DOCSLIB.ORG

How to Buy a Vintage Timepiece

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
How to Buy a Vintage Timepiece How to Buy a Vintage Timepiece Like other luxury collectibles, the market for vintage watch collecting is burgeoning, thanks to a longing for superior craftsmanship and a nostalgia for all things vintage. And as with other asset classes, such as vintage cars or fine jewelry, a luxury pre-owned watch carries with it a certain prestige and glamour, as well as its own unique provenance. Here, Christie’s International Head of Watches, John Reardon, expands on the five rules to heed when buying a vintage watch. 1. DEFINE WHAT YOU ARE COLLECTING AND WHY Know your own mind. Are you interested in passing something special on to the next generation, or a black and white investment, or simply to buy a watch you can wear? What is your interest in a particular watch? Is it the workmanship and “complications” — from day/date indicators to chronographs to phases of the moon and perpetual calendars — or its provenance, such as a watch belonging to an important aviation pioneer, sports or historical figure? 2) DEFINE HOW YOU WANT TO BUY Many fine collections have begun in conversations with reputable jewelers and watch specialists at traditional auction houses. However, when it comes to buying outside these established channels, the luxury vintage watch marketplace can be a minefield for the novice collector when it comes to authenticating a watch’s condition and provenance. Related: Find Accessories for Your Next Adventure At Christie’s, collectors can access the world’s finest vintage and modern timepieces through its eight live auctions a year in Geneva, Hong Kong, New York, and Dubai. Christie’s online sales are perfect for new collectors, with an extensive variety of watches available at much lower prices. For those clients seeking a bespoke service, private sales provide an ideal way to buy the perfect watch quickly and discreetly. Private sale prices range from $100,000 upwards of several million dollars. 3) BUY THE SELLER NOT THE WATCH When it comes to collecting vintage timepieces, the seller is as important as the watch. There are many places to buy a watch, but there are few places where you can buy with complete trust. As with an artwork or other luxury collectible, vintage watch buyers should be concerned with authenticity. They need guidance that is both knowledgeable and trusted. Christie’s specialists have expertise and knowledge, not only of the watches but of the marketplace and our client base gives us access to the finest timepieces in the world. Buyers can also be assured that we know a watch’s value. If you’re not buying through an auction house, established jeweler, or pre-owned retailer, it’s imperative to check the reputation of the seller. Related: Explore the Ultimate in Bespoke Luggage 4) CONDITION, CONDITION, CONDITION In real estate it’s all about “location, location, location,” with watches, vintage watches in particular, it’s all about “condition, condition, condition.” More than anything else, condition defines the value of a watch, for both its collectability and its long-term investment. In today’s marketplace there is a distinct division between condition, provenance, and maker. For how well an antique or vintage timepiece is preserved means everything. 5) THE IMPORTANCE OF ENJOYING YOUR COLLECTING EXPERIENCE Whether you’re buying a watch as an accessory or as an investment, you should enjoy the experience that vintage watch collecting provides. You should also buy what you like. It’s important for new collectors to focus their interest and learn as much as they can about the specific category they’re interested in. Besides the watches themselves, one of the best things about vintage collecting is the great relationships that can be forged with specialists and fellow collectors, who also serve as a great resource to guide new collectors through what is often a “minefield” of collecting. Whether you’re a first-time buyer, an established collector, or a specialist, it’s a pleasure to be part of this unique community. GUIDANCE FOR THE NEW COLLECTOR Many collectors start with such brands as Omega or Longines: superlative examples can be found for under $5,000. From here, they can graduate to Rolex — the world’s finest sports watches, Rolex make pieces that you can wear on a daily basis without fear of damaging them. And then there is Patek Philippe. Related: Learn More About Trophy Homes, the Pinnacle of Real Estate Ownership Since 1839, the Geneva-based firm has been creating the world’s finest watches with a who’s who of past owners including Queen Victoria and Napoleon Bonaparte. They make a watch for every occasion and their versatility, as well as their prestige, is the reason collectors are so attracted to the brand. You can own the world’s finest watches at a reasonable price: Patek Philippe timepieces start at a few thousand for a pocket watch all the way up into the millions, such as the one-of-a-kind Reference 1527 wristwatch (pictured below). For new collectors seeking a Patek Philippe wristwatch, the Reference 96 model (manufactured from 1932-1973) is the perfect entry-level watch, starting at $5,000-6,000 for a yellow-gold example. Some affluent new collectors choose not to wait, and instead, jump straight into the deep end with a high-end vintage Patek Philippe. However, most will opt for a modern timepiece. Reardon says, “In the $100,000-plus price range, it’s much easier to buy a modern Patek Philippe wristwatch, such as a Reference 5970 (pictured below), knowing you will see comparables for the exact same watch at auctions and luxury retailers around the world. However, for vintage watches at these price points, it’s a different matter.” Related: How to Invest in a Classic Car According to Reardon, this is where scholarship of your subject comes into play. “Buyers should know how to navigate the waters at the high end of the vintage market; it can be a minefield if there is an issue if a particular watch’s condition is unexpected or undesired. Pre-owned watches should therefore be purchased from someone you completely trust.” John Reardon is International Head of Watches at Christie’s. A recognized watch expert with over 16 years in the industry, Mr. Reardon is a curator to several important private and corporate collections and is well known for his academic and methodical approach to collection building. He is a regular contributor to leading watch blog Hodinkee and ForbesLife magazine as well as a contributing writer for the ‘Life and Times’ feature article in the Patek Philippe magazine. His first book Patek Philippe in America: Marketing The World’s Foremost Watch was published in 2008 followed by the Patek Philippe Reference Guide: Men’s Wristwatches (2010) and the Reference Guide: Ladies’ Watches (2012)..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Press Release
    PRESS RELEASE Biel / Bienne, 28 January 2021 SWATCH GROUP: Key Figures 2020 – Group net sales for the full year of CHF 5 595 million, -28.7% compared with the previous year at constant exchange rates, or -32.1% at current rates. The currency-related sales loss amounted to CHF 286 million. – Operating result of CHF 52 million (previous year: CHF 1 023 million), or CHF 99 million, excluding the discontinued business unit Calvin Klein. – Net loss of CHF -53 million, versus net income of CHF 748 million in the previous year. – Operating cash flow of CHF 819 million and net liquidity of CHF 1 700 million, 24.3% or CHF 332 million higher than the previous year. – Net sales in the second half of the year -14.3% compared with the previous year (at constant exchange rates), but 54.7% above the first half. Strong December despite renewed lock- downs in important markets such as Germany and Great Britain. – Operating profit in the second half of the year of CHF 379 million and operating margin of 11.2% for the entire Group. The Watches & Jewelry segment (excluding Production) increased its operating margin in the second half year to 17.8% against 14.8% the previous year. – Thanks to the strong operating cash flow of the second half, the Board of Directors proposes a dividend of CHF 3.50 per bearer share and CHF 0.70 per registered share (previous year: CHF 5.50 per bearer share; CHF 1.10 per registered share). – For 2021, the Group sees a good chance that sales in local currencies will approach those of 2019, with significantly improved margins.
    [Show full text]
  • The Deloitte Swiss Watch Industry Study 2020 an Accelerated Transformation the Deloitte Swiss Watch Industry Study 2020 | an Accelerated Transformation
    The Deloitte Swiss Watch Industry Study 2020 An accelerated transformation The Deloitte Swiss Watch Industry Study 2020 | An accelerated transformation About the study This report is the seventh edition of the Deloitte study on the Swiss watch industry. It is based on an online survey and interviews conducted between mid-August and mid-September 2020 with 55 senior executives in the watch industry. The study is also based on an online survey of 5,800 consumers in China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. The year 2020 marks 175 years of Deloitte making an impact that matters. Today Deloitte is a thriving global organisation, which has grown to more than 300,000 people proudly carrying forth a legacy of connection and collaboration. We’re not trusted because we’ve existed for 175 years. We’ve existed for 175 years because we’re trustworthy. That’s our legacy. That’s our future. 02 The Deloitte Swiss Watch Industry Study 2020 | An accelerated transformation Contents 1. Key findings 04 2. Industry overview 05 2.1 COVID-19: Unexpected and unprecedented 05 2.2 Quartz watches: Continuing drop in exports and sales 07 2.3 China: Key for recovery and growth 09 3. Looking ahead 11 3.1 Beyond the pandemic 11 3.2 The Far East and high-end are vital for growth 12 4. Challenges remain 13 4.1 External risks: Protests and politics 13 4.2 Smartwatches: Industry missed the boat 14 5. Business strategies 18 5.1 Digitalising for a ’consumer first’ world 18 5.2 The pre-owned market heats up 23 5.3 Sustainability: The future is green 25 6.
    [Show full text]
  • The Case of Switzerland and the World Watch Industry *
    469 Technological discontinuities and flexible production networks: The case of Switzerland and the world watch industry * Amy Glasmeier tain and augment their competitiveness in a global Unrr~rs~t~of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA economy. On the eve of the electronics revolution, the Swiss watch production system, centered in the mountainous Jura region, was flexible, cost The twentieth-century history of the Swiss watch industry effective, and extremely profitable. Both horizon- illustrates how cultures and industrial production systems ex- tally and vertically disintegrated, the Swiss system perience great difficulty adapting to external change at differ- offered enormous variety while maintaining qual- ent points in time. The current emphasis on production net- ity and timeliness of delivery. “The multiplicity of works - unique reservoirs of potential technological innovation realized through cooperation rather than competition among enterprises, and the competition and emulation firms - lacks a detailed appreciation of historic networks, and that characterized the industry, yielded a product in particular their fragile character in times of economic of superior quality known the world over for high turmoil. While networks can and do promote innovation within fashion, design, and precision” [21, p. 481. an existing technological framework, historical experience sug- Beginning in the 1970s when foreign competi- gests their fragmented, atomistic structure is subject to dis- organization and disintegration during periods of technological tion hurdled technological frontiers in watch change. An exclusive focus on “production” ignores other movements, advancing from mechanical to elec- constraints that are powerful forces governing the reaction tric, electronic, digital and finally quartz technol- abilities of regions. Previous research has largely relied on a ogy, the Jura’s undisputed dominance ended.
    [Show full text]
  • China Overtakes, Omega Closes in on Rolex and Other Key Findings
    ! !"""" "" 138 WORLDWATCHWEB europa star.com WorldWatchReport 2012: China overtakes, Omega closes in on Rolex and other key findings "Tamar Koifman & Faaria Baig, Digital Luxury Group Background Brazil, often described as a fast-emerging luxury market, remained Since 2004, the WorldWatchReport™, published by the Digital stagnant this past year, neither gaining nor losing market share in Luxury Group in partnership with Europa Star, has provided the comparison to other luxury watch markets. industry with an exclusive analysis of the interests and prefer- ences of luxury watch consumers around the world. Based on a Demand strong in China methodology utilising Digital Luxury Group’s proprietary technol- Coming of no surprise to those working for luxury watch brands ogy, the report identifies and analyses over 1 billion watch-related is the continued strength of China in driving overall watch searches and translates them into client intentions related to demand. Composed of three major regions and 56 ethnic groups, brands, models, distribution, replicas, price, and accessories. China’s diversity requires an in-depth understanding of local cul- ture and clientele preferences, and this is no different when The study tracks 40 of the most renowned luxury watch brands in analysing the interest for luxury watches. the top 20 markets across the globe: Coastal China, represented by major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, A.Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Blancpain, Hangzhou, and Dalian, represented 57 per cent of the nation’s Breguet, Breitling, Bulgari, Cartier, Chanel, Chopard, Dior Watches, demand for luxury timepieces, highlighting that the luxury mar- Ebel, Roger Dubuis, Jaquet Droz, Harry Winston, Hermès, Richard kets in central China are still to be developed, a potential oppor- Mille, Franck Muller, Frédérique Constant, Girard Perregaux, Hublot, tunity for brands.
    [Show full text]
  • CATALOGUE MONTRES VINTAGE.Indd 1 13/04/2011 19:20:10 1 LIP (T 18 - Standard), Vers 1935 Rare Version De Forme Tonneau Curvex À Anses À Fil Et Fond Clippé
    Couverture.indd 1 DIGARD MONTRES VINTAGE 30 AVRIL 2011 30 avril2011 18/04/2011 17:01:52 Couverture.indd 2 18/04/2011 17:01:57 VENTE AUX ENCHERES Hôtel DROUOT - Salle 9 Samedi 30 avril 2011 à 14h EXPOSITIONS Hôtel DROUOT - Salle 9 9, rue Drouot - 75009 Paris Vendredi 29 avril 2011 de 11h à 18h Samedi 30 avril 2011 de 11h à 12h Téléphone pendant les expositions et la vente : + 33 (0)1 48 00 20 09 Laissez vos ordres d’achat sur www.digard.com Enchérir en direct sur www.drouotlive.com COMMISSAIRE-PRISEUR HABILITÉ Vincent PESTEL-DEBORD Tél. : + 33 (0)6 70 21 07 89 EXPERT C.E.A. Jean-Christophe GUYON 12 rue Gabriel Fauré 33600 PESSAC Tél. : + 33 (0)6 60 74 02 45 [email protected] COMMISSAIRE-PRISEUR JUDICIAIRE MAISON DE VENTES VOLONTAIRES 17, RUE DROUOT - 75009 PARIS T. (33) 01 48 24 43 43 F. (33) 01 48 24 43 19 E-mail : [email protected] www.digard.com Société de ventes volontaires Agrément N°2002-378 CATALOGUE MONTRES VINTAGE.indd 1 13/04/2011 19:20:10 1 LIP (T 18 - STANDARD), VERS 1935 Rare version de forme tonneau curvex à anses à fil et fond clippé. Cadran chemin de fer stylisé et petite trotteuse à 6h. Chiffres arabes peints en vert et aiguilles en acier luminescentes. Bracelet de cuir d’origine. Mouvement : Calibre mécanique remontage manuel LIP T18 de forme / avec cache poussière. Dim. 36 x 21 (avec anse) mm. État : Très bon état (Écrin Lip d’époque). 350 / 450 € 2 LONGINES (RECTANGLE ART DÉCO / FACETTE), VERS 1940 Montre unisexe rectangulaire plaquée or (signée Longines New York et numérotée).
    [Show full text]
  • Sales Results
    21st November 2015 Auction Results Lot Number Lot Description Hammer £ GBP 1 A JAEGER LECOULTRE TRAVEL ALARM CLOCK 480 CIRCA 1960s WITH ORIGINAL BOX, POUCH, OPEN PAPERS & USER MANUAL D: Silver dial with silver batons & quarterly Arabic numerals, inner rotating dial with arrow head pointer to set alarm. M: Manual wind movement signed Jaeger-LeCoultre & numbered. C: Circular nickel plated case with hinged stand, black lacquered surround, numbered, case width measures approx. 37mm & height 36mm excluding the loop. 3 A LADIES 18K SOLID GOLD OPEN FACE ART NOUVEAU ENAMEL POCKET WATCH 480 CIRCA 1901 D: White enamel dial with blue Breguet numerals & out gilt minute markers, subsidiary seconds. M: A Swiss keyless wind movement. C: Circular hinged case, with art Nouveau portrait of a lady & embossed with flowers, hallmark & numbered, inner couvett signed Stacey Farnest Hill, Atlanta Georgia 1901.case diameter measures approx. 26mm excluding the neck & bow. 4 A RARE 18K SOLID GOLD CARTIER HALF HUNTER POCKET WATCH 1500 CIRCA 1930 IN ORIGINAL CARTIER BOX D: Silver dial with Roman numerals, outer minute track. M: 18 jewel keyless wind unsigned movement. C: Slime circular hinged case, marked J.C, hallmark & numbered, enamelled Roman numerals hour markers on front cover, case diameter measures approx. 47mm. 5 A RARE GENTLEMAN'S 18K SOLID GOLD FULL HUNTER REPEATING TRIPLE CALENDAR MOONPHASE POCKET WATCH 1000 CIRCA 1900 D: White enamel dial with Roman numerals, subsidiary seconds. M: Swiss keyless wind repeating movement which drives the moonphase & calendars on the inner couvette. C: Circular hinged case, hallmarked & numbered, case diameter approx. 52mm excluding the neck & bow.
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of the Quartz Crisis in Switzerland Tate Twinam Department of Economics College of William
    Trade Shocks and Growth: The Impact of the Quartz Crisis in Switzerland Tate Twinam Department of Economics College of William & Mary Abstract. Agglomeration economies and clustering effects are a key driver of urban growth. They can also be a source of vulnerability when cities and regions specialize in export- intensive industries. Foreign competition and technological change can threaten the survival of exporters, and shocks to these industries can have long-run effects on the communities which rely on them. In this paper, I study the impact of a rapid and large-scale trade shock: The quartz crisis, which devastated the globally dominant Swiss watch industry in the 1970s. I document the geographic agglomeration pattern of the industry and the impact of the crisis on exports, employment, and wages. Using a differences-in-differences strategy, I show that this trade shock led to a large and rapid loss of population in affected areas, and a long-run change in growth patterns. I explore the mechanisms behind this population change, including the role of manufacturing employment and immigration. I discuss the implications of these results for theories of urban growth, and contrast them with recent work on the China shock in Europe and the United States. 1. Introduction Agglomeration economies are widely recognized as a key driver of urban and regional growth. They can also be a source of resilience. Path dependence in the location of eco- nomic activity has allowed many regions to survive and grow despite the irrelevance of their initial natural advantages or immense physical devastation stemming from wars or natural disasters.
    [Show full text]
  • Swiss Watch Industry Study 2020 | an Accelerated Transformation
    The Deloitte Swiss Watch Industry Study 2020 | An accelerated transformation About the study This report is the seventh edition of the Deloitte study on the Swiss watch industry. It is based on an online survey and interviews conducted between mid-August and mid-September 2020 with 55 senior executives in the watch industry. The study is also based on an online survey of 5,800 consumers in China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. The year 2020 marks 175 years of Deloitte making an impact that matters. Today Deloitte is a thriving global organisation, which has grown to more than 300,000 people proudly carrying forth a legacy of connection and collaboration. We’re not trusted because we’ve existed for 175 years. We’ve existed for 175 years because we’re trustworthy. That’s our legacy. That’s our future. 02 The Deloitte Swiss Watch Industry Study 2020 | An accelerated transformation Contents .+ BUi p^TY^Wc -1 2. Industry overview 05 2.1 COVID-19: Unexpected and unprecedented 05 2.2 Quartz watches: Continuing drop in exports and sales 07 2.3 China: Key for recovery and growth 09 3. Looking ahead 11 3.1 Beyond the pandemic 11 3.2 The Far East and high-end are vital for growth 12 1+ ;XQ\\U^WUc bU]QY^ .0 1+. =hdUb^Q\ bYc[c7 Gb_dUcdc Q^T `_\YdYSc .0 1+/ J]QbdgQdSXUc7 u^Tecdbi ]YccUT dXU R_Qd .1 5. Business strategies 18 2+. <YWYdQ\YcY^W V_b Q mS_^ce]Ub pbcdm g_b\T .5 5.2 The pre-owned market heats up 23 5.3 Sustainability: The future is green 25 6.
    [Show full text]
  • Risks and Opportunities for the Swiss Watch Industry
    Copie Juré Copie Conseiller Copie Infothèque Risks and opportunities for the Swiss watch industry Travail de Bachelor réalisé en vue de l’obtention du Bachelor HES par : Alexander Kenel Conseiller au travail de Bachelor : Cyril Pasche Genève, 17.08.2018 Haute École de Gestion de Genève (HEG-GE) Filière économie d’entreprise Déclaration Ce travail de Bachelor est réalisé dans le cadre de l’examen final de la Haute école de gestion de Genève, en vue de l’obtention du titre de Bachelor of Science en économie d’entreprise < … >. L’étudiant a envoyé ce document par email à l'adresse d'analyse remise par son conseiller au travail de Bachelor pour analyse par le logiciel de détection de plagiat URKUND. http://www.urkund.com/fr/student/392-urkund-faq L’étudiant accepte, le cas échéant, la clause de confidentialité. L'utilisation des conclusions et recommandations formulées dans le travail de Bachelor, sans préjuger de leur valeur, n'engage ni la responsabilité de l'auteur, ni celle du conseiller au travail de Bachelor, du juré et de la HEG. « J’atteste avoir réalisé seul< e > le présent travail, sans avoir utilisé des sources autres que celles citées dans la bibliographie. » Fait à Genève, le 13.08.2018 Alexander Kenel Risks and opportunities for the Swiss watch industry KENEL, Alexander 1 Summary In the first part of my bachelor thesis I am presenting the watch industry in Switzerland. My goal is to impart the most essential information to convey a good overview about this highly interesting domain. I am explaining the current state of the sector, but also important historical events like the quartz crisis from the 1970ies.
    [Show full text]
  • The Chronograph Collection
    80: Collecting Brands, vintages, case shapes, complications – watch collectors are driven by a number of things, but almost without exception, they involve the watches in their entirety. Chronograph collectors, perhaps uniquely, are inspired by one other value, in addition to obvious susceptibility to the above: they’re obsessed by movements. Ken Kessler Below. A pre-moon Speedmaster Professional model powered by the Lemania caliber 321, which was replaced in 1968 by the slightly cheaper calibre 861 (also Lemania). Visually, the 1968 change consisted of a new bracelet and a printed Omega logo on the dial instead of a metal applied Omega logo. “Hold on a sec,” you might be thinking. “All desirability of the models. My awareness of because the movement would invariably prove watch collecting involves the movements.” this was born early in my collecting days. secondary to the name on the dial, however And that’s true up to a point, but it’s rarely I noticed huge price disparities between covetable the movement might be. Confused? the prime motivation for wanting a specific seemingly identical models, especially for So was I, when wiser, more experienced watch. If, for example, you love diving chronographs such as Universal Geneve’s collectors waxed lyrical about the movements watches, you might desire a Blancpain Fifty assorted Compaxes, Longines chronographs in even seemingly mundane watches. Fathoms, a Rolex Submariner, maybe a Doxa, from the 1950s, French Military Type XXs and so on. But which movement resides – Breguet vs Dodane, for example – and a Inside out inside is rarely the impetus for your lust: it’s number of Heuers.
    [Show full text]
  • Brand Globalization and the Comeback of the Swiss Watch
    Brand Globalization and the Comeback of the Swiss Watch Industry on the World Market, 1980-2010 Pierre-Yves Donzé, Kyoto University WORK IN PROGRESS, DON’T QUOTE WITHOUT PERMISSION Introduction Brand management is a key component of modern enterprises. 1 For firms, the main function of brands is to “differentiate them from competition”. 2 According to Teresa da Silva Lopes and Paul Duguid, brands have a positive effect for both consumers and producers. They enable the former to identify the product and reduce uncertainty, whereas for the latter, “they gave the capacity to shape consumers’ interest and tastes”. 3 Alfred Chandler argues that companies began to adopt brand management in the late 19th century when their markets expanded geographically.4 The transformation of the distribution system, with the emergence of chain stores and supermarkets, and the enlargement of consumption led to a need to identify products, especially in the consumer goods industry (processed food, beverages, tobacco, etc.). Yet despite the fact that packaged consumer goods manufacturers (Heinz, Kellogg, Nestlé, etc.) spread worldwide and built up a global organization during the years 1 Teresa da Silva Lopes, Global Brands: The Evolution of Multinationals in Alcoholic Beverages , New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. 2 Teresa da Silva Lopes and Paul Duguid, “Introduction: Brands and Competitiveness”, in Teresa da Silva Lopes and Paul Duguid (eds.), Trademarks, Brands, and Competitiveness , New York & London: Routledge, 2010, p. 1. 3 Ibidem. 4 Alfred Chandler, Scale and Scope: The Dynamics of Industrial Capitalism , Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1994, pp. 63-65, 168-170 1880-1914, this did not lead to the appearance of global brands.
    [Show full text]
  • The Comeback of the Swiss Watch Industry on the World Market: a Business History of the Swatch Group (1983-2010)
    Munich Personal RePEc Archive The comeback of the Swiss watch industry on the world market: a business history of the Swatch Group (1983-2010) Donzé, Pierre-Yves Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics April 2011 Online at https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/30736/ MPRA Paper No. 30736, posted 06 May 2011 02:26 UTC Discussion Papers In Economics And Business The Comeback of the Swiss Watch Industry on the World Market: A Business History of the Swatch Group (1983-2010) Pierre-Yves DONZÉ Discussion Paper 11-14 Graduate School of Economics and Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP) Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, JAPAN The Comeback of the Swiss Watch Industry on the World Market: A Business History of the Swatch Group (1983-2010) Pierre-Yves DONZÉ Discussion Paper 11-14 April 2011 Graduate School of Economics and Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP) Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, JAPAN The Comeback of the Swiss Watch Industry on the World Market: A Business History of the Swatch Group (1983-2010)* † Pierre-Yves DONZÉ Abstract The objective of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the comeback of the Swiss watch industry on the world market since the end of the 1980s. It focuses on the Swatch Group (SG), currently the world’s biggest watch company. In 1983, the merger of the largest watch group (SSIH) and of the trust controlling the production of parts and movements of watches (ASUAG) into SG was the main measure taken to overcome the Japanese competition. Managed since 1986 by Nicolas G.
    [Show full text]