütteand Switzerland have been prosperous andcomplex. Until the 1920s, the Swiss deliv-

ered complicated movements to Glashütte,where watchmakers excelled. But duringthe destructive economic crisis, the Swisscut all supply to the Germans in order toprotect their own production. In the 1930s, the “saviour” of Glashütte, Dr.Ernst Kurtz, purchased equipment from theSwiss watchmakers and organised know-ledge transfer so well that he was able tobreak the Swiss monopoly. After the fallof the Berlin Wall, Günter Blümlein, aGerman, relaunched the activities of Langeby drawing on savoir-faire from Swiss com-

panies Jaeger-LeCoultre and IWC, whichhe managed. The companies belonged toMannesmann at the time, who later soldthem to the Richemont group. Later, theSwatch Group took over Glashütte Original.The result of this amazing acquisition isthe Deutsche Uhren Museum, located inGlashütte and inaugurated in 2006, sub-titled with the name of its founder: NicolasG. Hayek. History is a perpetual repeater!

Read the full article on www.europastar.com

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GLASHÜTTE, CRADLE OF GERMAN HAUTE HORLOGERIEFOCUS ON GERMANY

E very self-respecting brand seeksto train, as well as possible,their most influential “ambas-

sadors”: the sales staff working in thestores who have direct contact with thecustomer. This is very important becausethe final buying decision can be affectedby the slightest detail. So a salespersonneeds to know and appreciate the criticalsubtleties of a brand and understand howto convey them to the final client.This understanding is even more importantin the case of A. Lange & Söhne, whoseclassic style often hides small or even invisi-ble details—both technical and aesthetic—that make a big difference. To truly under-stand the importance of these details,therefore, one needs to travel to Glashütteand breathe the air of the Saxon brand—to get to know the tree and its roots.

Ambassadors, coaches & expertsThe A. Lange & Söhne Akademie, locatedin Glashütte, is responsible for providingthe full immersion into the brand. Directedby Joanna Gribben-Lange, the Akademie ismuch more than a simple internship or asales seminar.

Designed in several phases that can take twoto three years, the participants are awardedtitles. The first is “Lange Ambassador,” fol-lowed by the “Lange Coach” and finally“Lange Expert.”This in-depth training is aimed primarily atall the brand’s dealers, each of whom isexpected to have an “Ambassador” or evenan “Expert” in their employ. Today, there arearound 300 certified “Lange Ambassadors”worldwide and 62 “Lange Experts”.

First phase: immersionThe first phase—which we experiencedourselves last June—is conducted overthree days and begins with a very detailedand well-presented visit to the manufacture.Here, the “intern” witnesses all the succes-sive steps in the creation of a watch, start-ing with the fabrication of the componentparts. Following this is the rare privilege ofviewing the production of springs thatLange has mastered since 2003. Next isthe assembly section, followed by casingup. The grand finale of this first immersionis the excellent finishing department, where70 out of the 470 employees deal only withthe final finishing of the Lange timepieces.

But it is the practical exercises that reallyadd spice to the experience. You only needto attempt to polish a “simple” gold set-ting and then screw it into position tounderstand that the road to perfection islong, in fact, very long. This practical immer-sion into the minuscule universe of thewatchmaker really opens the eyes of anyoneinvolved in it. I know that, from now on, I

will never look at a watch in the same way. The third aspect of this first phase is a tripback to the roots, to the historical placesin the region that have been the glory ofSaxony and are the basis of the currentwatchmaking renewal.

Coach and then finally expertIn the second phase of the Akademie’s train-ing course, the new “Lange Ambassadors”must pass on their new-found knowledgeto their colleagues, which ultimately enti-tles them to become “Lange Coaches.”The third phase, upon return to the Glashüttemanufacture, is to finally achieve the statusof “Lange Expert”. Three days are devotedto deepening the knowledge, includingdiscussions on specific points with the con-structors, developers, and master watch-makers. Furthermore, the basic watch train-ing is taken to a new level, focusing onfunctions and complications. Finally, theAkademie offers personalised coachingdealing with sales strategy.The successful “Lange Experts” thenbecome recognised spokespeople for thebrand. In return, the brand has trained menand women in the field who can transmitback important information to the brand.It is an Akademie for everyone.

Read the full article on europastar.com

THE LANGE AKADEMIE, GETTING TO KNOWTHE TREE AND ITS ROOTS


S ome 650km south-west ofGermany’s watchmaking hubin Glashütte, nestled in the

Black Forest, lies the town of Schramberg– the home of what was once the world’sbiggest watch and clock manufacturer, theUhrenfabrik Junghans GmbH & Co. KG.After being rescued from the brink ofbankruptcy in 2009 by local businessmanDr. Hans-Jochem Steim, the then CEO ofthe Schramberg-based Kern-Liebers group,Junghans this year celebrates its 150thanniversary.

The rebirth of a giantThe company takes its name from ErhardJunghans, who founded it with his brother-in-law Jakob Zeller-Tobler in 1861. AlthoughJunghans initially concentrated on the pro-duction of components for the famousclocks of the Black Forest region, the com-pany soon came to master the entire pro-duction process, producing its first time-pieces only five years after its launch. “The location of Schramberg was chosenfor strategic reasons over 150 years ago.In addition to the town being close to thewatchmakers in the Black Forest, the avail-ability of a power supply was also impor-tant,” says Matthias Stotz, CEO of Junghans.“The size and renown of Schramberg is

closely linked to the production of Junghanswatches. History has shown that many ofthe developments that revolutionisedGerman watchmaking originated here.” By 1903, Junghans had a workforce of3,000 and was selling three million watchesper year, making it the largest watch fac-tory in the world at the time. The companylaunched its legendary Meister collection inthe 1930s and, after surviving the SecondWorld War intact (the company infrastruc-ture was undamaged, despite Junghansbeing a supplier of fuses and on-boardclocks for the German army), the factorybecame the biggest manufacturer of chrono-meters in Germany during the 1950s. By 1956, the year in which Junghans wastaken over by the Diehl group, the companyhad grown to be the world’s third biggestproducer of chronometers, selling 10,000pieces in what became the company’speak year, behind Omega and Rolex. As befits such a watchmaking giant,Junghans was also involved in sports time-keeping and the development of quartztechnology. It was thanks to this thatJunghans was able to launch its first quartzwristwatch in 1970. The company evenbecame one of the few watch brands toreach the pinnacle of sports timekeepingand act as one of the official timekeepers

of the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. But by the mid-1970s it was this veryquartz technology that was threateningthe traditional mechanical watch manu-facture. In 1976 Junghans ceased its mech-anical timepiece production in favour ofquartz technology, with the launch of thecompany’s first quartz chronometer oneyear later – as a high-end timepiece –seemingly making mechanical chrono-meters superfluous.

Pioneering radio reception technologyIn the 1980s Junghans became a pioneer ina field for which it is perhaps most remem-bered today. Starting in 1985 with the use ofradio waves to control highly precise clocksusing the time signal transmitted from theatomic clock at the Physikalisch-TechnischeBundesanstalt (PTB), the German NationalMetrology Institute in Braunschweig, andfollowed one year later by a solar-poweredversion, the technology was refined until itcould fit into a digital quartz watch, whichwas launched under the name Mega 1 in1990 and became the world’s first radio-controlled watch.Today, the brand’s heritage in ultra-accuratetimekeeping lives on in the current collec-tion with the Mega Futura – a purely digi-

tal timekeeper with a radio-controlledmovement (J604.90) with autoscan andFSTN (Film Super Twisted Nematic LCD)technology that automatically adjusts thecontrast of the digital display. The Spektrummodels offer a more classic three-handanalogue design but with a digital bigdate display and a solar-powered radio-controlled movement (J615.84) that has apower reserve of 21 months – more thanenough to cope with long winter nights.

A return to traditional valuesThe Erhard Junghans 2 model celebratesthe brand’s 150-year anniversary in a trulyexclusive fashion as a limited edition ofonly 12 pieces, each of which is both iden-tified and rendered unique by a discreetchange on the dial: the German abbrevia-tion for “number” (Nr) replaces the Arabicnumeral in the spot corresponding to thelimited number of the watch.Beneath the classic exterior in 18-caratred gold beats a heart that illustrates thestrength of this Black Forest company’swatchmaking potential. The new hand-wound J330 chronometer calibre fea-tures a blue balance spring produced bySchramberg’s Carl Haas company. (...)

Read full the report on europastar.com

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THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF JUNGHANSFOCUS ON GERMANY

ERHARD JUNGHANS 2

SPEKTRUM

BÉDAT & CO’S FIRST LADIES’ CHRONOGRAPH

EMILE CHOURIET IS A FAMILY FIRM WITH A DIFFERENCE

ON THE SCENE


B édat & Co launches its firstladies’ chronograph as part ofthe No. 8 collection. Its stainless-

steel case with polished bezel is set with52 diamonds in a “snow” setting – atechnique that uses different-sized tinystones nestled close together to form aglistening carpet. The setting starts on thecrown protector and at 3 o’clock on thecase and then gradually peters out aroundthe circumference of the bezel, disappear-ing completely by 12 o’clock and 6 o’clockto provide a subtle transition as the eyeglides across to the opalin guilloché dialwith its Roman numerals and chrono-graph counters.The diamonds on the brand’s new Reference315 in the No. 3 collection are equallystriking but on this piece they cover everyavailable surface on the tonneau case. Atotal of 390 “random” diamonds of differ-

ent sizes are set on the stainless-steel case,with a further eight adorning the dial as hourmarkers, for a total weight of 3.955 carats. Like all Bédat & Co. timepieces, these newreferences are supplied with the brand’s

unique AOSC® certificate (Appellationd’Origine Suisse Certifiée, Swiss CertifiedLabel of Origin), which guarantees that thewatch has been assembled in Switzerlandusing a case, movement, dial and handsmanufactured in Switzerland. After a dynamic 2010, in which Bédat & Co.breathed new life into its American distri-bution channel (which now counts some70 points of sale), the brand more recentlystarted working with a new European dis-tributor and so far this year has opened newdoors in France, Israel, Portugal and Spain.As part of its continued worldwidedevelopment, the brand has more recentlyopened an official website in Chinese(http://cn.bedat.com) to support its entryinto the Chinese market, which will be oneof its focal points for the near future. (...)


Jean Depéry comes from a familywhich can trace its history inwatchmaking back to the 1700s,yet he chose the name of one of hisancestors’ customers, EmileChouriet, for the name of the watchbrand he launched back in 1998.

Jean Depéry named the watch brand heestablished in 1998 after Emile Chouriet,a watchmaker from the 1700s. But thecompany owes as much to Depéry’s great-great-great-grandfather François DagobertDepéry, as it does to Emile Chouriet.As Jean Depéry explains, “A lot of watch-makers in the centre of Geneva in theearly 1700s specialised in decoration andthey worked with suppliers in the sur-rounding suburbs for their components.My great-great-great grandfather sup-

plied Emile Chouriet with main plates andother components.”Jean Depéry entered the watchmakingindustry at the dawn of a new era and foundhimself designing very high-precisionmicro-mechanisms. He contributed to thedevelopment of the micro motor used inall quartz watches today and also devel-oped and created his own tools for high-precision machining and for assessing thequality and reliability of components. The Emile Chouriet brand is today part ofChina’s Fiyta Group and it comes as nosurprise, therefore, that China is by far thebiggest market for Emile Chouriet watches,accounting for a staggering 98 per cent ofthe brand’s sales. More recently, Emile Chouriet has intro-duced an original display module developedand manufactured entirely in-house. The

new “Catch the Moon” model has a doubledisplay that changes to show daytime andnight-time using two separate discs: one for1am to 12pm and another for 1pm to mid-night, using the 24-hour clock and subtlycoloured to indicate day or night. (...)


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BLACKSAND READIESFOR TAKE-OFF

Blacksand is a new brand for 2011 thatis the brainchild of Alain Mouawad,who first cut his teeth in watchmakingat Robergé, a watch brand of his fam-ily’s Mouawad Group.The brand’s debut collection is calledUniformity and features a fresh inter-pretation of the traditional round watchcase and a strong focus on attention todetails, with numerous design touchesthat set these watches apart as prestigetimekeepers. “I was born into a jewellery family andour father pushed us to follow the fam-ily tradition,” Alain Mouawad admits. “Itwas always our father who had the ulti-mate say in the company. Furthermore,our main market was the Middle Eastand we always did what the marketasked for. As a result I was never able todo what I wanted.” The Blacksand calibre 1970 used inthese models is based on a Technotimemovement for which Blacksand has theexclusivity in its COSC-certified version.“It would be tough to sell a watch ofthis quality with an ETA movement,”Mouawad concedes. “This is why wechose to use Technotime. It is one of thefew big movements on the market andit has some good features, such as thetwin barrels that offer a 120-hourpower reserve.” Europe and the USA promise to be thebrand’s main markets, since the Asianconsumer is more brand-oriented and,being new to the scene, Blacksand hasyet to establish its credentials. In anycase, Alain Mouawad is in no hurry toexpand the brand too quickly and pro-duction is set to be limited to a fewhundred models for the next year or so.But despite launching the brand duringa difficult economic period, he believesthat, “If you’re determined and you arerespectful in terms of philosophy andbusiness transactions, then you have aplace in today’s market.” (...)The full article is on europastar.com

NEWCOMER

Ref. 830

CATCH THE MOON

In English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and French5 Websites, 5 iPad Apps, 5 Continents – for the World’s Watch & Jewellery Markets

Stay tuned by clicking on the Europa Star global WorldWatchWeb network - any time!

www.europastar.com www.watches-for-china.com www.horalatina.com / www.europastar.eswww.europastarwatch.ruwww.CIJintl.com (fine jewellery)

ALL EUROPA STAR IPAD VERSIONS ARE UNIQUE SITE APPLICATIONS WHICH ALLOW:

• An incomparable content of over 10,000 articles available on watches, watch brands, manufacturing, markets, retailers, watch tech and archives back to the year 2000.

• Direct and free access by just typing Europa Star URLs on your iPad (no need to download from App Store).

• Constant and up-to-date information with daily postings in News, Watch Models, Industry Features, Highlights and Specials.

• Easy navigation with scroll down and left to right flip. • Full page advertisements from the leading international watch brands in all sections. • Special advertisers’ files with their articles quotes and history.• A complete Brand Index with brand links, head office information and refined Search tool by category and publication years.

• Easy shift button from one application to the other and to preferred language.• The Europa Star Russian version additionally provides a new Boutique Index - the first tool in the industry to search brands and their boutiques throughout the Russian speaking markets.

• Designed to cover all of the world’s major geographical areas, the Europa Star iPad site applications are available wherever you are located and in the language of your choice.

EUROPA STAR, THE WORLDWATCHWEB ON YOUR IPAD!

europastar.com is brought to you by Europa Star HBM SA, 25 route des Acacias, 1227 Carouge, Geneva Switzerland, [email protected] full information on Europa Star click on www.europastar.com ABOUT US and CONTACT US

A VISIT TO THE COSC, THE TEMPLE OF SWISSCHRONOMETRY TESTING

CERTIFICATION

W e often see the mention“COSC certified” associatedwith a watch, although, in

reality, it applies to only three per cent ofSwiss timepieces. With its abbreviationstanding for “Contrôle Officiel Suisse desChronomètres,” what exactly is the COSC?What exactly does it certify? And howexactly does the COSC arrive at these cer-tifications? To learn more, Europa Startravelled to the Bienne office of the COSC(the other two offices are located in La-Chaux-de-Fonds and Geneva).At the risk of overstating the obvious tothe majority of our professional readers,we must remind everyone that a “chrono-

meter” is not a “chronograph”. Accordingto the COSC’s own definition, “a chrono-meter is a high-precision watch capableof displaying the seconds and housing amovement that has been tested over severaldays, in different positions and at differenttemperatures, by an official neutral body(COSC). Only movements which meet theprecision criteria established under ISO3159 are granted an official chronometercertificate.”Although the definition sums it up, it is stillnecessary to explain things a bit more. Let’sstart with the famous “ISO Standard 3159”that the managers of COSC call—respect-fully but with a slight smile—“the Bible”

of the chronometer. Among the other spec-ifications decreed by this standard (whichis subject to copyrights and therefore can-not be reproduced here in detail), the pri-mary principles are based on certain quali-fying criteria that have to be met in order toachieve the certification. (...)


SWISS WATCHES IN THE CHINESE MIRRORHONG KONG WATCH & CLOCK FAIR


“What is the biggest challengefacing the watch industry today?The focus of the brands is on theChinese customer right now, butthere is no way to know how longtheir buying power will last. If theChinese customer disappears,what will the watch industry do?There has to be a plan and the in-dustry has to focus on developingother markets as well.”

These are the words of a sales representa-tive of King Fook, one of the largest retail-ers in Hong Kong, as told to our specialenvoy to Hong Kong, Keith Strandberg. Between January and July of this year, HongKong and China purchased nearly one-thirdof Swiss watch exports by value, whichrepresents an increase of 76 per cent forHong Kong compared with the same period

in 2009 and an increase of 160 per centfor China! If we add Singapore and Taiwanto the mix, the “Chinese” share rises tonearly 40 per cent of Swiss watch sales.But these great numbers have an impacton quality as well as quantity. Since theChinese consumer generally has very clas-sic tastes, style and design are also beingaffected. As Olivier Bernheim, CEO ofRaymond Weil, reminds us, “Chinese con-sumers are looking for classic styling since,for most of them, it is their first watch.”

The Chinese also have a great influence onthe strategic element that is the mechanicalmovement. In Hong Kong recently, KeithStrandberg tried to see a bit more clearlythrough the general fog that clouds themarket for mechanical movements: thecomings and goings between Switzerlandand China, exports and re-exports, gaping

holes in the term Swiss Made, accusationsand counter accusations between the giantETA and Sellita, etc. Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturers areproducing mechanical movements by themillions, with increasing levels of qualityand sophistication. They may not be as reli-able as the ETA “tractors”, but it behovesthe industry to heed the proverb “neversay never”. A slowdown in Chinese con-sumption coupled with an improved offerof good Chinese mechanical movementscould cause a paradigm shift. The Swissbrands still have a strong identity thatgives them a considerable advantage. Butmaybe one day the origin of what is underthe hood, the origin of the motor, won’tbe so important. Who knows?

Read the full article on www.europastar.com

CHINA’S SPHERE OFINTEREST: EUROPA

STAR’S HONG KONGSHOW REPORT

At the HKTDC Hong Kong Watch &Clock Fair the focus is mostly on emerg-ing brands, companies looking to makea name for themselves, as well as OEM/ODM and other manufacturers.Though 12 luxury watch brands didappear in the World Brand Piazza,sponsored by Prince Jewellery & WatchCompany, there were only a few high-end brands within the exhibition space.

Getting my heart goingIn its 30th year, the Hong Kong Watch &Clock Fair had more than 700 exhibitorsfrom more than 13 countries, whichcan be a little overwhelming. In theBrand Name category, there are com-panies that are striving to build theirown brands, led by o.d.m., Solar Time(with Earnshaw, Ballast and SwissEagle), Coronet, Chouette, AND Watchand more. There are also licence oper-ators like Everlast, Fila, New Balance,Cosmopolitan and others.It can be pretty confusing, so to add aninteresting twist, I borrowed a heart ratemonitor watch from Solus, a new prod-uct that makes measuring heart rate aseasy as putting your index finger on thefront of the case. As I viewed the differ-ent watches on display, I’d measurewhich watches got my heart beatingfaster. By the way, my baseline restingheart rate is 52 beats per minute. (...)

Full article on europastar.com

HONG KONG

SOLUS

THE SIMPLICITY OF INNOVATION.

RADIOMIR ORO ROSA - 42mmP.999 in-house calibre

Available exclusively at Panerai boutiques and select authorized watch specialists.

www.panerai.com

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