So we've managed to do it again, 364 days marked off the calendar and it's the day where some of us ask ourselves what we learned? Who went above and beyond, who disappointed?
Well let's start with the "Heroes" -
Omega - yes, you read that correctly. Although their US marketing side can hold a grudge like the day is long, they were heroes on a few fronts -
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| Courtesy of OMEGA |
The Seamaster 300 is THE BOMB! There have been plenty of "re-imaginations" in the past few years, some have been good - this one is great. Well done.
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| Courtesy of NOMOS |
The NOMOS Metro. Hats off to NOMOS for breaking the "sapphire crystal" ceiling with their new "Swing System" the NOMOS in-house escapement. A refresher in "soft skills" from the folks in marketing and PR and who knows, they could become a brand to love again.
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| Courtesy of A. Manzoni & Fils |
Although not here in the US yet, the Canopus from A. Manzoni & Fils is something sort of exciting not just in terms of the design, but the return of Oliver Ike to the big leagues. I for one am looking forward to what is in store.
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| Courtesy of Ressence |
And to round out the metal bound heroes, another gem from Ressence.
But what's a "nice" list without a "naughty" one? And for those of you more sensitive readers - the "s" word is going to be trotted out a fair bit -
INVICTA getting a formal investigation into its business practices in the state of Florida was welcomed on many fronts - not necessarily from a gleeful sense of schadenfreude but because it is a brand that for better or worse has built up an enormous fan base and has been seen by many to have betrayed that trust.
The Tag Heuer debacle - if I am telling it like I see it, the way that this was handled was bush-league and shit-canning so many people so suddenly was some pretty shameful shit. To cap it off with the CEO falling on his sword to take one for the team, and the coach essentially claiming he had "no idea" of a potential exit is about as likely as the man who "accidentally, violently cut off his own head while shaving". I'm sorry, but this is a grown-up business - let's act like grown-ups. Don't get me wrong, sometimes hard decisions have to be made, and sometimes your ass is the one getting caught by the door on the way out - but there are many right ways to do this, and this was not one of them.
John Mayer's lament - Okay this is a bit of schadenfreude but there is nothing more satisfying than seeing a self-proclaimed expert get caught with his loupe down. Mr. Mayer has a lot of knowledge and by all accounts an outstanding collection. But then again, so does a certain car dealer in the Pacific Northwest. I guess my point is this, were Mr. Mayer not Mr. Mayer, very few people would give two shits what he thinks. It stinks that he got hosed on some of his watch purchases, don't get me wrong I wouldn't wish that on anyone. But it is ironic when someone who goes on record as being an expert was actually relying on another "expert" for the watches that validated his (Mr. Mayer's) expertise. Were he not so quick in the past to scoff at and ridicule those he perceived to be less knowledgeable than himself, I wouldn't even bat an eyelash. But as I said before - pride can hurt you.
Kering re-shuffling the deck yet again - and this time losing perhaps one of the best hopes that they had to finally put Girard-Perregaux in the league it belongs. Mr. Sofisti deserved better. Having said that, let's see what 2015 holds.
Enjoy what's left of 2014 - see you next year.
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