The Mayor of the Ramada

I have a lot of memories of BaselWorld. Curious to relate? The majority of them took place in the Hotel formerly known as the Ramada - the Hyperion. Anyone who had ever visited BaselWorld before it ceased operations would know about the lobby of that hotel. It wasn't necessarily glamorous, at least before it became the Hyperion. But what it did have? It had a lot of tables. And these tables in the lobby became the epicenter for where the real deals at BaselWorld would take place. You want to negotiate a deal? You sure as hell wouldn't do it in a booth in Hall 1! You'd go somewhere the press wouldn't find you because they were too busy running around the booths. But the Ramada/Hyperion was more than just a spot for confidential business rendezvous, it was also a spot for small independent brands to pitch their tents and introduce the more intrepid journalists (like yours truly) to their brands. And the undisputed Mayor of the Ramada was Daniel Simon Dreifuss -

I first encountered Daniel at my first BaselWorld visit as a member of the press, back in 2011. The blog formerly known as Tempus Fugit was by no means a known quantity by any stretch of the imagination. But Daniel had reached out via email on my second to last day and we arranged to meet.

And I introduced him to a few other journalists while I was at it ; )

But what Daniel would go on to do at subsequent fairs was emblematic of what made him so well known in Watch Town. Daniel realized that the best, most time and cost effective way to spread the word about Maurice de Mauriac was to plant a flag in the middle of the second busiest intersection at BaselWorld - the lobby of the Ramada. The lobby of the Ramada was not unlike Rick's Bar in the movie Casablanca. It was the one place, that sooner or later, everyone would pass through.

And it was there you would see Daniel, wearing something colorful and fun, jumping out of his seat to shake your hand, and then dipping into his signature leather tote bag to bring forth his latest watches, along with NATO straps of every color and pattern.

The last time I spoke with Daniel was September, 2021. I was returning home following a consulting trip in Neuchatel and had a day stopover in Zurich. He was running late, so I checked out the watches, and spoke with his sons. In the end he came in somewhat flustered from all of the errands he was busy taking care of that morning. If I remember correctly, he was in the process of either building or refurbishing a home in Italy.

Word reached Henki Time's North Shore offices early this morning that Daniel Simon Dreifuss had passed away. And if I am honest, this marks a fairly big turning point. Daniel was a larger than life personality - but in the best possible way. He made a lasting impression on everyone he met, and he will be sorely missed. 

His two sons had already taken over the business, and I suspect that they will continue on, making those human connections.

So what is there left to say? Well, thank you Daniel. You made Watch Town a whole lot more interesting! You will be missed, and certainly not forgotten. 

Go easy, and God's speed.