The New Romantics At District Time in Washington DC

A quick announcement -

The New Romantics (a division of Tempus Fugit Media) will be attending and participating at the District Time event in Washington DC this Sunday, September 30th at the District Architecture Center (DAC) from 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

This will be your chance to see some interesting smaller, independent brands in person.  I will be showing pieces from:

Minase

Sartory Billard

Montfort

Belville 1892

NOWA

Revolo

Holthinrichs

I encourage you to come along if you are in hailing distance - it should be fun!

District Time
The District Architecture Center (DAC)
421 7th Street 
N.W.  
Washington, DC

See you there!

The Five Stages of Grief and Loss

Well, it would seem that the time has come for the industry and event organizers to put on their "Big Boy Pants" and start dealing with reality.  But change is painful, and loss - even the loss of a perceived norm or way of doing things can be just as painful.  After being jilted by two of their most doting of suitors, the SIHH put out the statement you see below.  So let's unpack this note from the big hearted people at that warm and fuzzy organization, the SIHH, in light of what is traditionally referred to as the five stages of Grief and Loss-

SIHH 2020

Geneva, 27 September 2018 - The SIHH takes note the departures of Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille from 2020 onwards, in line with the strategic repositioning of their distribution channels.

The Exhibitors’ Committee, with the support of the Foundation of Haute Horlogerie’s Board, confirms its firm intention to pursue the SIHH’s core purpose, which now extends beyond a trade salon with a distribution focus, to encompass a true culture and experience-led communications platform for all professionals and end customers of Haute Horlogerie.

Building on the success of its recent editions, the salon will in 2019, 2020 and beyond, continue to pursue its mission, closely aligned to the needs of exhibiting Maisons (currently numbering 35 brands) by building on and extending new services, new experiences, and expert content tailored to all audiences in the Haute Horlogerie community, who regard the Salon as a must attend event. 

Historic Maisons 2019

A.Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, BOVET, Cartier, Girard-Perregaux, Greubel Forsey, Hermès, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Parmigiani Fleurier, Piaget, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin.

Carré des Horlogers 2019

Armin Strom, Christophe Claret, Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud, DeWitt, élégante by F.P.Journe, Grönefeld, H. Moser & Cie, Hautlence, HYT, Kari Voutilainen, Laurent Ferrier, MB&F, Ressence, Romain Gauthier, RJ, Speake-Marin, Urwerk.

Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie

Palexpo - Geneva – Switzerland - January 14-17, 2019


Well, let's unpack this one, shall we?

It's important to note that the five stages are not always experienced in the same order, but for those of you playing along at home, the stages are:

1. Denial and isolation

The Exhibitors’ Committee, with the support of the Foundation of Haute Horlogerie’s Board, confirms its firm intention to pursue the SIHH’s core purpose, which now extends beyond a trade salon with a distribution focus, to encompass a true culture and experience-led communications platform for all professionals and end customers of Haute Horlogerie. 

Yeah, not so much.  The SIHH is a private party, let's not delude ourselves to the contrary.  Having said that, they are clearly hoping that the attendance will justify this boast, but until they have a more democratic (i.e. fair and balanced approach to press accreditation) it remains to be seen whether AP and RM will have any type of regret in leaving.

AP and RM are big, shiny brands that love the spotlight.  My hunch is that it was time to renew their contract, they weren't thrilled with the terms, and they decided to punt. 

2. Anger
The SIHH takes note the departures of Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille from 2020 onwards, in line with the strategic repositioning of their distribution channels. 

Translation?  Why did those (insert expletive here) go and make these two separate announcements without letting us "package" the news?
 
3. Bargaining
Building on the success of its recent editions, the salon will in 2019, 2020 and beyond, continue to pursue its mission, closely aligned to the needs of exhibiting Maisons (currently numbering 35 brands) by building on and extending new services, new experiences, and expert content tailored to all audiences in the Haute Horlogerie community, who regard the Salon as a must attend event.  

I'm calling bullshit on this one.  The organizers of the SIHH are about as inclusive a group as a 1970s era country club in the suburban US. 

Courtesy of Wikipedia

I think that they should hand out "Members Only" jackets as giveaways, but I don't think that they'd get the irony.

The organizers of the SIHH, and in particular the US agency that "vets" the journalists who hope to attend are a rather snotty, myopic bunch and while I did finally get a somewhat begrudging invitation a few years back, I had absolutely no desire at that point to attend.  And strange to relate, I have had no desire to attend since.  Let's just say I'm from Missouri, you need to show me that your show is worth 3 days vacation from work, round trip airfare and accommodation in a very expensive city.  I have seen nothing in the coverage of the SIHH that has made me change my view.
 

4. Depression
Will be an ongoing experience.


5. Acceptance  
Will clearly be a work in progress.  But keep in mind that these are the first two brands to up stakes, it is not beyond the scope of possibility that there will be more.
 

And the Shit Get's Realer

By now everyone knows that Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille are going to leave the SIHH in 2020.  It is also well documented that both brands feel that participation in shows like the SIHH is no longer really needed for them as they are focused more on mono-brand retail, etc.  The other more subtle message is that "Hey, the media we want to communicate with, we do.  deal with it!"  

And if I am honest, after receiving a seemingly endless stream of announcements about golf ambassadors and only getting watch info. from AP's duly appointed North American press agent days after other outlets have had their duly mandated head start, I won't really be missing anything.  I have even less flattering feedback about Richard Mille's attempts at press engagement, but in fairness, that is not really what I am driving at today.  Both brands spend goofy amounts of money on the types to events and ideas that seem more the by-product of heavy drinking than actual sober rational thought.  Hitting golf balls off of a building and hoping that they will somehow be caught by a drone hovering over the water with a net comes to mind.  It does, however, offer an opportunity for people in the fishing industry to add a second stream of income as golf balls hit by famous pros might be found like Easter Eggs when they are gutting their catch...

Whether or not this is an issue of a belief that participation in the SIHH is a waste of time, or if it is economic reality rearing its ugly head would require a deeper dive.  Some say both brands are on fire - i.e. doing really well.  While I suspect that both brands are doing okay, in truth we can't really know as they are privately held.   To the best of my knowledge, AP has done right by their employees and if I am honest, that to me is a key measure of corporate citizenship.  

I am not fully convinced that either brand firmly believes that the SIHH is a waste of time.  I think both brands are extremely image conscious and they love the opportunity to have a bright light shone on them.  I do think economics, on some level, are playing a part.  No offense to either brand, but despite their catchy marketing language, they operate in many ways like the other big dogs, and do not really display what I would call "alpha" behavior.  

And as I find the folks running the SIHH to be some of the snottiest folks on earth - yes, I said it - I am not going to shed too many tears for them.

The other news that I think is even more important that got buried under the SIHH hand-wringing was the announcement that Raymond Weil will not be back for BaselWorld 2019.  Unlike the two aforementioned houses, Raymond Weil does not have a wealth of mono-brand boutiques.  They are extremely dependent on the type of retail stores that attend shows like BaselWorld.  My hunch is that this is more of an economic decision.  When Movado pulled out prior to this past year's shindig I said (and still say) it made sense.  Movado and it's brands are everywhere.  They have a deep team of reps who cover the territories and make sure that stores have product.  They also have their own outlet stores.  So it made sense.  For Raymond Weil?  Not so much.  

Whether people want to believe it or not, I think what we are really seeing is a reality check for both the (seemingly) mighty and small alike that the good old days are not coming back, and they now need to exercise fiscal responsibility.  Or in the words of that other great commentator on the watch industry, Slim Charles -

Courtesy of the Wire

 

We Sail Tonight for Singapore - The Voyage Continues

Numbers, they say, don't lie.  But sometimes they fib.

Courtesy of FH

Yes, numbers are up.  EXPORT numbers.  And interesting to relate, the US is again up.  Which makes sense because the big three as well as Rolex and Patek have subsidiaries here and they can "park" a lot of watches here.  In speaking with my friends in the retail sector, they are not exactly going out and buying a new sports car.  And some once very influential and successful retailers are seriously contemplating whether or not they will make it through this year.  Because what we often fail to understand when we read the (insert the metaphor of your choice) love-story-comeback-feel good-triumph story put forth by some of my colleagues in the 4th and 5th Estates is the reality that exports are not the same as sales, and more importantly, the increase in exports is very likely to level off fairly dramatically once the new SWISSNESS standards are fully in force.  December 31st the clock will strike midnight, and many of the small and the mighty in the industry will watch the  stock that does not meet the standard still remaining within the Swiss borders turn into pumpkins. 

And apart from that, there is one very curious statistic that I will share, the phenomenal improvement shown by that titan of watch sales... Singapore! 
Mighty Singapore showed an uptick of, wait for it, +25%!  Point of full-disclosure, I have never been to Singapore, but I suffer from a distinct sense of incredulity in believing that the demand in Singapore is that great right now.  Is the Grey and Soft Grey market demand great?  Sorry, silly question ; )

And now a little inside baseball for all of you who think I might be full of it, ever wonder how the grey-market and soft-grey market always seem to have so much product?  And have you ever heard the near comedic response of brand managers and their Swiss and German ownership claiming to be just as shocked and concerned as their frustrated and pissed-off retail partners?  Well, to quote that other great commentator on the watch industry - Gabriel Byrne as Tom Reagan (Millers Crossing) -

“I’d worry a lot less if I thought you were worrying enough.”

Here's hoping that I'm wrong.

Trying to Break Stuff - Casio Day 2

The second day of our visit to Casio started out with a bus ride from our hotel in Shinjuko to the Hamura Research and Development Center which is in Hamura-shi, Tokyo-to.  Now for those unfamiliar, allow me to acquaint you with some realities about Tokyo.  It is really, really big.  How big?  Really big.  And it was sort of bringing it all back home for me as we heard military jets overhead, and it suddenly occurred to me that we must be fairly close to Yokota Air Base which is located in Fusa, and just around the corner from where I used to live in Hachioji -

That would be the blurry city name in the top position of the green sign ; )

But I am not going to waste your time traveling down my personal memory lane.  What I am going to do is share what a lot of 10 year old boys (and I suspect girls) enjoy doing - trying to break stuff!

The whole idea of the G-Shock was to make something that could not be broken (more on that tomorrow), but you can't just say something is unbreakable, you have to prove it.  And this wonderful center in the Tokyo hinterlands has created a facility where they can try to imagine every stress, situation, random bad thing that could happen to a watch, and replicate it.

The original G-Shock was born of a lot of different things - anger, loss, frustration, denial, determination, and finally triumph.  But it was a long, slow process.  The photo above is, for me at least, truly symbolic of that painful process.  Spoiler alert, the creator of the G-Shock was wearing a traditional, normal watch that fell off his wrist and was what insurance adjusters would term, a "write off".  Out of that loss, and need to build a better mouse trap, the G-Shock was born.  The single biggest item on the punch list?  Make it unbreakable.  And the notion of a ball bubbled to the surface as the ultimate shock-absorber.  The item above is part of the journey from "watch in a ball" to the G-Shock of today -

Courtesy of Casio

But needless to say, Casio did not get to have the baby without the labor.  Before we got to the "rumpus room", we got a very solid briefing about the foundation of the G-Shock within Casio.

Along with the type of visual displays that would be the envy of many other brands -

Courtesy of Casio

I draw your attention to the display above and the one below.  

Courtesy of Casio

Still think that quartz is simple, or basic, or dumb?

Think again.

Now, on to the (controlled) chaos!

First stop - the dunk booth!

No, that is not a chocolate milkshake in process, it is a custom made machine designed to test the functionality & reliability of the push pieces not only in a wet environment, but also one that has grit, debris, mud...

Courtesy of Casio

Beyond mere mud, there is also water itself in terms of depth, and Casio had just the machinery to gauge that as well -

Courtesy of Casio

Keep in mind that one of the central tenants of the G-Shock is water resistance - typically starting at 200 meters.  Well, the folks in Hamura weren't satisfied with the typical testing devices used by other watch companies.  So they use quite a few devices.

Courtesy of Casio

Safe and dry.

Courtesy of Casio

But if we get back to the birth of the G-Shock, we are reminded that this was triggered by a broken watch.

Courtesy of Casio

So if you can't gum up the pushers with silt, and you can't drown it, maybe you can break it by dropping it, or hitting against something hard?

Well...

Courtesy of Casio

not so much!

And then there is that nasty old problem of gravity.  What if you drop your watch from, say your desk or bedside table?

Courtesy of Casio

Or maybe even something a little out of the ordinary, height-wise?

Courtesy of Casio

Welcome to "Thunder Dome".  But in this instance, both watch and tester came out fine, and still ticking.  

What is particularly cool about the R&D center and the testing area is the fact that this is not standard equipment that you order from Borel.  The demands put on the G-Shock represent a level and commitment to testing that is not really found anywhere else in the watch making world.

And should you encounter Electro?

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide info-web

Well, the G-Shock team has you covered -

Courtesy of Casio

And I have to laugh a bit every time I see copy, marketing or pr pieces extolling how bad-ass their watches are, primarily based on size and the stature of their celebrity friends of the brand.  After an afternoon spent trying to break stuff, I can honestly say that the G-Shock is the real deal.

We wrap-up tomorrow, stay tuned!

What the heck is the AuroChronos Festival?

As I endeavor to bring you the stuff that you might miss from the bigger outlets (you know, actual news, etc.), I was very happy to be forwarded the information about this year's AuroChronos Festival.  I wanted to give the folks behind the fair the opportunity to tell you about it in there own words, so here you go -

 

What the heck is the AuroChronos Festival?

A lot of people asked this question last year when our event appeared for the first time. The word Festival and watches have never gone together. So why now and what the heck is AuroChronos?  The name of the festival is a blend of two words and it expresses the core values of Aurochs, a distant predecessor to today's domestic cattle.  It was an enormous, strong and wild ox whose posture commanded respect. It doesn’t only represent the strength, freedom and the perseverance needed in the constant struggle to make a mark in the watch market, but it also symbolizes the rebirth of an appreciation for watches and craftsmanship in creating unique pieces and the exceptional character of independent brands. The Greek god Chronos is the personification of time and the symbol of creation. Symbolized by an hourglass the symbol of passing time.  For us it is time to return to the roots and the rebirth of the tradition of small independent manufactures with unique style and individuality.

OK, we got that covered, but why a Festival? The International Festival of Independent Watch Brands AuroChronos,  is a hybrid of a watch fair and a festival review. It means that there is an International Jury that selects unique watches and the winners receive AuroChronos Awards. Last year they were premiere watches awarded and this year, there will be interesting new categories such as "Independent Men's Watch", "Independent Women's Watch", "Discovery of the Year" and so on.

AuroChronos is also a place for people who are just thinking about purchasing their first watch and want to learn something more about watches before making a decision. It is a platform for exchanging experiences and opinions on watches and trends and there are numerous presentations, lectures and workshops that are definitely an added value and a magnet for visitors. The year's invitation to Lodz was accepted by several notable people:

• Kalle Slaap - a well-known Dutch watchmaker, advocate of micro brands and founder of a watchmaking school  
• Tomasz Miler - entrepreneur and influencer, creator of Miler Menswear, Miler Spirits and Manumi (classic suits, strong spirits and men's leather accessories)
• The Special Guest of the Festival will be Theodor Diehl. A spokesman and watchmaker of Richard Mille Watches, author of the book "Kari Voutilainen: Horlogerie d'Art" and specialist in independent watchmaking with over 25 years of experience in the industry who will give two lectures at the AuroChronos Festival.

There are strong partners that support our initiative. I’ll just mention some of the most prominent ones: 

• PKO Bank Polski, the largest bank in Poland 
• “Zegarki i Pasja”, the biggest quarterly on watches in Poland,
• The largest and most active Facebook group on watches in Poland “Czasoholicy” 
• The lifestyle magazine “LOGO”.

We have managed to do all of this in just over a year and there would be nothing unusual about it if we were professional event planners. Truth be told, our Festival is organized by two watch enthusiasts from outside of the industry. Maciej Mazurkiewicz - a doctor specializing in oncology and Paweł Zalewski - a trainer and translator.  We are both in our thirties and one day noticed that there was an event missing on the European watch scene. So we decided to create one. Our commitment and enthusiasm to the original idea made the first edition in 2017 a great success. The festival was visited by over 750 guests. This has paved the way for the development and preparation of our second edition. The AuroChronos Festival 2018 will host over thirty exhibitors from Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan.

We hope that you will join us September 29^th and 30^th and visit Lodz, Poland. The AuroChronos Festival 2018 will take place in Expo-Łódź, al. Politechniki 4, Lodz, Poland (Saturday 29^th 10:00 – 18:00 and Sunday 30^th 10:00 – 15:00). For more information visit www.aurochronos.com.

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Biver Leave's the Party - Maybe this Time for Sure...

So you've read it everywhere else, the last emperor is perhaps now finally, really, actually leaving the party.  Well, this time seems more likely than previous retirements.  

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide info-web

But to quote that other great commentator on the watch industry, Lieutenant Columbo - 
"Something's still bothering me..."

So I'm going straight up on the "Columbo-tip", and ask a few questions that are, perhaps, not being asked elsewhere.

I held off putting anything out there yesterday because, frankly, I felt that there was more to this than an ill executive stepping aside to focus on his health. Moreover, it was the guy's birthday. A little respect was in order. But remember, we've been down this road before, when he announced that he was stepping down, and returned with an even broader mandate a few months later.

And the fact that there were two names being "mooted" as possible replacements was not accidental. And today's press release from LVMH HQ confirms what I suspected -

After an extraordinary career spanning over 40 years in watchmaking, Jean-Claude Biver, together with LVMH, has decided to relinquish his operational responsibilities and assume the role of non-executive Chairman of the LVMH watchmaking division.

Stéphane Bianchi has been appointed CEO of the Watchmaking Division, with effect from 1st November 2018. He will directly lead TAG Heuer, with the CEOs of Hublot and Zenith reporting to him.

Frédéric Arnault has been appointed Strategy and Digital Director of TAG Heuer.

Okay, let's consider this from LVMH's perspective - You've got a strong, dynamic leader in charge of 1 of your most important brands, and "overseeing" 2 others. But what you also have is a wee bit of a cult of personality. And I want to say something very clearly - that is not a dig at Mr. Biver, it actually underscores his charisma, popularity and ability to lead. But what also happens in this situation is that you then find yourself without a real contingency plan, and more than just a small power vacuum just waiting to happen.

Hublot, while having a CEO not named Biver, constantly finds Mr. Biver front and center at a LOT of its operations. Tag Heuer? Mr. Biver has been the defacto CEO for several years, and there still does not seem to be anyone lined up and ready to take the helm, even though he has said frequently that it would be a priority to develop a replacement. And Zenith? Sure, lots of interesting new models, but if the conversation I recently heard two US retailers having about sales is anything to go on? Not exactly punching their weight. Now I also want to clearly state that these points are merely anecdotal. But when taken as a whole, they are worth considering.

Mr. Biver admittedly has been having health troubles, but as one person who knows about these things confided, Mr. Biver has had, and worked through several rather serious health issues for the past several years and has still remained at the helm. Moreover, we are talking about a guy who LOVES what he does, and has worked through similar challenges. And the last point about the health concerns, he has stated in his brief comments that he is now starting to do better health-wise. If so, why leave now?

And more pertinent, if it was really about health, why would the replacement not be starting until November? My sense is that someone at LVMH who has a last name that might begin with the letter "A" has a case of the fidgets.

It bears considering the language used in the release:
Jean-Claude Biver, together with LVMH, has decided to relinquish his operational responsibilities and assume the role of non-executive Chairman of the LVMH watchmaking division.

So at least insofar as LVMH goes, this is the end of a truly dynamic career. And if I am being honest? I think that there will be some changes coming within the brands as well, because when there is someone with that much personal involvement, who commands the type of loyalty that Mr. Biver has? Let's just say that for some, there might be some uncomfortable questions that cannot be ignored any longer.

Another way to look at it is what a person inside the industry has referred to as the "Biververse" or "Biversphere". Meaning that at the center of it all, you have Jean-Claude Biver, and orbiting around him are the satellites, such as Ricardo Guadalupe. There have been others, who have seen their career trajectories greatly altered once they have been uncoupled from the mother ship. The rare exception to this perhaps being Jean-Frederic Dufour, who landed perhaps one of the safest and most secure gigs out there when he landed on the Green Planet, Rolex. Aldo Magada is laboring on an obscure and dark planet with Anonimo and Vulcain. Stéphane Linder who resigned unexpectedly from Tag Heuer (which led to Mr Biver taking over at Tag) stopped for a glass of Tang at Gucci (less than 2 years) a brief stint as a consultant, then off to Breitling-World where he is now piloting the LEM with Georges Kern, potentially arguing about who will be the first to walk on the moon. What has not happened in recent years, which had happened in previous Biver regimes was the development of new talent. Many people felt (and rightly so) that a stint at Biver U could help develop someone to lead a brand of their own one day. This explains the 2 appointments announced by LVMH today. I do not claim to be a great friend or confidant to Mr. Biver, but I feel confident is saying that I think he would have looked for someone with actual industry experience, and probably would not have looked to promote based on family connections.

I think to sum it up, in many ways, Mr. Biver was the patron of the watch making peloton, and while you couldn't really argue with the overall results, it eventually led to a set-up that was entirely too dependent upon him to oversee, and as such it was inevitable that it would end. Sooner or later time is called on all of us, we just don't always know when it will be, or how it will come about.

Now on to the two New-Jacks. Per the LVMH announcement -

Stéphane Bianchi has been appointed CEO of the Watchmaking Division, with effect from 1st November 2018. He will directly lead TAG Heuer, with the CEOs of Hublot and Zenith reporting to him.

This breaks the Biver model, because while Mr. Bianchi might have been a titan in the cosmetics/perfume industry? This is quite a different thing and goes contrary to what Mr. Biver has said in more than one interview, and I quote particularly from an interview he had with Wired, essentially? You have to learn the ropes before you try to take command of the ship. He often reflects back to his beginnings and his stint at Audemars Piguet where he was put through an internship at half-salary for one year to learn the inner workings of the business. Something tells me that Mr. Bianchi is not taking a similar path. You could argue that at his age that would be unreasonable, but then again we do need to consider the title that he has been given. Time will tell, but from an outside perspective, I suspect that this appointment was driven more by the LVMH folks and was probably not taking into account too much feedback from the folks who actually work in this particular sector within the group.

And as for Arnault the "even younger"? Firstly, age is not necessarily a requirement for ability. Having said that? Well, it is interesting that Arnault the "slightly older" was invested with a luggage company, and now another family member is being inserted into a fairly high level position within the group in a company that he has spent some time with, but in an industry that he has very little actual experience in. So again, we will see what develops and how things go, but it doesn't hurt that he shares the same last name as the owners.

But if anything is abundantly clear given today's announcement, it is that LVMH is making a fairly serious change in how the watch brands will be managed, and I suspect that while this is a very big shift, there are more to come. And in this instance, I do not think that we will see Atlas shrug.

The KLOK-01 Midnight Blue

This is a long-awaited release for kloker's fans, the KLOK-01 in Midnight Blue -

Courtesy of klokers

This is the latest addition to the klokers family and I think it's safe to say that it will be a crowd pleaser.

Here are the pertinents -

Courtesy of klokers

KLOK-01 MIDNIGHT BLUE DIAL WATCH-HEAD

• Dimensions: Ø 44 mm, 11.5 mm deep
• Casing: 316L stainless steel
• Glass: transparent polymer with built-in magnifying lens
• Water tightness: Water Resistant
• Swiss Made
• Driven by a high-tech Ronda movement (high precision Quartz movement)
• 1,5 V battery
• Two-year warranty against all production defects
• The klokers key: a pushbutton at 8 o'clock to unlock the watch head from its base
• Color: midnight blue dial

Lemming!

An exciting new watch brand has been announced!  I received this release from a special correspondent (RG) -

Introducing a revolutionary new watch brand. Are you the kind of person that doesn't want to stand out in the crowd? When you go to a restaurant do you wait to order last and then ask, "what is everybody else getting?" Then do we have the watch for you! Introducing - Lemming watches and our first release, the "Bandwagon"

Courtesy of Lemming

Some watch companies brag about their low production numbers and exclusivity, how silly! The Lemming Bandwagon is a limited edition of 7.6 billion pieces (for our A series that is) that way every human on earth can have one! We've taken a lot of time to consider our pricing too. We were going to price it at $10,000 but we know how desperately you'll want to look like your neighbor so your price will be $20,000.

Now let's get to the movement. We experimented with multiple barrels to get the longest power reserve but it wasn't enough. We tried various batteries but it still wasn't enough. The Lemming Bandwagon runs off the power of your desperate need to be accepted which is endless!!

Now, what about our watchmaking credentials? Who gives a shit! Celebrities wear our watches and our name is on boats and planes. Doesn't that tell you enough? We thought so.

See you soon at the Lemming convention! Well, only if you're going!

The New Team at Fortis

In the interest of full-disclosure, I have worked for and with one of the subjects of this announcement before, and am therefore a wee-bit biased ; )

Word reached Tempus Fugit HQ that Fortis has new ownership and a new CEO.  And while I am very happy on a personal level as Mr. Aebischer, the new CEO is a friend, I am happier still because he is someone who actually "gets it" and can help put Fortis back on the right track.

Now I am not here to paint a false, rosy picture.  Fortis has been pretty grossly mismanaged for quite some time prior to the new ownership coming in.  Moreover, it has been peddled like some cheap, throw away product by the company that previously represented it in the US.  A lot of damage was done.  Having said that, I honestly believe that this is a much deserved second chance for a brand that has so much to offer, and I for one am anxious to see how things progress.

Here is the press announcement, as it was received -

Jupp Philipp - Courtesy of Fortis

FORTIS WATCHES AG is pleased to announce that, from 1 September 2018, the traditional brand‘s continuing operation under a new leadership is secured and will also be expanded: Jupp Philipp, entrepreneur and passionate wearer of FORTIS watches, will take the reins.  

Lorenz Aebischer - Courtesy of Fortis

In order to put this vision into practice, Mr. Philipp will bring in experienced support from the industry: Mr. Lorenz Aebischer (previously working for renowned brands such as Auguste Reymond, Mido and Tissot) will manage FORTIS WATCHES AG.

The direction is clear. The first and foremost vision: "Every customer is entitled to value preservation and it is our duty to ensure this." (Jupp Philipp) This guiding principle describes succinctly – almost philosophically – the cornerstones of the future focus and shall forever constitute the creed for all strategic and operational decisions.

Initially a precise analysis and strategy development with all of its components will be in the foreground. "Of course, it should be clear to everyone that such a process will take its time. Nevertheless we will immediately get together on 1 September and start to work on the individual topics over the coming months as a team.  It will take some time to create the foundations, organize the FORTIS network and make everyone believe in the guiding principle.“ (Lorenz Aebischer)  

Casio Visit Day 1 - Part 2

Day one continued with visits to several specialized Casio G-Shock retail outlets. 

I live in the Metro Boston area and work in Boston proper.  And if I am being honest and objective?  The G-Shock is a very popular item on area wrists, but not quite so easy to track down in it's retail environment.  To be very clear, we (media types) were joined by three very successful retailers on this visit to Japan, and these guys sell a LOT of G-Shocks, but Boston-proper, for whatever reason, is a little bit limited in terms of outlets.  But having seen and experienced both the G-Shock boutique and a few "shop-within-shop" concepts I have to say that maybe Boston could benefit from a wee, little G-Shock pop-up to test the waters.   
note to Casio, I know the perfect location on Newbury street ; ) 

We have all seen shop within shop concepts, particularly with the big dogs from SWATCH, LVMH and Richemont.  But very seldom do we see a more affordable brand hop on the board and paddle out to these deep waters.  But to Casio's credit, they have done something very special with their concepts.

The author, about to get "G-Shocked"

Visit any uni-brand boutique, and it is not going to be able to hold absolutely everything available.  That is just a fact of life.  But to Team Casio's credit, they have created a very welcoming space with a fairly comprehensive selection of what is available both in their boutique, as well as their store within store concepts.

But G-Shock has grown and evolved beyond watches.  It has grown, in many ways, beyond merely a Casio brand to its own identity.  But it is even more than that.  G-Shock has become something of a cultural touchstone for several generations and continues to attract new customers from virtually every demographic.  I am a perfect case study of this.  As I said, the somewhat thin population of G-Shock retail outlets in Boston proper had really not prepared me for the sensory, visceral onslaught that I felt when wandering through these G-Shock specialist locations.  And it became very clear to me that G-Shock is not merely a brand, it has become something of a movement.

Every movement needs an icon, and G-Shock has a few of them.  

G-Shock men, both small...

The author, mid-sentence

and large protect and promote the spirit of the G-Shock.  It is a bit of a whimsical idea, but I can tell you that on our travels, these G-Shock men were probably the most photographed items.  And in many ways that sums up what (for me at least) is the spirit of G-Shock.  Very serious, very durable, but still fun.  You could almost see the G-Shock man staring in his very own action film.  And the spirit of fun is also found in the bright, colorful range of offerings.  

More than a few requests were made to purchase the small G-Shock mascots, all were (politely) declined.

What several of us were on the hunt for was what I have come to refer to as the G-Shock unicorn, the GMW B5000 -

Courtesy of G-Shock

And in answer to this query we were told:
"Yes, it was available.  Yes, it might still be available.  No, we do not have it."  
ごめんなさい (sorry)

And that is one very positive thing to say about getting disappointed in Japan, everyone is really, really polite about it and downright apologetic for your disappointment.  

Fast forward to my last day in Tokyo, I walked to the department stores to check their watch collections on the off-chance that I might get lucky and find one of these digital, steel bijouxs.  And...

I DID!  

In a certain department store, right above Shinjuku station, I found the rare and elusive GMW B5000 in its natural environment - the display case!  I crept up slowly, so as not to startle it, and made my enquiry -

この費用はいくらですか  (How much is this?)

and was somewhat surprised to hear that it was 60,000 Yen (about $535 US, not including the tax).  Now to a collector, who is seriously trying to lay hands to something, a $35 - $45 up-charge is really not such a big deal.  And in hindsight, it might be that this is the established retail price for Japan.  I took a moment to remind myself that I was in Japan, not at home, and things worked differently here.  And after about 15 minutes of back and forth, I had made up my mind to bite the bullet and pull the trigger.  So I said okay, I'll take it!  
And then I heard those dreaded words -

ごめんなさい (sorry)


It seemed that this particular item was simply there for display, and that while I could indeed purchase one, I would not be receiving it for several months.   And then I had to smile, and laugh to myself.  Of course!  This is a highly sought-after, highly desired item.  It made perfect sense for them to keep a display model in the case, and it makes perfect sense that if you really want one, you should be willing to place your order and get in the queue.  Desire, when properly managed, is perhaps one of the strongest marketing tools out there!  So well done G-Shock and very well-done to that department store watch department!  It worked, I now have a (rather intense) desire for that watch.  

And on a larger scale, I think that this is something that Casio and the G-Shock team have figured out better than most brands out there.  For a watch or brand to take hold of the consumer, it is not necessarily about luxury, it is not necessarily about "artisanal" craftsmanship.  It's about desire.  In truth, Casio could pass the word to G-Shock and say that seeing as demand is so great, let's quadruple the production of this one model.  That would be a very Swiss, very American solution.  The result would be a loss of the very thing that has made this particular model so sought-after, its scarcity.  But the folks at G-Shock understand that it is not necessarily such a bad thing to have a limited supply of something that everyone wants.  So I will wait, as patiently as I can.

More to come, stay tuned!