The watch industry’s big powwow - Cleansing the eyes - Part 3 of 4

Across the aisle at Patek Philippe, in a completely different ambiance and in a segment even more prestigious, we were able to ‘cleanse the eyes’, in a manner of speaking—that is, to clear from our eyes all the excesses that clouded our vision, while relaxing and contemplating what we could quite simply call magnificent timekeeping. There were no sensational announcements but rather constant and continuous work that is perfectly in tune with the times, while the brand has not forgotten where it came from and why it does what it does.
Today, Patek Philippe is stronger that it was before the ‘crisis’, reinforced by the determination of the family, their development choices, and the solidarity of its distribution. At the same time, the brand has taken the luxury of creating its own Poinçon or Hallmark.
The biggest news at the fair was the brand’s chronograph 5170, of which we have already spoken about at length in our preceding issue (see Europa Star 2/10). It is the crowning point of a strategy aimed at gradually developing its own completely in-house offer of manual and automatic chronographic movements, which are designed and constructed in a manner to become immediate ‘classics’.

5950A and 5951P by Patek Philippe

In order to mark its regained pre-eminence in the domain of the chronograph, Patek Philippe also presented a single pusher flyback chronograph, the Reference 5950A, equipped with the new Calibre CH-27-525PS. Available in a stainless steel case, this sophisticated 5.35-mm movement is a record, and is individually handcrafted. We should not take the steel case to be a ‘provocation’ but rather as a sort of homage to this industrial material par excellence, and to the opening of a new niche segment in the market of collectors and aficionados.
The finished product is both very technical—with a railroad motion-works on a silvered opaline dial—and yet vaguely vintage—with the decoration of stylized leaves engraved on the four corners of the dial.
Still in the domain of the chronograph, we moved on to the grand complication with a ‘retro contemporary’ appearance enhanced by the cushion case. Featuring a single pusher, perpetual calendar, lunar phase, flyback chronograph, the Reference 5951P is the world’s flattest. The 400 components of its Calibre CH R 27.525PS Q are contained within a space measuring 27.30 mm in diameter and 7.30 mm in height.
Superbly designed, marvellously proportioned, and classic with perfect readability, this timepiece is one of those that, like we stated above, helped to ‘cleanse our eyes’ during the hubbub at BaselWorld.

Small and large families
Family businesses have something that sets them apart. Perhaps it is, quite simply, the time they have before them. This is what we concluded as we went from the Patek Philippe stand to the Hermès booth. The ‘family’ in question at Hermès is a lot larger than at Patek Philippe. Yet, a special spirit continues to dominate the brand’s attitude. Hermès is a ‘protestant’ luxury, if we might use these two terms in the same sentence, which grows by progressive acquisitions since the company understands that it takes time to learn—and to dominate—various domains including leather, silk, and finally, of course, watches.
Since 1978, with the creation of La Montre Hermès in Bienne (by the sorely missed and very brilliant Jean-Louis Dumas, who recently passed away), Hermès has gradually acquired a large amount of watchmaking savoir-faire and has now entered into the arena with the biggest players.
Luc Perramond, a former official with TAG Heuer during the time of Christian Viros, is the new CEO and General Manager. Parramond replaces Guillaume de Seyne, a member of the family, who moved on to higher responsibilities. Luc Perramond’s aim is to “solidly anchor La Montre Hermès in the circle of prestige Swiss watch brands.” The positioning has also evolved. The brand’s mechanical line, which today accounts for 20 per cent of turnover, is expected to grow to 40 per cent. While the proportion of men’s to ladies’ timepieces is still 25/75 per cent, Perramond says that this will change as the brand’s men’s line increases, with the ratio moving to 40/60 per cent. Parallel to the rise in strength of the masculine mechanical watch, Hermès is getting ready to “put more timekeeping substance into its feminine watches.” To reach these goals, Parramond benefits from two major advantages, especially in these uncertain economic times: an excellent price/quality ratio (the average retail price is about €2,000 with entry level prices as low as €1,000); and the fact that consumers consider Hermès to be a ‘safe investment’. As evidence of this, Hermès enjoyed global growth overall in 2009, with watches registering only a small decrease of 9 per cent, which allowed the firm to weather the economic storm without laying anyone off (100 employees in Bienne, 50 in the subsidiaries). According to Luc Perramond, 2010 has already started with a double-digit growth rate.

CAP COD TOURBILLON and CAP COD GRANDEs HEURES by Hermès

As a visible demonstration of its determination to enter into the arena of prestige timekeeping, Hermès intends to develop a series of exceptional timekeepers every year in the domain of the complicated movement. To this end, it will collaborate with Vaucher (whose health is, at the moment, a little wobbly as shown by its announcement of some 50 layoffs), in which Hermès is a stakeholder. It also intends to utilize the various types of watchmaking arts and skills such as engraving and enamel.
This year, the first Hermès tourbillon sees the light of day, in an exceptionally classic Cape Cod case, followed by a Lunar Phases model in the Cape Cod series. In Dressage can be found an Arceau Pocket, a Perpetual Calendar and an Annual Calendar while the Cape Cod Grandes Heures features its variable speed hour hand. This poetic and technical treatment of displaying the time opens up a rather special avenue for Hermès—one of ‘tamed time’ or ‘imaginary time’ that the brand intends to further develop. Moreover, Hermès is presenting a series of timekeepers that pay homage to the arts and skills associated with traditional watchmaking with very lovely examples of engraving on mother-of-pearl, grand feu enamelling (inspired by the famous Hermès ‘squares’), and skeletonising. Certainly, a very convincing demonstration.

Architects of (re-conquering) time
Another demonstration, but this time of getting back into the saddle, was seen at Ebel. With a new brand language, new campaign, new products, and new models, Ebel has begun “the job of re-conquering the markets”, which have changed in the meantime, according to Marc Michel-Amadry, one of the co-directors of the brand. “Consumers today want content. They want a strong and timeless brand. And for them, price has become a central element.”
A “strong and timeless brand” is exactly the message the new marketing campaign wants to get across. “We have returned to the initial campaign of the Architects of Time, but have strengthened it considerably. We have taken the idea of the imprint left by time on all matter by truly sculpting the watches featured in our campaign in clay, sand, chalk, silk, water, etc.,” explains Marc Michel-Amadry. Clearly, the campaign has moved far from the “‘ambassadors’ to centre essentially on the product. It is also being planned out for the long term (at least five to ten years).

CLASSIC SPORT by Ebel

In all cases, the new strategy corresponds closely to the very fine work accomplished by Ebel on the ‘architectural’ details that give the pieces their identity. The new Classic Sport is thus still purely ‘Ebelic’ in nature but it has been refined by subtle sculptural work on its single-block case as well as the structuring of three rows on its wave bracelet. With an aggressive entry-level price of 1,690 CHF (you can figure on 2,490 CHF for a mechanical movement), this is undoubtedly a piece designed to ‘re-conquer’ the market.

Squaring the circle
The same spirit of ‘re-conquest’ was seen at Maurice Lacroix whose CEO, Martin Bachmann, affirmed, “It is now the moment to reconsider the positioning of the brand for the long term.” What does he mean by that? Basically, that Maurice Lacroix “wants to be perceived as a contemporary brand, and that the accent will be placed on this modernity,” all while remaining situated essentially in a very affordable price range.
From a stylistic point of view, Maurice Lacroix has abandoned its classic and very elaborate dials in favour of a resolutely contemporary design, whether in terms of its lines or in the utilization of materials. The most convincing example we saw was certainly the Pontos Décentrique Lunar Phases in a superbly designed brushed titanium case, featuring the date at 6 o’clock in a teardrop-shaped opening (the system for the disc return of the date has been patented), hours on a rotating disc, indication of the date of the next full moon, and a superimposed double sapphire disc, one indicating the phase of the moon and the other showing day or night. The 500 pieces of this limited series are priced at 7,900 CHF, while the very impressive Pontos Power Reserve sells for 2,950 CHF, and the Day Date for 2,150 CHF.

MASTERPIECE RÉGULATEUR ROUE CARRÉE by Maurice Lacroix

On a more traditional side, the Les Classiques collection, equally well designed by the talented Sandro Reginelli, has grown, now welcoming a number of new functions such as a retrograde day and a large date. The Valjoux chronograph remains classic and very readable.
Yet, to demonstrate that Maurice Lacroix has not lost its special spirit for innovation (while waiting for the famous Memory One), it has surged ahead, leaving the other brands in the dust, by being the first to introduce the famous ‘form wheels’, theorized by Michel Vermot while he was a professor at the Haute Ecole ARC. This is the same Michel Vermot who now heads up the technical department at Maurice Lacroix.
With the Masterpiece Régulateur Roue Carrée, Maurice Lacroix presents a world’s first: an open-worked square wheel that, driven by a wheel in the form of a cloverleaf, points to the hour using a raised corner. The minutes are shown on a central hand while the small seconds hand is at 6 o’clock, and the power reserve (48 hours) indicator is at 3 o’clock. The great difficulty of this very original device was in defining the spacing and shape of the teeth in order to ensure constant power transmission through the gear. The solution was to use LIGA technology to create the wheels. From a visual standpoint, the result is stunning. Adding to the effect is that the dial is actually the movement’s main plate and is finished with a black gold rim. Visible through the sapphire crystal case back is the beautiful anthracite movement with its linear satin finish. This piece is certainly emblematic of the new direction taken by Maurice Lacroix.

A return to the ébauches
This year, working in a price category similar to that of Maurice Lacroix, Eterna presented its Madison Eight Days, which integrates the Eterna Spherodrive device introduced last year. Completely developed in-house, including its ébauche, this form calibre (14 3/4 x 12 lines) has two barrels linked in series and mounted on a double ball bearing in Zirconium oxide, thus avoiding the necessity for lubrication. Providing superior movement and great stability, this innovation allows for perfect engagement with the gear train. In addition, since the drum of the barrel is only screwed on one side, its bridge can be dismantled and reassembled very easily, therefore greatly facilitating servicing.
Ensuring exceptional precision for eight days of operation—after which an automatic mechanism comes into play to stop the balance—the 3510 movement equips a watch whose large date (with a rapid corrector at 10 o’clock, usable 24/24) is unusually positioned at 2 o’clock while the power reserve indicator is located between 7 o’clock and 8 o’clock.

CALIBRE 3510 and MADISON EIGHT-DAYS by Eterna

A little know fact, until 1932, Eterna and ETA (which was not called that then) were one and the same entity. At that time, the fabrication of ébauches was called Ebauches SA while the fabrication of finished watches was called Eterna. In 1982, with the creation of the SMH, this two-fold activity was purchased from the Schild family by Nicholas Hayek. He kept the ébauches factory but resold Eterna.
Today, Eterna’s goal is to return more strongly to its past history as a movement manufacturer. The result is a new series of its Calibre 38, a very flexible automatic movement (with a flying barrel on ball bearings), which offers the possibility of having variable displays, such as a date on a disc or on a hand, or even adding a 24-hour hand.
Intended for production on an industrial scale in large quantities, the sale of this movement—with various elements having been standardized—is now open to third parties. By using this movement as a base, Eterna also has a chronographic module with the particularity of being able to mount it on the bridge side rather than the dial side. This can therefore offer an interesting view of the chronographic functions on the reverse side of the watch. (For news on Porsche Design, belonging to the same group, see Keith Strandberg’s article in this issue.)

• Part 1 of 4 – The watch industry’s big powwow
• Part 2 of 4 – Modern times
• Part 3 of 4 – Cleansing the eyes
• Part 4 of 4 – More Japanese and more global

Source: Europa Star June - July 2010 Magazine Issue