Why is an entire section – or what amounts to one – devoted to bracelets necessary? The answer to that has its roots in the sort of climate we find ourselves in. The tropics can be brutal to leather straps of all types, and can even do rubber straps in. The bracelet, on the other hand, can be bathed in perspiration for decades and keep on trucking. Overall, bracelets are the way to go for daily beaters, even if you do not work outdoors – just getting from meeting to meeting can be a sweaty business.
The other reason for a long read on bracelets is that there are very few good sources of information on bracelets used in the watch trade. As far as the Swiss go, this is because the bracelet is excluded from the “Swiss Made” criteria, and will likely remain excluded. Trade magazines such as EuropaStar and WatchAround have explicitly made this point, noting that the network of external suppliers could not be deprived of the opportunity to work on bracelets, since they had to give up other aspects once the Swiss Made regulations were tightened a few years ago.
Practically speaking, this means that brands rarely talk up their bracelets, even when they introduce new designs. The previously referenced Hailwood-authored piece illustrates this as it mostly features original research and commentary, much like this story. The most notable exception as far as brand communication goes is Rolex, which maintains a full section in its press pack devoted to bracelets and clasps, as well as its manufacturing capabilities in producing its own bracelets. It is a reminder that Rolex actually bought up its own supplier in its efforts to vertically integrate its production (which you can read about elsewhere in this story because this supplier is an important part of the history of wristwatches.
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Denne historien er fra Spring 2020-utgaven av World of Watches.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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EASY COMPANY
Hamilton launches the new Khaki Field Quartz collection that takes its inspiration from the G.S.watches of the 1960s.
SPIRITED AWAY
The year of the dragon is not yet over and Franck Muller's new watch will remind you once again why this year is a great Chinese zodiac year for watches.
LUNAR TIES
Blancpain resumes its deep-seated romance with the moon through the Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de Lune in black ceramic.
USEFUL BREAKTHROUGH
With the Elux LAB-ID PAM01800, Panerai has delivered the smartest and brightest dive watch ever made.
SHIELD KING
Seiko reveals a new take on a King Seiko classic, the KS1969, thus bringing back an intriguing shape to the collection.
FRENCH EXPRESS
Louis Vuitton extends their new philosophy of watchmaking unveiling the dressier Escale collection.
PUSHING BOUNDARIES
Patek Philippe brings their patented system to synchronise the date display on a world time watch to their regular collection.
APROPOS COMPLICATIONS
A watch with complications appeals to different sorts of collectors, and is quite different to a complex watch. The editors of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand discuss the virtues of all sorts of complications and considering when more is really better…
KEEPING IT REAL
Technology proves to be a solid tool for luxury watch brands in their fight against mounting cases of fake timepieces and watch thefts.
GLOWUP
A brightly lumed dial in pitch-black darkness is equal parts joy and fascination, have you ever wondered where your Super-LumiNova comes from?