My watch month in June: The world of watches belongs to the brave - whether mechanical or quartz
My watch month in June: The world of watches belongs to the brave - whether mechanical or quartz
When I reflect on the past month, one of the first experiences that comes to mind is my visit to the Swatch Group brand Tissot in Switzerland.
At the beginning of May I was able to watch the production of the “PRC 100 Solar” and the new movement with which this model is equipped—a quartz movement, mind you. Watch manufacturers usually prefer to boast about mechanical movements—and Tissot could certainly do that, too.
Justified pride in a quartz solar movement
Currently, the pride of the brand lies in the Swiss-made quartz movement F06.615And this one relies on the power of light. Old hat, you think?
“Well, mechanical watchmaking is definitely older, but some still stubbornly tout it as the ultimate wisdom.”
Antje Heepmann
To avoid any misunderstandings: I'm just as fascinated by the art of the precise interplay of a hand-wound or automatic movement as many others. But that doesn't stop me from taking a closer look at both the mechanical and mechanical aspects.
And it was there that I discovered the new Lightmaster technology, for which the Swatch Group subsidiaries Nivarox (a specialist in components of the oscillating system and escapement), ETA (a watch movement manufacturer), and EM Microelectronic (a specialist in energy-saving, miniaturized microchips for watches) have combined their expertise for extensive research and development.
The company describes the result as a new chapter in timekeeping. That's certainly an exaggeration, but not entirely inaccurate. This is because the concept of solar-powered watches and movements has been completely rethought, meaning that dial designers, for example, are no longer restricted by this sustainable form of energy generation.
And when you look into the proud, shining eyes of the developers of the Lightmaster technology, any doubt that quartz watches automatically have to take a back seat disappears, at least for me.
Media versus real watch world
Tissot has just demonstrated the courage to put the "PRC 100 Solar" in the spotlight – not only to charge the watch's battery, but also to make it clear that, contrary to what the media suggests, the real world of watches – well done – can also be fascinating, powered by technology.
Furthermore, sustainable energy generation through light naturally fits well into our current and future reality. Even though Tissot CEO Sylvain Dolla is clear that sustainability alone isn't (yet) a sufficient selling point, it significantly supports the purchasing process when the technology and history are right. Admittedly, this is also true for mechanical movements.
I believe this is also the case with Lightmaster, and I keep my fingers crossed that Tissot's courage will be rewarded and help prevent its non-mechanical watches from becoming shameful, low-end items. They don't deserve it.
Frankly, I'm not sure whether the (Swiss) watch industry is doing itself a favor by focusing on increasingly expensive and complicated mechanical watches and attracting media attention. There's a risk that watches will become a luxury item in the eyes of the masses, something their budget simply doesn't cover anyway, so they'll simply stop bothering with them. A cheap wearable is enough – or a smartphone.
My appeal is: Courage to embrace quality, courage to embrace sophisticated technology, courage to embrace sophisticated designs and quality materials – across all price segments and watch categories. Then things will work out with buyers, too.
What else caused a stir
One of them is the jeweler Wempe, who not only has a new IWC boutique in Hamburg opened, but with Urwerk has boldly added a bold watch brand to its range, which is without question outside of any mainstream.
When Swiss watchmakers think about the USA, the opposite feeling of courage seems to prevail at the moment. Instead, fear of Trump's unpredictable tariff policy is evident. In the worst-case scenario, a 31 percent tariff will soon be imposed on all Swiss-made goods sent to the United States.
The reaction to this fear was clearly evident in the exploding exports to the land of unlimited opportunity in April, in order to quickly fill the warehouses. As an inevitable consequence The collapse followed in May, as the Swiss Watch Industry Federation (FH) announced in mid-June. No one dares to predict what will happen next. Courage is needed to find new sales markets.
The fact that the watch industry is searching for new directions is always indicated by personnel and strategic changes, as was the case last June.
Gucci has been causing concern for the parent company Kering for some time. One consequence is the Loss of 21 employees in the watch division. Now there will also be a new CEO who comes from the automotive industry.
At Longines, Matthias Breschan the CEO position and Tim Stracke relinquishes the chairmanship of the Advisory Board at Chrono24The online platform has also just given itself a new brand identity.
There's a lot of movement in the industry, and there's no sign of a silly season yet. We'll keep you updated!
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