And Justice For All

So for those of you who have been gently napping, as a public service announcement we remind you that today is a very big day in the watch business here in the US.  In fact, it goes well beyond that.  Today, in New York City there will hopefully be a final determination regarding Hamilton's legal action against Vortic.  

Again, for those pulling a Rip Van Winkle, Vortic is a brand based out of Colorado that, essentially, up-cycles abandoned, forgotten pocket watches.  Old cases, dials, hands and movements enter a cocoon in Fort Collins, Colorado, and emerge as wrist-born butterflies.  Long dormant family heirlooms enjoy a second life.  To quote Elvis Presley in "It Happened at the World's Fair" -
"Happy ending, happy ending
give me a story with a happy ending".

I mean, everybody loves a happy ending, right?
Well, maybe not so much... 
I refer you to the following article -

IS SELLING A RECONDITIONED PRODUCT TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT? HAMILTON V. VORTIC

What is particularly telling in this whole drama is the manner in which the person responsible for Hamilton's arguments has artfully avoided actually, I don't know, participating.  I refer you to  

the following from Justicia Law:

Hamilton International Ltd. v. Vortic LLC et al, No. 1:2017cv05575 - Document 63 (S.D.N.Y. 2018)

As mentioned in a previous piece, the very notion that the key technical representative for Hamilton could not appear in court because the cost would be too high, is pretty difficult to accept considering the amounts of money Hamilton, and the SWATCH group at large spend on events, pr, media, etc.  Don't get me wrong, I love comped first class press junkets as much as the next watch dog, but if you can afford to pay for not-so-widely read journalists to travel to  various events, sponsor racing airplanes, etc., I think you can afford a business class ticket Zurich-NYC and a few nights of accommodation.  Moreover, let's keep in mind that it was Hamilton's decision to pursue this matter in the US.  

Will we ever know exactly what the thought process was behind this rather regrettable PR gaffe? Most likely not.

Was all of this avoidable?  Of course it was.  And what comes next?

Win, lose or draw, this has had an impact on Vortic.  For many of us who support what they are doing, we hope that it will have the Nietzshe effect, and that it will not kill Vortic, but rather, make it stronger.

And for the shot callers at SWATCH, I would ask you to consider another quote attributed to Nietzsche -

You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.

Mediation pals and gals!  It will save you a shit-ton of money, and PR headaches!