Torn Curtain "Redux"

And just when you thought things really couldn't get any odder with them, Raketa's "propaganda cadre" has sent this "cable" through the Swedish embassy ; )

Now, I for one get a "giddy thrill" when I see one of Raketa's press releases 'cause frankly, they always send me to the toilet double-fast to ensure I don't ruin my underwear from the inevitable loss of bladder control such bouts of unchecked laughter trigger.

Yes boys and girls, this is the VERY SAME Raketa that told all of us "running dog, capitalist stooges" to go screw ourselves earlier this month as they were going to single-handedly punish us for the "Rude" sanctions that the "West" was imposing on them - "and tovarich, could you maybe write something nice about us…"

Well with my bladder "voided", and (most) of the laughter worked through my system, let me share this "breaking news" from the Raketa "politburo" -

Courtesy of Raketa

If any of you have seen the Alfred Hitchcock film, Torn Curtain, you will recall that Paul Newman is seemingly "seduced" to "defect" the west and sell his country's scientific secrets to the East Germans.  Well, although I pretty much snoozed through the Sochi games (except the hockey) apparently a plucky  "comrade" from that Russian snow boarding enclave of White Salmon, Washington (check the map, it's nestled deep in Siberia), delivered gold to the home team, and Raketa in their ever-sophisticated way decided that if young Vic Wild can snow board - what the hell, let's hire him to work for us!

Once again, here's the unvarnished report straight from the source.  For those of you with bladder control issues, this is your "depends warning" -  oh, and per the decision to not export some of their "high end models" you lap-dogs of western imperialism might have to go… screw yourselves ; )

Vic Wild is a double gold winner in snowboard in Sochi 2014 winter games. He is also acting as a strategic director of Russia’s oldest factory - Petrodvorets Watch Factory “Raketa”. He has just created the design of a new Raketa-Avtomat watch.

Courtesy of Raketa

The model «White Nights» is white like snow and wild like Saint - Petersburg's polar nights!

Based on the movement «Raketa Avtomat», one of the world’s most reliable watch movements, this automatic watch is elegant and fashionable both for women and men.

Raketa starts selling long-awaited model «Avtomat-Classic» based on the unique mechanism «Raketa-Avtomat».

It is the first time in 30 years that Russia comes up with a new automatic self-winding movement. The mechanism was improved with the help of ex-director of Rolex.

Asking Hublot an Uncomfortable Question About FIFA

Many of you will no doubt be aware of the turmoil that FIFA is experiencing now less than ten days to their biggest event - the World Cup in Brazil.  What many of us are now struggling with is the fact that FIFA has probably brought a lot of this turmoil onto themselves.

The Olympics and the World Cup are HUGE money spinning mechanisms for the IOC and FIFA.  When that much money is involved, and that much power is involved… let's just say we shouldn't be shocked.  The "selection" process is a high stakes beauty pageant with "pageant moms" often resorting to whatever means they think will get their "little girl" the crown of "pageant queen".

Point of full disclosure - YES - I work with brands to help place watches on the wrists of athletes, actors, etc.  So I am fully aware that it is a very, very fine line to walk.  I would also say that just because a brand is involved with a group that is experiencing some controversy doesn't make the brand "BAD".  Having said that, I also think that a brand does have the power to confront and question the behavior of their partners - and if necessary end the relationship.  I also realize that it is easy for me, or others to critique.

To Hublot's credit, when this partnership first started the deal was that instead of HUBLOT, the time indicators displayed an anti-racism message.  These were noble, sincere intentions.  But as we can see with the rampant spread of neo-Nazism throughout European football, with racist groups openly organizing and recruiting IN the stadiums AT the games in SPAIN, ITALY, ENGLAND and elsewhere - this is something that FIFA is paying a lot of lip service to, but not really working to solve.

I applaud OMEGA for their charitable work, and their watches are amazing.  I applaud HUBLOT for their charitable work and their innovative spirit.  But I will say the same thing I said around Sochi - you are not responsible for your partner's actions, but YOU ARE responsible for choosing to continue with them.

In fairness, the IOC and FIFA have long been suspected of less than ethical behavior on a LOT of levels.  This is not "new" news.  But I will ask Hublot the same question that I asked OMEGA -
Are you really sure you want to continue on with this partnership after this World Cup is completed?

You can't change what has happened - but you can make changes for the future.  Now the last time I said something like this, the OMEGA people were courteous enough to hear me out in person, gave me a glass of juice and an espresso, and essentially "excommunicated" me from the "Church of the SWATCH GROUP".  For Hublot I am a tiny fly in the corporate ointment, and I am not exactly on Mr. Biver's Christmas card list, so I suspect that this will not even raise a whisper at Hublot HQ ; )

Let's hope for a beautiful World Cup, an elimination of racist groups at football stadia, an end to the allegations of bribery and corruption in the IOC and FIFA, and a speedy return of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny ; )

Enjoy your watches!

Telling the Truth is a Dangerous Business - Part Deux

Okay, the Olympics are important.  Agreed.  But feeding people is important too.  I do not mean any disrespect, but I do mean to engage in honest conversation.  My fellow watch bloggers have labeled me as "troublesome" and some other names that perhaps aren't fit for family viewing.  I can live with that.  I do not live in expectation of the "champagne room" at the next SWATCH or Richemont event.  If I am a pariah, then I made the choice to be a pariah.

But what of the people without food, shelter, medicine?  What of the people mercilessly stalked and beaten senseless in the street - video recorded for the world to see.  Can they live with it?  Sounds like the happy, joyous days of Germany circa 1930's?  Yeah, what a great reference to base your national policies on!

BaselWorld is like some goofy "pimp life" for me - free drinks, free meals, comped entertainment, the ridiculous events put on by watch companies with more dollars than sense.  I'm not going to lie to you, I look forward to it.  But I also hope that I don't check my sense of right at the coat check room.

OMEGA - I never thought I would write the following words - I have more respect for Budweiser right now than I do for you.  People living 10 miles from the Olympics don't have enough to eat?  People persecuted and victimized?  Beaten with the full approval of the government?  Do you NOT see the parallels to Hitler and the Berlin Olympics?  I'm not judging anyone covering the event -my admittedly messed up views of the world are my own.  I write this from the "exile" of Santa Barbara - It is easy for me to have an opinion.  And as my teaching colleagues from St. Andrews would often remind me - opinions are like backsides ; )  But with sponsorship comes certain responsibilities.

In all honesty, despite my love for OMEGA, I can't get behind Sochi in any way, shape or form.  Several companies have made the commercially unpopular decision to withdraw their sponsorship.  Watches shouldn't be political - and in fairness the Olympics shouldn't be political.  But in fairness, they have been political since "Hitlers' Games" in Berlin.  And yes, that charming Austrian lad made the Olympics political way back when.

Let me say this now, clearly and without any possibility of misunderstanding -
I love my OMEGA watches.  I deeply respect OMEGA.  But I cannot support OMEGA's involvement in the Sochi games.

Admittedly, I am a romantic.  I expect more from OMEGA and I am disappointed by their blind devotion to commercialism and Olympic tie-ins in the face of a totalitarian regime.  And as a self-admitted romantic, I expect that the majority of folks out there will not agree with me.

What's my beef?  Why is this such an issue?  In the interest of full disclosure,  I went to school with the son of another "pariah" - Tommie Smith.  Remember the black glove at Mexico City?  Yes, that was Tommie Smith.  I am PROUD to say that I was a classmate (however briefly) of his son Kevin back at the Eastwood School in Oberlin, OH.  I will also tell you - Kevin didn't comment on that (the protest).  He just said:   "Let me show you something about my dad"… and he opened the Guinness Book of World Records, and there he was - Tommy Smith!  It was 1974 or 1975, the picture was from Mexico City.  We were kids.  And that Olympics happened right about the time we were both born.  We didn't even think about stuff like this.  He was black, I was white.  We were friends.  So OMEGA, I guess it's safe to say that I take things like this a little personally.  OMEGA - all about timing - that would be a partnership for you - the man who was the fastest man in the world at the time, and was willing to let it go in the pursuit of what he felt was right.  That I can get behind.  That is a watch I would buy!

And if it's time to "pay the piper" for my less than mainstream views, and this means my BaselWorld appointment is canceled, I understand and respect it, but it is time to be counted.  And OMEGA - I expect you to count me.  I love your company, I love your watches, but I cannot be silent.  I expect more from you - the world expects more from you.  You are now bigger than ROLEX.  You are now the leader - it is time to act like it.

So you want to really honor two people who truly idealize the Olympic ideal?

Tommie Smith and John Carlos.  These men embody what are supposed to be  the Olympic ideals.  So instead of serving up prawn cocktails washed down with champagne at Olympic pavilions for the rich, famous (and white) celebrity guests, maybe take a few minutes - and a few watches - and recognize some men and women who really embody the Olympic ideal.  

No to Sochi

A man must have a code.  It is easy to say stuff like that when you write a blog - it is almost too easy to hide behind someone else's bravado.  So here goes -

OMEGA - I am boycotting all coverage of the Sochi Olympics.  I will not cover any portion of it.  I think you are a great company, I love your watches and I will understand if you do not want to send me any more press releases.

BUT - I can't say okay anymore.

I do not agree with what is happening in Russia.  I do not agree with blind endorsement.

I LOVE what you are doing with ORBIS and other organizations.  You have a BIG HEART.  And you make some really amazing watches.  AND you do a lot of wonderful things for charity - PLEASE keep up the good work.  Not covering Sochi is NOT about you.

I realize, this is a small blog, a few people read it.  But I also think that ultimately you have to stand for something.  So I am standing for this.

Raketa, What Did You Think Would Happen?

So…

This morning I awoke with this in my inbox:

"RAKETA" BEYOND THE LAW

Got your attention?  Good!  Here's the short form -

1.  As you know unless you have been living under a rock, in a cave, on one of the outlying planets of the solar system...OMEGA is a primary sponsor of the Sochi Winter Olympics.  As I am also sure you can imagine, sponsorship like that is not exactly inexpensive.

2.  Enter Raketa on the scene presenting the “Raketa for Sochi”. And I must say I loved the moxie! Essentially taking a watch, adorning the dial with the various events of the winter Olympics that are sponsored by, SOMEBODY ELSE! And then, and this was the masterstroke of marketing genius - or the very poorly thought out decision making process of too much liquor during a planning meeting -

you decide to do something that could get you litigated back into the Soviet era. You decide to promote this watch as an "homage" to the city of Sochi? With such "subtle" promotional photographs as this -

Courtesy of Raketa

3. The Olympic Committee moved to essentially "remind" Raketa that, in fact, they were in violation -

Courtesy of Raketa (I guess as they are the ones who sent it to me)

But as if this was not enough fun to start your day off with a laugh, then allow me to share the "shocked indignation" that Raketa expressed -

After a legal claim of the Olympic Committee, the “Raketa” Watch Factory is forced to stop sales of “Raketa for Sochi” series until December 22. Despite the fact that there was no offence against the competition law (Part 1, section 4, Article 14 of the Federal Law № 135-FZ  “On the Protection of Competition”,  July 26, 2006), the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia declared  watches illegal and asked to recall the collection from all the shops.

The Committee declares the ground for suit is “the production and sales of the limited collection “Sochi” that brings the false idea about the producer to be connected with the Olympic games”. It’s good to know that “Raketa” was the official timekeeper of 1980 Summer Olympics, so the connection is historical.

Considering the name of the collection “Raketa for Sochi” it is shoking how the use of the city name can break the law. According to this statement all producers of souvenirs, performers with their concerts and posters, tour agencies with their brochures are in danger of being involved in the lawsuit. Doubting the legalty of using the city name “Sochi” without linking to the Olympic Committee is equivalent to doubt the right to use “London” city name, which was the host city of the 2012 Summer Olympics. In that case all the souvenirs with “London” name on it should have been forbidden, then what would we bring from the capital of Great Britain as a memory gift?

The confirmation of legalty was required also to the use of symboliс images of winter sports. In this case the object of claim is not clear. From the beginnig of history cavemen had been schematically drawing the scenes of living and hunting. Nowadays icons are everywhere. Designers use them creating signs, billboards and magazines. A lot of sport clubs that have nothing in common with the Olympics place symbolic images of people doing different sports at their ads. At last, if anyone managed to doubt the legalty of using WC icons our society would have plunge into chaos!

Nevertheless, due to lack of law and administrative resourses to build up full protection the Watch Factory agreed to withdraw “Raketa for Sochi” series from the market until December 22. Thus, special limited collection “Raketa for Sochi” can only be found in the hands of lucky first buyers.

So I say this with all due respect, but honestly Raketa, what the F*&% did you think was going to happen? Maybe the Hayeks would invite you to their courtesy tent to watch the luge over vodka and caviar?!?

Unless…

you knew that this was exactly what would happen. In other words, you set out to attract the attention of the folks who enforce Olympic sponsorship agreements, did just enough to get a gentle spank…

(and this is the really "brilliant part") you fire off a press release chock-full of typos that manages to sound both paranoid and delusional at the same time! Well done!

I apologize, but as someone who lived through the cold war and actually remembers that there was once another place called the Soviet Union, this is a refreshing blast from the past! The puffed-up bravado, the willful suspension of common sense - spaceba Raketa! It's good to know that cold war style paranoia is alive and well ; )

Well, not to worry those of you in the west - we have our own puffed-up propaganda machine with the wonderfully misguided folks at Shinola - proudly making "REAL WATCHES" in Detroit - which apparently will soon be the new name for Geneva ; )

“Raketa for Sochi”

Courtesy of Raketa

This is the latest from Raketa.

Sochi and OMEGA Keeping Time in 2014

As many of you know, Sochi will host the Winter Olympics next year.  But how much do you know about Sochi?

Here's some quick facts to help you prepare:

1.  Temperature during the day in January and February ranges from around 9.6 to 8.7 C according to Wikipedia.

2.  The population in 2010 was 343,334

3.  And the timezone is UTC+04:00

And that last one is important if you are setting one of OMEGA's new limited edition Seamaster Planet Ocean Sochi 2014 watches.

So here's the scoop, straight from OMEGA Central -

OMEGA LAUNCHES LIMITED EDITION PLANET OCEAN WATCHES
IN CELEBRATION OF SOCHI 2014

In February of 2014, in the Russian Federation city of Sochi, OMEGA will assume its Olympic Games timekeeping responsibilities for the 26th time, and is looking forward to Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games marked with tradition, culture and the spirit of modern Russia.


To commemorate these unique Olympic Games, OMEGA has created two special editions of its Seamaster Planet Ocean wristwatches to commemorate the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. The OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean “Sochi 2014” watches have been created in ladies’ and gents’ versions, each in an edition of 2,014 pieces.

Courtesy of OMEGA

THE OMEGA SEAMASTER PLANET OCEAN 45.5 MM “SOCHI 2014” LIMITED EDITION

The gents’ watch has a 45.5 mm brushed and polished stainless steel case and a matching bracelet. Its unidirectional rotating diving bezel is fitted with a matt black ceramic ring with a chromium nitride divers’ scale. In a fitting tribute to the colours of the flag of the Russian Federation, minutes 1 through 5 are lacquered in blue; minutes 6 through 10 are lacquered in red.

The timepiece has a brushed screw-in case back embossed with the “Sochi 2014” Olympic logo and engraved with “Si14” and the limited edition number (0001/2014). There is a helium escape valve located at 10 o’clock on the case.

The applied indexes on the matt black dial and the polished, faceted rhodium-plated hands are coated with white Super-LumiNova emitting a blue light. The exception is the minute hand which emits a green light, as does the dot at 12 o’clock on the diving bezel. This feature makes it easy for divers to keep track of their time at a glance. The timepiece has central hour, minute and seconds hands and there is a date window at 3 o’clock.

The Seamaster Planet Ocean 45.5 mm “Sochi 2014” Limited Edition is powered by the OMEGA Co-Axial calibre 8500, the movement that has defined the way mechanical watches are being made in the 21st century. The movement is equipped with the brand’s exclusive Si14 silicon balance spring and the result is a timepiece so reliable that OMEGA delivers it with a full four-year warranty. The watch is water resistant to 60 bar / 600 metres / 2000 feet.

Courtesy of OMEGA

THE OMEGA SEAMASTER PLANET OCEAN 37.5 MM
“SOCHI 2014” LIMITED EDITION

In 1932, when OMEGA presented the Marine – the world’s first watch divers’ watch – the product designers would have been pleased to know that more than eighty years later, the brand is still synonymous with underwater timepieces. But they may have been surprised to learn that the women who enjoy adventure are among the most avid fans of the Seamaster Planet Ocean.

The OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean 37.5 mm “Sochi 2014” Limited Edition shares the same robust qualities and the professional divers’ features with the model in the gents’ collection but it has some distinguishing highlights that will make it one of the most appealing souvenirs of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

The 37.5 mm brushed and polished stainless steel case has a white ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel with a diving scale. As with the gents’ version, the minute markers at 1 through 5 are lacquered in blue while minutes 6 through 10 are lacquered in red.

This timepiece, ideally sized for women, has a brushed screw-in case back embossed with the “Sochi 2014” Olympic logo and engraved with “Si14” and the limited edition number (0001/2014). There is a helium escape valve located at 10 o’clock on the case.

The applied indexes on the lacquered white dial are coated with white Super-LumiNova emitting a blue light as are the polished, faceted rhodium-plated hands. The minute hand and the dot at 12 o’clock on the diving bezel both emit a green light. This feature makes it easy to read the elapsed time at a glance. The timepiece has central hour, minute and seconds hands and there is a date window at 3 o’clock.

The Seamaster Planet Ocean 37.5 mm “Sochi 2014” Limited Edition is powered by the OMEGA Co-Axial calibre 8520, a member of the brand’s family of exclusive Co-Axial movements. Its Si14 silicon balance spring is anti-magnetic and particularly resistant to shock and external disturbance. The reliability and outstanding timekeeping performance over time allows OMEGA to deliver the watch with a full four-year warranty. Like all Seamaster Planet Ocean wristwatches, it is water resistant to 60 bar / 600 metres / 2000 feet.

Courtesy of OMEGA

 www.omegawatches.com