In Praise of the Mondaine Stop2Go

I love my Mondaine Stop2Go.  I don't claim to know or understand what is currently motivating Mondaine's approach here in the US, but having spent enough time in Switzerland I can say that I find 

it a reassuring quantity there. The Stop2Go is based on the same motion as the Swiss Rail clocks and (if I am not mistaken) in the lobby of certain portions of Boston Logan airport. The second hand sweeps around the face of the clock, pausing or "stopping" at 12:00 o'clock before the minute hand advances.

With the purchase/acquisition of Luminox, Mondaine seemed to lose its luster to the owners. Apologies to one and all if that seems unfair, I can only go by what I saw at the last BaselWorld I attended (LOTs of Luminox, and about zero Mondaine). 

The other thing I've noticed is a decided de-emphasis on the Stop2Go. And in some ways I get it. Compared to the other pieces in the collection, they are not inexpensive. And as I have to remind myself, I am not the only consumer out there, Mondaine makes watches for A LOT of people, not just me ; )

Now again, for those of you unfamiliar, the Stop2Go gets its name form the pause of the second hand just prior to the minute advancing. In essence, it stops. The minute hand then advances and the second hand resumes its sweep around the dial.

My particular Stop2Go is the Gottardo 2016, with a green bezel derived from the door of a train, as they were painted green back in the day.

http://www.tempusfugit.watch/2016/06/the-sbb-gottardo2016-stop2go.html

I managed to pick mine up in 2018 - and it was NOT EASY!

COVID has changed a lot for all of us.  For the second year in a row, I find myself in my New England home rather than riding the rails across the cantons in to visit dear friends and search out new stories.  Let's hope that our collective "STOP" is nearly over, and we can all "GO" in the not too distant future. You will know me when you see me - I'll be the Northern Youth standing in the station, coffee in one hand, camera in the other. I hope to see you all there soon.

All Aboard!

Seeing as none of us are traveling right now, I thought I'd do the next best thing and strap on my Mondaine Stop2Go Gottardo2016.  

True story, this was a hard one to get ahold of.  In the end, I was able to get one a year or so after it came out.  

The green bezel insert comes straight out of the driver's cab door from the original Ae6/6  train.

I like visiting Switzerland.  And odd as it might sound, some of my favorite moments are when I hop down to platform 3 and jump on good old #5 steaming for Biel/Bienne. Biel/Bienne is always my first stop, and a visit with my friend Rod Hess. I like the trains in Switzerland, and most stations have a Mondaine Stop2Go clock 

Sadly, none of us are traveling right now, but I think I'll hop on the SBB App and map out my next trip, and start making plans for when things are safe again.

Enjoy your watches.

The One that Got Away - Until Now!

I am a Mondaine fan.  There, I've said it. 

This is the Gottardo 2016.  You might remember it from such blog posts as:

The SBB Gottardo2016 stop2go 

I was lucky enough to stumble onto one of these not too long ago and was very grateful for the opportunity to pick it up.  

This particular model was released a few years back, the bezel featuring a unique twist.  Here is part of what I wrote at the time of the release -

It is the stop2go series so you have the clever hesitation by the second hand when it reaches 12.  But what I find draws me beyond that (which admittedly might turn some people off) is the bezel.  It is  crafted from the driver’s cab door of an Ae6/6.  I realize that not everyone is into train spotting, so here is a breakdown of the Ae6/6 courtesy of the good folks at Wikipedia -

The Ae 6/6 is a heavy electric locomotive used by the SBB-CFF-FFS. It is sometimes also referred to as canton locomotive ("Kantonslokomotive"), because the first 25 locomotives were named after the cantons, and carried the canton's coat of arms on the side and chrome embellishments (a single raised stripe on each side and three raised stripes on each end), and the Swiss coat of arms on the front, between the chrome stripes. These adornments made them internationally famous. The other 95 locomotives received the names of capital cities of Swiss cantons, and other towns and cities, but without the chrome embellishments. The namings were held as ceremonies in the respective cities.

Originally designed for heavy services on the Gotthard route, as many Swiss locomotives were, the Ae 6/6 was one of the classic Gotthard locomotives.

All locomotives were originally painted in the SBB CFF FFS green livery, with the number, and either SBB CFF, or SBB FFS on each side, all raised numerals in chrome. Nowadays about half are painted red, and a proportion of the fleet have been repainted in SBB Cargo livery, with all raised chrome embellishments removed apart from the Swiss coat of arms on each end. These locomotives have been renumbered (as class 610) in line with the current Swiss numbering scheme

 

And Hence, the bezel is green.

  
I go to Switzerland a fair bit.  I ride the rails and I see the Mondaine clocks.  But interesting to relate, if you go to Boston's Logan airport, you will find (at least one) Mondaine clock there too!  So for me it's a bit of "bringing it all back home".

The deeper you dive into any interest or hobby, it is inevitable that eventually you will stop going by what your friends (both real and virtual) tell you to like, and start listening to yourself, and following your own lead.  The Stop2Go collection is something that I really, really enjoy.  They are fun to look at, yet still sorta' serious.  And I find myself hoping to be glancing down at the dial just at the right moment to watch the second hand gently slide upwards before pausing just before 12 o'clock so that the minute hand can jump forward.  Is it a highly complex, prohibitively costly mechanical mechanism?  Nope!  And thank goodness!  This is a fun, everyday watch that you can (and should) wear and enjoy.  

Here are the pertinents -

Function	stop2go
Movement (type)	Swiss quartz Movement Mondaine cal 58-02 stop2go
Case size / diameter (mm)	41 mm stainless steel case
Crystal/Glass material	Scratch resistant sapphire crystal
Strap	Genuine leather strap
Water resistance	Water resistant tested to 3ATM
Origin	Swiss made

The Classic SBB

From Mondaine -

Courtesy of Mondaine

I got a chance to see this new collection at BaselWorld back in March.  Contrary to popular belief, for many of us who write about watches, it is not all about high-dollar, high complication fervor.

Courtesy of Mondaine

What makes the latest moves by Mondaine special is their adherence to their design codes while branching out and offering a twist to long established collections.  I have always liked the SBB series, but I have, at times, found it a bit hide-bound in it's look and feel.  So with the release of the SBB Essence (same great look with wonderfully earth-friendly materials) and this new Classic SBB in three new color options, it seems that Mondaine is not sitting on its past but using it as a base and moving forward.

Courtesy of Mondaine

Available in two sizes, a smaller 36 mm and a 40 mm.  The movement is a Ronda Quartz, and is water resistant to 30 meters/100 feet.

 

The Essence

From Mondaine -

Courtesy of Mondaine

One of the truly neat releases this BaselWorld was the Essence from Mondaine.  This seemed to be a year for interesting surprises, and Mondaine had a few up their sleeves.  One that truly caught my attention was the Essence.  

On the surface, you might be forgiven for seeing yet another SBB themed dial.  But look a little closer.  This is not your standard pvd treated case.  In fact, it is not your standard case at all.  The case is constructed of a polyamide that BASF SE has provided to Mondaine.  This material is not simply just a plastic.  It is composed to a fair degree of renewable materials:

1. Watch Case Materials:

41%	Rizinus (castor plant)
30%	Glass
2%	Black Color pigments
27 %	Fossil based plastics

Per Mondaine, the most notable points of this case construction are:

• • High percentage of renewable resources (in comparison to other watch brands: over 70% less fossil based plastic in the case as 40% of the case content is made out of the Rizinus plant, 30% are glass reinforcement materials.)
• • High strength and rigidity
• • Very good impact strength
• • Outstanding resistance to chemicals
• • Unique surface appearance 

Courtesy of Mondaine

The strap is rubber (38% natural rubber).

Even the packaging is thoughtful -

Courtesy of Mondaine

The pouch that the watch is packaged in is made from recycled PET bottles.  And the pouch can later be "upcycled" for a different use ; )

The Essence is available with either a white or black dial, in either a 32 or 41 mm case diameter.  As I understand it, the suggested retail is $175.

Well done Mondaine!  Hopefully this is the start of even more good things.

The Backlight

From Mondaine -



Available in:

SBB stop2go -

Courtesy of Mondaine

Courtesy of Mondaine

Courtesy of Mondaine

The SBB Giant and SBB Mini Giant -

Courtesy of Mondaine

Courtesy of Mondaine

The Helvetica Erik Spiekermann

From Mondaine -

Courtesy of Mondaine

This is a new take on the Helvetica collection.  This new series is available in three different styles.  The first is the Light Spiekermann (above).

Function	TimeDate
Movement	RONDA 715
Movement (type)	Quartz
Case size/diameter (mm)	38.00
Case material	Stainless Steel Brushed
Case back	Pressed Caseback
Crown	Regular Gasket
Crystal/Glass material	Sapphire Crystal
Water resistance (m/ft/atm)	30 / 100 / 3
Strap/Bracelets material	Stainless Steel
Width at lug (mm)	18.00

Courtesy of Mondaine

The Regular Spiekerman (above):

Function	TimeDate
Movement	RONDA 715
Movement (type)	Quartz
Case size/diameter (mm)	40.00
Case material	Stainless Steel Polished
Case back	Pressed Caseback
Crown	Regular Gasket
Crystal/Glass material	Sapphire
Water resistance (m/ft/atm)	30 / 100 / 3
Strap/Bracelets material	Stainless Steel
Width at lug (mm)	20.00

Courtesy of Mondaine

And the Bold Spiekermann (above):

Function	TimeDate
Movement	RONDA 515
Movement (type)	Quartz
Case size/diameter (mm)	43.00
Case material	Stainless Steel IP Black
Case back	Pressed Caseback
Crown	Regular Gasket
Crystal/Glass material	Sapphire
Water resistance (m/ft/atm)	30 / 100 / 3
Strap/Bracelets material	Genuine Leather
Width at lug (mm)	20.00

Something Cool

form Mondaine

Courtesy of Mondaine

These are the two new Mondaine Helvetica No1 Regular 2nd Time Zone watches.  Available with a silver/white dial (above), and a black dial (below).

Courtesy of Mondaine

This model measures 40 mm in diameter, and offers two time zones.

The movement is Ronda's quartz 6203.B BIG DUAL.

Courtesy of Mondaine

The US retail is $425.  The perfect watch to help you keep time on your summer travels.



 

Happy Holidays!

As the year draws to an end I'd like to take a moment to thank all of you for your continued participation and support with this little blog!

I look forward to continuing the conversation in 2017, and for now wish you a safe, healthy, and memorable holiday season.

Be well -

Henki

Luminox Goes to Mondaine

So news came out today that the Bernheim brothers (owners of Mondaine) had completed their purchase of the remaining 50% of the remaining shares of Luminox -

Courtesy of Mondaine

ANNOUNCING THE PURCHASE OF LUMINOX WATCH SHARES BY MONDAINE WATCH LTD OWNERS

San Francisco/Zurich, November 28^th, 2016 -- The owners of the Swiss watch manufacturer Mondaine Watch Ltd, Ronnie and Andre Bernheim have reached an agreement with Barry Cohen to purchase his shares in Luminox, including its American distribution company. The brothers first bought a fifty percent share of the business from Cohen’s former partner in 2006 and now own the Luminox companies and brand in their entirety.

 

Cohen, who created Luminox in 1989, says: “I founded Luminox in order to introduce self-powered illuminated watches to consumers.  I take great pride in having achieved something rarely accomplished, producing truly innovative Swiss-made watches which are globally distributed and recognized as the best in class. I wish both Andre and Ronnie great success in taking Luminox forward.”

 

Ronnie Bernheim comments: “At this point and time we thank Barry sincerely for all his commitment, passion and involvement with the brand and wish him all the best in his life outside of the Luminox world.”

 

Speaking of the plans for Luminox, Andre Bernheim says: “We have great concepts and products under development which we strongly believe will take the brand to a much higher level, even with the difficult nature of the industry at the moment.

 

This new vision will be showcased during the Baselworld Watch Fair (March 23-30, 2017). Rather than exhibiting inside the event hall, Luminox promises to surprise and delight visitors with a specially-designed space some one hundred meters (300 feet) away from the Baselworld building.

 

Moving forward, the primary goal will be to continue to grow Luminox worldwide in conjunction with distributors on all continents and supply this rugged Swiss-made watch collection with constant night visibility to people involved in pleasure and extreme outdoor activities.

The Watch-o-Matic!

It slices, it dices, it's the last watch you'll ever buy!

The difference between Ron Popeil and some watch executives might be only a passport ; )

For those of you unfamiliar, Ron Popeil is the man behind Ronco -

Courtesy of the world-wide info-web

Now I want to start this out by saying that I actually have the highest respect for Mr. Popeil as both an inventor of stuff we really didn't want or need, and more importantly, convincing us that we couldn't possibly live without it.  The man could sell.

Steve Jobs had his Reality Distortion Field, per Wikipedia:

this was said to be Steve Jobs's ability to convince himself and others to believe almost anything with a mix of charm, charisma, bravado, hyperbole, marketing, appeasement and persistence. RDF was said to distort an audience's sense of proportion and scales of difficulties and made them believe that the task at hand was possible. Jobs could also use the RDF to appropriate other's ideas as his own, sometimes proposing an idea to its originator after dismissing it the week before.^[3]

Does this sound like some people we know?

What sort of got me caught up in this theme yesterday and today was reflecting on the "miracle" of Tag Heuer's Connected watch and the Reality Distortion Field that was spun around it.  After first poo-pooing the Apple Watch, Mr. Popeil's possible "brother from another mother" announced that, in fact, smart or connected watches were, in fact, GOOD!  Not only that, his brand would be offering one!  

As I've said before, the idea of a connected watch is not in and of itself not so crazy.  But it is a question of how many features can you actually use (really use) in a smart watch?  

For better or worse, there are only so many features you can put into a wrist bound Tamagotchi -

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide info-net

How many features, realistically, are worth having in a connected watch?

The Apple watch has proven itself to be a bit of a unique outlier.  Yes, it offers a ton of different features that may, or may not work well in a wrist-bound environment.  But this is not what really drives the sales of the Apple watch.  What drives the sales of the Apple watch is Apple itself.  It is a strong aphrodisiac.  It is why many people, including me, will spend MORE for an iPhone, Mac or iPad than those in the Windows tribe.  I have tried an Apple watch, and it was not quite the revelatory experience for me that it clearly has been for others.  And I LOVE Apple stuff.  But for me it was just too much.

As an experiment I tried a Withings watch and found it to be too far in the other direction - it was supposed to give time, a wake up alarm and a step counter.  The alarm did not work as advertised, the step counter did not count correctly.  It was a disappointment. 

And then we have the watch world's two notable entries - Tag Heuer's connected watch, and the offering from Frederique Constant / Alpina / Mondaine.  While the Tag Heuer offering provides all of the promise of the Apple watch, it is significantly more expensive.  And apart from the big displays at BaselWorld, I have never seen a Tag Heuer connected watch "in the wild", despite the exclamations of large sales numbers.  And the same could be said for the FC/Alpina/Mondaine offerings in terms of actual visibility.  

More than anything, regardless of what technology firm they partner with, the watch brands are now competing in a different arena.  And it is one with a lot more price sensitivity, and a requirement to evolve and innovate at a much faster pace than they are used to.  So it becomes, and will continue to be, a never ending game of catch-up.

The brands that keep the functionality actually functional have the best opportunity to grab market share.  BUT, and it is a big but, they have to put the price of the watch at a level that the market will bear.  What the Fit Bit boom underscored is that there are functional aspects that people want and will pay for.  But when we delve into just how many features they want on their wrist and just how much they will pay for it?  Well that becomes a different matter.

This is another case of less having the potential for being more.  Find four or five functions, stick with them, and make them perform perfectly.  But in addition, produce and sell it at a price point that the market will bear.  This is the other thing that Apple figured out that everyone else is still struggling with.

So we shall wait, and we shall see.

The SBB Gottardo2016 stop2go

From Mondaine -

Courtesy of Mondaine

I have a weird sort of soft spot for Mondaine's railway watches.  Traveling around Switzerland by train, I clap eyes on the Mondaine clocks at nearly every stop.  The watch itself is also quite cool and in fairness, it has become for many synonymous with Switzerland.  While this latest iteration might not be for everyone, I have to say that it is a pretty cool twist on the original.

Courtesy of Mondaine

It is the stop2go series so you have the clever hesitation by the second hand when it reaches 12.  But what I find draws me beyond that (which admittedly might turn some people off) is the bezel.  It is  crafted from the driver’s cab door of an Ae6/6.  I realize that not everyone is into train spotting, so here is a breakdown of the Ae6/6 courtesy of the good folks at Wikipedia -

The Ae 6/6 is a heavy electric locomotive used by the SBB-CFF-FFS. It is sometimes also referred to as canton locomotive ("Kantonslokomotive"), because the first 25 locomotives were named after the cantons, and carried the canton's coat of arms on the side and chrome embellishments (a single raised stripe on each side and three raised stripes on each end), and the Swiss coat of arms on the front, between the chrome stripes. These adornments made them internationally famous. The other 95 locomotives received the names of capital cities of Swiss cantons, and other towns and cities, but without the chrome embellishments. The namings were held as ceremonies in the respective cities.

Originally designed for heavy services on the Gotthard route, as many Swiss locomotives were, the Ae 6/6 was one of the classic Gotthard locomotives.

All locomotives were originally painted in the SBB CFF FFS green livery, with the number, and either SBB CFF, or SBB FFS on each side, all raised numerals in chrome. Nowadays about half are painted red, and a proportion of the fleet have been repainted in SBB Cargo livery, with all raised chrome embellishments removed apart from the Swiss coat of arms on each end. These locomotives have been renumbered (as class 610) in line with the current Swiss numbering scheme

Hence, the bezel is green.

Courtesy of Mondaine

The case back bears the official Gottardo2016 logo celebrating the Gottardo tunnel.  

It is due in the US later this summer, but available in Switzerland now.  I might need to lean on a Swiss friend to pick one up for me ; )

Here are the pertinents -

Function	stop2go
Movement (type)	Swiss quartz Movement Mondaine cal 58-02 stop2go
Case size / diameter (mm)	41 mm stainless steel case
Crystal/Glass material	Scratch resistant sapphire crystal
Strap	Genuine leather strap
Water resistance	Water resistant tested to 3ATM
Origin	Swiss made

Brand Managers and CEOs, Re-enter the "Carousel"...

I originally put this out there this time last year, but with all of the heads bouncing around the streets of Switzerland, New York and Miami it seemed worth re-visiting.

Brand Managers and CEOs, Enter the "Carousel"...

This is the time of renewal.

With the slew of smart watches being now literally flung out at an ever increasingly rapid pace just prior to BaselWorld, the biggest question is about usefulness and functionality.  As I said previously, I do think that the solution that Frederique Constant, Alpina and Mondaine have come up with is far and away the best, most practical one available and I think it actually is functional.  

Having said that, a few of us got to thinking "outside the smart watch box", and theorized about what other useful smart watch apps could be created.  

I have often written and railed about the now all-too common practice of what I will refer to as the 3 year plan.  In essence, a CEO, brand manager or rep is hired and if they are lucky, they will last 3 years.  If they are successful they will probably be replaced because they will then be too expensive. If they are not successful they will be let go for obvious reasons.  And it is generally in the second or third year that these folks start getting really nervous, really anxious about their future.  This can be stressful, and your quality of life can really suffer as a result.  It is understandable.  So in an effort to ease the pain, this was a smart watch app that some of us felt was apt.  The Life Clock App.

It is based on the "Life Clock" popularized in Logan's Run.  For you millennials out there, Logan's Run was first a novel but more well known as the movie with Michael York. In this futuristic society, nobody has to work, everything is easy.  You are pretty much free to literally "follow your bliss". 

The main problem with this being that this level of indolence is not really sustainable as a "business model".  Therefore you have to sort of cull the herd to ensure that there will be enough to go around. Essentially, you have until you turn 30, then your "Life Clock" will light up letting you know that your time is up.  When that happens you are summoned to what is known as the Carousel where you and all of the other 30 year old folks in your group will be "surplussed" or more specifically, vaporized.

The belief being that you will then be "renewed". 

Which brings us back to the tenuous and all-too-often brief tenures currently being experienced by brand manages and CEOs.  How can we take some of the guesswork out of it?  Well, every problem has a solution - and it seems every solution has an App!

So you download the Life Clock App on your smart watch and sync it with your phone.  Don't worry, it will support both iOS and Android platforms.  Then you start that new position as CEO and hit GO. Your Life Clock App is now synced to your current job and dutifully counting down the years, months, weeks and days until you will need to update your resume and look for that next position. Worried that you might not remember your work anniversary?  Don't be!  The Life Clock App has got you covered!  It will give a red glowing signal as you are approaching your 3 year anniversary.  Then a stern, all knowing voice (my vote would be James Earl Jones) will say:

Enter the Career Builder Site.  This is the time of renewal.

For everyone out there still searching, stay positive, and stay away from the Sandmen!

A "Smart Watch" that's Actually Smart

Okay pals and gals, there's been tons of talk about the "smart watch".  Some of it informed, some of it not so much.

Courtesy of Frederique Constant

This past Thursday evening, I had the opportunity to get a glimpse at a new platform for smart watches that just might have the opportunity to offer something that is actually, well, smart.

Courtesy of Frederique Constant

A little background - Peter Stas started thinking about creating a smart watch, and it was not really based on the "iPhone for the wrist".  He reached out to Philippe Kahn the CEO of Fullpower Technologies, who's "greatest hits" includes the invention of the camera phone.  In his "pitch" to Mr. Kahn, Mr. Stas set forth a very basic, very simple brief in terms of what would be wanted, needed and expected for this project.  The end result had to be a watch that:

1.  Had a minimum of 2+ years of batter life - just like current quartz watches.  The biggest challenge the raft of new smart watches faces is the need to re-charge the watch on a nightly basis.

2.  Could be termed as "Always on Time" - with the correct date as well to account for February and leap year, etc.

3.  Had a so-called "automatic cross timezone adjustment".  Meaning that just like your smart phone adjusts when you turn it on after landing in a new timezone, the watch would do the same thing.

4.  That it would not be chained to a single platform of smart phone - so this will work with both iOS and Android.

5.  That it offers a functionality that was referred to as "Quantified Self".  Now granted, this event did take place just across the bay from "The People's Republic of Berkeley", but this is not a new-age thing.  It is actually taking some of the most popular apps that people use in their daily lives to help promote better health.  The Quantified Self feature (at least in the pieces that were previewed) will monitor and track your sleep and evaluate it.  Think that sounds silly?  Well, you may think so but there are too many people out there using sleep analytic apps on their phones and tablets to dismiss it.  I personally would use this feature.  In addition it tracks physical activity not unlike a Fitbit.  

And I think we can all agree that this is an insanely popular item.  These are the first two pieces of "smart technology", and it is based on sane, rational market analysis.  If there are millions of Fitbits shipping as I write this, I think it is safe to say that this is technology that people want to have and presently use.

6.  A long term road map.  To paraphrase Mr. Stas's comments - we don't really know where the hell the future is going to take us, so it is important to establish a logical baseline, but then be ready to grow and evolve as the technology advances.

7.  "Eternal Beauty" - essentially to stay true to the traditional watch design, but one that can be updated and not need to be discarded after just a few years.

8.  Modular Electronics Always Updated - essentially that your MMT equipped smart watch will not become an ironic relic in a few years' time.  Much of the updating can take place virtually via cloud technology.  But also that the electronic components "under the hood" are modular, and therefore easily serviceable and replaceable.  Think that's no big deal?  Try getting your OMEGA watch serviced through OMEGA authorized service.  And that's just the time involved, think about those Texas Instruments watches from the 70s.  I had one of the first ones available.  It "lived" for about 2 weeks.  My father sent it for repair, and a brand new one was sent, which promptly died.  I have no idea what my grandfather paid for it, but suffice it to say that based on that experience my father stuck to his Mido.  Electronics and quartz technology have improved dramatically since those dark days.  But I couldn't help but think back upon that disappointing experience when Apple debuted their smart watch.  It is too much, more than you will ever use.  iWatch owners will not abandon their iPhone, or iPad for the watch.  But they will abandon their iWatch out of obsolescence.  But with the MMT platform, your beautiful timepiece will always be just that.  the "guts" will be the parts that if they become outdated will be replaced as part of a normal service interval.

Based upon these 8 requirements, a collaboration was born between Fullpower and what would come to be known as Union Horlogere Holdings began.  The result is the Manufacture Modules Technologies (MMT) platform.  And this is where it becomes interesting.  This is NOT an item just for Frederique Constant and Alpina.  It is a platform that will be made available to the watch making world at large.

Courtesy of Alpina

To that end both Frederique Constant and Alpina will be releasing watches with this technology.  In addition, the first "external"partner was announced - Mondaine.  Word around the campfire is that there will be more brand partnerships announced at BaselWorld.  

Courtesy of Alpina

Point of full disclosure - I am not a "tech" guy.  I still have a Filofax and always have a pen at the ready.  But I honestly feel that of all the smart watch ideas that have been floated so far, this one actually seems to be something that is practical and useful.  And the fact that this is intended to be a platform, it strips away the "one and done" problem that so many brands rushing to put out a smart watch will encounter.  I think that by making a "less is more" smart watch, Mr. Stas has reminded us of why he and Ms. Stas had so much success in breaking into the Swiss watch world where so many have failed before.   They picked an idea, they kept it simple, and they made sure it was adaptable.

For those of you out there crying foul, saying that this is a "bastardization" of a watch, consider some very salient points regarding the watch industry as a whole.  Per Mr. Stas's comments - there is currently a production annually of about 28 million watches.  60% of the world's total production takes place in Switzerland.  21 million of those watches are quartz.  So think about just that topic for a moment.  Despite what some dyed-in-the-wool, self-appointed experts will tell you - that it was mechanical watches that saved the Swiss industry, if we are being truly honest it was the SWATCH watch and the arrival of Mr. Hayek the Elder on the scene.  It was stripping away all of the many tiers and layers of the antiquated Swiss industry and simplifying it that saved the industry.  It was rationally adapting to the reality of quartz and learning to produce quartz pieces at competitive, rational prices that saved the industry.  

I personally do not think that mechanical watches will die, and I certainly don't believe that quartz watches will vanish.  And I would be less than forthcoming if I did not say that I think that the Apple Watch will be a player, but one that is tapping a completely different market.  The Apple Watch customer is not someone who will even care about these new MMT equipped watches.  That is the reality of the market place.

But I do think that in the same way that "team Stas" realized that there was an opportunity in the market for "affordable luxury", it seems that they have really looked into the smart watch market in a logical, pragmatic way and produced a smart watch that is actually SMART.

As with all new things, time will tell.

Here are the specs direct from Frederique Constant -

FREDERIQUE CONSTANT AND ALPINA

ANNOUNCE THE SWISS HOROLOGICAL SMARTWATCH,

POWERED BY MotionX®

The Horological Smartwatch: the bridge between Silicon Valley and the Swiss watch industry

Powered by MotionX®, the Swiss Horological Smartwatches are capable of bi-directional communication with iPhone and Android apps. The Swiss Horological Smartwatch is the synthesis of high-tech innovation and traditional Swiss watch craftsmanship; it is the link (no pun intended) between modern and classic, and the bridge between Silicon Valley and Switzerland. There is no digital screen on the Swiss Horological Smartwatch. Instead, the beautiful laser cut hands on the watch dial display information in analog form. The Swiss Horological Smartwatches retain their natural classic beauty and can deliver the benefits of the quantified self, all without ever having to recharge a battery.

The first Swiss Horological Smartwatches will support the following functionality:

- Always-on time & date

- MotionX® activity tracking

- Sleeptracker® sleep monitoring

- Sleep cycle alarms

- Get-Active alerts

- Adaptive coaching

- 2+ years battery life

- MotionX® cloud backup and restore

The beautiful Swiss watch that you love to wear that is now smart and connected, powered by MotionX®

The MotionX patented sensor-fusion engine tracks activity and sleep patterns with high accuracy. Activity and sleep information is presented in real-time on the Swiss Horological Smartwatch using beautiful traditional analog dials. The Swiss Horological Smartwatch synchronizes automatically with applications on Apple and Android smartphones. On the iOS and Android apps, simple and easy-to-understand graphics highlight how much one has moved and slept during the day, week, or month. This data will assist users to better understanding themselves, and along with appropriate goal setting and intelligent coaching, will improve their well being. Better sleep and a more active lifestyle are widely recognized as simple, but effective, positive behavioral changes. The Swiss Horological Smartwatch now combines the features and functionality of the MotionX® technology platform with a luxury timepiece.

MMT

MMT (Manufacture Modules Technologies Sàrl) is a new Swiss joint venture formed by Fullpower Technologies, Inc. of Silicon Valley and the owners of the Frederique Constant Group. Its mission is to bring the MotionX-365® Horological Smartwatch Open Platform to the Swiss watch industry. Fullpower creates and licenses the schematic design, firmware, smartphone applications, and cloud infrastructure to MMT. MMT manages the development and production of Swiss watch movements (also referred to as modules) incorporating Fullpower’s technology, and licenses, and provides support for, the MotionX-365® Horological Smartwatch Platform to the Swiss watch industry. MMT’s headquarters are in Geneva.

Peter Stas quote: “We love working with Philippe Kahn and his team, their approach to technology craftsmanship very much matches our company culture. Our intense collaboration and combined strengths have enabled us to realize the super exciting Swiss Horological Smartwatch today, and will lead to so much more that is still to come. The Swiss Horological Smartwatches released today truly show the strength of our partnership.”

Philippe Kahn quote: “We looked for innovative partners in the Swiss watch industry to collaborate with. Peter’s efforts to develop his own high caliber product were unprecedented, so we immediately clicked and went to work to help reinvent the Swiss watch industry.”

Frederique Constant and Alpina will launch 10+ different Horological Smartwatch models in 2015 in styles for both ladies and gentlemen.

MMT’s initial partners are Frederique Constant, the Geneva based luxury watch manufacturer of classical watches; and Alpina, the Swiss sports watch manufacturer founded in 1883. These leading brands will offer 10+ different models in designer collections for both ladies and gentlemen, powered by MMT’s MotionX® technology platform, delivering 24/7 MotionX® activity tracking and sleep monitoring, with over two years battery life, and compatible with Apple and Android smartphones worldwide. Swiss Horological Smartwatch in styles for both ladies and gentlemen will be available in stores worldwide starting in June 2015.