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WATCH AFICIONADOSpecial Web Edition

USA & CANADA VOL.47 N°01 FEB./MARCH 2011

A WEEK IN GENEVAWatches for real men · Time for the girls ·

Retailers in the digital era

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EDITORIAL

EUROPA STAR WEB SPECIAL

Since time is in the form of a spiral, meaning that italways returns upon its x-axis but not on its y-axis(or the opposite, if you like), we always return to thesame trends even if they are a bit different everytime. The ultra-thin movement, since we are talkingabout it, of 2011 is not exactly the same as the ultra-

thin calibre of the 1960s of the last century. Just try,for example, to return exactly into your footprints leftin the snow or in the sand…Based on the expression of the architect, Mies van derRohe, that “less is more,” the artistic minimalism ofthe 1960s seemed to be a reaction against subjec-tivity, against emotional overload, against the orna-mentation that prevailed up to then. We might alsosay, history repeating itself, that today’s new watch-making minimalism is a reaction against the stylisticoverload and the ornamental and mechanical excessesof the preceding years. With too much excess killing excess, we are nowreturning to an era of much greater simplicity, like aperson who is sickened by the sight of food aftera very rich meal. In analyzing this return to stylisticfrugality, there have been many reasons, if not expla-nations, beginning with the ‘crisis’. Watchmakers,however, have nearly always evoked this crisis as if ithad nothing to do with them, as if it was merely afatality that fell upon them without warning. This isfaulty reasoning, in our opinion, because watchmak-ing, like many other sectors, has nourished the terrainof the crisis with its excesses. Clearly, it was the finan-

cial community that started the crisis with activitiesthat were closer to casino gambling than healthyfinancial management, but they evolved in a largeruniverse that permitted all this, that pushed theminto this. In its own way, watchmaking is a good mirror of so-ciety. Larger, more extravagant, more visible, heavier,and more expensive were the words of the day thateveryone, not only the bankers, more or less followed.But watchmakers, seeing the land beneath their feetsuddenly falling away, changed direction.And, like a single individual, they decreed that thetimes of excess were over, that it was necessary to

return to more measured thinking. They thus turned,in unison, to what they imagined to be their newsavoir—after the maximalist era, long live minimal-ism. The creation of new collections is measured inmany months, and in this case, they all reachedmaturity at the same time, more than two years afterthe initial direction change. But the simultaneousflood of propositions involving three hands andsmall seconds also sends a cloudy message. If we inthe watch community know who has true legitimacyin the thin movement and who does not, if we knowwho has worked steadily and consistently and whois merely being opportunistic, the public at largeunderstands this to a much less degree. To maximizethe minimalist offer, we again run the same risks.Those who are on a diet of bread and water for solong will, in turn, become sick of it all, and thus willwant to order a copious meal. But while waiting forthe next change of direction, which should not belong in coming, let us slowly savour our pleasure inthe frugal offerings, made of a pure product, onedevoid of sophisticated sauces and other garnishing.And, between us, what is more beautiful than awatch in its most simple form?

R Pierre M. MaillardEditor-in-Chief Europa Star

Maximum minimalismFor all

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EDITORIAL Maximum minimalism

COVER STORY Ralph Lauren: Staying the course and broadening the offering

POST-GENEVA Classical offensive and retreat of the UFOs

Time for the girls

Watches for real men

WORLDWATCHWEB Retailers in the digital era

SPOTLIGHTS Today’s Spark Tomorrow’s Sparkle

Ice-Watch® The King of Cool

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MANUFACTURING The Swiss watch planet in movement Part 3

MECHANICAL GALLERY Harry Winston, Pequignet, Corum, Chopard,

Moritz Grossmann, Zenith

SIHH PREVIEW Vacheron Constantin takes its Quai de l’Ile to a new level

Parmigiani takes on the classics

Montblanc honours the chronograph

JeanRichard goes deep with the Diverscope

Girard Perregaux stays classy with small seconds

SIHH GALLERY Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Greubel Forsey, Panerai

CASE STUDY MB&F, the strategy of bachelor machines

GENEVA SHOWS GALLERY Laurent Ferrier, Louis Erard, Panerai, Zeitwinkel, Ali Zandidoust,

Bovet, DeLaneau, Peter Tanisman, BRM, Bulova, Marvin, Tempvs Compvtare, Badollet,

Catorex, Pierre DeRoche, Ritmo Mundo, Artya, Hautlence, Rebellion, Valbray

BEHIND THE SCENES Exotic straps could turn around and bite you

RETAILER PROFILE Panama’s La Hora-Alta Relojeria

LETTER FROM PARIS The suburbanites love their watches

WORLDWATCHWEB® Understanding China’s clientele of luxury watches online

BASEL PREVIEW Century – elegant, resistant and transparent

MARKETS Titoni, China from the inside

CASE STUDY Rodolphe – What’s in a name?

POST CARD Postcard from Glashütte

RETAILER PROFILE Simonetta Orsini – Time in Buenos Aires

LAKIN@LARGE Comeuppance time down south

Just posted …

SPORTING WOOD by Ralph LaurenThe Ralph Lauren Sporting watch with wood dial, recallsthe refined interior of Ralph Lauren’s personal 1938Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe. This timepiece features astainless steel case with a warmly handsome dial in richloupe d’orme or elm burlwood–in honor of the car’s iconicwooden dashboard and trim detail. The Ralph Lauren Sport-ing is equipped with a manual winding mechanical move-ment–caliber RL98295 made by IWC for Ralph Lauren–featuring a power reserve of 45 hours and a frequency of18,000 vibrations per hour. www.ralphlaurenwatches.com

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Collect ion ROYALE

CALIBRE ROYAL featuring multiple integrated complications. Fully designed and built in Pequignet’s Haute Horlogerie laboratory. This unique 13 ¾ Calibre, with a maximum thickness of just 5.88 mm, houses all complications on its original main plate: Double Large Day and Date Windows, 88-hour Power Reserve Indicator, Large Moon Phase and dual direction automatic winding system. 21,600 oscillations/hour (3 Hz). Initial force distribution by a central large barrel axis. High-inertia large balance with compensating screws. These features create an exceptionally accurate and reliable timepiece. This masterpiece of watchmaking innovation and technology represents Plato’s “Beauty is the splendour of the truth”, when the multiple complications of Haute Horlogerie combine in perfect symmetry and elegance.

Tel. +33 (0)3 81 67 30 66 - Contact : patleibundgut@pequignet.com

w w w . p e q u i g n e t . c o m

RUE

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EUROPA STAR WEB SPECIAL – COVER STORY

R alph Lauren watches are man-dated to be classic, traditional,high quality timepieces with

an uncompromising attention to detail. Afashion icon, Lauren was determined tomake a watch brand of which he could beproud, and Ralph Lauren watches aredesigned to appeal to the sensibilities ofAmerica’s most famous arbiter of tasteand style.

Brief historyIn 2009, Ralph Lauren Watches debuted atthe SIHH, with its three core collections, theiconic Stirrup, the elegant Slim Classiqueand the more casual Sporting, using someof the best movements in the entireRichemont Group.Last year, as the brand was entering theAsian market, Ralph Lauren Watches deep-ened its offering with diamond pieces andsome smaller versions in each collection.“When you are a newcomer, you need tobuild credibility,” explains Guy Châtillon,CEO of Ralph Lauren Watch & Jewelry Co.“Our objective is to build a strong founda-tion with these three collections. This does-n’t mean that we aren’t going to be work-ing on new products, but for the time beingit’s line extensions, not new collections.We are using the best manufacture move-ments and prestigious materials. Over time,our coherent and consistent approach willhelp us build credibility and legitimacy inthe industry.”Ralph Lauren watches certainly featureiconic styling with great movements andthey are perfectly positioned for the times,with classic, traditional designs and highquality.This year at the SIHH, Ralph Lauren Watcheshas continued to focus on its three collec-tions, introducing interesting new shapes,materials and designs to broaden its offer-ing, both at the lower and higher ends ofthe price spectrum.

RALPH LAUREN: STAYING THE COURSE ANDBROADENING THE OFFERING

From the beginning, Ralph Lauren Watches & Jewelry has had a clear vision about its direction andwith this year's SIHH novelties the brand is demonstrating that it is successfully on track.

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New for 2011Ralph Lauren has broadened its offeringsfor 2011, introducing a new square caseshape in the Slim Classique line, threenew Sporting watches, one inspired byRalph Lauren’s classic car collection, achronograph reinforcing the brand's sophis-ticated sporty style with elegant guilloche

craftsmanship on the dial and bezel, andanother chronograph in striking blackceramic, and new steel versions of theStirrup, lowering the entry price to RalphLauren Watches.The most intriguing new watch is theSporting with a wood dial, directly inspiredby the interior of Lauren’s model 1938Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe. The dialuses loupe d’orme – or elm burl wood – toecho the Bugatti‘s iconic wooden dash-board and trim detail. The black calf leatherstrap is meant to be evocative of the blackleather seating in this incredible car. Thiswatch is powered by calibre RL98295,a hand wound mechanical movementmade by IWC for Ralph Lauren (45-hourpower reserve).“We wanted to reinforce the Ralph Laurentouch – this is the first watch inspired byhis vintage car collection,” Châtillon details.

“We used Arabic numerals to match thecar’s counters and an elm burl wood dial onthe car’s dashboard.”The other new Sporting edition is the 45mmchronograph in black ceramic, a first forRalph Lauren Watches. The chronograph’scase and bracelet are ceramic zirconia, ahigh-tech material used in such demandingand industrial applications as jet engines,and the ceramic features a silky mat finish.The result is a bold watch with black onblack styling (except for the white markersand a red chronograph second hand) thatis nearly scratchproof and extremely lightweight that makes it as comfortable as itis resilient.The movement is the calibre RL750, madeby Jaeger-LeCoultre for Ralph Lauren, witha 48 hour power reserve and a frequencyof 28,800 vibrations per hour. This time-piece is also available in a 39mm version,

with the centre chronograph hand in clas-sic white.“We looked at industries where strength,robustness, attention to detail, quality andlongevity were important,” Châtillon says.“We looked at aeronautics, sailing, medi-cal, cars and we discovered ceramic zir-conia, used in the aeronautical and medicalindustries. You can work with a high levelof detail and precision with this material.This new Sporting Chronograph is full ofceramic except for the screws and thebuckle. It is really a material that hasstrength, resistance and longevity.”The Slim Classique Square Watch is the firstsquare watch in the Ralph Lauren collection.Inspired by the grand era of Art Deco style,the dial mixes Roman and Arabic numeralsto great effect. Thin and classic, the SlimClassique Square uses calibre RL430, madeby Piaget for Ralph Lauren, with a 40-hour

EUROPA STAR WEB SPECIAL – COVER STORY

SPORTING 45MM CHRONOGRAPH SLIM CLASSIQUE SQUARE WATCH

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EUROPA STAR WEB SPECIAL – COVER STORY

power reserve. This watch is available in rosegold or white gold, including a white goldguilloché version that continues RalphLauren’s devotion to the fine art of guillochécraftsmanship (and featured on the original,round Slim Classique).“We wanted to introduce a square watch,while keeping the timelessness and thethinness of this collection,” Châtillon recalls.“It had to be in rose or white gold, and wewanted a unisex watch. The resulting watch,the Slim Classique Square, sized at 27.5mm,strengthens what makes Ralph Laurenunique – modernity and timelessness. Weused a Piaget movement, so the watchwould be very thin.“I think the Square is very well balanced,with a unique design in line with the RalphLauren DNA, while breaking the rules ina good way,” Châtillon continues. “Wewanted an eclectic, Art Deco look on thedial and came up with the idea of doingArabic and Roman numerals.”In the Stirrup collection, Ralph Lauren intro-duces a large and medium size in stainless

steel, for the first time. To make it easy to seewhich versions are steel, several designadaptations were made. For example, thesteel versions use open minute markers onthe dial versus the railroad-track style mark-

ers on the gold watches. The steel modelsare presented on calf leather straps with pinbuckles whereas the gold models are on alli-gator straps with folding clasps.The large steel model features the auto-matic, chronograph calibre RL750, madeby Jaeger-LeCoultre for Ralph Lauren,while the medium steel model is poweredby the automatic calibre RL514, made byPiaget for Ralph Lauren, with a 40 hourpower reserve.

Staying Ralph LaurenThe brand is keen to maintain the uniqueaesthetic of Ralph Lauren while continuingto offer high quality, attention to detailand incredible craftsmanship. “Breakingthe rules and introducing new materialshelps create a distinct Ralph Lauren ident-ity,” Châtillon details. “We wanted to widenthe collection, with 50 different models inthree collections, for different customerspreferences.

“The key words that describe Ralph Laurenwatches are qualitative, authentic and dis-tinctive,” he continues. “The unique aes-thetic of Ralph Lauren is present through-out the collection. We have reinforced thestyle and soul of Ralph Lauren with thenew watches.”

In addition to the above, Ralph Lauren introduced a highjewellery Stirrup, a timepiece that combines jewelleryand watches. This watch was introduced when RalphLauren debuted its new jewellery collection. This versionof the Stirrup features 1500 diamonds, in 12 differentsizes, for a total of nearly 25 carats.

STIRRUP

SLIM CLASSIQUE SQUARE WATCH

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EUROPA STAR WEB SPECIAL

A t a very opportune time, the17th of January, at the verysame moment the SIHH was

opening its doors and the first guests werelining up to pass through the mandatoryelectronic security detectors, Richemontpublished its numbers for the last quarterof 2010. Verdict: sales were up 23 per centat a constant exchange rate (33 per cent inlocal currencies), providing a turnover of€2.107 billion. In the stands that bor-dered the vast hallways of the Salon, theCEOs rubbed their hands together whilewaiting for their regular customers. The‘elements of their communication lang-uage’ had been carefully chosen and thecollections they were about to reveal borewitness to this strict selection: ‘rigour, clas-sicism and thinness’ would be the keywords this year. But for those diehard macho fans of the‘Hummers’ of the wrist or those amorousof bling bling, they need not worry. Therewill always be something for everyone and,despite this neo-classic offensive, they willhave no trouble finding, here or there, whatthey require to adorn their substantialwrists (on this subject, see the articleWatches For Real Men by Keith Strandbergin this issue). If they didn’t find what they wanted amongthe 19 exhibitors at the SIHH, they couldalways slide into one of the limousines thatwere already warming up their engines inthe adjacent hallways, waiting to take visi-

tors to private suites in a number of hotelsalong the lakeside or to the GTE, a showfor independent brands. Paradoxically, in spite of the efforts made bythe SIHH, external exhibitions have takenon greater and greater importance eachyear. Around this grand flagship, increasingnumbers of brands—and not the least sig-nificant among them—gather to showcasetheir wares. The Swatch Group was quitepresent this year and inaugurated two exhi-bitions—Jaquet-Droz and Breguet—with aworld first, the Type XXII ticking at 10Hz,or 72,000 vibrations per hour. LVMH alsocame out in force with TAG Heuer wherethey showcased, along with fabulousrace cars, another world first—the TAGHeuer Carrera Mikrograph, a column-wheelchronograph displaying 100th of a second.Zenith, in full renaissance, held its exhibitionat the Kempinski Hotel, while Hublot madea big splash at the Métropole Hotel on theother side of the lake.The Franck Muller group organized its ritual‘World Presentation of Haute Horlogerie’at its site in Genthod near Geneva. A num-ber of powerful independent brands alsotook place, including Corum, which tookadvantage of the occasion to reveal thecoherence of its new collections (see ournext issue). In addition, all of the Geneva-based brands, in a more discreet manner,invited the most influential retailers to theirheadquarters. We also must mention theluxury niche watchmakers that exhibited

along the lakeside, such as De Bethune,Christophe Claret, Jean Dunand, Urwerk,Bovet, Antoine Preziuso, DeLaneau anddeLaCour, to cite only a few of the morethan 100 brands present during this hecticweek in Geneva. Given all this outside activity, the SIHHtried to eliminate or at least contain as faras possible this potential loss of visitorsand capital. This year, the Salon was muchstricter in the selection of its invited guestsand the rules were more clearly definedand communicated to the interested par-ties—quite understandable since it wasthe SIHH brands that paid the plane tickets,hotel rooms and nights on the town fortheir guests.

The importance of consistency Let’s visit, first of all, the corridors of theSIHH (even if, as residents of Geneva, thejournalists at Europa Star owe nothing toanyone and are thus perfectly free in theirmovements). We noted from the begin-ning that the key word of neoclassicismwas followed to the letter at the Salon andthat a strict low-calorie diet was energeti-cally enforced, everywhere. Sizes had beenreduced, the excess trappings had meltedaway and the faces had been cleaned up.But, in this exercise of generalized fitness,those brands that have always been fit arethe ones that did better. In this category,the uncontested prize went to Piaget,which saw itself rewarded for never hav-ing deviated from its line, for alwaysremaining faithful to its genes—in otherwords, for being thin and elegant. “Theultra-flat is our religion,” affirmed thebrand’s CEO Philippe Léopold-Metzger,who was happy to note that it was not thebrand that needed to follow the trend butrather that the trend caught up to it. (...)

Full report on www.europastar.com

CLASSICAL OFFENSIVE ANDRETREAT OF THE UFOS

RETAILERS IN THE DIGITAL ERA

Like the brands that promoteand sell watches, most retailersalso have a place in cyberspace.This digital presence reflects theinevitable evolution in the be-haviour of watch buyers and, asa consequence, that of retailers.

The Internet plays an increasinglyimportant role today in the purchase ofa watch. As Danny Govberg, Presidentof Govberg Jewelers, stated in the2010 edition of the WorldWatchReportstudy, edited by IC-Agency, “more than70 per cent of clients do research onlinebefore coming through the doors ofour store.” Generally, potential buyersbegin by clicking on a search engine,where they type in the name of thebrand, the collection, or the model

they are considering for purchase. Thesearches will lead them to the brand’sofficial site, where they can consultdetailed descriptions and photos ofeach product of interest. Many watchaficionados, however, will be temptedto purchase their dream timepieceeach time they turn the page of a cata-logue. To narrow down their search,they will look at the price of the modelsas a more rational criteria of choice.Yet, unfortunately for them, the greatmajority of official sites don’t list theprices of their watches.

Desperately seeking pricesThe buyer will then click on the ‘StoreLocator’ section of the official watchsite, looking for stores that are near tohim. He will then contact the store to

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find the cost of that special time-keeper that fills his dreams since hediscovered it on the web. With increas-ing frequency, retailers are receivingemails from prospective buyers inquir-ing about the prices of the modelsthey sell.The price is obviously not the only con-cern of the online buyer. He will alsoconsult various blogs and chat rooms,such as Timezone, where watch afi-cionados share their experiences andoffer lots of informed advice to thebuyer, whose heart waivers betweentwo complications.

The recommendations offered on thesecommunal sites can also influence thechoice of retailer and make or break astore’s reputation. The buying experi-ence, whether abominable or excellent,may become the subject of conversa-tions in focused chat rooms and mayeven end up on sites such as Yelp orvarious social networks, depending onthe location of its members, such asFoursquare. This results in a public evalu-ation of the quality of the welcome andthe service offered by the retailer.

Internet, the best enemy of the retailer?Armed with all the information andopinions that he could glean online,the buyer that crosses the threshold ofa retail store is often better informedthan he was in the past. He is alsomore demanding in terms of quality ofservice and the advice he expects fromthe salesperson. His better understand-ing of the products also gives him theadvantage of being in a better pos-ition to negotiate the price.

EUROPA STAR WEB SPECIAL

A s a result of the economic crisis,many watch brands have revis-ited their collections and refo-

cused on traditional values – elegant,timeless, traditional timepieces that arethinner and smaller.However, that doesn’t mean that big watchesare depassé. In fact, big watches are aliveand well and selling strongly – as long asthey are big for a reason.

BIG FOR A REASONThe bigger watches that are succeedingare big for a reason – sports watches withgreat features, watches with incrediblecomplications or watches with high waterresistance, for example.Audemars Piguet introduced the newRoyal Oak Offshore dedicated to ArnoldSchwarzenegger, the Legacy (48mm). “Abrand has to stick to its values and to whatit believes in,” explains Octavia Garcia,Designer, Audemars Piguet. “We’ve beenestablished in big watches since 1992 withthe Royal Oak Offshore. It’s always beenpart of the way we develop things. It’s notabout what’s in and what’s not, it’s aboutwho we are. And these are still selling.“The Legacy is really a powerful watch,”Garcia continues. “The basis of this piece isthe T3. We have been playing around withceramics and we thought this piece was

appropriate for a full ceramic body, as it’slight but really robust. We wanted it tobe finished like our steel pieces, which arepolished and sandblasted, but ceramic isseven times harder than steel, so it was areal challenge.”DeWitt has seen no downturn in interest inbolder timepieces. “The very, very large andheavy-in-look watches are of less interest,because they were like prototypes almost,”acknowledges Jerome de Witt of DeWitt.“We can’t continue to make watches thatare too large. Our 46mm watch isn’t toolarge, they are still in very high demand.People have not stopped buying these

watches. Our Academia line is a very Dewittline, big, bold and strongly styled.”Franck Muller was one of the first brandsto capitalize on the larger watch trend.“Franck Muller watches have always beenabout design,” says Ron Jackson, President,Franck Muller North America. “We are suc-ceeding with design watches. We’re notdoing well because we have big watches,we are succeeding because we have designwatches that feature great shapes andinteresting complications.”

BIG FUTUREBig watches are not dead, in fact, they arestill selling strongly. Today’s normal sizedwatches, 42mm – 45mm, would have beenconsidered oversized ten years ago. Sure,the 50+mm watches are losing steam, butlarge, impressive, bold watches are stillquite popular.“Being a global brand, successful across theworld, it’s logical that TAG Heuer needsboth large and small watches,” says Jean-Christophe Babin, President, and CEO, TAGHeuer. “44mm is our biggest watch. Wenever went to 48mm because it’s notserious. We have a duty to be timeless anda 48mm timepiece will never be an everyday watch.” (...)Full report on www.europastar.com

WORLDWATCHWEB

Photo: Wempe

Continued on page14

WATCHES FOR REAL MEN

AQUARACER 500M by TAG Heuer – Ø 43mmGIGA TOURBILLON by Franck Muller – 41.40 x 34.40mm

TWENTY-8-EIGHT REGULATOR by DeWitt – Ø 46mmTHE LEGACY by Audemars Piguet – Ø 48mm

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EUROPA STAR WEB SPECIAL

L adies’ timepieces were certainlynot forgotten this year as brandsat the SIHH, the GTE and those

presenting in the suites of the Geneva hotelspresented some exquisite ladies’ timepieces,exclusively and unconditionally designed forwomen. New designs, creative concepts,magical mechanics and experimental tech-niques were all called upon to seduce thefemale client who has never had such alarge choice of fine timepieces.

METIERS D’ARTS One of the most delightful trends currentlysweeping the watch industry is the revivalof traditional watch crafts. Enamelling, gem-setting, engraving, wood marquetry, theuse of semi-precious stones and more havereturned to modern day watchmaking aftera long intermission. This return to the artsfollows the general tendency towards tra-ditional watchmaking. It started over adecade ago with the rebirth of the mechan-ical watch, and has now embraced a multi-tude of historical watchmaking crafts whosetechniques came very close to disappear-ing forever. Jewellery brands are perhaps the bestqualified for artisanal work in their watch-making workshops thanks to their expert-ise in a variety of different crafts. Cartier isone such brand that has been developingits artistic timepiece collections that theycall their Métiers d’arts collections. Thisyear Cartier presented a menagerie ofanimals using a variety of new and tra-ditional techniques.

Cartier’s menagerieThere are six different timepieces in thisnew collection that not only continue theseartistic crafts, but reinvent them in totallynew ways. One of the most stunning exam-ples of this is the Rotonde de Cartier Turtlewhose dial is created as a miniature mosaic

with 1,167 pieces of stone measuringonly 0.75mm square and 0.4mm thick.Onyx, tiger’s eye, falcon’s eye, yellowPietersite, carnelian, yellow jasper, palmjasper, Kalahari jasper, yellow agate, mossagate, coral and mother-of-pearl are deli-cately cut and positioned to give the turtleits colour, shape and form. All the stonesare fixed and cemented to ensure an evensurface, a process that takes over 60 hoursto complete. Another artistic piece in Cartier’s collectionthis year, and that definitely deserves a men-

tion, is the Rotonde de Cartier Polar Bear.This enamelled timepiece is created usingplique à jour paillonné enamel. The tech-nique dates back to the 14th century and isa complex process that results in a stainedglass window effect (For enamel tech-niques see The witchcraft of watch craft onwww.europastar.com). White gold stars,called paillons, are also applied to theenamel to create a starry night sky effect.

A voyage with Van Cleef &Arpels Van Cleef & Arpels presented anotheranthology of Poetic Complications andExtraordinary Dials this year with a num-ber of collections dedicated to the authorand adventurer Jules Vernes. Jules Gabriel Verne was born in France in1828 and is often referred to as the fatherof science fiction. His most famous novelsinclude Twenty Thousand Leagues Underthe Sea, A Journey to the Centre of theEarth and Around the World in Eighty Days.Verne’s tales relate the wonders of space,air and underwater travel even before theinvention of the airplane or the submarine. Verne’s adventures gave Van Cleef &Arpels’s designers strong themes for inspi-ration. “We take something, a book, aplace, a work of art, and see how we cantranslate it into watches and jewellery,”notes Nicolas Bos, Van Cleef & Arpels’sVice President and Director of Creations.“Plato, Shakespeare and Jules Verne are allstorytellers…we continue their stories innew directions,” he explains.The stories that the brand has chosen tocontinue take the watch lover to the SouthPole, through the jungle and across theplanes of Africa using a variety of artisticcrafts that bring each timepiece to life. (...)

Full report on www.europastar.com

Sometimes, the watch purchaser goesto a store only when he cannot dosomething online such as touching theproduct, holding it in his hand, compar-ing it to other products, and trying iton. Then, he will return to the Internetto buy it for a better price or better con-ditions. For retailers, then, the compe-tition may come directly from thosebrands that sell online directly to thefinal consumer.Confronted with the changes in behav-iour of their clientele, retailers mustadapt. They must develop new types ofservices with added value. The Internetcan, in fact, help them to do this.

Cyberspace, the land ofopportunity for retailersMost retailers today have a website,where they generally present photosof their store, its location, the list ofbrands they sell, and their contactinformation. These elements are stillnot, however, enough to guarantee thenecessary visibility on the Internet tomeet the expectations of their clientele.The website is an ideal platform to pro-mote various types of services, such ashaving the prospective purchaser makean appointment with a salesperson,chatting with the buyer online, signingup potential clients for exclusive storeevents, and listing guarantee informa-tion and after-sales service benefits.Maier, a retailer located in Lyon, France,carries several brands including Baume& Mercier, Blancpain, Omega, Rolex,and IWC. On their website, they displaythe prices of watches and offer thebuyer the possibility of ordering certainmodels online. (...)

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WORLDWATCHWEB

Photo: Wempe

TIME FOR THE GIRLS

ROTONDE POLAR BEAR by Cartier

EXTRAORDINARY DIALS by Van Cleef & Arpels

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The Black Eyed PeasSix-time Grammy award-winning, multi-platinum recording artists, The

Black Eyed Peas have announced that they will release a brand-new album,

entitled The Beginning, on November 30th, 2010, on Interscope Records.

The Black Eyed Peas’ sixth album, The Beginning is the follow-up to the

group’s blockbuster CD The E.N.D. Released in June 2009, The E.N.D. has

sold more than 11 million copies worldwide, while spending 52 weeks on

the Billboard Top 200 chart.

The Black Eyed Peas have shot a video for “The Time (Dirty Bit),” first

extract of the new album, with director Rich Lee, who also directed the

Peas’ “Imma Be Rocking That Body” video, as well as clips for Eminem,

The All-American Rejects, Fergie and the Pussycat Dolls.

The watches Ice-Watch® collaborated with the superstar group «The

Black Eyed Peas» by placing a watch “Sili White” in the new music video of

the group. The Black Eyed Peas are massive global pop stars whose music

can be heard in any country around the world. Their unique combination

of electro rhythms, dance, soul, funk and hip hop has won them legions of

fans worldwide and has seduced Mr. Jean-Pierre Lutgen.

Make-A-Wish®The watches Ice-Watch® have joined the many Make-A-Wish® contribu-

tors who make seriously ill children’s wishes come true around the world.

To achieve this, the watches Ice-Watch® have joined the Belgian initiative of

Make-A-Wish South Belgium with a real desire to participate also in the

global effort to obtain donations to help children around the world

by creating a watch MAKE-A-WISH® by Ice-Watch® with the full price of

99 € being dedicated to the association.

Your donation to Make-A-WISH® will make a difference and support

the watches Ice-Watch® in their global efforts at www.makeawishsud.be

We ForestThe watches Ice-Watch® make their contribution to reforestation in

Ethiopa with WeForest®. The name “Ice-Watch®” itself demonstrates the

concern of Mr. Jean-Pierre Lutgen about unseasonal ice-melting and in

particular its concern for the preservation of the environment. With this

in mind, the watches Ice-Watch® have joined together with the many

other donors throughout the world of the international association

WeForest® which is committed to slowing down climate change. The

watches Ice-Watch® have chosen to make their contribution in Ethiopia,

with an investment in the immediate planting of 10,000 trees. If you

would also like to take part in this movement and become a part of the

watches Ice-Watch®’s gesture, all you have to do is buy an Ice-Watch®

WeForest® watch at a price of €99 from the website www.weforest.org.

All proceeds from the sale go directly to the Association.

The King of CoolTHE WATCHES ICE-WATCH® ARE LIVING THE HIGHLIFE WITH SALES THAT HAVE BEATEN ALL RECORDS AND

FANS THAT INCLUDE THE FAMOUS BLACK EYED PEAS. BUT ALL THE ATTENTION HASN’T GONE TO THEIR HEADS

AS THEY TAKE TIME OUT TO THINK ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND CHILDREN IN NEED.

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THE SIMPLICITY OF INNOVATION.

Available exclusively at Panerai boutiques and select authorized watch specialists.

www.panerai.com

LUMINOR MARINA 1950 3 DAYS AUTOMATICAutomatic mechanical movement P.9000 calibre, two spring barrels, 3-day power reserve. Water-resistance 300 metres. Steel case 44 mm Ø. Steel buckle.

050113-PAM 359-EuropaStarUSA ENG.indd 1 2-11-2010 17:45:30

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