The Oris Aquis Depth Gauge

The second and final installment of watches I missed at Basleworld but were able to see during Las Vegas Jewelry Week, deals with a specialty watch called the Aquis Depth Gauge from Oris. According to the Swiss watch brand, it is the first dive watch that measures depth by allowing water to enter the timepiece.

The company says it has applied "Boyle Mariotte Law" (which describes how the pressure of a gas tends to decrease as the volume of a gas increases) to the patented timepiece. The watch has a gray-colored channel milled into the side that runs counterclockwise around the dial, stopping between one and two o'clock. At 12 o’clock there’s a small opening. On descent, the air inside the channel is compressed by the surrounding water pressure, allowing water to enter through the opening. The edge, in light grey and dark grey, differentiates between water and compressed air on the scale around the outside of the dial, indicating depth while descending or ascending.

Besides being a cool addition to a diver’s watch, Oris says the depth gauge keeps divers safe as the indicator benefits from no inertia, so actual depth readings are seen instantly, which is useful in decompression breaks in lesser depths. It’s water-resistant to 500 meters/50 bar.

Other features of the watch include an automatic movement with a date window at 6 o’clock. The 46mm watch also comes with a waterproof case that contains interchangeable rubber and metal straps and tools.

The cost is approximately $3,200.

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes Website.

The second and final installment of watches I missed at Basleworld but were able to see during Las Vegas Jewelry Week, deals with a specialty watch called the Aquis Depth Gauge from Oris. According to the Swiss watch brand, it is the first dive watch that measures depth by allowing water to enter the timepiece.

The company says it has applied "Boyle Mariotte Law" (which describes how the pressure of a gas tends to decrease as the volume of a gas increases) to the patented timepiece. The watch has a gray-colored channel milled into the side that runs counterclockwise around the dial, stopping between one and two o'clock. At 12 o’clock there’s a small opening. On descent, the air inside the channel is compressed by the surrounding water pressure, allowing water to enter through the opening. The edge, in light grey and dark grey, differentiates between water and compressed air on the scale around the outside of the dial, indicating depth while descending or ascending.

Besides being a cool addition to a diver’s watch, Oris says the depth gauge keeps divers safe as the indicator benefits from no inertia, so actual depth readings are seen instantly, which is useful in decompression breaks in lesser depths. It’s water-resistant to 500 meters/50 bar.

Other features of the watch include an automatic movement with a date window at 6 o’clock. The 46mm watch also comes with a waterproof case that contains interchangeable rubber and metal straps and tools.

The cost is approximately $3,200.

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes Website.

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Independent Watch Brands Make their Mark at Baselworld 2013

The Speake-Marin Triad

It’s officially known as the “Palace” but it’s actually a small, makeshift building on the Basel fairgrounds (Messe Basel), home of Baselworld 2013, the world’s biggest and most important watch and jewelry tradeshow. Royalty may not inhabit this portable building but what is inside are some of the most creative and innovative independent watchmakers in the world. These companies are joined by equally capable small independent watch brands that were scattered among the 1,460 exhibitors throughout the massive complex of buildings.

Their visions may be entirely different, but one thing these companies do share is keen intellect, creativity and passion. The individuals who lead these small firms are highly skilled at combining the highest forms of modern watching with an advance design esthetic and a singular vision.

It was impossible for me to visit them all but what is presented below are nine companies and their products as a representative sample of the technical prowess and artistry of these firms at the recently-concluded tradeshow. They are as follows:

Arnold & Son
The Swiss company with British heritage created what it says is the world’s thinnest tourbillon watch. Called the UTTE (Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Escapement), the case of this timepiece is 8.34 mm thick. It is equipped with the A&S8200 movement that is just 2.97 mm thick. The caliber was created in-house at the brand’s La Chaux-de-Fonds workshops. It is limited to 50 pieces.

Christophe Claret
The French native who operates out of Le Locle, Switzerland, introduced the Kantharos at Baselworld— a complex monopusher chronograph with an integrated in-house automatic movement. It features a striking cathedral gong at the 10 o’clock mark that chimes with each change of function. The constant-force escapement is on the dial side at 6 o’clock. The energy delivered to the escapement remains constant from beginning to end of the power reserve.

Da Vindice Geneva
A watch complication I never encountered is a barometer. It was a passion and challenge for Cosimo Vindice, founder of the new Geneva-based watch brand with Italian heritage, to include this and a tourbillon in a single watch built in-house. An aneroid barometer is used for the Da Vindice’s Videx Tourbillon Barometer timepiece. Atmospheric pressure is managed in a capsule, sealed with the air partially removed from it. The changes in pressure are visible on a subdial placed at 6 o’clock. The watch is designed to accommodate this complication. It is available in white or rose gold.

Dubey & Schaldenbrand
The stainless steel tonneau-shaped Grand Dome R92 Column Wheel Chronograph is another example of how this watch brand produces timepieces that combine vintage movements with modern craftsmanship and design. The R92 movement was originally fabricated in the 1950s. It uses a swivel-pinion design to synchronize the chronograph components. The dial is exposed providing full view of the movement.

Franc Vila
The Spanish native is one of the best-known and most innovative independent Swiss watchmakers in the world. The latest edition to his Intrepido Collection, the FVi No 8 Tourbillon Intrepido SuperLigero Skeleton, has a skeletonized hand-wound tourbillon and 100-hour power reserve. Its set into a grade 5 titanium case coated with black DLC, with an 18k red gold bezel. Visible through the sapphire crystal, the dial exposes the in-house movement.

Linde Werdelin
The German watch brand launched the Oktopus II Moon in a series of 59 pieces, available in two versions. The first 12 pieces, representing one piece for each moon of the 2013 calendar year, feature a rose gold and titanium DLC case with ceramic bezel. The following 47 pieces are available in a DLC titanium case with a ceramic bezel. The Oktopus II Moon’s complication, developed in-house, displays the phases of the moon on its dial as one would see it in the sky. As the moon moves clockwise through its monthly cycle, more of its surface is illuminated.

MB&F
The company that released a music box at Baselworld 2013 also decided it was a good idea to release an advancement to its well-known Horological Machine No. 3 (HM3) series: The Megawind. The focus of this piece is a giant battle-axe shaped winding rotor that swings unhurriedly, but indomitably, over the hand-finished movement. The titanium arms of the rotor intermittently reveal views through to the oscillating balance wheel. It’s available in red gold with a 22k red gold rotor or white gold with a sky-blue 22k gold rotor.

Speake-Marin (top photo)
One of the most passionate and intelligent independent watchmakers I met at Baselworld 2013 is British native Peter Speake-Marin, founder of the eponymous Swiss watch brand. His creations are complex in their functions and their stories, yet they adhere to the tradition of fine Swiss watchmaking. The Triad features triple hour-minute indications over an open dial powered by an Eros 2 automatic winding movement. Three is a number heavy with symbolism and meaning; encompasses beginning, middle and end; birth, life, and death; past, present and future. In music, a triad is a three-note chord played simultaneously to provide a single sound. It is available in a limited edition of 88 pieces in stainless steel with an 18k red gold bezel.

York
The new release of the Royal Black Caviar watch has all of the pomp one would expect from a watch brand fronted by Earl York, a prince of the former Schaumburg-Lippe, a tiny principality in the Lower Saxony region of modern-day Germany. The watch comes in a handcrafted Wengé case that includes a caviar service for two. However, this timepiece is more than just packaging. It is a serious traditional watch created by the Schaumburg Watch company, which York serves as creative director and shareholder. The 18k, 44 mm gold case is topped by a bezel set with 53 black diamonds and five black diamonds on the crown. The black textured strap is made of indo-pacific stingray leather with a textured finish that is looks like caviar eggs. The mechanical movement SW 07 is made in house. It is available in a limited edition of 99.

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes Website.

The Speake-Marin Triad

It’s officially known as the “Palace” but it’s actually a small, makeshift building on the Basel fairgrounds (Messe Basel), home of Baselworld 2013, the world’s biggest and most important watch and jewelry tradeshow. Royalty may not inhabit this portable building but what is inside are some of the most creative and innovative independent watchmakers in the world. These companies are joined by equally capable small independent watch brands that were scattered among the 1,460 exhibitors throughout the massive complex of buildings.

Their visions may be entirely different, but one thing these companies do share is keen intellect, creativity and passion. The individuals who lead these small firms are highly skilled at combining the highest forms of modern watching with an advance design esthetic and a singular vision.

It was impossible for me to visit them all but what is presented below are nine companies and their products as a representative sample of the technical prowess and artistry of these firms at the recently-concluded tradeshow. They are as follows:

Arnold & Son
The Swiss company with British heritage created what it says is the world’s thinnest tourbillon watch. Called the UTTE (Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Escapement), the case of this timepiece is 8.34 mm thick. It is equipped with the A&S8200 movement that is just 2.97 mm thick. The caliber was created in-house at the brand’s La Chaux-de-Fonds workshops. It is limited to 50 pieces.

Christophe Claret
The French native who operates out of Le Locle, Switzerland, introduced the Kantharos at Baselworld— a complex monopusher chronograph with an integrated in-house automatic movement. It features a striking cathedral gong at the 10 o’clock mark that chimes with each change of function. The constant-force escapement is on the dial side at 6 o’clock. The energy delivered to the escapement remains constant from beginning to end of the power reserve.

Da Vindice Geneva
A watch complication I never encountered is a barometer. It was a passion and challenge for Cosimo Vindice, founder of the new Geneva-based watch brand with Italian heritage, to include this and a tourbillon in a single watch built in-house. An aneroid barometer is used for the Da Vindice’s Videx Tourbillon Barometer timepiece. Atmospheric pressure is managed in a capsule, sealed with the air partially removed from it. The changes in pressure are visible on a subdial placed at 6 o’clock. The watch is designed to accommodate this complication. It is available in white or rose gold.

Dubey & Schaldenbrand
The stainless steel tonneau-shaped Grand Dome R92 Column Wheel Chronograph is another example of how this watch brand produces timepieces that combine vintage movements with modern craftsmanship and design. The R92 movement was originally fabricated in the 1950s. It uses a swivel-pinion design to synchronize the chronograph components. The dial is exposed providing full view of the movement.

Franc Vila
The Spanish native is one of the best-known and most innovative independent Swiss watchmakers in the world. The latest edition to his Intrepido Collection, the FVi No 8 Tourbillon Intrepido SuperLigero Skeleton, has a skeletonized hand-wound tourbillon and 100-hour power reserve. Its set into a grade 5 titanium case coated with black DLC, with an 18k red gold bezel. Visible through the sapphire crystal, the dial exposes the in-house movement.

Linde Werdelin
The German watch brand launched the Oktopus II Moon in a series of 59 pieces, available in two versions. The first 12 pieces, representing one piece for each moon of the 2013 calendar year, feature a rose gold and titanium DLC case with ceramic bezel. The following 47 pieces are available in a DLC titanium case with a ceramic bezel. The Oktopus II Moon’s complication, developed in-house, displays the phases of the moon on its dial as one would see it in the sky. As the moon moves clockwise through its monthly cycle, more of its surface is illuminated.

MB&F
The company that released a music box at Baselworld 2013 also decided it was a good idea to release an advancement to its well-known Horological Machine No. 3 (HM3) series: The Megawind. The focus of this piece is a giant battle-axe shaped winding rotor that swings unhurriedly, but indomitably, over the hand-finished movement. The titanium arms of the rotor intermittently reveal views through to the oscillating balance wheel. It’s available in red gold with a 22k red gold rotor or white gold with a sky-blue 22k gold rotor.

Speake-Marin (top photo)
One of the most passionate and intelligent independent watchmakers I met at Baselworld 2013 is British native Peter Speake-Marin, founder of the eponymous Swiss watch brand. His creations are complex in their functions and their stories, yet they adhere to the tradition of fine Swiss watchmaking. The Triad features triple hour-minute indications over an open dial powered by an Eros 2 automatic winding movement. Three is a number heavy with symbolism and meaning; encompasses beginning, middle and end; birth, life, and death; past, present and future. In music, a triad is a three-note chord played simultaneously to provide a single sound. It is available in a limited edition of 88 pieces in stainless steel with an 18k red gold bezel.

York
The new release of the Royal Black Caviar watch has all of the pomp one would expect from a watch brand fronted by Earl York, a prince of the former Schaumburg-Lippe, a tiny principality in the Lower Saxony region of modern-day Germany. The watch comes in a handcrafted Wengé case that includes a caviar service for two. However, this timepiece is more than just packaging. It is a serious traditional watch created by the Schaumburg Watch company, which York serves as creative director and shareholder. The 18k, 44 mm gold case is topped by a bezel set with 53 black diamonds and five black diamonds on the crown. The black textured strap is made of indo-pacific stingray leather with a textured finish that is looks like caviar eggs. The mechanical movement SW 07 is made in house. It is available in a limited edition of 99.

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes Website.

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Baselworld’s ‘Opening Act’

Baselworld representatives at opening day press conference.

BASEL, Switzerland — Baselworld, the premiere event of the Swiss watch industry, on Wednesday unveiled the latest renovation to the multi-building complex that it calls home. The $454.5-million upgrade reflects the spectacular success of an industry that has defied the trials and tribulations of the worldwide economy and a product that has remained popular despite changing fashion and trends. It also is a response to an industry now dominated by a few luxury conglomerates.

The eight-day watch and jewelry fair actually opens Thursday. Wednesday was press day, where top officials discussed the tradeshow and the industry in general. The discussion of the new design was described as Baselworld’s “opening act” by Sylvie Ritter, managing director of the tradeshow.

While several buildings underwent dramatic change under the leadership of architects Herzog & de Meuron, most eyes are focused on Hall 1, now rebranded as the “Global Hall.” It is the main area for some of the most world-renowned watch and jewelry brands. This year, the area not only underwent dramatic structural change, but occupants changed as well. Several brands (mostly independent) were moved to other areas of the complex. Now brands represented by global conglomerates Swatch Group and LVMH far outnumber independent brands. These include Hublot, Tag Heuer, Breguet and Bulgari.

Independent brands that remain in Hall 1 include Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Ulysse Nardin.

René Kamm, CEO of MCH Group, which operates the Basel fairgrounds (Messe Basel), explained that the redesigned hall is reserved for “watch and jewelry brands that have a global impact and a worldwide reach.”

Speakers put on a unified front and spent a great of deal of time thanking exhibitors. However, change this dramatic does not come easy and several exhibitors who have lost their space in Hall 1 were not happy (although refusing to voice their displeasure publicly).

All of this change also came at a price. Several brand executives told me (or refused to dispute) that exhibiting in Hall 1—which includes the construction of multi-story, elaborate temporary showrooms that also have been upgraded this year—now costs upwards of $5 million.

Jacques J. Duchêne, president of the Baselworld Exhibitors’ Committee, said it is the domination of luxury conglomerates that has led to the changes at Baselworld.

“In the course of the past 15 years, the watch and jewelry industry has been through a consolidation process on a scale never witnessed before, and this has also had its effects on the challenges faced by production and marketing, which have changed radically,” Duchêne said. “Now it is a good thing to take note of changes and to adjust to them, but it is even better still to anticipate needs and to be in a position to satisfy them without delay when they arise.”

The price hike and the pressure to create more elaborate booths were also felt among exhibitors who don’t have the deep pockets of the brands in Hall 1. A few companies actually pulled out of the show. Perhaps seeing an opportunity, Hong Kong-based tradeshow and publishing company, UBM Asia, will open its first tradeshow in the European market next year in nearby Freiburg, Germany, with dates that overlap Baselworld.

 

The international press at the opening of Baselworld

But even though some are a bit disgruntled, the 1,460 companies from 40 countries exhibiting recognize the importance of being there in terms of sheer numbers, glamour and international attention. Many brands will bring international celebrities along to help present their new products. More than 3,500 journalists from 70 countries will be covering the event and approximately 100,000 people will attend.

The show is also buoyed by the amazing success of the Swiss watch industry. In 2012, the industry has produced another record year with exports totaling 21.4 billion Swiss francs ($22.6 billion), a 10.9 percent increase over 2011.

“Today, it is thanks to this excellent state of health of the industry that we are able to present the show to you in its attractive new look,” Duchêne said. 

 Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes Website.

Baselworld representatives at opening day press conference.

BASEL, Switzerland — Baselworld, the premiere event of the Swiss watch industry, on Wednesday unveiled the latest renovation to the multi-building complex that it calls home. The $454.5-million upgrade reflects the spectacular success of an industry that has defied the trials and tribulations of the worldwide economy and a product that has remained popular despite changing fashion and trends. It also is a response to an industry now dominated by a few luxury conglomerates.

The eight-day watch and jewelry fair actually opens Thursday. Wednesday was press day, where top officials discussed the tradeshow and the industry in general. The discussion of the new design was described as Baselworld’s “opening act” by Sylvie Ritter, managing director of the tradeshow.

While several buildings underwent dramatic change under the leadership of architects Herzog & de Meuron, most eyes are focused on Hall 1, now rebranded as the “Global Hall.” It is the main area for some of the most world-renowned watch and jewelry brands. This year, the area not only underwent dramatic structural change, but occupants changed as well. Several brands (mostly independent) were moved to other areas of the complex. Now brands represented by global conglomerates Swatch Group and LVMH far outnumber independent brands. These include Hublot, Tag Heuer, Breguet and Bulgari.

Independent brands that remain in Hall 1 include Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Ulysse Nardin.

René Kamm, CEO of MCH Group, which operates the Basel fairgrounds (Messe Basel), explained that the redesigned hall is reserved for “watch and jewelry brands that have a global impact and a worldwide reach.”

Speakers put on a unified front and spent a great of deal of time thanking exhibitors. However, change this dramatic does not come easy and several exhibitors who have lost their space in Hall 1 were not happy (although refusing to voice their displeasure publicly).

All of this change also came at a price. Several brand executives told me (or refused to dispute) that exhibiting in Hall 1—which includes the construction of multi-story, elaborate temporary showrooms that also have been upgraded this year—now costs upwards of $5 million.

Jacques J. Duchêne, president of the Baselworld Exhibitors’ Committee, said it is the domination of luxury conglomerates that has led to the changes at Baselworld.

“In the course of the past 15 years, the watch and jewelry industry has been through a consolidation process on a scale never witnessed before, and this has also had its effects on the challenges faced by production and marketing, which have changed radically,” Duchêne said. “Now it is a good thing to take note of changes and to adjust to them, but it is even better still to anticipate needs and to be in a position to satisfy them without delay when they arise.”

The price hike and the pressure to create more elaborate booths were also felt among exhibitors who don’t have the deep pockets of the brands in Hall 1. A few companies actually pulled out of the show. Perhaps seeing an opportunity, Hong Kong-based tradeshow and publishing company, UBM Asia, will open its first tradeshow in the European market next year in nearby Freiburg, Germany, with dates that overlap Baselworld.

 

The international press at the opening of Baselworld

But even though some are a bit disgruntled, the 1,460 companies from 40 countries exhibiting recognize the importance of being there in terms of sheer numbers, glamour and international attention. Many brands will bring international celebrities along to help present their new products. More than 3,500 journalists from 70 countries will be covering the event and approximately 100,000 people will attend.

The show is also buoyed by the amazing success of the Swiss watch industry. In 2012, the industry has produced another record year with exports totaling 21.4 billion Swiss francs ($22.6 billion), a 10.9 percent increase over 2011.

“Today, it is thanks to this excellent state of health of the industry that we are able to present the show to you in its attractive new look,” Duchêne said. 

 Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes Website.

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Swiss Watch Industry To End Association with Swiss Business Federation

The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said it will end its association with the Swiss Business Federation (economiesuisse) at the end of the year because the business federation, which represents the diversity of businesses in Switzerland, will not support the watch industry’s definition of “Swisness.”

“By failing to support the Federal Council’s proposal for industrial products, which sets at 60 percent the minimum rate of Swiss value in a Swiss product, economiesuisse not only stands in the way of strengthening the protection of this label, but raises the likelihood of it becoming weaker than it is at present,” FH said in a statement.

One of the primary tasks of the FH is to ensure that watches, clocks and other timepieces meet a series of requirements to ensure the product was built within the borders of Switzerland. Those that meet those requirements display the “Swiss made” or “Swiss” label. Among the requirements are that the timepiece movement is made in Switzerland, the movement is “cased up” in Switzerland and the final inspection is done in Switzerland.

FH is also active in protecting the industry and its label from counterfeiters.

The FH in its statement says that the Swiss Business Federation “runs counter to the interests of the Swiss watch industry.”

“The watch industry is certainly the industrial sector most affected by this subject, considering that nearly 100 percent of its products carry the label,” the statement read. “The latter contributes to the attractiveness of Swiss watches and their psychological appeal.”

They argue that “strengthening of the Swiss-made label generally promotes industrial activity in Switzerland and job creation.”

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes Website.

The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said it will end its association with the Swiss Business Federation (economiesuisse) at the end of the year because the business federation, which represents the diversity of businesses in Switzerland, will not support the watch industry’s definition of “Swisness.”

“By failing to support the Federal Council’s proposal for industrial products, which sets at 60 percent the minimum rate of Swiss value in a Swiss product, economiesuisse not only stands in the way of strengthening the protection of this label, but raises the likelihood of it becoming weaker than it is at present,” FH said in a statement.

One of the primary tasks of the FH is to ensure that watches, clocks and other timepieces meet a series of requirements to ensure the product was built within the borders of Switzerland. Those that meet those requirements display the “Swiss made” or “Swiss” label. Among the requirements are that the timepiece movement is made in Switzerland, the movement is “cased up” in Switzerland and the final inspection is done in Switzerland.

FH is also active in protecting the industry and its label from counterfeiters.

The FH in its statement says that the Swiss Business Federation “runs counter to the interests of the Swiss watch industry.”

“The watch industry is certainly the industrial sector most affected by this subject, considering that nearly 100 percent of its products carry the label,” the statement read. “The latter contributes to the attractiveness of Swiss watches and their psychological appeal.”

They argue that “strengthening of the Swiss-made label generally promotes industrial activity in Switzerland and job creation.”

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes Website.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad