The changing face of watch retailing

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The changing face of watch retailing  - Editorial
1 minute read
The clock that works by changes in air temperature, the GPHG in numbers and the new paradigms of watch retailing.

A few well-known watch brands also produce table clocks, each with their own unique selling points. In the case of Patek Philippe it is the use of fine handcrafts on its Dome table clocks and for Cartier it is the mysterious design that hides the inner workings. For Jaeger-LeCoultre the distinctive characteristic is that its Atmos clocks capture the power they need to function from minute changes in temperature and therefore need no winding. In a new version launched this year, however, an element of design is added to this fascinating clock thanks to a collaboration with renowned designer Marc Newson. Find out all about it in Roberta Naas’s article tomorrow.

Although watchmaking is hardly likely to rival sports such as football or baseball for its fans’ love of statistics, I think that a statistical overview of the candidate watches at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie each year is always worthwhile. The numbers do not reveal much about the state of the industry as a whole, but they can be used to discern trends and explain some of the politics in the industry. Find out how tomorrow.

Michèle Brunner was lucky enough to have an up-close and personal experience with the Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Relief Seasons Summer. Such a miniature work of art needs at least a few days on the wrist before you can truly appreciate it, as Michèle explains in her article on Thursday.

E-commerce has been the talk of the industry, as brands big and small take to the Internet to ply their wares. For smaller, younger brands with less of a legacy in traditional bricks and mortar retail, the benefits seem to outweigh any disadvantages, and this regardless of price. This week we show two concrete examples as Armin Strom’s co-owner Serge Michel speaks candidly about the brand’s new configurator, which is inspired by those found in the car industry, and the CEO of Anonimo, Julien Haenny, explains why he is betting on direct e-commerce.

Our daily summer competitions continue until 21st September and this week the great prizes on offer include the chance to visit the Zenith factory and a horologically themed set of Trivial Pursuit questions kindly offered by TAG Heuer.

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