The watchmaking industry as we know it today is fascinating for several reasons but recently, I found myself wondering specifically about the names of brands the dial. Some of the most recognisable names in watchmaking today bear the surname of the founders. Breguet, Cartier, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin and so many others.
If you really think about it, however, the companies that bear these names have been around for so long, with histories counted in centuries, that they no longer have any direct connection with the founders or the founding families. Hamilton, with all its American heritage, is now owned by The Swatch Group, it is headquartered and manufactured in Switzerland. A. Lange & Söhne, the company that practically founded Glashütte as the epicentre of watchmaking in Germany is still headquartered there but is now owned by the, also Swiss, Richemont group.
Then there are the brands that bear the name of watchmakers, some of whom are still alive, and yet are owned and run independently from their founders. Speake-Marin is a good example of this, Franck Muller is yet another. Both Daniel Roth's and Gerald Genta's original brands were acquired by The Hour Glass and subsequently sold to Bulgari and have only recently been revived by LVMH (a French luxury group).
Bu hikaye World of Watches dergisinin Spring 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye World of Watches dergisinin Spring 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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?