And Chronoswiss has one fewer neighbor in Lucerne...
News reached the soon-to-be covered in snow North Shore headquarters of Henki Time that CFB - otherwise known as Carl F. Bucherer, is like Ole Yeller, about to be put out of its misery.
Sounds a bit harsh, doesn't it? In fairness, CFB writ large, and the folks left behind don't deserve the collective kick in the privates that they are all feeling now. But as is often the case in Watch Town, someone inevitably gets the fuzzy end of the lollipop, and more often than not? It's not the owners...
But as I reflect back, the CFB shot-caller's ability to collectively walk between the raindrops and continue to grind on and on without ever (apparently) producing a significant profit, is not singularly unique in Watch Town.
So what did we learn from the (un)timely demise of CFB?
Truth?
Nothing that many of us didn't already know.
For some of the earliest coverage of the disrobing of the Emperor, here is the coverage from Bilanz.
As an 11 year old Northern Youth, I dabbled at designing football (soccer) shoes that would ideally be useful for young players (i.e. kids with little to no spending money) who worked summer jobs to pay for their soccer registrations and their soccer gear. In my case, this meant shining shoes, washing golf shoes, cleaning the men's locker room and running (in hindsight) very dubious errands for the local captains of industry (a few, who in hindsight, were members of a certain fraternal organization that WAS NOT the Elks). That March (1980 if memory serves) our first game of the spring season was snowed out. So I grabbed a few of my father's many pens and very crudely sketched out a design for a pair of soccer shoes. And being the rather impetuous kid that I was, I mailed them off with a rather sloppily composed letter asking the then mighty Mitre shoe company to consider it.
About a month later, the phone rang (a yellow, wall-mounted rotary dial model from the good folks at GTE) and it was someone at Mitre USA calling all the way from Tennessee. They informed me that they got my design and wanted to send me a pair of Mitre Missile Shoes. How in God's name they got my phone number, I will never know. They asked me my size, which I timidly told them was a size 6 (that's particularly wee) and I remember my father's nearly apoplectic reaction to my not asking for a larger size so that I could get more use out of them. You would have had to know him at the time. He was a great coach with a somewhat short fuse around the house.
The shoes arrived a week later, and I wore them TO DEATH. I did, naturally, grow out of them and all the way through my youth career was a dedicated customer of Mitre, my last pair being the "Pro Model" in high school. I went on to play semi-professional soccer (football) up until I turned 23, when it became clear that my time playing at that competitive level had come and gone. But I still hold Mitre in high regard, and think of their shoes as my constant companion as a teenager dreaming of being the American Michel Platini ; )
And that story immediately came rushing back earlier this week as I was searching for the video from the recent Chronoswiss press presentation. I stumbled upon this video from a little over a year ago (if I read the date stamp correctly). It is a really, really nice story about a father and son and Chronoswiss. For Christmas, the son wanted to make his father something very special, and to that end, using drawings, images, a scalpel, colored pencils and paper, created a paper version of the Chronoswiss Opus Chronograph - his father's dream watch, a Chronoswiss Opus Chronograph -
Courtesy of Chronoswiss
The video speaks for itself, but bravo to Chronoswiss. This was a much needed "warm fuzzy" at a time when we all could really use it.
This is the latest from the folks in Lucerne. Debuted today, and by all appearances an exciting addition to the Chronoswiss collection.
Courtesy of Chronoswiss
Limited to 50 pieces, this one will certainly grab the eye of Chronoswiss collectors.
Courtesy of Chronoswiss
Here are the pertinents -
Case Stainless steel Number of parts: 17 Case back: Screw-down case back with satin finish and sapphire crystal Diameter: 44 mm Height: 13.35 mm Lug width: 22 mm Finish: Partly polished, partly with vertical satin finish, onion crown Bezel: Polished screw-down bezel with full thread and side knurling with curved, double coated anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Movement Caliber C.301, automatic Frequency: 4 Hz ( 28800 A/h ) Power reserve: Ca. 42 Number of jewels: 33 Finish: Polished pallet lever, escape wheel and screws; bridges and plates with perlage Rotor: Skeletonized blue rotor with Côtes de Genève and ball bearing
Dial Elaborate 42-part construction on two levels: bottom level hand guillochéd, upper level featuring screwed-on skeletonized train wheel bridges and funnel-like construction for hour display, as well as a retrograde seconds display and cylinder shape Super-LumiNova indexes. Displays: Off-centre hours at 12:00 (featuring "open gear" design), central minutes, retrograde seconds at 6:00 Hands: Lacquered; with Super-LumiNova inlays and tips Shape: “Trigono”
This one dropped today. A slightly different livery from the predecessor.
The case is of stainless steel and measures 41 mm in diameter. The movement is listed as the Caliber C.741S.
Courtesy of Chronoswiss
Here are the pertinents -
CASE
Material: Stainless steel
Number of parts: 23
Case back: Screw-down case back with satin finish and sapphire crystal
Diameter: 41 mm
Height: 12.7 mm
Band width: 21 mm
Finish: Partly polished, partly with satin finish
Bezel: Polished screw-down bezel with side knurling and full thread. Curved, non-reflecting sapphire crystal.
MOVEMENT
Movement: Caliber C. 741 S, automatic, skeletonized
Frequency: 4 Hz ( 28800 A/h )
Power reserve: Approx. 46 h
Number of jewels: 25
Finish: Skeletonized and CVD-plated blue rotor with Côtes de Genève, ball bearing; polished pallet lever, escape wheel and screws; bridges and base plate with perlage
Rotor: Skeletonized and rhodium-plated blue rotor with Côtes de Genève and ball bearing
DIAL
Dial material: Skeletonized, galvanic blue and silver
Displays: Central hours and minutes, small seconds, central chronograph seconds, 30-minute counter, 12-hour counter, analog date
Design of hands: Lacquered and curved; minute hand bent by hand
So right off the bat, I need to stress that this is an opinion piece. And as I have been informed more than once - "Opinions are like backsides, everyone's got one, and some truly stink."
Having said that, I got a chance to read a piece that was forwarded to me from Watch Around, a Swiss based watch magazine. In it, Kornelia Imesch shares a lot of the answers to what many of us who write about these things have been wondering - what has been happening, and what's next? In the article, Ms Imesch clearly outlines what could be viewed as the 3 phases of ochs und junior -
The foundation period - this involving Ludwig Oechslin, BeatWeinmann and Kurt König (the owner of Embassy, the Lucerne based jewelry store that Beat Weinmann was working for at the time). The latter part of this period is when I discovered ochs und junior, and curious to relate? It was due to an article in... Watch Around! At that time there were, essentially 2 ochs und junior watches.
The Growth Period - this was when Ulysse Nardin was brought in as a partner (and I will presume, funder), Embassy let ochs und junior go, and to a certain extent Beat Weinmann was fully in charge to run the day to day.
The NOW Period - and this is what answered a big question for me, who owns it? Well, that would be Kornelia Imesch, a certain legend in watch making that you may have heard of - Ludwig Oechslin, and family. Yes, that last word you have correctly, 2 of the "juniors" have decided to join the now fully family owned ochs und junior.
Now I will be the first to say that I have found the communication coming out of ochs und junior for the past 5 years more than a little bit baffling. But I also think, in fairness, that the past 3 years in particular were probably a key time where the past, present and future were in some ways colliding.
ochs und junior surely did inspire a lot of passion from collectors (they wanted to own one), journalists (it was a fun story) and retailers (they were desperate to sell it). But passion alone does not a watch brand make. And that is I think the piece that a lot of my erstwhile colleagues in the Fourth and Fifth Estate have lost touch with, because what was actually stirring that passion was amazing products. And the other thing that they have lost track of is that at the heart of ochs und junior are the ideas that come to life in the watches. Those ideas, curious to relate, are STILL embodied in the watches being produced by ochs und junior because (spoiler alert), Ludwig Oechslin is STILL bringing those ideas to life.
To that end, two "newish" models have been released that actually harken back to the foundation of ochs und junior all those years ago. The Settimana which we covered here -
And something really special, the calendario cent’anni, or “cca” -
Courtesy of ochs und junior
It is available in 3 different dial versions - 2 in black (above and below) -
Courtesy of ochs und junior
And white -
Courtesy of ochs und junior
In their own words, here is a basic primer from ochs und junior -
100-year calendar designed by Ludwig Oechslin | dial with indication of hours, minutes and seconds in addition to correct date (28, 29, 30 or 31 days), month, leap or non-leap year | Arabic character or indices with hour/minute hands with Swiss Super-LumiNova® coating | 40mm grade 5 titanium case | Ulysse Nardin UN-320 | Available in 3 versions
This is currently a preorder item.
Now for all of those lamenting the change in staff, and the change in location, I get it. Change is hard, it's scary and it is something that most of us tend to avoid with as much energy as possible. But then again, change is necessary and inevitable. Full credit to everyone who played a part in the creation, birth and growth of ochs und junior. But truth be told, the future has yet to be written, and I for one am curious to see what ochs und junior has in store. They say you can't go home again, but then again, maybe you can.
We wanted to be sure that Big Time Outlet X got to bask in as much of their self-reflected glory as possible before running this. This is reference CH-7543.1S-BLOR for those of you keeping score at home.
Courtesy of Chronoswiss
But here at Tempus Fugit we believe in FREEMIUM coverage, so here are the pertinents on this new version of the Opus.
Case: Case back Screw-down case back with satin finish
and sapphire crystal Bezel Polished screw-down bezel with full thread and side knurling with curved, double coated anti-reflective sapphire crystal Material Stainless steel Diameter 41 Height 12.7 Band width 21 Number of parts 38 Finish Partly polished, partly with satin finish
Movement Movement Caliber C.301, automatic Finish Polished pallet lever, escape wheel and screws; bridges and plates with perlage Frequency 4 Hz (28,800 A/h) Power reserve Approx. 46 hours Number of jewels 25 Rotor Skeletonized and rhodium-plated blue rotor with Côtes de Genève and ball bearing
Dial Shape of hands "Breguet Losange" Design of hands Lacquered, curved; minute hand bent by hand Displays Central hours and minutes, small seconds, central chronograph seconds, 30-minute counter, 12-hour counter, analog date Dial material Solid sterling silver (925), skeletonized, blue
Strap & buckle Type of buckle Pin buckle bicolor Strap material Louisiana alligator leather
Buying a pre-owned watch can be a crap-shoot. From pawn-shop to "purveyor of gently used timepieces", there is never the type of certainty that you might otherwise hope for. Which is really unfortunate because a lot of folks out there would love to own a fine watch, but perhaps don't have the money to plump for a brand new one, and would be quite happy with a pre-owned one if they could count on its authenticity and provenance - remember what happened to that famous watch authority and collector, John Mayer?
Chronoswiss has a great solution - Certified Pre-Owned. Now unlike a few larger known outlets where they promise to correct it if it "isn't so", Chronoswiss actually makes sure it will be correct from the get-go.
Your Certified Pre-Owned Chronoswiss will come from 2 primary sources:
1. Watches from previous exhibits and trade shows (like BaselWorld, for example). This is something that a few other brands have tried, and I think it is a positive idea. The watches are brought into the workshops, polished up, timing checked and corrected as needed.
2. Watches that a customer might have traded in towards a new Chronoswiss.
So for those of you out there like this humble social worker who would like to own a special watch and not go into massive debt to do so? This is a wonderful option for you.
Word reached the North Shore offices of Tempus Fugit this AM via Watch Pro and confirmed by some other outlets such as SWI (swissinfo.ch), that mighty Bucherer has told up to 370 loyalists to sling their hooks and take it on the heel and toe. In the age of COVID-19, this is to be expected. For Bucherer (and let's be honest, nearly every other tourist focused retail store in Lucerne), it is going to be some time before the very, very large groups of Chinese tourists are roaming the city streets, credit cards in hand.
But closer to home, the purchase of Tourneau is probably starting to engender more than just a wee bit of buyer's remorse. Tourneau, to their credit, have made a half-hearted attempt at online sales. But truth be told, a quick browse of the Tourneau website, it is just that, half-hearted. For better or worse, it is no longer a question of whether or not the future of watch retail is online. The PRESENT of watch retail is online. In the words of that other great commentator on the watch industry - Billy Beane as played by Brad Pitt in Moneyball - "Adapt or die."
This is the second part of the latest release from Chronoswiss. Limited to 35 pieces.
Here are the pertinents -
CH-8753-GREBK
Stainless steel, yellow and black dial,
Limited to 35 timepieces DISPLAYS: Off-center hours at 12:00, central minutes, small seconds at 6:00
CASE: Solid 16-piece, stainless steel case, with satin finish and polished, bezel with partial knurling and curved, non-reflecting sapphire crystal, screw- down case back with satin finish and sapphire crystal, onion crown, water resistance up to 10 bar, strap holders screwed down with patented Autobloc system
Measurements: 41 mm, height 13.85 mm
MOVEMENT: Chronoswiss caliber C. 299, automatic, with stop seconds Diameter: 35.20 mm, impulse-angle 51° Power reserve: Approx. 42 hours Special features: Skeletonized and CVD coated green rotor, with Côtes de Genève and colimaçon, with ball bearing; polished pallet lever, escape wheel and screws; bridges and plates with colimaçon
DIAL: Elaborate construction on two levels: bottom level hand-guillochéd, with green CVD coating, upper level featuring screwed-on skeletonized train wheel bridges and funnel-like constructions for hours and seconds display
HANDS: “Trigono” shape; lacquered; with Super-LumiNova inlays and tips
This is one of two nifty new limited editions from the folks in Lucerne.
Limited to 35 pieces, the case measures 41 mm in diameter and is of stainless steel.
Here are the pertinents, straight from the source -
CH-8753-YEBK
Stainless steel, yellow and black dial,
Limited to 35 timepieces DISPLAYS: Off-center hours at 12:00, central minutes, small seconds at 6:00
CASE: Solid 16-piece, stainless steel case, with satin finish and polished, bezel with partial knurling and curved, non-reflecting sapphire crystal, screw- down case back with satin finish and sapphire crystal, onion crown, water resistance up to 10 bar, strap holders screwed down with patented Autobloc system
Measurements: 41 mm, height 13.85 mm
MOVEMENT: Chronoswiss caliber C. 299, automatic, with stop seconds Diameter: 35.20 mm, impulse-angle 51° Power reserve: Approx. 42 hours Special features: Skeletonized and galvanic black rotor, with Côtes de Genève and colimaçon, with ball bearing; polished pallet lever, escape wheel and screws; bridges and plates with colimaçon
DIAL: Elaborate construction on two levels: bottom level hand-guillochéd lacquered yellow, upper level featuring screwed-on skeletonized train wheel bridges and funnel-like constructions for hours and seconds display
HANDS: “Trigono” shape; lacquered; with Super-LumiNova inlays and tips
Here are the pertinents - Displays: Off-center hours at 12:00, central minutes, retrograde seconds at 6:00
Case: Solid 17-piece, stainless steel case with brown PVD coating, with satin finish; bezel sand blasted matte with partial knurling and curved, double coated anti-reflective sapphire crystal, screw- down case back with satin finish and sapphire crystal, onion crown, water resistance up to 10 bar, strap holders screwed down with patented Autobloc system
Measurements: Ø 44 mm, height 13.35 mm
Movement: Chronoswiss caliber C. 301, automatic, with stop seconds
Diameter: Ø 36.50 mm, impulse-angle 51°
Jewels: 33
Balance: Glucydur, three-legged
Balance spring: Nivarox 1
Fine Adjustment: Via Excenter
Shock protection: Incabloc
Frequency: 4 Hz., 28‘800 A/h (semi-oscillations)
Power reserve: Approx. 42 hours
Special features: Skeletonized and galvanic-black-plated, with Côtes de Genève and ball bearing; polished pallet lever, escape wheel and screws; bridges and plates with perlage
Dial: Elaborate 42-part construction on two levels: bottom level red varnish, upper level featuring screwed-on skeletonized train wheel bridges and funnel-like construction for hour display, as well as a retrograde seconds display and cylinder shape Super LumiNova indexes
Hands: “Trigono” shape, especially designed by Chronoswiss; lacquered grey; with Super-LumiNova inlays and tips
This one's a bit special. A truly limited edition of only 30 pieces. The case is of stainless steel and measures 44 mm in diameter. The movement is Caliber C.677S, which is manual winding and features a power reserve of 46 hours. Here are the pertinents, straight from the source -
CASE:
Case back Screw-down case back with satin finish and sapphire crystal
Band width 22 mm
Finish Partly polished, partly with vertical satin finish, onion crown
Material Stainless steel
Bezel Polished screw-down bezel with full thread and side knurling with curved, non-reflecting sapphire crystal
Number of parts 21
Height 12.48 mm
Diameter 44mm
MOVEMENT:
Frequency 2,5 Hz 18 000 A/H
Number of jewels 17
Power reserve Approx. 46 h
Movement Caliber C.677S manual winding
Finish Pallet, pallet-wheel and screws polished, plate and bridges skeletonized and circular grained; gear-wheels skeletonized screws thermally blued
DIAL:
Displays Off-centre hours at 12:00, central minutes, small seconds at 6:00
Shape of hands "Poire Stuart"
Dial material Sophisticated dial construction on several levels. Skeletonized base, galvanic white, with funnel construction, hour´s scale white varnish. Middle level galvanic white with hand-painted individual number of limitation. Top level galvanic white, screwed on foundation blocks.
Design of hands Thermaly blued and curved; minute hand bent by hand
STRAP & BUCKLE:
Type of buckle Folding clasp
Strap material Louisiana alligator leather "Hornback", hand-sewn
News, honestly more anticipated than surprising, has made its way to the North Shore this morning confirming what most of us have seen as inevitable -
The Swiss watch Manufactures belonging to the LVMH Group, the world leader in luxury, have in turn decided to leave Baselworld in order to join the other flagship brands of the Swiss watch industry in Geneva from 2021 onwards.
That's the as yet to be formally named FHH spinoff, for those of you playing at home without a score card and game program. Now there are some of you out there that might equate this with LeBron James taking his talents to South Beach, but I think in all fairness this was inevitable.
Watch Town is a very funny and peculiar place. It is filled with some very intelligent, hardworking, and charming people. And, like any other industry (and perhaps more than many) it is filled with ego. And all of us who inhabit Watch Town are guilty of it to some extent.
I personally loved going to BaselWorld. It was like the Super Bowl, 4th of July, World Cup, Christmas and Olympics all landed on your birthday. It was fun. Even from my first visit as a member of the press back in 2011 when almost nobody had time for me or knew who I was, it was exciting. And yes, the fair was an expensive proposition. For my first 6 BaselWorlds I stayed in Lucerne and commuted back and forth by train as the cost of accommodation for a week, even in a half-way house converted for BaselWeek (recovering addicts temporarily relocated) was of the level that is usually negotiated with the aid of a loaded pistol and a getaway car.
And in all honesty, does the fair itself really need to cost the brands SOOOOO much money to participate? I have worked on the other side of the BaselWorld booth as a brand employee, and the amounts demanded for just the booth space were of a level on par with the GDP of a small developing country, and that was just in Hall 2! Trying to negotiate on certain points was often not unlike trying to purchase the correct exit visa on the East Berlin side at Check Point Charlie circa 1985 -
But Watch Town, although exciting and interesting, is not always populated by angels. As rapacious and usurious as the brands feel that the fair organization has been these last five years (and in many ways, rightly so), some of those same brands have not exactly been welcoming, inclusive or even interested in the majority of the press, and honestly could not give a toss about the public. You know, those mythical unicorns that actually BUY WATCHES. Press appointments are often forgotten or ignored. Now from the brand employee's point of view, they have a thousand appointments, and hey, some of them might be forgotten or missed, and if you are not the Wall Street Journal or one of the big outlets, we're not going to reschedule. But to the journalist that spent $2,000 on a plane ticket, another $2,000 for accommodation, add more for food and ground transportation, and let's not forget the time off from work, this is a big deal. The indifference of some brands to try and accommodate appointments that they (the brands) have messed up is really the height of arrogance. And for many of us in the Fourth and Fifth Estate, it impacts how we view those brands moving forward.
So short view - it takes two to tango.
But let's get more basic than that -
On a core level, BaselWorld (and Watches and Wonders and the Geneva "fair to be named later") are there to serve the brands. Not the other way around. And that is something that BaselWorld lost sight of. But I truly do not know that the folks in Geneva are going to be any more warm and fuzzy. Trying to beg, borrow or steal a press credential for the former SIHH was a bit like being a contestant on Survivor.
Again, the fairs are there to serve the brands. BUT - the brands participating in these shows are there to serve the press, the retail partners and the public. And here's an even colder cup of coffee on an already chilly morning - as brands have to cut or curtail their advertising budgets (understandably), the big, shiny watch media outlets that get all of the prime invites and velvet rope access? Well, they are going to find it harder and harder to keep going. And one more time for my one special fan out there whispering nasty things about me every chance they get, I do not wish bad luck or lack of success on ANYONE.
Fairs - you need the brands. Stop making them kiss the ring.
Brands - you need the press and the public. Stop treating the press like a beauty pageant where you're going to select the most popular boy and girl for the Homecoming/Prom King and Queen and blow everyone else off.
Journalists - it might be time to be a bit more inclusive with your coverage, and here's a crazy idea for one particular outlet - stop trying to charge money to brands who probably can't afford it for coverage in your outlet. It's a dick move.
I think it is safe to say that we all love watches, maybe we all need to find a way to better share that love?
16. March 2020
After managing the affairs of ochs und junior for the last three months, we are pleased to announce that Marc Bernhardt has permanently joined ochs und junior as new managing director. His appointment coincides with our imminent move to the new premises in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Here’s his reaction:
“I am absolutely thrilled to be joining ochs und junior, which right from the beginning in 2006, has done things contrary to the rest of the traditional watch industry. It shuns the world of hyper marketing, uses Ludwig Oechslin’s genius to create remarkably uncomplicated complications, treats its customers like friends of the family, and only makes watches as it and its customers see fit. I have come to appreciate ochs und junior’s often quirky supporters and have fallen in love with its timepieces. There is something genuine and brutal about them (I mean the watches), which is something that traditional watchmaking often lacks. There is no talk about “lifestyle”, or that you ought to wear the watch during the Battle of Britain or that a reincarnation of Mr. Breguet has magically worked on your watch. Going forward Ludwig Oechslin will continue to be the brain of the company and Jost Schlatter, whom we will profile in a later blog, is our skilled watchmaker putting together our unique time companions. My experience hitherto with ochs und junior can be summarized as follows: Ochs und junior may be a “strange animal”, but the more time you spend with it, the more you will discover that there is actually no other way to tell time. You will learn to tell time gradually, then very suddenly!”
It's weird to think about it now, but I was there in Lucerne now nearly 8 years ago when the new store had just opened -
Courtesy of ochs und junior
That's a younger, less grey me without beard looking thoughtful.
But life moves forward, doesn't it? If the word around the campfire is to believed, Beat Weinmann has landed at another brand in a new role, and I guess the store formerly known as the "ochs space" will revert to whatever creative/artsy project is next in its future. So good luck Mr. Bernhardt, let's see if you can make it a horserace.
And for the record, I do not live under any illusions that I am always right. Some of my high school teachers would have been shocked by even a 25% ratio for correct notions. But today, while noodling around on some watch brand websites both mighty and wee, I came across this interesting tidbit of information -
15. February 2020
ochs und junior is moving to a new home
We are happy to announce that this coming April we will be opening a new ochs und junior workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in the Jura mountains. We will be located in the historic district of this ancient center of the Swiss watchmaking industry, since 2009 a UNESCO World Heritage site. The collaboration with our partners in the German-speaking part of Switzerland will continue, and our new manufacturing, purchase, and service offers remain continuously guaranteed. Images and background story will be provided in a later post.
We are looking forward to welcoming you soon to this historic and unique town at the center of the Swiss watchmaking industry!
Okay, so what I am about to say is in no way meant to be hurtful, offensive or snide. But honest - have you ever tried to visit La Chaux-de-Fonds? I want to be clear, I am not trying to say it is exactly "land's end" but it is not what I would call "conveniently located" either. Traveling via rail, the best travel times you will achieve are:
Zurich: 2 hours 10 minutes
Geneva: 1 hour 42 minutes
Lucerne: 2 hours 23 minutes
(You know, just in case you did not get the update about the company moving and had to now hot-foot it to pick up your watch before they closed)
Think you're going to simply pop into some watch brands for a look-see to make the trip to La Chaux-de-Fonds worth your while? Guess again. Even if you are rolling with Watch Media Outlet X, arrangements have to be made, and chances are good that you will be (at best) challenged) to get in.
And while La Chaux-de-Fonds is a Unesco Heritage Site (along with its sister city, Le Locle), it is not exactly what I would call a "happening" place. I think my point is, if you were really trying to maintain the ethos of ochs und junior, this is perhaps one of the least likely places you would have picked. Because for all of their posturing, and let's be honest, there was a fair bit, when you stripped away all of the hyperbole, the one thing that ochs und junior were pretty forthright about was that they were not making much of anything on site. In other words, they had partners. And as some know, for a very brief time (a little over a year) I collaborated with Beat Weinmann as a "counter-puncher" or someone to "spar with" over ideas, communication, etc. In essence, to offer up the contrary opinion. While I continued to stay in Lucerne during subsequent BaselWorld visits, I only visited the ochs storefront a few more times. And at least at that time, while there were watch makers employed by ochs und junior, their activities (as far as I understood it) took place in workshops off site. To be clear, they were, absolutely, assembling the watches. The cases were made (at that time) by Peter Cantieni and I suspect maybe still will be, but you never know. The movements were ETA (now UN supplies them). Hands, crystals, crowns, dials, essentially everything else was created by trusted partners. And fair play to ochs und junior, they identified their partners clearly on their site -
https://www.ochsundjunior.swiss/about/partners/ But when news first broke late last year that the entire crew had resigned (and a lot of that is still unclear, and subject to interpretation), what was clear was that by "force leaking" the information in the manner that he did, Mr. Weinmann had drawn a line in the sand that would (and let's be honest, will) make it very challenging for him to come back to the business side of watch making. Typically the head of a brand takes the hit, has the fall, goes home to lick their wounds, then re-emerges later in a new, sometimes better role. Some learn from the experience, many do not. But Beat Weinmann was always a bit of a different type of dude who absolutely marched to his own drum beat, and I would say that, more than any other reason, was why we were friends for a brief while, and continued to be friendly for a short while after that. So in a Forest Gump sorta' way, I feel that I was there for a few key events in the "mid-story" section, and watched from afar for awhile after. I do remember well when the cord was cut, and Beat left Embassy to make ochs und junior a full-time proposition, and he moved into the location they have been in for the past 8 years - https://www.ochsundjunior.swiss/open-offen/
It was exciting to see. And even as I moved on to pursue other things, it was always interesting to follow the happenings via the blog or the news section. The news and blog became less frequent, and if I am honest I had pretty much turned my attention elsewhere until this past November - http://www.tempusfugit.watch/2019/12/the-transfer-window-has-opened.html So, as I prepare to embrace a cold New England morning this day after Valentines, I want to re-heat my theory about what is next. Consolidation Things are not great in the watch business. Moreover, they do not show signs of improving in the near future. Ulysse Nardin, and therefore Kering, essentially own ochs und junior. There really isn't much other way to put it. Yes, Ludwig Oechslin's name might be on the "deed" but the checks are being signed in Le Locle. And, not-so-coincidentally, the CEO of Ulysse Nardin also just so happens to be the CEO of Girard-Perregaux - Patrick Pruniaux, which by strange coincidence is located in... La Chaux-de-Fonds. The Thing About the Old Days The curious thing about getting older, time (or at least your perception of it) seems to hyper accelerate once you hit your 40s.
Courtesy of The Wire
While 2012 is a full 8 years ago, it still seems somewhat recent to me. ochs und junior were more of an ongoing project that, if I am not mistaken, were funded primarily by the owner (at that time) of Embassy jewelers in Lucerne. Up until 2010 they were really more of a very expensive piece that was not really selling much. These were pieces that were priced at the level of starter homes in Southern Ohio. They were not exactly inexpensive. But between 2010 and I would say 2017, they managed to catch some lightning in a bottle and they steadily grew in notoriety. It is not a coincidence that this time period was also marked by UN's increasing financial involvement. And my fellow pundits in the Fourth and Fifth Estate have a tendency to gloss over this not so insignificant fact. While it is a nice notion that like so many other followers of "the craft", they latch onto what simple economic realities are proving to be a millennial fantasy, the numbers don't match up. 5 employees, technically 6 if we count Dr. Oechslin, rent, materials, etc... and a reported production of, well, not so many watches, per their own statement: ochs und junior manufactures about 130 watches per year, which enables it to offer uncompromising timepieces that do not cater to mass taste – simplicity instead of complication, visible machining marks instead of polishing, no logo on the dial or the case – and to give every customer personal sales and after-sales service directly from the CEO. We aim to grow in terms of quality, not in terms of quantity. Not to be snotty, or sarcastic, but do you honestly mean to tell me that with overhead for rent, materials, utilities, assembly, and, oh yeah, salaries for that many people that you are going to cover that nut with 130 pieces per year when the majority of them are priced around CHF 6,000? And please don't try to sell me on the "we took out the middle man" notion. ochs und junior were the middle man in many ways. On more than one occasion during our "strategy boxing matches" I was called "charming" and I knew at the time, and more so in hindsight it was not always intended as a compliment. As a mediator I have a tendency to try and keep the peace while trying to help the parties discover alternative points of view. And there are times when an individual is so enamored of their own position, that they don't tend to see that left hook coming. And I suspect that is what finally landed on the jaw of ochs und junior three months ago. Reality Sucks Every great brand needs a great creation myth. And in the case of ochs und junior, it really wasn't a myth. The creation part anyway. The fallacy that everyone was laboring under was the sustainability. It is safe to say that Ludwig Oechslin was, and is perhaps one of the most creative, and therefore most important watch makers of recent times. But it is also safe to say that without Rolf Schnyder, the rest of the world would likely have never known. Mr. Schnyder was a unique person with unrivaled abilities in terms of sales, marketing and persuasion. And when the two of them worked in lock-step? They were truly unstoppable. In many ways, Beat Weinmann had a lot of the same positive qualities of Mr. Schnyder. He was personable (I won't say charming as I do not wish to offend), attentive to his customers, and could create a seemingly magical atmosphere. And in many ways I feel that Beat is a bit more savvy than even Mr. Schnyder was. But there was one thing that Mr. Schnyder had that Mr. Weinmann had not fully mastered (at least in terms of ochs und junior) and that was cash reserve (lots of it), and large scale communication. In the long run, even if we optimistically presume 50% net per watch (pre-tax), that would be a lot of thrift to pay everyone, the rent, etc., let alone grow. The New New So what's next? Well, it is safe to say that ochs und junior, at least as we knew it, is no more. UN and if need be, GP have plenty of folks to handle pretty much every process that had been previously handled by the ochs und junior team. What I expect we will be seeing in the not-too-distant future will be a more discernible outreach to the media. You need more than a twice a year posting in Hodinkee to be known. You will likely see an outreach to retail partners. You will either see an increase or decrease in price depending on the following criteria - Drop prices by 20% and aggressively pursue more mainstream retail. Raise prices by 20% and aggressively pursue more mainstream retail. Kering with UN and if need be, GP, have everything that ochs und junior needs to make and finally market and more effectively sell watches. But there will be changes. The big, open shop/meeting place with vintage espresso machine (at least the one we knew and loved) is now consigned to the dust bin of history. What this new space will be remains to be seen, and we shall see. But I think a few things are going to change. And we shall all have to wait and see what is coming next, because for the moment? Nobody's talking.
Case: 44 mm diameter, solid stainless steel case with blue coating PVD, with satin finish and polished bezel with partial knurling and curved, double coated anti- reflective sapphire crystal, screw-down case back with satin finish and sapphire crystal, onion crown, water resistance up to 10 bar, strap holders screwed down with patented Autobloc system
Movement:
Chronoswiss caliber C. 295, automatic, with stop seconds
Dial:
Galvanic blue dial, scales with circular-graining, interior of hour display with guilloche details, skeletonized small seconds display
Strap:
Louisiana alligator leather, hand-sewn and dyed by hand
While the new, more exotic regulators from Chronoswiss are quite compelling, this morning I was feeling a wee-bit nostalgic, and thought it might be nice to look at a Chronoswiss model that, in a sense, helps bridge the gap between the first Chronoswiss regulators and the latest and greatest.
I have always been a fan of the "coin edge" finish to the classic Chronoswiss cases, and that nod to the past is there, while a slightly updated dial and hand set keep things in the here and now.
The Case measures 40 mm and is of stainless steel. The movement is self-winding, designated as the Caliber C. 291 Automatic with a power reserve listed at 38 hours.
