Going Back To Go Forward - Tempus Fugit!

Four words I swore I'd never say in relation to watch show attendance -

"I'll be in Geneva!"

Now before you call the "thought police" that manipulate the guest list at Watches and Wonders, relax - they still have not invited me ; )

I will be working (to quote that other great commentator on the watch industry, Dolly Parton) 

"Two doors down."

Technically one door down if I've understood the map provided by Time to Watches. I will be working the booth at Ollech & Wajs, so if you find yourself in Geneva, come by to see us!

And I have to say that I am feeling rather enthusiastic about watches again - and that is a bit of a welcome feeling. And that feeling brought me back to this time machine -

And yes, there is a story to it. And like any good story that I have about Watch Town, discovering cool watches, and meeting new friends, it's a story that involves Roderich Hess. Although it's been (I believe) 7 years now, parts of it seem like yesterday. Auguste Reymond was still in its birthplace of Tramelan. Lorenz Aebischer was still in charge, and there was a real feeling to the brand. The building was very, very cool but definitely in need of some attention / refurbishment. Two watch makers were on site along with administration folks. It was a humble, honest and sincere enterprise. 

Well, that was then. It is inevitable that things can and must inevitably change. Sometimes for the better, sometimes not so much. You can't live in the past, but by that same token you should not forget it, or try to ignore it.

In the end, Auguste Reymond went to new owners, and moved down the hill to the Biel/Bienne suburbs. But I remember it for what it was, something special.

A watch ultimately is a thing, an object. But like so many things that come and go in our lives, this watch for me is also a talisman. It reminds me of the importance of friendship, of commitment, and of working together - just the way I saw Lorenz and his team work together in sometimes overwhelming circumstances. 

I was passionate then. Somehow over the last few years that passion was lost. But oddly enough, an upcoming trip to Geneva seems to be just the tonic to put the bounce back in my step!

So as you go about your day today, pick a time machine to wear (if you have a collection) that reminds you of something special, something that will inspire you, something that will make you smile.

And remember - although nothing lasts forever, your memories are yours for keeps!

Tempus Fugit -

Henki 

A Rōnin's Chronograph

I remember when I first saw it. It winked at me from the pages of iW magazine back at the turn of the century. In one instance it hit every visceral button on my personal control panel -

This is from Auguste Reymond, what is lately referred to as the Jazz Age Chronograph as part of the newly named Tramelan Collection. 

As a civilian watch enthusiast, I was somewhat obsessed with this watch, imagining what it might be like in real life. I left civilian life and entered into the watch business in earnest some 7 years later when I went to work for DOXA, and then got to visit Auguste Reymond's booth while covering BaselWorld in 2012 and 2013 as part of the press corp. And like so many things, with the overwhelming amount of watches and brands that were active at that time, AR took a bit of a back burner position in my mind.

Fast forward to 2015 and my friend Rod Hess and I visited Auguste Reymond the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and there I was shown around the facility, and reintroduced to this wonderful piece (among others).

That visit led to a 2 year project. From 2016 through 2017 I worked with the owners of Auguste Reymond. In the end, the brand was sold, and we went our separate ways. And while it did not turn out the way that any of us wanted, it was a valuable part of my development as a consultant.

For the past eleven years I have been, essentially,  a rōnin. I work in the watch business, I help a brand as much as I can doing what is asked, but at the end of the day I am independent. I am fortunate in that I can move on. But there have been one or two projects that I will always look back on with fondness, and Auguste Reymond before it was sold was certainly one of them.

Auguste Reymond has left Tramelan for Nidau. And it serves to remind me that like so many things in life, nothing is forever, no matter how much we'd like them to be. It is a new company with a newish owner and three new collections. And hopefully it will be successful. 

I realized something important about a year ago, perhaps in one of the darkest moments of COVID lockdown. You can't live in the past. But you also shouldn't jettison it like ballast. 

As I get older, I realize more and more that I am hanging onto a lot of things that I honestly don't need or even appreciate as much as I once did. Wendy and I don't have kids, so more and more I have to ask myself who, or what am I hanging onto some of the things in my life for? I have been gradually thinning out the majority of my watch  collection and am about 3 pieces away from having a tidy, sane number of trusted friends. It has actually been quite cathartic. I am pleased to report that what was once a good sized collection has been moved to new owners around the world, and the pieces are being enjoyed, and worn.

My Agusute Reymond moon phase chronograph will be with me for the duration. I have come to call it the Tramelan Time Machine because it takes me back to a time of hopefulness, when an American Rōnin met a small team in a not-so-sexy place in Switzerland working to promote and sell some wonderful watches. 

The Origin Unitas

From Auguste Reymond -

Courtesy of Auguste Reymond

Available with a "vintage white" dial (above), and a "vintage black" dial (below) -

Courtesy of Auguste Reymond

The case is stainless steel and measures 44 mm in diameter.

Courtesy of Auguste Reymond

The movement is listed as UNITAS (we will presume an ETA 6498 or clone thereof).

According to the Auguste Reymond website, the price is CHF1'995.

Here are the pertinents -

CASE

Stainless steel, ORIGIN construction
Screwed-in bezel and caseback
Skeletonised stainless steel crown
Transparent case back with sapphire

Diameter: ø 44 mm

Water resistance: 100 m

MOVEMENT

Hand-wound mechanical movement, UNITAS

Power reserve: 44 hours

FUNCTIONS

Hour, minute and small second

DIAL & HANDS

Vintage white dial/ Vintage black dial

AR Compass-like hands with Super-LumiNova®

STRAP

Vintage brown calf leather strap 22/20

Folding buckle, single swing

Fathers, Sons, And All That Comes With It

If there were a Facebook section for father-son relationships, my status would read:

"It's Complicated..."

I made my debut in Zanesville, Ohio back in the summer of 1968. The day before I dropped, my grandfather presented my anxious soon-to-be father with this -

I had it for a good while, and then I passed it on to my niece who now has a son of her own.

While I don't regret passing it on, I would be less than forthright if I didn't admit to a pang of loss. And in truth, not for the object itself, but rather what that Mido represented.  When I think about my relationship with my father, it is in many ways a play in three acts. The first act would be happiness, growing up in a small town. The second act would struggle as we tried (often unsuccessfully) to maintain a positive relationship after he remarried. The third would be acceptance, as we grew further apart in terms of geographic distance, but reconnected now and again and tried to focus on the positive memories that we shared. 

In truth, this type of evolving relationship is not unique, we all go through it in our own way with our families and relationships. And to some extent, I always connected that first, "happy" period with his/then my/now my niece's Mido. I tried to recapture the feeling with other vintage Midos, but it was really never the same. It almost felt as if I was trying to channel my memories through someone else's horological talisman.

I recently found myself face to face with a relative of my father's Mido, and decided it was finally time to buy one for myself. I waffled back and forth for a minute, and finally made my move.

Now to be completely clear:

No. This new Mido did not make me more handsome, did not make me any smarter, food does not magically taste better, and I am not suddenly capable of tremendous feats of strength or daring-do.

But there is something that this new Mido did do, almost instantaneously - it hit me with a visceral sucker punch that I really wasn't expecting. I felt (and feel) a strange familiar calmness that takes me back to 1977 in that small Ohio town. My sisters and I are under the giant oak tree in the Pierce's side yard, we're playing jailbreak, and Dean Mason is "it", and he is the fastest runner any of us have ever seen so we have to be quick, sneaky, or simply cheat if we're not going to get tagged out ; ). And it finally gets so dark that we have to go inside, and my father is there in the living room, watching another hopelessly cursed Cleveland Indians team end the season in the same morass and ineptitude that have come to be a hallmark for the big city to the north. He comes up to my room to say goodnight. We talk about what we did that day - which really means that I tell him about my day, the ups and downs. And he smiles, gives me a hug and says "don't worry, things will look a lot brighter in the morning!" And with that he turns out the light in my room and heads to bed.

I thought it might be appropriate to wrap this up with a quote from that other great commentator on watches, the poet philosopher - Master Po from TV's Kung Fu:

Shamelessly borrowed from the worldwide infoweb

Caine: Is it good to seek the past, Master Po? Does it not rob the present?

Master Po: If a man dwells on the past, then he robs the present. But if a man ignores the past, he may rob the future. The seeds of our destiny are nurtured by the roots of our past.

Enjoy your watches - and give your dad a call!

Moon Phase Mondays - Auguste Reymond Jazz Age

Well, if I am honest with myself, I have to admit that "Mido on Monday" was a bit of a stinker (Mido, you could have been less helpful, but I'm hard pressed to think of how that might be possible). So we will reload and try something new - 

Moon Phase on Monday

So to kick things off, my personal all-time favorite, and one that always brings a smile to face when I think back upon picking it up at the Auguste Reymond head office back when it was in Tramelan.

This is the Jazz Age Chronograph Moon Phase.  Truth be told, I was never a huge fan of the naming conventions for the models, but names aside it is a fantastic watch.

The case for some is "modest" in size at 37.6 mm in diameter, but that is all part of its allure.  It is exactly large enough to house the Valjoux 7751. While there are no dramatic flourishes in the movement's finish, it is respectable and reserved - which honestly is in keeping with Auguste Reymond's ethos.  

I love the coin edge side case and the onion crown.

The hinge lugs are "semi-modern" in that while they have the look and feel of the original type, they are governed by a spring bar meaning that you can opt for the 18 mm strap of your choice.  

Which as you can see I did with a custom made purple ostrich strap from Lic of Belgium.  Now a quick point for full disclosure - I did represent Auguste Reymond in North America a few years ago, and I do currently represent Lic straps. And while I don't currently represent Auguste Reymond, I am still a fan and a proud owner! And now that there is "newish" ownership, I have faith that some really good things might be coming from the brand now based in Nidau, and I promise to keep you posted!

In checking out the Auguste Reymond online shop, it seems that there might be a few of these available, so if you're so inclined I would advise you to move "sharpish".

Here are the pertinents, straight from the source -

Case material 
Stainless steel

Crystal 
Domed sapphire

Case back 
Snap transparent

Water resistance 
3 bar (30m/100ft)

Case dimension (mm) 
37.6

Case thickness (mm) 
14.7

Strap width (mm) 
18/18

Movement type 
ETA Valjoux 7751

Power Reserve 
48 Hours

Strap 
Leather crocodile imitation

And until next time -

Don't let the moon phase you!

What Moves Me - Auguste Reymond

It's hard not to be romantic about watches.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - a brand is more than just a (registered) name.  A brand is the people behind it.  And while I had always had a soft spot for Auguste Reymond, it was a baffling brand for me to try and get my head around.  I had popped in to their booth at BaselWorld once or twice, and I had seen an Auguste Reymond ONCE in San Francisco back in 2000.  Apart from that, they had a pokey website, and (if I'm honest) a pretty bland selection of watches.  With one exception - The Jazz Age Chronograph, which we'll get back to in a moment.

It was back in November of 2015 that I first visited Tramelan with my good friend Rod Hess, not realizing I was going to make another friend that day, the CEO of Auguste Reymond, Lorenz Aebischer -

It was a Sunday, and he met us for lunch, then took us to the factory which he opened up so that we should see it first hand.  I returned to Tramelan about 4 months later just before BaselWorld and Lorenz showed us around for a real tour.  And you can read about that here -

A Grand Day Out - Auguste Reymond Part 1

A Grand Day Out - Auguste Reymond Part 2

And a little while after that, I began to work with Lorenz and team at Auguste Reymond to try and help reintroduce North America (and frankly, the English speaking world) to one of Tramelan's hidden treasures.  It was slow going, because there really was no budget to spend for advertising, marketing, etc.  It was a lot of reviews, a LOT of Facebook activity, and... we started to see some sales.  Not hundreds, but a slow but steady drip began to accumulate, and a few retail partners had approached, and just when it looked like we were going to turn the corner - the new owner of Auguste Reymond decided that he could do it better himself, and Lorenz was moved out.  

And what followed was a vivid example that, as mentioned above, a brand is nothing without the people.  The new owner, to his credit, did try make some changes, but it was also clear that he didn't really fully get what made the brand special in certain countries.  And after (I believe) about a year, he sold it to the current owner.  In the process, he sold the building.  And that was a tough one to take. I also fairly certain everyone who was still working in Tramelan at the time lost their job in the end.

Which brings us to now.  The current owner of AR is not really having any more luck than the person he bought it from.  He moved the brand from its hometown and it is now, if I am being honest, doing a Sleeping Beauty.  There is a web shop, the Facebook page has over 100,000 followers (you're welcome), and no new content for what appears to be a year or two or more.  When a brand's management is indifferent, how can they expect the buying public to feel any differently?  

Back in 2017 I was feeling a lot more optimistic about the future, and I bought the Jazz Age chronograph you see at the top of this story.  And if I am completely honest, when I put it on it is always a bit bittersweet.  Auguste Reymond could have made it.  But as I have often said it is simply a question of commitment.  If you want a quick fix, there will always be someone ready to throw money at a problem in the mad hopes that it will magically resolve itself.  But good things typically take time, and effort.  Whether or not the current ownership and management are ready to contribute either remains to be seen.  But friendships and memories win out in the end, and here's hoping that someone, eventually, will put the time and effort back into AR that has been sorely missing since 2017.

Breakfast With An Old Friend

Regular readers will know that I spent about a year and a half working with Auguste Reymond to help promote and market them in North America as well as English speaking countries around the world.  It was a fun and exciting time, and in hindsight, it was one of those experiences that was a little heart-breaking. Lorenz Aebischer was the CEO, and I have to say that in many ways, Auguste Reymond was his baby.  

As with any brand, there were shareholders to satisfy.  What was not clear at the time, but became clear later, was that the shareholders did not fully understand what it might really take to not only run the brand on the day-to-day, but also did not truly understand what made Auguste Reymond unique. Think about it, it was a brand that was right in the middle of a huge glut of brands pricing similarly.  Some with enormous marketing budgets, some that would come and go like so many Kickstarter brands seem to be doing lately.  But for whatever reason, it was a brand that resonated with a lot of watch fans, and the 100,000 plus followers on social media underscored that fact.  

Well, in the age of sleeping beauty watch brands Auguste Reymond is right there in good company.  It has now changed hands twice, and the current owners seem to be even more confused about what they bought than the people they bought it from.  

Despite what some brand owners and a few "colleagues" in the Fourth and Fifth Estate might think about me, I genuinely want to see brands succeed.  Nobody (even me) wants to see anyone fail.  But this is a brand with so much potential that is now like a cleaved block of ice, floating further and further away from where they want to be.

Let's hope that Prince Charming is waiting in the wings.  I realize that a watch brand is just that.  But in some instances, there is something more.  An idea, a feeling, something that stirs our passions.  For many people, Auguste Reymond was one of those brands.  Let's hope that a wake-up call will reach the owner and manager and they will stop treating it like a red-headed stepchild, and start treating it like the princess to be that it really is.

A Few Minutes With Fortis CEO Lorenz Aebischer

Courtesy of Fortis

Before we go too deep into this, it is important that I state clearly that the subject of the interview is someone I am very proud to call my friend.  I have worked with Lorenz in a former life when he was the CEO of Auguste Reymond.  

He is one of the most straightforward, honest and decent people that I have met in a business that is all too-often littered with con men, and bullshit artists.  And that is putting it kindly ; )  In a business where all too often the people who actually work for the brand are not valued, Lorenz and the team he is working with at Fortis have really turned around a brand that has a great deal of potential, and now will hopefully realize it.  I still remember the day that I found out he had been named the CEO of Fortis and I was so happy for him that I immediately stepped out of the office to call and congratulate him.  It is truly proof that sometimes, good guys finish first.

And now, a few minutes with Lorenz Aebischer -

James Henderson - With nearly a year under your belt as the CEO at Fortis, how are things looking?

Lorenz Aebischer - Well, with Jupp I have the chance to have not only a president of the board and shareholder but also an operational director in the daily business. Most of his time he is sitting in the office together with us and travelling to meet partners together with us. On the other side we have a great team with the sales manager, the marketing manager and the operational manager. In the management team we are 5 person and come most of the time to a common sense when we have decisions to take.

Very important is also the rest of the staff. I’m happy we have motivated people running in the same way to create the great FORTIS brand story for the next 100 years.

Last but not least, the international partners are also very important. Whatever we are doing, we need our partners to follow us.


So, TEAMWORK I guess is the main issue. And good partnerships. I guess we met a lot of interesting people and we will come within the next months/years with many nice good surprises.


JH - Moving from Auguste Reymond to Fortis was more than a simple move from Tramelan to Grenchen. What are some of the biggest differences between running a brand like Auguste Reymond and running Fortis?

LA - With Auguste Reymond I invested in a small brand with a nice history. My private finances were not enough and the Russian partner became main shareholder. It was very difficult for me to manage a Swiss brand with the Russian culture. Running a small brand with no budget is very difficult and everything you do in a short term view.  Today I already can say, the move from Auguste Reymond to Fortis was great luck.

Courtesy of Fortis

With Jupp as a shareholder we can think about the long term. This is crucial when you want to work with a great brand like Fortis. Amazing history as Fortis was the world first producer of automatic wrist watches, produced plastic watches before Swatch, was one of the first watch brands in the space, was the first Chronograph watch in the open space. So, talking about changes, Fortis has a great history and was a great brand. And I’m very proud to work in the original Fortis building. Fortis is one or the rare brands still in the original building built over 100 years ago. While the previous brand is a brand like others, Fortis has a character. Fortis brand is a good supplement brand in the portfolio of the retailers. The time pieces are robust and have their own unique character. We cooperate with professionals to create precise tools to measure the time.

Another big difference is the team. We have great watchmakers managing all the pieces of a mechanical alarm. All our watches are assembled in-house and we always look to cooperate with local suppliers. We have a great logistics team and a great administration team.


JH - What is the big release for Fortis this year?


LA - 8th of may we could launch the new PC-7 TEAM watch of the air base of the Swiss army in Dübendorf.  All the pilots of the PC-7 TEAM wear this new Fortis watch.  Together with many invited customers we watched the training of the squadron. Amazing to watch that. The PC-7 TEAM stands for dynamism, elegance and precision and fit perfectly to the values of Fortis.  It was a special pleasure for us to present this new watch to them and to the markets.  Especially as this year the squadron celebrates its 30th birthday.

Not a release but we had a big start in the development of the new Flieger collection. This new collection will be presented early next year.


JH - What are some of the biggest challenges that you and your team are facing?

LA - This I see in 2 chapters.  One is outside, and one is inside our house.  Outside, we are working with our partners to strengthen their position and focus on quality retailing and giving them more support with more pictures and videos, new displays and new catalogues.  Inside, we developed together with a big international agency our brand positioning.  Now we are starting to work on our communication channels.  The biggest challenge is to tell the people about what we are doing.  Nobody is waiting for us, but everybody who follows will realize the interesting potential of our brand.

JH - What is the strongest market for Fortis?

LA - Actually our main focus is Germany, USA and Japan.  As an independent brand you can’t drive a strong global campaign.  But we are working with all our other countries to develop them and intensify their activities together with us and cooperate straightly with the local retailers.


JH - Who are your key competitors?

LA - As mentioned Fortis has it own character. We do watches we love and we do it with passion.  Therefore we don’t see a key competitor but for sure our customers compare Fortis with IWC, Bell & Ross, Breitling.  We want to be seen and compared by them. We don’t call them competitors but purchase options for similar customers.


JH - What should we be on the look out for from Fortis?

LA - I guess watch fans, watch lovers and retailers have to follow our Instagram and Facebook but also in various print magazines and in some months our new internet site.  They will see step by step changes and interesting news.  In the last months we had so many contacts with various partners and exceptional personalities. We will create with passion new tools to measure the time and we will communicate more with all our actual and new ambassadors. Very soon, in August and in September, you will hear some news with our partners Castor Fantoba (who just became Spanish Champion some weeks ago) and Peter Balmer.

Stay tuned and follow our great evolution. We are FORTIS!

A Kickstarter Project for Auguste Reymond

Okay, it has been mentioned here before, but I want to clearly state this so that there can be no grey area or misunderstanding.

I, James Henderson, have represented Auguste Reymond watches in North America since last March (2016).  As I have stated in the past, owing to this relationship, I will only write basic, "these are the facts" pieces about Auguste Reymond.  I want to be 100% transparent about this relationship, and I want to be 100% clear that these two parts of my horologic life are, and will remain, separate. 

So, this is a JUST THE FACTS type of post:

Auguste Reymond is conducting a Kickstarter campaign.  The intention is to give customers the opportunity to purchase certain pieces in the Auguste Reymond collection at up to 50% off of the suggested retail price.  If you want to check out the campaign, your can find the information here:

Auguste Reymond Kickstarter

IMPORTANT:

I am neither encouraging, or discouraging you to check it out.  I am merely conveying the information.  

BUT, owing to my relationship with Auguste Reymond, this is ALL that I will say about them here on Tempus Fugit.

The Other Big Night at BaselWorld - Wine & Time!

So, small confession to make.  I was one of the five co-conspirators responsible for the Wine & Time pop-up event on Friday night in Basel.  

This was in many ways a first of its kind.  Rod, myself, Nas, Martin and Jonathan joined together to create a unique event where new, small, independent and emerging watch brands could come together in a private location, and share their watches with the press (print and digital), retailers & distributors, and private collectors & customers. 

The logic was fairly simple - for better or worse BaselWorld has grown into a very, very expensive proposition for watch brands.  It is not an accident that 200 brands (and that is the officially reported number) opted to give it a miss this year.  Our feeling was (and still is) that there are a lot of interesting brands out there that both the press and the distribution networks would like to hear about.  And so Wine & Time was born.

The idea started out reasonably enough.  We figured maybe 10 brands, 20 or so press folks, and maybe 10 - 15 retailers and collectors.  So maybe 50 people or so.  And, well, let's just say that the demand very quickly outstripped the space!

 
It was a unique opportunity for collectors and fans to meet the brand owners, see the watches, chat informally with some of us "alleged" experts, and enjoy a glass (or three) of great wine.

So did we have brands?  22 of them.

Okay, but probably no journalists, right?
a few less than 50.  

We actually had to close access to any further press folks 72 hours prior to the event, because as word got around, people were coming out of the woodwork.

And about the collectors, retailers and others?
Well, there were 122 attendees, I'll let you do the math ; )

Brands were encouraged to sell direct to any potential customers, and let's just say that several brand owners left with more money in their PayPal accounts than they came in with!

It was a unique event in that it wasn't the typical "brand dinner" that you go to, sit stiffly at a table and make awkward small talk.  It was
wide-open and friendly, and needless to say, we'll be doing it again!

So on behalf of my partners in crime, I'd like to thank all of the brands, suppliers, journalists, retailers, distributors and the collectors and fans!  It was a great night, and we can't wait until next year!

 We'll see you next year!
 
 

A Chance Meeting with an Old Friend

As I have made clear before, I do work with a few watch brands as a consultant, etc. and in some instances a little more directly and more involved - such as my relationship with Auguste Reymond (I am responsible for Auguste Reymond in North America).  Owing to this, you will note that you do not see any posts about Auguste Reymond on Tempus Fugit. 

But a few weeks back while wandering around Cambridge I bumped into a watch that although related to Auguste Reymond, I felt it was a distant enough relationship that I could write about it here.

But first some background.  As many readers know I have lived in  a lot of places, with my longest adult residence being in San Francisco and Santa Barbara California.  Many also know that I grew up in a tiny town in Ohio (Oberlin), that I did my undergraduate work at the University of Oregon (go Ducks!), and that I lived and worked in Japan, Portugal, Scotland and Finland. But what many don't know is that right after finishing my BA at Oregon, I accepted a job in Cambridge, MA and lived and worked for six months there.  And so it felt a little like "bringing it all back home" when a few weeks back I was wandering around my old work neighborhood - Harvard Square.  And what should I find in the vintage case at a watch store?

A beautiful, bi-compax gold chronograph.  And the name on the dial is from Auguste Reymond's sister brand ARSA.  Now back in the day, ARSA was a brand in its own right.  But these days they are known by their our customers primarily for the braille watches that they produce. 

And for those of you who have not met the owner/CEO of Auguste Reymond, Lorenz Aebischer, I will say that I was touched when he spoke about the production and sales of not only the braille watches, but in addition the ones made for people with failing eyesight.  He described it to me as a pleasant responsibility.  One that does not necessarily make a ton of money, but one that provides a needed solution for a lot of people.

And suffice it to say, it gives me a lot of pride to be involved as well.

So that's all you'll hear about Auguste Reymond or ARSA here at Tempus Fugit.  Rules are rules ; )

Enjoy your watches, and keep an eye out for long lost friends ; )

Auguste Reymond Returns to North America

Before going into any further details, an announcement of sorts in the interest of full disclosure -

As of March this year, I have undertaken the responsibility of marketing and representing Auguste Reymond in North America.  Owing to this, I will not be writing any opinion pieces.  Simply information only.

Now that that's out of the way -

If You Can Read This Post

You probably don't need this watch.  But you just might know someone who does.

Courtesy of Auguste Reymond/ARSA

One of the coolest things I got to see when I visited the Auguste Reymond facilities in Tramelan were the braille watches.  Which means exactly what you might think - watches made specifically for the sightless.  A smart phone will not be of much use to someone who can't see the screen.  And a "talking watch" is an even bigger potential liability as it has the potential to disturb those around the wearer.  

While I realize that there are many who may feel that this is a "low tech" approach, it is one that works, and one that I am pleased Auguste Reymond continues to follow through it's ARSA brand.

Friday's Auguste Reymond is...

The Elegance Automatic 40!

Here are the pertinents -

Technical Characteristics

Case material	Stainless steel
Case finishing	Rose PVD
Crystal	Scratch-resistant sapphire
Case back	transparent with 6 screws
Water resistance	5 bar (50m/165ft)
Case dimension (mm)	40,5
Case thickness (mm)	9,4
Strap width (mm)	20/18
Movement type	ETA 2824-2 / Sellita SW200
Rewinding	Automatic mechanical
Autonomy	39 hours
Strap	Leather crocodile imitation
Movement functions	Hour, minute, second, date

Courtesy of Auguste Reymond

BaselWorld Thursday with the Auguste Reymond...

Cotton Club Chronograph Moonphase!

So the first watch out for a BaselWorld tour was this blue dialed circle of Swiss chronograph goodness.

This is the Cotton Club Chronograph Moonphase AR.16M6.6.670.6

The first day of BaselWorld can often be complicated and this seemed the appropriate choice for taking on the challenge.
42.8 mm in diameter and one of the coolest blue dials I've ever seen, this watch got a lot of attention and a lot of people pulling up Auguste Reymond on their smart phones ; ).

I used it to time the trip to Basel from Lucerne - 1:14 owing to the need to take an earlier train, how long it takes to get from the ground floor of Hall 2 up to the watch area in area 2.2 - 3 minutes, 57 seconds when walking vigorously, and how fast you can consume a 3 course "potted" lunch in the press area - 7 minutes, 24 seconds with pauses for polite conversation and 2 beverages.

The movement is from the good folks at Valjoux and offers a pretty neat array of functions.

I will get more in-depth in a week or so, but for now here are the pertinent -

Technical Characteristics

Case material	Stainless steel
Case finishing	Blue PVD
Crystal	Domed sapphire
Case back	Snap transparent
Water resistance	8 bar (80m/266ft)
Case dimension (mm)	42,8
Case thickness (mm)	14,8
Strap width (mm)	22/20
Movement type	AR.1351
Rewinding	Automatic mechanical
Autonomy	48 hours
Strap	Leather crocodile imitation
Movement functions	hour, minute, second, day, date, month, 24-hour display, moon phases, chronograph