#Zenith Watch Company Of Switzerland

[joehaupt]

Vintage Zenith TimeCommand Swiss-Made Men's Quartz Watch, Silver Dial With Stainless Steel Case & Matching Bracelet, Analog With Red LED Digital Display, Working Condition, Circa 1977 by Joe Haupt

[james4roger]

Zenith Watches: Find Your Perfect Zenith Watch

Are you looking for a stylish, sophisticated watch that will make a statement? Zenith watches are some of the most sought-after timepieces available, and now you can find them for sale at great prices. From classic and timeless designs to modern and sporty styles, there are Zenith watches for everyone. Whether you want a luxurious piece for a special occasion or a reliable everyday watch, Zenith has the perfect watch. Read on to learn more about these beautiful watches and where you can find Zenith watches for sale.

Zenith's vintage watches are highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts. These watches are known for their timeless design, high-quality craftsmanship, and historical significance. Some of the most popular vintage Zenith watches include the Zenith El Primero, a chronograph watch that was first produced in 1969, and the Zenith Captain, a line of watches that were first produced in the 1940s.

For those looking to purchase a Zenith Watch, there is an option to suit every budget. Zenith Watches for sale at various prices so that you can find the ideal timepiece for your lifestyle. Plus, each Zenith Watch comes with a two-year warranty, giving you added peace of mind when making your purchase.

What Makes Zenith Antique Watches Special?

Zenith was founded in 1865 and began their rise to fame by producing traditional pocket watches and high-quality automatic movements. Over the years, they became renowned as one of the world's oldest and most iconic watchmakers. It wasn’t until 2014, when Tag Heuer acquired the company; its reputation began gaining momentum.

As far as design is concerned, Zenith’s vintage watches have an aesthetic charm unlike any other brands out there – both modern and antique. The lack of contemporary technology allows their wearers to appreciate their intricate mechanical movements and unique shapes from back in the day.

For over 155 years, Zenith Watches have been creating exquisite timepieces that combine style, precision, and quality. Since 1865, the watchmakers at Zenith have been creating timeless designs with the utmost attention to detail and craftsmanship. From classic to modern, Zenith Watches come in various styles and designs, each featuring the newest in watchmaking technology and made with high-quality materials.

Zenith Watches are renowned for its exemplary craftsmanship and a long-standing reputation for excellence in the watchmaking industry. With an extensive collection of timepieces, you can find the perfect Zenith Watch for any occasion.

For Those Who Seek Adventure

Are you looking for the perfect timepiece to accompany you on your next adventure? Look no further than Zenith watches. Designed with ruggedness and durability, Zenith watches are designed to handle whatever you can throw at them. Whether you’re scaling mountains, exploring the depths of the ocean, or just going on a family camping trip, Zenith watches are up for the challenge.

Zenith offers a variety of styles and designs, so you’re sure to find a watch that fits your adventurous lifestyle. All Zenith watches are made from high-quality materials and come with a two-year warranty, so you can rest assured that your timepiece will last. Invest in a timepiece from Zenith, and you’ll be able to enjoy your next adventure for years to come.

Don’t wait any longer; start your next adventure with a Zenith watch. You can't go wrong with a timepiece from Zenith with high-quality materials, a two-year warranty, and various styles and designs.

For Those Who Value Timeless Design

When it comes to timeless design, there is no better watchmaker than Zenith. For over 150 years, the Swiss watchmaker has been crafting beautiful, classic timepieces that combine modern and classic elements. Whether you’re looking for a dress watch, a clock, or something else, Zenith offers a wide range of watches for sale. All of their watches are crafted in Switzerland with the highest-quality materials, ensuring they will last for many years. Additionally, all Zenith watches come with a 2-year warranty, so you can rest assured that they will protect your purchase. If you’re looking for a watch that is stylish, timeless, and built to last, look no further than Zenith.

Where to Find Zenith Antique Watches

There are several ways one can go about finding a great vintage piece from this stellar watchmaker: online marketplaces such as eBay and bidsquare collectors who can point you in the right direction if you’re willing to pay for their expertise; established auction houses or top-end dealerships such as Antiquorums that feature regular auctions with rare collections up for grabs; and even flea markets – although it may take some patience wading through all the junk before locating a genuine specimen.

Ultimately, after setting a budget and doing some research on what types of movements are available during your desired era (for instance, 1877 lever movement models), it wouldn’t hurt to open your heart up around local estate sales or niche Facebook groups related to pocket watches/antiques – since sellers tend to be more forthright with fellow “experts” over virtual platforms than commercial ones.

[dcvw]

FRATELLO: Lémania Reference 174 Vintage Chronograph 

Often times the unsung heroes of the watch industry are the movement manufacturers. Not every brand has the capacity to create in-house movements (or dials, cases, bracelet for that matter). This is when a movement manufacturer comes into play. As you know the largest companies these days catering for the whole industry are ETA (company of Swatch Group), Sellita and Seiko. Of course, many other brands offer calibers from Switzerland, Japan Germany and a bunch of various other countries. Brands outsourcing movements, however, is not a new thing. It has been going on since the beginning of times. Just think of the early Panerai watches which had Rolex movements inside them. To stay with Rolex, we have all seen the prices of the so-called “Zenith Daytonas” (Rolex Daytonas with a Zenith El Primero chronograph movement) skyrocketing in recent years. Those Zenith movements were also used by Ebel and Movado for example, but we’ve also seen them in watches from TAG Heuer and (again) Panerai...

[orbemnews]

When Will In-Person Watch Fairs Be Back? Every year Lane Schiffman — who lives in Greensboro, N.C., and who co-owns a handful of high-end watch and jewelry stores, including Shreve & Co. — usually spends a couple weeks in Switzerland at the trade shows that have been anchors of the watch industry for decades. But for Watches and Wonders Geneva, the virtual trade fair that hosts 38 brands and starts on April 7, he will be sitting in a friend’s house, watching each company unveil its newest timepieces on a computer screen. Mr. Schiffman said he will miss having new watches in his hands and socializing with colleagues in person. He is realistic, however, about the current limitations on physical gatherings. “It’s not something we can do, so Plan B is the next best thing, and Plan B is to do things virtually,” he said. Certainly the online presentations this year have filled a pandemic-inspired need, but what happens to watch fairs when restrictions on large gatherings and travel are lifted? And, perhaps even more important to the majority of watch fans, will brands revert to their traditional patterns, largely bypassing online channels available to the many in favor of in-person exchanges with the few? Many watch industry insiders see the merits of physical fairs, historically held annually in Basel and Geneva. “It gives much more strength that all the brands are speaking at once,” said Frédéric Arnault, chief executive of TAG Heuer. “It helps us all create this mystique around not just this or that brand, but all watch brands.” But virtual fairs have their supporters, too. “There is something about just being able to, I hate to say it, sit in your underwear and not leave your home and watch the show,” said Adam Craniotes, an editor at large at the watch magazine Revolution and co-founder of the RedBar Group, a collectors’ organization. Watch fairs, like so many businesses, were forced to recalibrate by the pandemic. And in this case, experts say, that restructuring was overdue. “Probably this year of Covid was useful for them to try to disrupt something that was difficult to disrupt without such an event,” said Claudia D’Arpizio, partner and head of luxury goods for the management consultants Bain & Company. “Everyone was questioning the value of these fairs.” The Swiss events were pitched mostly at retailers and journalists with splashy presentation booths that can cost several million dollars and fancy brand-hosted events each evening. At Geneva’s fair, for example, the public wasn’t allowed entry until 2017, and that access was limited to a single day. For several years there had been a feeling that the expense and exclusivity, especially in the all-access climate of social media and websites, were outdated. As Ms. D’Arpizio put it, “It’s nonsense that all this content had lived just one week, like a butterfly.” In the past, watch companies unveiled their main annual releases at two fairs. One was the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, commonly known as S.I.H.H. — held in Geneva in January and focused on luxury brands, predominantly those owned by Richemont, like Cartier and Jaeger-LeCoultre. The other was Baselworld, the world’s largest watch and jewelry fair by almost every measure, with roots that went back more than 100 years. It was held in the spring and included both top-tier and more accessibly priced timepieces, jewelry and gems. Things began to change a few years ago, as some brands pulled out of fairs entirely and others decided to create their own events. Brands owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, like Bulgari and Zenith, introduced new watches at a group event in Dubai in 2020 and again earlier this year — although many are also unveiling models this week at Watches and Wonders. Then came the pandemic. Watches -and Wonders 2020 was digital — free viewing, with consumer access for some of the content — with small physical versions last fall in Shanghai and on the Chinese island of Hainan. Baselworld 2020 was canceled entirely. Organizers of Watches and Wonders Geneva promise content this year that goes beyond just brand rundowns of new watches. And next week, a physical version of the fair is scheduled in Shanghai, with panels, talks and workshops as well as booths from 19 brands. “We’ve tried to move it from a professional salon, old style, into something I would say is more of a forum — a mix of Fashion Week meets Davos meets Watches and Wonders,” said Emmanuel Perrin, president of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, the nonprofit organization that puts on the fair. (He is also head of specialist watchmakers’ distribution at Richemont, which accounts for about a third of the online fair’s participants.) Baselworld has said it is returning, too, although in a different configuration. Renamed Hour Universe, the fair is planned as a live event in June. It also intends to hold a digital fair later this year, although that was an addition promised, but not fulfilled, in 2019. (Some Baselworld mainstays, like Patek Philippe and Rolex, are scheduled at Watches and Wonders.) Many brands also have pivoted to and invested in video equipment to be used at the fairs and beyond. Chopard, for example, installed a film studio in its Geneva headquarters that it intends to introduce during the fair this week. H. Moser & Cie set up in a similar studio, with professional lighting and three cameras, which it said has been used nearly every day since it was set up last fall. It intends to host a virtual presentation this week, with a vacation-themed backdrop that the brand said should lighten the potentially dull exercise of presenting timepieces. “We heard from a lot of journalists that, in general, those presentations are quite stiff, so we’re trying to create an atmosphere that’s a little bit different,” said Edouard Meylan, its chief executive. Watch fans likely have had the same reaction as those following fashion since the pandemic all but eliminated runway shows: Some videos are brilliant, some are just boring. In addition to its presentation of new watches, Montblanc’s watch division will include a live conversation with Reinhold Messner, the mountaineer and a brand ambassador, talking about an expedition that helped inspire elements of a limited edition timepiece. Other brands pretaped footage in dynamic venues. Hermès, for example, went to Geneva’s historic Bâtiment des Forces Motrices, taking along a sculpture and digital art piece that it had commissioned. And Ulysse Nardin filmed at Bassins de Lumière, a World War II submarine base in the Bordeaux region of France, to emphasize its maritime tradition. “There could be a Zoom fatigue,” said Patrick Pruniaux, chief executive of Ulysse Nardin and Girard-Perregaux. “We have to make sure that we are delivering the message in a way which is the most exciting.” From the brands’ standpoint, digital presentations help the bottom line. Several said production costs are as much as 90 percent less than a physical show — a real consideration as 2020 sales were down 30 percent year over year, according to Bain. And the content “can live beyond the period of the fair itself,” to be used other ways, Ms. D’Arpizio said. That hasn’t stopped one critic from creating his own digital event. “Zoom presentations as a way of running the watch industry, or as a way of getting business done, have been an abject failure,” said Ariel Adams, founder of the watch website aBlogtoWatch. “It’s because these brands have put absolutely no effort into anything beyond, ‘Hey, we heard Zoom meetings are a thing.’” As another option, next month Mr. Adams will be introducing his own online fair, called New Watch Week. He aims to create more engaging videos than those in typical brand launches. The fair will include content at intervals throughout the year, instead of just during its first week. His target audience, he said, is consumers, who will be able to watch for free, no invitations needed. That type of programming is likely to continue after the pandemic has gone. Physical fairs, he said, may well resume then, too. “The luxury industry requires real relationships, social opportunities, travel and celebration, and consumers that want to express themselves and have the money to do so,” Mr. Adams said. “If you don’t have those things happening, you don’t really have a functioning watch industry.” Source link Orbem News #Fairs #inperson #watch

[mypkshop-blog]

Top 10 Quartz Gold Watch | Best Quartz Gold Watches in Pakistan

Buy Online Quartz Gold Watches in pakistan from company website in lahore in all over the world country brand in karachi for men and women in Pakistan.

When pondering watches it's anything but difficult to become involved with the sentiment of a complex mechanical timepiece. Brands like Bulgari, MB&F, and Zenith are secured a fight to create progressively unpredictable and expand watch developments, while even standard players like Rotary demand flaunting the programmed development of their watches with glass backs and skeleton instruments.

The majority of this can make the modest quartz development feel somewhat lacking. In any case, dread not, on the grounds that where self-winding developments win the prize for unpredictability and craftsmanship, quartz watches battle back with their low costs, expanded exactness, and just about zero upkeep.

It is these three variables, led by  Best Quartz Gold Watches japanese brands like Casio and Seiko, which neigh-on obliterated the customary watch industry, harking back to the 1970s, during a period the Swiss called the Quartz Crisis - and the remainder of the world called the Quartz Revolution.

Today, Quartz watches are commonly less expensive than their increasingly mechanical relatives, however the absolute greatest Swiss names offer some four-figure choices of their own. For instance, both Omega and Tag Heuer have quartz choices in their present lineup.

1. MONDAINE STOP2GO

Motivations TO BUY

+Crisp and straightforward structure

+Two second delay a fun trick

+Optional red lash includes some flare

Motivations TO AVOID

- Less expensive Mondaines look fundamentally the same as

Get Online Quartz Gold Watches in pakistan from company website in lahore in all over the world country brand in karachi for men and women in Pakistan. Mondaine is the official supplier of tickers over the Swiss railroad organize. Situated on station stages, these timekeepers stop for two seconds toward the finish of consistently, at that point all start the following moment at definitely a similar time, to guarantee all tickers over the system remain in a state of harmony.

To emulate this, the 41mm Mondaine Stop2Go delays for two seconds toward the finish of every moment, at that point the moment hand ticks into spot before the recycled beginnings once more. It's a fun trick for watch sweethearts, however implies the second hand can't be trusted for exact timekeeping - in light of the fact that it really takes 58 seconds to clear its way around the dial.

Regardless of that, we cherish Mondaine's straightforward, notable plan and think the Stop2Go makes an extraordinary expansion for any gathering.

2. TAG HEUER FORMULA ONE

Motivations TO BUY

+Diverse scope of timepieces

+Water impervious to 200 meters

+High precision

Motivations TO AVOID

- Some models are somewhat gaudy

This 41mm watch from Tag Heuer is accessible in a scope of various arrangements and plans, the vast majority of which speak to a gesture to the organization's association with engine sport - thus the F1 name. Tag accepts its battery-fueled quartz development is one of the most precise in Switzerland, and cases it will just pick up or lose an error of a couple of moments every month.

This specific model has a brushed blue dial and rhodium plating on the hands and hour and moment markings. The case is brushed steel with a level sapphire gem and screw-down case back. Water opposition is 200 meters and the lash has a twofold wellbeing framework with jumping augmentation.

3. OMEGA SPEEDMASTER SKYWALKER X-33

Motivations TO BUY

+Tough yet lightweight

+Extra highlights by means of advanced showcase

+Quartz development tried by the European Space Agency

Motivations TO AVOID

- Expensive for a quartz

- On the enormous side

This watch has an enormous 45mm case produced using lightweight titanium with a coordinating lash. It includes a dark fired bidirectional bezel and dark dial with an incorporated LCD show. This gives the Skywalker X-33 something of a split character, where an ordinary case, bezel and set of hands is mixed with an advanced showcase.

The showcase offers up a few highlights, similar to a stopwatch, up to three distinctive time zones, three cautions and an interminable schedule. The Skywalker is water impervious to 30 meters and Omega asserts the battery has an existence of two years. The quartz development was tried and qualified by the European Space Agency.

4. BRAUN BN0035

Motivations TO BUY

+Sharp plan

+Three-dial chronograph

+Available in dark or white

Motivations TO AVOID

- 40mm case and 20mm tie may feel unreasonably little for a few

A structure great, the BN0035 investigates and includes a three-dial chronograph. The watch has a 40mm case so is genuinely reduced by present day benchmarks, and is likewise generally thin at 9.4mm; it's worked from hardened steel and is water impervious to 5 ATM (50 meters).

The case is worked from treated steel, while the tie with conventional clasp catch is cowhide. The watch is offered taking all things together dark with a coordinating lash, or with a silver case, white face and dark tie.

5. TIMEX WATERBURY UNITED

Motivations TO BUY

+Compact measurements for slimmer wrists

+Indiglo night-light

Motivations TO AVOID

- Small size won't be for everybody

This smaller quartz watch by Timex is ideal - fit to slimmer wrists with its 38mm case and 18mm tie. The tempered steel case houses a dark dial with 12-hour and 24-hour markings, in addition to a date entanglement at three o'clock.

The Waterbury United is roused by military plan and is planned as a watch fit to nature. The unmistakable dial with red and white numbers, in addition to the stone washed cowhide lash help make this vibe like an outdoorsy timepiece, instead of one to be combined with your supper coat. Additional highlights incorporate water protection from 50 meters and Timex's Indiglo backdrop illumination.

6. TISSOT PRC200

Motivations TO BUY

+Available in a wide range of arrangements

+Water impervious to 200 meters

+Classic sports watch plan

Motivations TO AVOID

- Quite a caught up with looking dial

The Swiss-made Tissot PRC200 is offered with a wide scope of ties and faces to suit any style. All models are water impervious to 200 meters and highlight a three-dial chronograph with stopwatch precise to 1/tenth of a second. The case is 42mm wide and 12mm thick, produced using treated steel, and uses a screw-down crown and case back.

Different choices for the PRC200 incorporate treated steel lashes, and distinctive shading alternatives for both the dial (dark, blue, silver) and the second hand, which can be had in differentiating red or yellow, boosting the watch's energetic nature.

7. LONGINES CONQUEST VHP

Motivations TO BUY

+A cook's dozen of various arrangements

+Classic plan

Motivations TO AVOID

- Some alternatives excessively dull

There are at present 13 distinct adaptations of the Longines Conquest VHP, so you should discover precisely the correct model for you. Lash choices incorporate hardened steel and elastic, and dial hues incorporate dark, white, blue, and a wrap up the weave of carbon fiber.

The case is 41mm in distance across and is water impervious to 5 ATM, while the face is secured by scratch-safe sapphire precious stone and incorporates a few layers of against intelligent covering applied to the underside.

8. Resident NIGHTHAWK

Motivations TO BUY

+Solar-controlled - never needs a battery

+Chronograph

+Water impervious to 200 meters

Motivations TO AVOID

- Quite a thick structure

Resident's Eco-Drive framework takes light - characteristic or fake - and transforms it into vitality, which is put away in the watch and conveyed step by step. This implies the battery never needs supplanting, and enough vitality is put away to control the watch for a half year, even in complete obscurity. Not supplanting the battery is helpful, yet in addition implies the watch's 200 meters of water opposition is never messed with by opening up the treated steel case.

This specific model of Nighthawk includes a blue dial and a dark steel case with is 43mm wide and 12.5mm thick. The date is shown at the four o'clock position and the face incorporates a two-dial chronograph with a stopwatch precise to 1/fifth of a second.

9. SINN UX

Motivations TO BUY

+Water impervious to 5,000 meters

+Improved submerged intelligibility

+Rotating jumping bezel

Motivations TO AVOID

- Expensive for a quartz development

- Fairly enormous at 44mm

This jumping watch by Sinn is water impervious to a huge 5,000 meters and is intended to remain flawlessly intelligible submerged and in any conditions. A lithium-particle battery implies a long life, yet in addition guarantees the Best watch in Multan keeps on working in outrageous temperatures - down to less 25 Celsius and up to in addition to 60C.

The basic dark dial with white hours markings has a date complexity at four o'clock, differentiating red second hand, and a turning plunging bezel with radiant markings. A genuinely huge watch, the case estimates 44mm crosswise over and is 13.3mm thick, while the band carry width is 22mm.

10. ENCLAVE PILOT 41

Motivations TO BUY

+Well evaluated

+Two-dial chronograph

+Two shading choices

Motivations TO AVOID

- Suede ties will in general show wear all the more rapidly

The Pilot 41 by Enclave has a 42mm case which is simply 7mm thick. The watch takes standard 20mm ties in the event that you need to jazz things up from the standard-issue dark colored softened cowhide, and the hardened steel case is water impervious to 5 ATM.

The enormous, clear face includes a two-dial chronograph with stop-stop-star and reset catches, in addition to a date inconvenience a the three o'clock position. Enclave sells the Pilot 41 with a naval force face, as observed here, and ivory. Both are ensured by sapphire precious stone and should make an alluring, strong explanation on any wrist.

[joehaupt]

Zenith Men's TimeCommand Wrist Watch, Quartz Movement, Analog Time With LED Digital Display, Swiss-Made, Circa 1976 by Joe Haupt Via Flickr: In 1971, Zenith Radio Corporation acquired a majority interest in the Movado-Zenith-Mondia Holding Company of Switzerland. The Swiss Zenith watch company was founded in 1865. Prior to the acquisition, Zenith watches had won many prizes for their precision and quality in the Swiss watch industry. Movado was established in 1881, and the company was well-known in the United States in 1971 as a prestige line of fine watches. Founded in 1905, the Mondia company made a line of watches in the moderate priced field. Zenith Radio Corporation's foray into watchmaking was short-lived. In 1978, the company exited the field when they sold off their money-losing Swiss watchmaking subsidiary. It is interesting to note that watchmaker Charles Vermot is honored on the current Zenith SA watch company's website. In 1975, according to the Zenith website, he hid the plans, parts, and tools required to make mechanical movements in order to save them from destruction. This was following the decision of the company that owned Zenith at the time (the not to be named Zenith Radio Corporation) to limit production to quartz watches only.

[anycontentposter]

Rolex Daytona Movement Guide: Zenith vs. In-House

It is fair to say that much of the storied history of the Rolex Daytona really belongs to its movement. It was a change in caliber that took the watch from the brand’s underperforming also-ran and transformed it into the hottest horological property of the last 30 years.

A model Rolex could barely give away for the first quarter century of its production is now one so in demand that you have more chance of being struck by lightning on your way to buying a winning lottery ticket than picking one up new from your local authorized retailer. So how much difference can one movement have over another?

Throughout its life, the Rolex Daytona has had three generations of movements – the manual-wind Valjoux calibers, followed by two automatic movements: one based on the Zenith El Primero, and most recently, one that is entirely of Rolex’s own design: the Cal. 4130. It is these last movements that made the Daytona what it is today, both fantastically accomplished calibers with a host of differences. Below we take a look at both in a bit more detail.

Zenith Daytona vs. Rolex Daytona – Which ones better?

The Race Is On 

The battle to create the world’s first automatically-winding mechanical chronograph movement ended in a sort of three-way tie in 1969. The competitors – Seiko in Japan and two Swiss entrants: Zenith (teaming up with fellow countrymen Movado) and a consortium called the Chronomatic Group (consisting of Heuer, Breitling, Hamilton-Buren, and Dubois Depraz) all released their own takes on the challenge that year.

Zenith were the first to announce their caliber (the El Primero) in January, but it didn’t actually become available until the following September. Seiko won the race to market, their 6139 launching in May, but with a frequency of 21,600vph, it was outperformed by the Zenith, which famously beat at 36,000vph and was able to measure time down to 1/10th second. The Caliber 11 from the Chronomatic Group also surfaced earlier, released in August, but it was an already existing movement with a chrono module retrofitted to it and experienced a number of problems from the outset.

The first automatic winding Rolex Daytona was powered by a modified Zenith movement.

In terms of the overall winner in a closely-run race, most experts give the title to Zenith. Unfortunately, the self-winding chronograph movement was perfected just in time to coincide with the quartz crisis, which bankrupted nearly two-thirds of Switzerland’s traditional brands. Zenith themselves came within a whisker of it, eventually being bought out by the Chicago-based Zenith Radio Corporation (no relation) in 1971.

That could well have been the end for the El Primero (and possibly the Rolex Daytona too), but by the end of the decade the world had started to grow tired of the soullessness of electronics and were clamoring once again for the heritage and artistry of mechanical watches. Zenith was returned to Swiss hands in 1978 and were able to start production on the El Primero again almost immediately. (For a great story on just how they were able to do that, look up Charles Vermot and his heroic efforts; there’s no room to go into it here sadly).

The first big order came from Ebel in 1981, which poured much needed funds back into the manufacturer’s business, and then in 1986, Rolex came knocking, signing a 10-year deal worth around seven million Swiss francs. Two years later, the second generation of the Rolex Daytona surfaced, powered by an automatic movement for the first time.

The in-house Rolex Daytona movement is one of the best chronograph calibers ever created.

The Zenith Daytona

The reason it took so long for the new Daytona to come out following the two companies forming an alliance is because Rolex’s engineers gave the El Primero a severe going-over before fitting it inside the watch. Stripping the movement back to its mainplate, they made more than 200 separate modifications and left it with fewer than half its original components.

The most significant were the removal of the date function and the fitting of an entirely new escapement, with a larger free sprung Glucydur balance wheel and Rolex’s own Microstella regulating system. In addition, the flat hairspring was given a Breguet overcoil and the frequency was brought in line with the rest of the brand’s lineup, dropping from 36,000vph to 28,800vph. The resulting movement was christened the Cal. 4030 and debuted inside the Rolex Daytona ref. 16520 in 1988.

The ref. 165XX series of watches was the one to turn the Rolex Daytona into the legend it is today, revolutionizing the reputation of the much maligned watch practically overnight. However, as spectacular a success as it was, in Rolex’s eyes it still had one fatal flaw.

A Zenith-based Rolex Cal. 4030 movement.

The Rolex Daytona

With the new millennium on the horizon, the Rolex Daytona was the only model in the brand’s portfolio reliant on a third-party movement, and it was a situation that could not possibly last. After five years of development, the brand closed the loop and introduced the Cal. 4130 movement, the in-house engine that would drive the third generation of their chronograph.

Outwardly, the new iteration of the Rolex Daytona was strikingly similar to the one it replaced, but inside, the movements were vastly different. Generally accepted as one of the finest mechanisms of its type ever made, the Cal. 4130 exemplifies Rolex’s drive for efficiency, drawing the highest level of performance out of the smallest number of parts. In all, it is made up of just 201 components (20% fewer than the El Primero) making it just about the lowest of any modern chronograph movement.

It has taken the sort of creative engineering for which Rolex is rightly famous. The minute and hour stopwatch functions, for example, which were controlled by two individual modules in Zenith’s caliber, have been combined into a single unit on the Cal. 4130. That has freed up enough space for a larger mainspring, upping the power reserve from 50 to 72 hours. It also means that the chronograph module only needs one screw for its adjustment, as opposed to five on the previous movement.

An in-house Rolex Cal. 4130 movement.

Other changes can be found on the self-winding system, which now uses ball bearings, making it 68% more efficient. The Cal. 4130 was also the movement chosen to debut Rolex’s patented Parachrom hairspring, made from an antimagnetic alloy of niobium and zirconium which is impervious to temperature variations and offers up to 10 times the shock resistance compared to standard springs. In 2005 it was updated again, given a thicker oxide coating which caused it to change color when reacting with the air, and giving rise to its new name of the Blue Parachrom.

But perhaps most importantly is the use of a vertical clutch. Where the El Primero employed a horizontal, or lateral, arrangement to control the chronograph, the Cal. 4130 has a pair of discs one on top of the other, running in constant synch with the drivetrain. Engaging and releasing the discs with the clutch eradicates the tiny jumps on the chrono hands during starts and stops, known as backlash. It not only means a more precise stopwatch, but also the chronograph can be run for longer periods of time without affecting the watch’s overall timekeeping.

While it undoubtedly improves upon the outgoing Zenith caliber, you will still find devotees who prefer the El Primero-powered models, which have a charm all their own. Those middle generation watches are also generally the most affordable entryway into Daytona ownership, particularly the two-tone steel and gold Rolesor examples. Rolex’s racing legend has certainly come a long way from the early days of commercial failure, and it really has its movements to thank for much of its success. Perhaps the most important sports watch of them all, there is room for at least one Rolex Daytona in any watch collection.

All modern Rolex Daytona watches feature in-house Cal. 4130 movements.

The post Rolex Daytona Movement Guide: Zenith vs. In-House appeared first on Bob's Watches.

Read more about this at bobswatches.com

https://bestwatchpicks.com/rolex-daytona-movement-guide-zenith-vs-in-house/

[mydigitallworld]

Best Video Production Agencie in Lausanne

Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland–Smart Cuts Video & Animation working closely with Swiss watchmakers to fight downturn in exports.   The Video production in Lausanne and animation production company Smart Cuts is currently producing a series of promotional videos for the watchmaking industry in Switzerland. A downturn in exports this year needs to be tackled, and the industry is investing to turn this trend around. Smart Cuts’ Director, Lucas Chambers, is confident that video must be part of the answer:   “These companies know that visibility is crucial at times like these. Consumers need to be reminded that Swiss watches are a cut above and doing that with great quality videos on social media is one of the best ways to go.”   Broadcasting on television is also part of the plan, and big brands like Zenith, Omega, Swatch and Longines have approached CNN Money for the purpose. These corporate videos are being produced for CNN by Smart Cuts Video and Animation to highlight the history and quality of Swiss watchmaking.   Swiss watchmakers are looking at exports of only 20 million watches this year. That’s over 3 million less than iin 2018. Part of this result owes to the fact that Swiss watchmakers are focusing more and more quality, rather than on quantity. This, and the fact that, as Nick Hayak, head of Swatch points out, it is now possible to make more with less, suggests the industry may not be in as much trouble as it seems. Some observers are worried, however, and efforts are being made to revitalize sales abroad.   Video marketing has to be part of the solution says Smart Cuts Video & Animation Director Lucas Chambers: “Big Swiss watchmaking brands like Swatch and Rolex have the means to hit hard on screen. And on screen is where the action is these days. Whether on TV or online, it’s important to speak to people with video: clear, concise and punchy videos that remind people you’re still in the game, and that give them the desire to get involved and buy.”   To meet demand for video production in the watchmaking sector, Production de vidéo à Lausanne & Animation has hired staff and created a special team focused on corporate video production for this sector. “This is an opportunity for us to stand out in video production, but also in Creative agency in Lausanne, aimed at the watchmaking sector,” says Chambers. “It’s important to seize this opportunity and show what we can do, not only for our own benefit, but for that of the whole watchmaking sector in Switzerland.”   If you wish more information on this topic, please contact Lucas Chambers, Director of Smart Cuts Video & Animation at lucas@smartcuts.ch.

[watchilove]

This year, to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the legendary El Primero movement, Zenith has collaborated with Collective to create a unique edition of the Chronomaster El Primero, made available exclusively to the group’s members, the Zenith Chronomaster El Primero C.01. The group is comprised of creatives, executives and makers, many of whom are in tech and live in Silicon Valley (San Francisco Bay Area), Silicon Alley (New York City) and Silicon Beach (Los Angeles). Collective is founded on the idea that as watch collectors, members want a dedicated place to share, enjoy one another’s company and celebrate their love for watchmaking. This commitment toward watchmaking’s legacy made Zenith an excellent partner.

Zenith Chronomaster El Primero C.01

As a watch that Collective’s founders, Gabe Reilly and Asher Rapkin have always loved, the El Primero was where the duo wanted to begin. Partnering closely with Zenith’s Switzerland based design team and established Bay Area jeweller Topper Jewelers to create this unique timepiece, the team first focused on the dial. In Silicon Valley, where simplicity and usability are key elements of quality product design, they wanted to apply that same aesthetic and approach to the C.01. While the structure of the iconic subdials remains true to the original, the approach to their design is wholly unique. The entire dial has been finished in matte white, with a subtle but highly legible and uniform grey making up all the printing on the dial.  In order to ensure maximum balance, the date was removed, and the classic red chronograph hand has been replaced with a unique rhodium-plated hand-created just for this piece.

Zenith Chronomaster El Primero C.01

To serve a desire to make the watch a tool, utilizing modern design principles to put functionality at the forefront, the 38mm case features alternating satin-brushed and polished surfaces, and unique to this watch, satin-brushed pushers. The caseback displays the beautiful El Primero movement and features an XX/50 engraving along with a “C.01” engraving celebrating the launch piece of Collective.

Zenith Chronomaster El Primero C.01

Finally, the strap. Most Chronomasters utilize a leather strap with a deployant buckle, but Collective wanted to ensure that the “tool watch” aesthetic carried through all the way to the strap and the buckle.  Every C.01 will ship on a custom-sourced Cordura strap to provide the watch with a more industrial feel.

Zenith Chronomaster El Primero C.01

ZENITH: the future of Swiss watchmaking

With innovation as its guiding star, Zenith features exceptional in-house developed and manufactured movements in all its watches, such as the DEFY Inventor with its monolithic oscillator of exceptional precision, and the DEFY El Primero 21 with its high-frequency 1/100th of a second chronograph. Since its establishment in 1865, Zenith has consistently redefined the notions of precision and innovation, including the first “Pilot Watch” at the dawn of aviation and the first serially produced “El Primero” automatic chronograph calibre. Always one step ahead, Zenith is writing a new chapter in its unique legacy by setting new standards of performance and inspired design. Zenith is here to shape the future of Swiss watchmaking, accompanying those who dare to challenge time itself and reach for the stars.

Zenith Chronomaster El Primero C.01

ZENITH CHRONOMASTER EL PRIMERO C.01

Reference: 03.2152.4061/80.R825

KEY POINTS

Limited edition Chronomaster El Primero created in collaboration with Collective

Satined sides/upper lugs and pushers

Special White/Grey dial

MOVEMENT

El Primero 4061, Automatic

Calibre: 13 ¼ “` (Diameter: 30 mm)

Movement thickness: 6.6.mm

Components: 282

Jewels: 31

Frequency: 36,000 VpH (5 Hz)

Power-reserve: min. 50 hours

Finishes: Oscillating weight with “Côtes de Genève”. Motif

FUNCTIONS

Hours and minutes in the center

Small seconds at 9 o’clock

Chronograph:

Central chronograph hand

12-hour counter at 6 o’clock

30-minute counter at 3 o’clock

Tachymetric scale

CASE, DIAL & HANDS

Material: Steel

Diameter: 38 mm

Opening diameter: 33.10 mm

Thickness: 12.45 mm

Crystal: Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides

Case-back: Transparent sapphire crystal.

Water-resistance: 10 ATM

Dial: Special White/Grey dial

Hour-markers: Rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with SuperLuminova SLN C1 (blue emission)

Hands: Rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with SuperLuminova SLN C1 (blue emission)

STRAP & BUCKLE

“Black Cordura effect” rubber strap

Satined/polished folding clasp

Zenith Chronomaster El Primero C.01 Gallery

Introducing: Zenith Chronomaster El Primero C.01 This year, to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the legendary El Primero movement, Zenith has collaborated with Collective to create a unique edition of the Chronomaster El Primero, made available exclusively to the group’s members, the Zenith Chronomaster El Primero C.01.

[dcvw]

For Sale - 1970's Zodiac SST 36000 Automatic

Zodiac was a genuine innovator among Swiss brands, and in the late 1960’s was one of the first watch brands to bring out an automatic movement with a frequency of 36,000 beats per hour (BPH).  Zodiac referred to as its SST or Split Second Timing line, promising in their literature that their watches were guaranteed to be the most precise in the world.  Zodiac held their higher frequency movements, which “tick” 10 times per second, are more accurate than watches with a frequency of the more standard 28,800 BPH.  This SST is no different, except it features a uniquely 1970’s-era chunky case, on the large size (at least for the time).

While the Zodiac previous claim was likely debatable, a more readily obvious benefit to a 36,000 movement was that the sweep of the seconds hand is incredibly smooth.  Watches with hi-beat movements like this are still a rarity I present times, being made by only a few brands, notably Zenith and Grand Seiko, and can be quite expensive.

In 1882, Ariste Calame founded a workshop for the production of special watches in Le Locle, Switzerland.  The original name of the company was Ariste Calame and would later become Zodiac.  Fast forward to 1990, when Willy Gad Monnier, formerly of TAG Heuer purchased the Zodiac brand; however this company, Montres Zodiac SA, went bankrupt in November 1997.  Following its purchase by Genender, it discontinued all of the "Point" series models, the Swiss Formulas, the Sea Wolf, most automatic watches, and all Zodiac automatic chronographs. The only two 1990’s models kept were the Super Sea Wolf and the Marine Life.  However, February 2015 marked the return of the brand's iconic and popular Sea Wolf model, reissuing "vintage-inspired" versions of the 1954 model in two editions, "Skin Diver" and "Diver."  

This Zodiac SST comes with the two straps pictured, spring bar tool, and Pelican travel case.

[rodrigohyde]

What's Old Is New Again Says The Watch Snob

How Do You Say French In Japanese?

I've gained invaluable insight through your columns. Particularly [with regards to] movements, aesthetics and value vs. marketing.

Looking beyond the Rolex, Omega, Longines, and Tags, which I believe command a higher price because of the label, there seem to be brands that offer excellent value for the money. Without having a fancy globally recognized logo.

Sometime back you had provided excellent insight to my previous query [with regards to] Brellum. I have since come across Yema. The models do resemble some Oris brands and some models resemble Zenith.

In a world where we are bombarded with too many options, where does Yema stand? Also, any other lesser known brands that offer value for quality?

As always, your advice is very much appreciated.

Yema, the current brand, is a type of company rather common in modern watchmaking – the original firm went out of business thanks to the Quartz Crisis, and for a while the brand name and I presume, any related trademarks, were actually owned by Seiko. It is a name of which many Frenchmen are proud, however; it was one of the few successful mechanical watch firms to enjoy some success outside Switzerland, and to this day many French people recall the name quite fondly. It’s even become somewhat collectible and vintage Yema is now an interesting and still relatively affordable entry into collecting vintage watches.

Related: Here Is What You Need For An Epic Labor Day Weekend

The modern company is essentially a resurrection of the brand name; there is no continuity of manufacturing between the old company and the new. An analogous situation would be if someone American bought the Hamilton name back from Swatch Group and undertook to assemble watches in the USA again. Normally this sort of thing is completely uninteresting, but I give the new company – and make no mistake, it is a new company – credit for respecting the original firm, in terms of its designs.

That said, I think they are something of a niche firm – you really need to be a fan of the original Yema designs, and/or be interested in something off the beaten track, and moreover you must accept the general immediate depreciation that accompanies most small niche brands. None of these are reasons to avoid them, but be aware of what you’re getting into. If you do find Yema designs interesting, you may be better off collecting vintage Yema rather than pieces from the new incarnation.

Change Of Heart For The Wrist

I just caught up on your last few posts and noticed a conflict in your thoughts. In your article titled “Wait... Batman Wore A Rolex?” you seem to dislike the new Rolex GMT SS Pepsi by stating the “silly use of the Jubilee bracelet”. But in your article titled “Precious Time” you state with regards to the New SS Pepsi “the Jubilee bracelet seems to set some people’s teeth on edge as inappropriate for a Rolex sports watch, but the GMT Master has appeared on a Jubilee bracelet before now and in any case, I rather like it on the new Pepsi – it gives the watch a little mid-century flair, if you ask me.”

Can you clarify?

While I may have your attention at the moment, would you mind commenting on the new Grand Seiko 9F GMT watches that are coming out soon, if you have seen or heard of them.

Hah! Caught in the act of changing my mind. Well, I suppose I ought to admit that it did strike me as silly at first – however, it’s rather grown on me and I suppose there is nothing more sinister behind the first, and later take on the bracelet, than that it has grown on me on that particular watch. As much as I do enjoy giving the impression that my word is the last word on all things horological, I believe it is salutary to occasionally note that even the strongest opinions are subject to revision.

On the question of Grand Seiko quartz caliber 9F GMT watches, I have heard the rumors but of course, what Grand Seiko plans on that front is known only to Grand Seiko. I would most certainly welcome such a timepiece, though; a most logical development of the 9F movement.

Don’t Let The Details Lead To Disappointment

I believe your horological perspicacity might be capable of resolving what has, embarrassingly, become the hardest decision of my life thus far. I cannot decide between two irreproachable Grand Seikos ; specifically, the SBGR097 and the SBGH267. The former offers a lovely blue dial with a "GS" motif, no date, a 4 Hz movement, and "SEIKO" labeling with "GS" labeling relegated to 6 o'clock. The latter offers a different lovely blue dial with "GS" motif, date, a 5 Hz movement, and "Grand Seiko" labeling with a cleaner 6 o'clock. I prefer the dial color of the former, the motif of the latter, the no date of the former, the beat rate of the latter, and, in honesty, don't care especially much about the labeling. Indeed, I'm not sure why I mentioned it at all. To complicate things further, the 097 is limited to 500, although it has sibling watches that are not limited editions, and the 267 is limited to 1500, with, I believe, sibling watches that are also not limited editions. Rarity is somewhat important to me. As my wallet suffers so similarly between the two choices as to not factor in my decision, only my heart and brain are engaged in a battle; one of emotional and logical confusion. Oh help me, Loupe Liege!

“Loupe Liege” is pretty good – like most apparently brittle-shelled individuals who affect to disdain the views of others, I am underneath it all susceptible to flatter so thank you for brightening my afternoon.

Well you certainly have presented me with a difficult choice, and I can understand your struggle. I would say this: they seem to be very similar watches, but you have enumerated the differences between the two most clearly and these details add up. Grand Seiko is nothing if not a kind of watch that lives in the details.

I think the labeling is key to understanding the difference in appeal between the two watches, both of which, by the way, are most beautiful. The SBGR097 has a quite stunning dial and the deep, almost impassioned blue is indeed almost irresistible but the labeling, as a design element, contributes to what is a slightly fussy-seeming dial relative to SBGH267.

The SBGH267, on the other hand, by comparison strikes me as a more mature design. The dial is more subtle in coloration than is the case with SBGR097, but in person it is incredibly compelling, and though it is a bit less obviously seductive at first blush, it really grows on you the longer you look at it. This is not to say that SBGR097 would not age well, but the electric blue may not give quite as much of a sense of discovery. SBGH267 is, of the two, the one I personally would most choose to wear if I were choosing a daily-wear wristwatch.

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Send the Watch Snob your questions at editorial@askmen.com or ask a question on Instagram with the #watchsnob hashtag.

from Style channel http://www.askmen.com/style/watch_snob/what-s-old-is-new-again-says-the-watch-snob.html

[fashiontrendin-blog]

Why Every Stylish Wrist Deserves A Swiss Watch

http://fashion-trendin.com/why-every-stylish-wrist-deserves-a-swiss-watch/

Why Every Stylish Wrist Deserves A Swiss Watch

You’ve noticed the cheesy Patek Philippe ads, gazed at your boss’ Rolex during meetings, maybe even threatened to get your grandfather’s pocket watch repaired one day… and now you’ve saved a bit of cash, it’s time to bite the bullet and invest in your very own Swiss timepiece.

That last particular word is probably one of many reasons why it’s taken this long – do you really want to be the sort of man who calls his watch a ‘timepiece’? Or, even worse, a ‘chronometer’? It’s true, the watch world can be a rather snobby, anorak-clad institution, whose idiosyncrasies you might forgive if it wasn’t for the astronomical cost of joining this particular club. Even supercars manage to retain an everyman appeal (although, to be fair, there aren’t many teenagers’ bedroom walls pinned with Breitling posters).

The good news, if you’re seriously thinking about doing it, is that a decent Swiss watch is generally worth its price tag – crafted just as exactingly as a Ferrari, by artisans whose skills are generally limited to the valleys of the Swiss Jura mountains. But still, why wear one at all, when the precise time is displayed everywhere in our ‘always on’ digital age?

“There’s an element of status and style symbolism, for sure,” says ex-watchmaker and store manager Sandy Madhvani of David M Robinson jewellers, “much like that Porsche that rarely creeps over 20mph in town. But wearing any sort of watch, Swiss or not, is rarely about telling the time these days – instead, it is an investment into something sentimental and eternal…

“It’s no wonder more and more women are buying engagement watches for their new fiancés, in return for their ring.”

Greg E. Mathieson Sr./REX/Shutterstock

Madhvani’s notion of eternity isn’t so far-fetched. Just a little TLC will mean your mechanical wristwatch can tick forever – its timeworn technology is totally safe from obsolescence, unlike that shiny new smartwatch.

“With brands like Patek Philippe and Rolex,” he continues, “your watch could potentially accrue in value, even. In terms of mechanical objects, only a fully restored vintage Ferrari is capable of that. In terms of cost per wear, there’s simply no comparison – unless you can honestly name an item of clothing or pair of shoes that you’ve worn every day for years, which still looks and functions just as well?”

So Why Switzerland?

A mechanical movement is a beguiling thing to behold as well as listen to, ticking away at 28,800 vibrations per hour. Its hundred-odd tiny parts are all machined laboriously and precisely from steel or brass, polished to varying degrees of shimmer and shine, then hand-assembled by one of the world’s most skilled workforces in light-drenched mountaintop ateliers. A joyous anachronism in this digital world, with prices that can stretch to the equivalent of a three-bed Croydon semi (try Googling ‘Greubel Forsey’).

But while the underlying mechanical principles of mainsprings, gear-trains and ticking balance-wheel escapements were more-or-less shared around the world (and still are), the Swiss managed to mark themselves out from London, New York or Paris’s artisans. How? Division of labour.

It was down to the genius of goldsmith Daniel Jeanrichard (1665-1741), who devised a system called établissage in the Jura mountains. This cottage industry (chalet industry?) saw the closely guarded knowledge of a few watchmakers spread to independent workshops, each one with its own specialism. The system survives to this day.

In fact, many of the workshops dotting the valleys of the Jura were run by the local dairy farmers who, come the harsh, isolating winter snow, would round up their livestock and turn to their home workshops. Making wheels of cheese with cows turned into making wheels of metal with lathes.

REX/Shutterstock

“From the 1740s to the early 1800s,” explains Michel Golay, who runs Audemars Piguet’s watchmaking museum in Le Brassus, “the farmers-turned-watchmakers in the Jura walked to Geneva every spring to sell the movements they’d made over the winter to the cabinottiers and établisseurs, who finished the movements and cased them up as complete, branded watches.”

Soon enough, the hill farmers realised they could make more money by putting their own names on the dials, says Golay. “Many of them stopped farming altogether and began making watches all year. Families throughout the valley co-operated, and gradually the quality of the craftsmanship increased, as did their reputation.”

The Jura’s La Chaux-de-Fonds is considered the true ‘cradle’ of Swiss Jura watchmaking – the highest city in Europe at 1,000 metres above sea level, colloquially known as ‘Watch Valley’. Here, in this snowy backwater of central Europe, you’ll find the gleaming glass and steel factories of Tissot, TAG Heuer, Breitling, Cartier and countless others nestled idyllically in rolling, verdant foothills, surrounded by cows and their clanking bells.

REX/Shutterstock

Your Budget

So how much to spend, and what will that get you?

Like with holidays or property, that age-old adage applies with a wristwatch: spend as much as you can afford, as you’ll never regret it. But whatever that figure is, rest assured that with a Swiss watch, you will invariably get your money’s worth.

Under £500

Watch snobs be gone: less than £500 will get you a very decent piece of wristwear, with all the after-sales support you’d expect from a watch 10 times the price. You’ll struggle to find a Swiss mechanical movement much under £800 (with the noble exceptions of Tissot and Hamilton) but there’s no shame in a Swiss quartz watch, powered by a battery instead of a spring.

It uses the 32kHz vibration of the titular crystal to regulate the ‘tick’ of the watch – infinitely more precise than a mechanical balance wheel oscillating at a relatively agricultural 4Hz, and losing no more than 10 seconds a year.

For the most affordable watches look to Swiss-made Bulova, Certina, Tissot and Mondaine (but also note that Japanese watchmakers Seiko or Citizen are arguably the heavyweights when it comes to quartz).

£500–£3,000

This is the budget bracket you should be considering with your first company bonus – you’ll be guaranteed the prestige of a Swiss mechanical, preferably ticking away beneath a clear caseback, admirable in the same way as a mid-mounted Ferrari V8 growling beneath its glass engine cover.

An automatic mechanical movement is the most common, and this is where your money’s going. Fitted with an off-kilter weight, or ‘rotor’ that swings with the movement of your arm, this keeps the winding barrel tightly wound. In turn, the winding spring powers a gear-train to which hours, minutes and seconds hands are attached. Manually-wound mechanical movements are increasingly popular, though, as the lack of rotor permits a clearer view into that mesmerising constellation of moving parts.

Brands to bear in mind include Longines, Bell & Ross, Victorinox, Raymond Weil, Nomos Glashütte and Tudor.

Up To £5,000

This is where it can get overwhelming, as many make their first big horological investment in this price range and don’t want to get it wrong. So, for a start, do your research, take your time, visit your friendly local jeweller and don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions – chances are, they’re wiser than you think.

The good news is that so many of Swiss watchmaking’s enduring classics fall into this category, and you’ll never go wrong purchasing one, whether it’s a TAG Heuer Carrera, Omega Seamaster, Tudor Black Bay, or even a Breitling.

North Of £5,000

This is venturing into serious collector territory, where most of your cash is going towards a movement that – rather than being a standard-issue Swiss automatic mechanical movement – gets ‘manufacture’ mechanics, and is made ‘in-house’ by the brands, with exacting hand-polish applied to the tiniest parts as icing on the cake.

Think Rolex, Zenith, IWC, Hublot, Jaeger-LeCoultre; luxury watch brands with revered heritage in spades, innovation to rival NASA, and every single timepiece the result of months of painstaking work at the hands of some extraordinarily skilled individuals.

Decisions, Decisions…

To kick off, you’ll want a watch for every eventuality – or at least one that straddles a few of life’s regular scenarios. An easy choice for the office is a black leather strap and a clean, silver dial. But when Saturday comes, you may also want a watch that looks appropriate while trimming the hedge – in which case, a metal bracelet instead of leather makes it perfect for both.

People joke about a chronograph only being good for timing an egg – but if you do have soft-boiled eggs for breakfast, then a chronograph is far more convenient than finding the stopwatch app on your phone (and smearing yolk on your screen). Alternatively, a diving watch is useful for diving, yes, but if you harbour an abject fear of open water it still serves as an all-purpose, wear-it-and-forget-about-it watch for all conditions.

Obviously, ‘one watch to rule them all’ will only stretch so far – which is where the notion of a watch wardrobe comes in. It takes years of steady, considered investment, but a solid line-up for the top of your dresser (or sock drawer) looks something like this:

The Rugged All-Rounder

Slightly retro military-style watches work well here, with black dial, monochrome markings and maybe a brown-leather strap, e.g. Bremont’s Airco or Tudor’s Heritage Ranger.

Tudor Heritage Ranger

The Diving Watch

Water-resistance and ruggedness are key here, making diving watches great for strapping on and forgetting about – ideal for beach holidays, epic post-dinner-party washing-up sessions, or simply making a colourful statement, e.g. Victorinox INOX Diver.

Victorinox INOX Diver

The Dress Watch

What it says on the tin: classical formality for the boardroom meeting or black tie event, e.g. Longines Flagship or Cartier Tank.

Cartier Tank

Sports Watch

This usually means a stop-watch chronograph is in the mix, with either a rubber strap or metal bracelet, e.g. Baume & Mercier Clifton Club.

Baume & Mercier Clifton Club

The Classics

A rare breed of watch from one of Switzerland’s big boys that’ll never age or look out of place. Usually comes on a bracelet. Look no further than Omega’s Seamaster, Rolex’s Submariner (both diving watches, funnily enough), the IWC Portugieser and TAG Heuer’s Carrera.

Omega Seamaster

The Brands

Buy a watch from any reputable dealer or direct from any of the big brands, and you can’t go wrong – neither have come this far flogging dodgy tickers hung from the inside of their overcoats. But what sort of design, heritage or make-up speaks to you, and what does it say about you? There’s no getting around it; the brand you endorse is important, especially as it’s just about the most personal thing you’ll possess. Just make sure of one thing: go into the store and try it on. You’ll instantly know, either way.

Tissot

One of the grand dames of Swiss watchmaking, with heritage in spades, and along with Rolex and Omega, a member of the rarefied ‘billion club’ [its revenue was $1.1m last year]. Despite what you’d think, however, Tissot is one of the most affordable means of joining the rarefied Swiss-made-watch club – £395 will get you a supremely chic Le Locle automatic, named after Tissot’s home town.

Baume & Mercier

A member of Richemont Group’s unrivalled portfolio of luxury watch brands (stablemates include Cartier, IWC and ‘the German Patek Philippe’, A. Lange & Söhne) most people quietly respected 188-year-old B&M as the necessarily affordable arm of a formidable arsenal of haute horlogerie.

But just when you thought it was all inoffensive ‘sports luxe’ kitted out with third-party mechanics, the Baumatic comes along – genuinely ‘in-house’ innovation with antimagnetic silicon components, five-day power reserve and five-year service intervals… all for just £2,500.

Oris

One of the first Swiss brands not afraid to embrace industrialised techniques from across the pond, Oris has always been about quality mechanical watches at an incredibly reasonable price. The styles run the gamut from retro dress watches inspired by the smoky jazz clubs of the fifties to utilitarian pilot watches, never usually much more than a grand.

Most recently, as well as a handsome four-grand venture into prestige ‘manufacture’ movements, the focus has been beneath the waves, spearheaded by a number of noble ocean-conservation initiatives and arguably the finest retro revivals in a recent swathe of retro revivals – the Divers Sixty-Five.

Longines

A rung or two up the vast Swatch Group’s portfolio from Tissot, you’ll find Longines – a brand that rivalled Omega and Rolex back in the day, with a string of important technical evolutions in the early 20th century, including chronographs for the wrist, sports timing equipment and lifesaving navigational aids for those magnificent men in their flying machines (including one Charles Lindbergh, no less).

These days, the innovation is left to other Swatch Group brands like Breguet and Omega, but for good-value, classically designed Swissness, you can’t beat Longines’ Master and Heritage collections.

Tudor

From its 1940s conception, Tudor mirrored Rolex – it had the same designs and model names, but with a different logo and cheaper movements. Genius marketing initiative from Switzerland’s biggest name. However, Tudor’s ‘Submariner’ diving watch was quickly adopted by the Israeli naval commandos in the 1960s, followed famously by French naval divers and the US elite combat divers. And it’s this heritage that’s been drawn on so effectively in recent years, affording ‘Rolex’s little brother’ to grow up at last into a titan of Swiss watchmaking, complete with in-house movement factory. Still just as affordable, mind.

Omega

From Cindy Crawford to Buzz Aldrin via James Bond; from timing every Olympics event to pioneering the only major advancement in horological engineering in two centuries (the Co-Axial escapement, since you ask), the world of Omega is a vast, multifaceted one.

In terms of the watches themselves, though? Difficult to fault, in a nutshell. The ‘Moonwatch’ Speedmaster is still the only timepiece to have been ‘flight qualified’ by NASA and boasts one of the most classic chronograph designs in history. While the Seamaster diving watch is still the choice of 007, yes, but also real-life Royal Navy frogmen.

Rolex

Hans Wilsdorf founded the Most-Namechecked Brand in Hip Hop as recently as 1905, in London believe it or not, giving it a generic name that was easy to pronounce across different languages. He was a marketing genius, strapping his newfangled ‘Oyster’ to English Channel swimmer Mercedes Gleitze in 1926 and advertising its proven water-resistance on the front cover of the Daily Mail. The Oyster developed into the Submariner diving watch in the fifties, in response to the burgeoning craze for SCUBA, and was worn by James Bond well into the Timothy Dalton days.

Despite appearances, things never rest chez Rolex, thanks to it constantly honing a limited range of super-precise, super-reliable mechanical calibres and timeless designs like the Cosmograph Daytona. It might be a predictable choice, but Rolex watches are arguably the best in the world, and generally accrue in value.

Zenith

An early pioneer of the ‘manufacture’ process, Zenith brought virtually every trade in watchmaking beneath a single roof in Le Locle (over the road from Tissot) in order to speed up development and guarantee parts supply.

Its other claim to fame is the El Primero chronograph, which tied with Heuer’s Calibre 11 in 1969 as the world’s first self-winding stopwatch for the wrist, but still has the edge thanks to its high frequency tick. This essentially means it can time events to a margin of one tenth of a second rather than an eighth. ‘Basic’ El Primeros also happen to be the most bargainous in-house automatic chronographs out there.

Officine Panerai

If they re-made Wall Street, it wouldn’t be a yellow gold Cartier peeping out from Gordon Gekko’s starched French cuff, it would be the nineties pioneer of ‘oversize’, Officine Panerai, in gold.

Every corner office’s favourite timekeeper started life in the thirties, when the Italian Navy requested a diving watch from its preferred equipment maker. More used to making saltwater chandlery than finickity tickers, Panerai turned to Rolex, who essentially added a strap to one of its cushion-shaped pocket watches. The iconic cushion shape stuck, but the rebooted brand now makes its own, top-end movements. Expensive, yes, but not nearly as expensive as those original Rolex models at auction. (If you can find one…)

Nomos Glashütte

To finish with a wild card, this is the only brand in our list that isn’t Swiss. Germany is your first port of call if you decide not to buy Swiss and Nomos is one of the country’s most impressive watchmakers. It’s also the only brand here formed in our lifetime, in 1990 – immediately after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Given the import of Swissness and heritage in the stuffy world of watchmaking, this makes Nomos’s meteoric rise as impressive as the watches themselves. They’re based in the tiny village of Glashütte, nestled – Swiss Jura-style – in the picturesque Ore Mountains, near Dresden, along with every other major German watchmaker. Ice-cool Bauhaus modernism married with in-house mechanical prowess and bafflingly low price tags makes Nomos a compelling case if you’re venturing out of Switzerland.

[businessweekme]

Trading in Luxury Watches

Luxury watch seller Danny Govberg is very busy these days with his Philadelphia-based company, even when he’s selling fewer new timepieces than he used to.

That’s because his 102-year-old emporium, Govberg Jewelers, is seeing an explosion in the secondhand market, where the wealthy owners of expensive wristwatches such as Patek Philippe and Rolex are increasingly trading their used ones for a different (but not necessarily brand-new) style. It’s one of the biggest changes Govberg has seen in the industry’s market landscape in the past two decades.

Swiss watchmakers have traditionally viewed the preowned market as competition; as the thinking goes, the only watch that can supplant a new Rolex in the shopping cart of a brand-devoted shopper is a vintage Rolex. But Switzerland has started to embrace the resale movement, hoping to lure shoppers back to stores by any means possible, says Reginald Brack, a watch and luxury analyst at market researcher NPD Group. Brands are looking to make up for the sales that the industry—a four-century-old backbone of Swiss’s luxury export portfolio—has lost since the rise of smartwatches and the corruption crackdown in China led to a multiyear slump.

“It’s a changing world,” Brack says. “The brands themselves need to be smarter about how to sell their watches. They have to be innovative. Why not bring the customers in store? Maybe they find something new that they like, they didn’t know before.”

Who’s In?One of the first big players to get into the game is Audemars Piguet, which plans to open standalone stores to buy and sell secondhand timepieces, according to Chief Executive Officer François-Henry Bennahmias. He estimates that the preowned business could be 10 to 20 times the size of the market for new watches. The company, which makes about 40,000 new timepieces annually, is also seeking more control over its products that are currently mostly resold by auction houses, independent local shops, and online platforms such as Amazon.com Inc. and EBay Inc.

Jean-Claude Biver, head of LVMH watch brands TAG Heuer, Hublot, and Zenith, has says he’s considering entering the market, too. Breitling is planning to buy and sell used watches starting in the middle of this year, mostly online through a website it will launch just for that purpose, says CEO Georges Kern.

“This is the innovation we want to bring to the market,” Kern says. “You can buy used cars with guarantee—you can’t buy a preowned watch in a structured way today in the industry, which is weird.”

“All of the groups are looking at how they are going to deal with it,” Govberg says. That includes Richemont, the parent company of such brands as IWC, Vacheron Constantin, and Piaget. “It’s no longer a hidden secret anymore. It has a life.”

A Broader TrendThe trend comes at a moment when global luxury fashion brands are focusing on their own archives to contend with online resale startups like TheRealReal.com and Grailed.com. To compete, and to share in the enthusiasm for vintage among shoppers, powerhouses ranging from the Gap to Gucci are rereleasing old designs.

Luxury brand Richard Mille is exploring the sale of secondhand watches in the Americas, the company said in an e-mail. John Simonian, CEO of Richard Mille Americas, also recently introduced a preowned service for Westime, a 31-year-old watch company he founded, because of customer demand.

“Customers bought watches from us in the past and have seen those timepieces increase in value. So this gives them a very good opportunity to upgrade to a new watch they love,” Westime President Greg Simonian said in an e-mail. Richemont declined to comment for this article.

The size of the preowned market is about $5 billion annually, including the timepieces sold at auction, says Jon Cox, an analyst at Kepler Cheuvreux in Zurich.

While that’s a fraction of the market for new watches, which consulting firm Bain & Co. estimates is €37 billion ($46 billion), it’s one of the fastest-growing segments in the industry. Govberg says his sales of used watches have been growing an average of 40 percent annually in the past five years, while those of new watches have increased about 3 percent to 5 percent. He predicts the size of the secondary market will exceed the new market in the next five years. (Last year’s export growth from Switzerland, about 3 percent, was a far shot from the double-digit pace of the previous decade.)

The preowned business is doing so well that Govberg saw potential in Asia and has teamed up with watch veterans in the region to launch WatchBox, an e-commerce platform for buying, selling, and trading secondhand luxury timepieces. WatchBox opened a new store in Hong Kong in September, which has seen sales of $3 million every month since opening, and is planning locations in the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, and Neuchâtel, Switzerland, this year. Govberg Jewelers, a third-generation family company with an average transaction price of $10,000, has even begun to accept Bitcoin.

How It WorksGovberg, a certified dealer and repairer of brands including Jaeger-LeCoultre and IWC, buys and sells preowned timepieces but also specializes in arranging trade-ins. Customers can choose a watch they want to buy, speak to a specialist on the phone to agree on the estimated value of the piece they want to trade in, and then send that one off to the retailer. The new watch will be shipped within 48 hours.

Watch enthusiast Abe Rahey says the service is like “Christmas for me.” The director of engineering at Google has been fascinated by the complexity of watches since he was 8 years old but had no way of indulging his interest because of their high costs. Rahey has tried to trade in his old pieces at retailers in the past but kept getting turned down. Since he stumbled upon Govberg two years ago, trying out new pieces has become a hobby, he says.

“This has made it easier for me to feel more comfortable in buying a new watch,” says Rahey. “Now, if a watch sits around for too long, I can trade it in. There are hundreds of watches I wish I could have.”

Last year he bought a Rolex Explorer II, which he ended up not wearing. With its price tag still on, Rahey decided to sell the watch six months later and got back more than 90 percent of its original value. Now he trades for brand-new pieces about five times a year and has owned brands including Panerai, Omega, and F.P. Journe. He counts Rolex as one of the five in his current collection, with average prices ranging from $7,000 to $12,000.

“When you can trade them in, you’ve got nothing to lose,” Rahey says.

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[pearlsdiamonds]

Jack Abramov, president and CEO of HOTJ, resigned from his posts in early April, and was replaced by Lyle Rose. In addition, the brother of former president Monti Abramov left his posts as secretary of the board and vice president. The expected financial results of HOTJ in 2007 (before the audit by the auditors) are disappointing. Net revenue is only 200 thousand US dollars, which is 99.3% less than in 2006. Revenue excluding returns of goods, discounts, write-offs, etc. was equal to 21.6 million US dollars, which is only 35.7% of the 2006 level. It is assumed that the company's net losses for 2007 will amount to $ 14.8 million.

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton reported its performance in the first quarter of 2008. Its combined sales of watches and jewelery rose 12% year-on-year to 211 million euros. Income of the group as a whole also increased by 5% and amounted to 4.002 billion euros, taking into account data on the Asian, European and US markets. With the help of its creativity and advancement to new markets, the company hopes to achieve growth in 2008. LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton also announced the acquisition of Hublot, a Swiss watch brand with a distribution network of 300 stores around the world. Hublot was established in 1980. Hublot will join the existing collections of LVMH watches, which include TAG Heuer, Dior Montres, Louis Vuitton, Zenith, and watches from jewelry companies Chaumet, Fred and De Beers. Hublot currently distributes its products in France, Switzerland, Germany, Latin America, Japan, Hong Kong, Russia, Singapore, Spain, the Middle East and the USA, and also starts its business in China and India. The prices for the Hublot-owned Big Bang collection range from $ 12,500 to $ 470,000.

[joehaupt]

Vintage Zenith Defy Men's Quartz Analog Watch With Red Digital LED Display, Made In Switzerland, Circa Mid-1970s by Joe Haupt Via Flickr: In 1971, Zenith Radio Corporation acquired a majority interest in the Movado-Zenith-Mondia Holding Company of Switzerland. The Swiss Zenith watch company was founded in 1865. Prior to the acquisition, Zenith watches had won many prizes for their precision and quality in the Swiss watch industry. Movado was established in 1881, and the company was well-known in the United States in 1971 as a prestige line of fine watches. Founded in 1905, the Mondia company made a line of watches in the moderate priced field. Zenith Radio Corporation's foray into watchmaking was short-lived. In 1978, the company exited the field when they sold off their money-losing Swiss watchmaking subsidiary. It is interesting to note that watchmaker Charles Vermot is honored on the current Zenith SA watch company's website. In 1975, according to the Zenith website, he hid the plans, parts, and tools required to make mechanical movements in order to save them from destruction. This was following the decision of the company that owned Zenith at the time (the not to be named Zenith Radio Corporation) to limit production to quartz watches only.