TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Neo was one of our Greatest at gathering information... And at its Forum Presentation... In late 2004, with the help of our very own Offshore, he started a Thread at RWG1 called: "In Search of ......." This Thread is 52 Pages long and has a wealth of information... It was a post of Offshore's today that reminded me of this early learning material that I found so valuable... I will be updating this Thread with Neo's Post on a regular basis... So, set back, read, enjoy, and learn... TwoTone Edit to add on 02/02/07 @ 6:30PM: This is an archive from our sister site... It is being brought here in it's original format and posting... It is for the reader to explore... One can casually browse the pages to mine its worth, or when one uses the "Search" function they may be surprised... If the Thread "layout" bothers you then simply don't read it... Edit to add on 02/03/07 @ 11:06AM: By combining multiple Post into singe ones I was able to move the archives in 8 [very long] pages here... There is a swarm of "New Model" post that I didn't move... I'm going to create a seperate thread for those and move them all there... __________________________________________________________________________ Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 03:19 AM This thread will be totally dedicated to gaining knowledge regarding the world of watches and in particular replica's. It is my view that life's experiences are all related to the quest of knowledge and the urge to experience that knowledge in whatever field that has attracted our focus. Watches are just one them and therefore this thread might be of some help to those apprentices and even the advanced afficionados amongst us to broaden their scope of awareness in this area and hopefully will enhance our judgement and spirit of play. Questions like "Is it legal to purchase and possess a replica?", "Are real Rolexes made in Switzerland or are they actually made and assembled in China and Hong Kong?" and "Do Italian or German replica's really exist?", are just a few of them and not only fascinating to ask but even more fascinating to know. These postings will try to answer these and many more and all board members (especially our 'notorious' dealers) are invited to contribute their knowledge in our lusty journey to look for 'reppie' answers. I will try to update the Watch Lingo (glossary) on a regularly basis and post some additional FAQ's and articles related to the world of watches and replica's which were found on the WWW. I would like to thank Alan (offshore) for taking the time to compile a tremendous amount of related info from the Net, so make sure to give credits to him. Kudos Alan for a job well done! So stay tuned and may your path be filled with sufficient wisdom to enrich your life and have fun living it (with of course wearing your favourite rep around your wrist). Your devoted reprophile, Neo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 04:02 AM Rolex Replicas It is perfectly legal to posses Rolex fakes, although, many manufacturers that produce imitations are in violation of many copyright and trademark laws. Of course, consumers should always be cautious of scams involving the customer purchasing a fake Rolex watch that is reputed to be real. One way to prevent this from happening is to go directly to Rolex and inquire on reputable dealers in your area. Remember, be immediately suspicious of purchasing a 'real' Rolex over the web because it is probably a fake watch. Rolex refuses to sell any of there products over the internet. Interestingly enough, some fake watches are better than others resulting in a trend of fake Rolex fakes. More likely, Rolex buyers that are in the market for fake Rolexes (believe me, there is a big market for this) are more often scammed into buying lesser quality fake watches from "genuine" fakes than purchasing fake Rolexes. What kinds of Rolex fakes are there? If you are interested in purchasing a fake Rolex, be sure you are informed on the three different categories of Rolex fakes that are available. These three categories vary greatly in quality. The hierarchy for quality, from highest to lowest, for fake Rolex watches is as follows: Swiss Rolex Replicas: Swiss Rolex Replicas are considered la crème de la crème of the Rolex replication world and cost the manufacturer $300 to produce. These are known for their durability and smoothness in watch second arm movement (although it is still quite loud) and their quality of construction. These fake watches are so similar to the real Rolex, even professional jewelers often have trouble distinguishing the difference between replicas and the genuine article. Swiss Rolex replicas are not necessarily produced in Switzerland, rather, this designation refers to the type of movement inside the watch and from where the parts that make up the watch were manufactured. Japanese Rolex Replicas: The second tier in fake watch quality are the Japanese Rolex replicas which cost no more than $40 for the manufacturer to produce. These watches are well known for being fairly priced for the quality. Despite the good reputation, Japanese replicas will not come close to fooling jewelers due to the tell tale signs of a fake including the Japanese movement and Japanese parts the watch is composed of. Chinese Rolex Replicas: Lastly, Chinese Rolex replicas are so named because they typically contain a Chinese style watch movement mechanism. These watches cost no more than $7 to manufacture. Although these replicas are perfectly fine watches as far as watches are concerned, they are poor fake Rolexes. All watch replicas are mainly coming from China, including “Swiss Made” and “made in Japan” watch replicas. The movement may come from either China, Japan or Switzerland, but all replica watch cases and bands are made in China of which some are made better than others. There is no such thing as an Italian or German replica watch. This is a shrewd attempt by a dealer to inflate prices by a misrepresentation of their products as being European made. This is an effort to brake free from the general mental association of 'cheap China made' imports. What they are actually selling is Chinese or Japanese watches at inflated price or nothing at all. In either case it is a scam so be advised to avoid buying Italian or German replica watches. N.B. This posting may contain some outdated info. I welcome our board members to offer any corrections or to fill in any gaps. Cheers. Neo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 04:06 AM Before you purchase Some things to consider when evaluating which watch to purchase. Automatic Movement: One way people have often distinguished a fake from a real Rolex is the quality of the arm movements. Often times, you can tell a fake right off from the loud noise the second hand makes compared to the inaudible movement from a real Rolex. A Swiss Rolex is considerable more difficult to call on because the movement of the arms are extremely quiet versus the arm movement from a Japanese or Chinese made watch. Gold plating: Most websites that sell fake watches will spout off details on whether or not they use gold plating, how many carats, and how thick the gold plating is. This last point is particularly difficult to judge. Generally, fake Rolex dealers will not use 18K gold because it wears off faster than 14K gold. Consequently, manufacturers opt instead for 14K gold, despite the fact that it is visually dull compared to the 18K gold plating. The thickness of gold plating is usually never greater than 10 microns thick (10 microns= 0.0004 inches thick). Most people wear their watches everyday, but you may want to reconsider this habit if you are wearing a Rolex replica. Most warranties do not cover gold plating, and the reason? Because the manufactures don't expect the plating to last for a long period (3 - 6 months), so who cares about the movements or quality of construction when you know this important fact, uh? Threads: Between Japan-made replicas and other cheaper replicas, there is a big difference in the threads on the sides of the watch where the crown screws in. Cheaper replicas have irregular threads, which means you are potentially able to screw the crown in too much and damage the movement without using much force. Obviously, if you use too much force, you will damage the crown on any watch, however, the less quality fake watches are easier to damage. Stainless Steel: Rolex watches use high-grade 440 stainless steel which is extremely expensive. So expensive, in fact, that there is no fake watch under $700 that will use it. There are many differences between high and low grade steels. First, high-grade steel is more scratch resistant. Second, high-grade stainless steel is significantly stiffer and can withstand intense pressure, even deep see diving! Dial Markings: There are several differences in dial markings between the Swiss and Japanese replicas. First, the face of Japanese replicas are usually marked using an ink-stamping process. This process results in an almost smudged appearance compared to the Swiss replicas sharp laser etched markings. Weight and Feel: You can immediately notice the difference between a Japanese Rolex fake and a real Rolex watch based on the weight and feel when holding them. There are several reasons why a Rolex is much heavier than the Japanese fake Rolex. Since the Rolex is solid gold, it is heavier than the gold plated watch. In addition, the high-grade stainless steel is denser and adds to the weight of the watch. Water Resistant: Lower quality replicas are not water resistant. N.B. This posting may contain some outdated info. I welcome our board members to offer any corrections or to fill in any gaps. Cheers. Neo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 04:22 AM This is a splendid article from a person that calls himself eloquently "The Watchman". I enjoyed reading it and I'm sure you will too (thanks Alan). Cheers. Neo Is a replica right for me? by the WatchMan If your considering buying a replica watch for the first time, you have many questions, and many emotions. Questions that are simple to answer like… Is it well made, does it keep time, what is the guarantee, am I getting ripped off. But the really big question that is in your mind right now is … “WILL I FEEL LIKE A FOOL WEARING A FAKE WATCH?” I know, I’ve been there, and believe it or not, these are things to consider. First of all, you most likely have never had anything actually on your wrist that ended in “ex” and that did not begin with “Tim”, but you would like to. You know you REALLY want to place that order for the two tone Submariner with the blue dial or the all gold Daytona, but what you are afraid of is, what are your friends going to think. The truth is, that is a valid question, and one you must answer. So let’s take a look at just who you are and how a replica watch is going to affect you. The first question you must ask yourself is “will I look out of place wearing this watch?” Although, the answer is always NO, just how comfortable you will be is dependent on how you relate to your surroundings. Often the first thing you must look at is where do you live? If you are in a city, literally any city, that is a good thing. If the population of your town is 60 and there is one jewelry shop you may be in worse shape. But determining this is easy, start looking at other people’s wrists and see how many are wearing expensive timepieces and just who are they. When I began doing it, I realized that it was not unusual that 3 out of 10 were wearing Rolex’s and they were from all walks of life. That meant that wearing a Submariner or a DateJust was not going to seem odd at all.. Next, ask yourself this… if I owned a real Rolex would I wear it to work? To play? All the time? If your answer is yes to all of these, then by all means, order away. If your answer to any of them is yes, then you will find that wearing a replica will be fine also. If you said NO to all of them, then you may want to think hard. Will people make fun of me if they find out? Answer … go back to our first step where you were watching wrists closely. Remember how many people were wearing expensive watches? How many were Replicas? That’s right, you have no idea… why, because no one can tell, and THAT IS THE TRUTH! In the years that I have been wearing Replica’s I have only ever had someone say to me “Is that a real Rolex” , on two occasions, and believe me after you’ve been through this once, you will actually wish it happened more because the answer to give is … NO, it is a replica and let them look at it closely. Their reaction will usually be … WOW, that’s amazing, where can I get one? Yes, I will tell you the first few days you put it on and go out you will feel like EVERYONE IS LOOKING AT YOUR WATCH! They are not, unless you either live in a town where NO ONE has ever worn a Rolex, you are considered just about homeless in which case they wonder who you robbed (this can be a problem), or you made the error of ordering a replica with enough diamonds to blind the person next to you and they are really staring at your watch trying to decide if THEY SHOULD ROB YOU! This self-conciseness goes away after a few days. That’s really true because today it is nearly impossible to buy a FAKE watch. You know like the guy who opens his coat and says , psssst…” wanna buy a Roley? It’s sorta like a Rolex.” Today dealers supply actual REPLICA’S identical in nearly every detail to the original. Big portions of the buyers are owners of the authentic item, because, hey, if you pay $10,000 for a watch do you really want to mess it up in everyday wear. No, today, you put it in the winder in the safe and wear and exact copy because … no one will ever know. For you just pretend you lost the combination and the location of the safe! Ok, so you probably could comfortably wear a replica, but what does it DO FOR ME? Well, many just want it as an item to attract the opposite sex, which it does. However, when you see a person wearing a lot of diamonds for example, you automatically think, “those are fake”. But when you see a person wearing a nice Rolex you automatically think .. “Nice Watch”. So if your purpose is to look like the big time on the town with some real bling, then you are in the right place. But what about professionally? Let me tell you, I have spent my life making professional presentations and from day one every mentor I have ever had stressed three things… One... buy the most expensive suit you can afford. It is much better to own one $600 dollar suit than six $100 suits if you are trying sell anything, and in business we are all trying to sell something. Two… shine your shoes. And three, wear NO jewelry except a wedding band (if you are married) , a college ring (especially if from post graduate level or a fraternity) and wear a GOOD watch! Does it work? I can tell you from experience that it works wonders! I would never go on a sales call today without a Rolex Replica (or I occasionally wear my Omega Seamaster Replica) on my wrist. WHY? That answer is simple. Clients think, if he makes enough commission to be wearing a Rolex he must make a lot of sales, which means he must have a good product. Don’t believe me? Go sit in your Doctors waiting room and wait for the Pharmaceutical Reps to show up. If you are in a male doctor’s office, the rep will be gorgeous, usually blond and dressed in a $600 dark wool business suit. If it is a female doctors office the Rep will be strikingly handsome, and generally wearing a subtle pinstriped Armani. Four our of five of either sex will be wearing a Rolex. Pharmaceutical companies have known the power for years, and do you of many companies that make more money? If you ARE a pharmaceutical rep and not wearing one, THEN ORDER NOW!!! The other benefit is confidence. Trust me, once you get past that sort of shy period, there is nothing to give you more confidence in presenting yourself than to be well dressed and sporting a sharp watch. 10 years ago I worked for $4.15/hr on the counter of retail store. I myself am short, fat and not exactly handsome… but I have a good tailor and a good Replica dealer. I buy “overstock” designer suits for $100 bucks and pay my tailor another 40-50 to make them fit me like custom and I generally wear a two-tone, blue face Japanese submariner Replica (though right now I am desiring a Swiss 50th anniversary sub). I am President of three of my own companies, I speak with confidence in public and do I attribute it to replica watches, no. I attribute it to confidence, and I attribute a lot of that to my replicas. How much? Here’s the facts. I am a collector, so I have quite a few. I’ve fallen in love with watches and know a lot about both the authentic and the replicas and I can only say this… I can afford the authentic if I desire, but I don’t. I think that the art of making a really good replica is much more difficult than making the original… try it. Ask you friend sign his name … he has no trouble at all. NOW MAKE AN EXACT REPLICA OF IT! That is a real problem. There was a time when “fake” watches were a scourge on society but today’s Replicas are works of art. The authentic manufacturers will claim they want to stop the flow of the product, but in reality Rolex sells a huge amount of authentic product to people that have first purchased a Replica and “worked their way up” to having to have the real thing. You must find good dealers who stand behind their product, but that is why you are here. In parting I will tell you that I am in no way associated with the site on which you are reading this post. I also have in no way been compensated to write this. I did it as a labor of love and gave it to some people in the Replica business who I feel have treated me fairly and honestly and I know they will use it well. I will tell you that if you are going to purchase a replica, follow three steps. If it is for only occasional “showing” off, purchase the least expensive watch offered. If it is to worn for normal usage and confidence, purchase the best grade you can afford, you do get what you pay for. Lastly, Purchase a style that fits your personality. Do not purchase gaudy diamonds or the like if you would not normally be seen that way. Enjoy your success…. The WatchMan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 04:44 AM U.S. Code as of: 01/22/02 Section 2320. Trafficking in counterfeit goods or services a. Whoever intentionally traffics or attempts to traffic in goods or services and knowingly uses a counterfeit mark on or in connection with such goods or services shall, if an individual, be fined not more than $2,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both, and, if a person other than an individual, be fined not more than $5,000,000. In the case of an offense by a person under this section that occurs after that person is convicted of another offense under this section, the person convicted, if an individual, shall be fined not more than $5,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both, and if other than an individual, shall be fined not more than $15,000,000. b. Upon a determination by a preponderance of the evidence that any articles in the possession of a defendant in a prosecution under this section bear counterfeit marks, the United States may obtain an order for the destruction of such articles. c. All defenses, affirmative defenses, and limitations on remedies that would be applicable in an action under the Lanham Act shall be applicable in a prosecution under this section. In a prosecution under this section, the defendant shall have the burden of proof, by a preponderance of the evidence, of any such affirmative defense. d. 1. During preparation of the presentence report pursuant to Rule 32© of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, victims of the offense shall be permitted to submit, and the probation officer shall receive, a victim impact statement that identifies the victim of the offense and the extent and scope of the injury and loss suffered by the victim, including the estimated economic impact of the offense on that victim. 2. Persons permitted to submit victim impact statements shall include - a. producers and sellers of legitimate goods or services affected by conduct involved in the offense; b. holders of intellectual property rights in such goods or services; and c. the legal representatives of such producers, sellers, and holders. e. For the purposes of this section - 1. the term ''counterfeit mark'' means - A. a spurious mark - (i) that is used in connection with trafficking in goods or services; (ii) that is identical with, or substantially indistinguishable from, a mark registered for those goods or services on the principal register in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in use, whether or not the defendant knew such mark was so registered; and (iii) the use of which is likely to cause confusion, to cause mistake, or to deceive; or B. a spurious designation that is identical with, or substantially indistinguishable from, a designation as to which the remedies of the Lanham Act are made available by reason of section 220706 (FOOTNOTE 1) of title 36; (FOOTNOTE 1) So in original. Probably should be section ''220506''. but such term does not include any mark or designation used in connection with goods or services of which the manufacturer or producer was, at the time of the manufacture or production in question authorized to use the mark or designation for the type of goods or services so manufactured or produced, by the holder of the right to use such mark or designation; 2. the term ''traffic'' means transport, transfer, or otherwise dispose of, to another, as consideration for anything of value, or make or obtain control of with intent so to transport, transfer, or dispose of; and 3. the term ''Lanham Act'' means the Act entitled ''An Act to provide for the registration and protection of trademarks used in commerce, to carry out the provisions of certain international conventions, and for other purposes'', approved July 5, 1946 (15 U.S.C. 1051 et seq.). f. Beginning with the first year after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Attorney General shall include in the report of the Attorney General to Congress on the business of the Department of Justice prepared pursuant to section 522 of title 28, an accounting, on a district by district basis, of the following with respect to all actions taken by the Department of Justice that involve trafficking in counterfeit labels for phonorecords, copies of computer programs or computer program documentation or packaging, copies of motion pictures or other audiovisual works (as defined in section 2318 of title 18), criminal infringement of copyrights (as defined in section 2319 of title 18), unauthorized fixation of and trafficking in sound recordings and music videos of live musical performances (as defined in section 2319A of title 18), or trafficking in goods or services bearing counterfeit marks (as defined in section 2320 of title 18): 1. The number of open investigations. 2. The number of cases referred by the United States Customs Service. 3. The number of cases referred by other agencies or sources. 4. The number and outcome, including settlements, sentences, recoveries, and penalties, of all prosecutions brought under sections 2318, 2319, 2319A, and 2320 of title 18. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: offshore Oct 30 2004, 04:56 AM Max, I'm sure, and sincerely hope, that this thread will raise many comments. You have taken some of the stuff I gleaned off the net to a new level. Great stuff! I must add here one point of qualification. A lot of the info was gleaned from sources which in thmselves question qualification. In this "clouded' world of reps- it is probably difficult to find the "truth" For instance- the question of Italian/ German reps. I have bought a couple of Aeromatic 1912 ( rep/original??) watches from ebay. My research shows that Aeromatic 1912 was a German company- recently taken over- but still marketing out of Germany. There is almost no doubt that movements used are Asian, but we may still be looking at German produced cases and assembly. So what does this make this watch? Rep?? not by my understanding of the term. It's still the "original" company. Quality- not bad for the low $$ paid. German- probably case and maybe assembly. Maybe this is an original Frankenwatch- I struggle to qualify this one. With all the other unknowns in rep manufacture- I have difficulty in trying to put things into nice qualified boxes. Swiss. Asian. Jap...... AAAAA.... It seems to me it is up to the buyer to qualify what he wants/expects.. do their research... and "run with the bulls" because it really is a crap shoot out there. Most of the suppliers are at least 2nd party, and sometimes 3rd or 4th. how can they be expected to know if it is "triple wrapped", "waterproof", or its REAL origin. Our glossary of watch terms with up dates is great- helps the newbs and us older guys get more up to date. The FAQ, ( as originally put together by Richard Brown, and subsequently prostituted by my good self) really will always be open to question- as it CAN'T answer what we don't know. All we can do is to continue to upgrade these queries to the best of our ability........... for that I commend your input...... after all it is a learning mechanism for us all. So come on all you WIS and newbs- throw in your two bobs worth, and let's keep this "Living document".... living. Thanks Max- wish i had the time to undertake this task!!!! Offshore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 05:51 AM Here is another article I found on the Net which adds interesting info about watches in general and the countries of origin where many of the luxury brand names are being assembled. Enjoy! Neo Watches of modern time -- 90% of all internal watch movements are made by the same company. by Betty Silverman When doing my research on watches (specifically wristwatches) one fact impressed me more than any other. As far as the internal parts go, approximately ninety percent of all watches are made by the same company. This company goes by the name of ETA (pronounced EE-TAH) and is based in Switzerland. ETA is owned by the Swatch Group. There are a hand full of other manufacturers who produce internal watch parts. Ronda and Isa are two of these companies. The term used to describe internal watch parts is "movements". In the remainder of this article I will use this industry term. Every industry has it's mecca and Switzerland is the undisputed mecca for watches and time pieces. Hence the saying, "works like a swiss watch". Every mecca has a "Capital City" and in this case it is Geneva, Switzerland. In marketing it all comes down to perception and Geneva is perceived as the center of the universe in the wristwatch business. In fact, their competitors have never really tried to dispute this perception. The term "swiss made" is engraved on watches that pass strict criteria. This criteria is laid out as part of trademark law stating that certain aspects of construction and design must take place in Switzerland and by Swiss people. The term "swiss made" has been vigorously protected around the world. There are few brand name watches that have the prestige of being called the best, but the obvious name is Rolex. Just look at their website and you will see they excel not only at making watches - they spent big dollars creating an internet presence to match their name. Rolex watches are time honored for using superb movements and outstanding materials. There are only a few companies that make their own movements and Rolex is one of them. (Seiko is another) By the way ......where do you think their head office is located? You guessed it ........Geneva. If you are interested in more information about the Rolex brand, company, and history, I encourage you to visit their beautiful website @ http://www.rolex.com The vast majority of people can't afford a Rolex watch and there are many brands that cater to the upper-middle class consumer. Tag, Omega and Breitling to name a few. These watches also carry a handsome "status factor" and price tag. All are made with high quality materials and attractive designs. The movements are made by ETA. A considerable number of these "upper-middle class" watch brands are owned by Swatch Group in Switzerland. See how world domination is coming in to play here? The differences between mechanical watches and quartz watches. Mechanical watches are energized by what they call a mainspring. It can be wound up either by hand or automatically. (Some mechanical watches will automatically wind themselves from rapid movement.) There is a gear train that transfers mainspring energy to the escapement, balance wheel, and hairspring. Mechanical watches cannot compete with quartz watches when it comes to accuracy. There is a prestige with owning a high quality mechanic watch that keeps accurate time, but the truth is that quartz watches are more accurate. Quartz analogue watches utilize a completely different technology. They rely on battery power, an oscillating quartz, a trimmer to control frequency, a stepping motor to transfer electrical energy into mechanical energy, and a gear train to move the hour, minute and second hands. Quartz digital watches employ all the same technology as quartz analogue watches except for the display. The important thing to remember is that a 25 dollar quartz watch will always be more accurate than the most expensive mechanical watch. So you can see that it all comes down to status when consumers purchase an expensive watch. Most watches are actually assembled/manufactured in Japan, China and Thailand. The movements are made by ETA and the only characteristics different are in the casing and strap. Kind of takes the personal touch out of owning a quality watch doesn't it. Oh well........most people will not have the information you are reading here and the status of your brand new Omega watch will not be diminished. Myself, I buy a watch simply for comfort, style and affordability. I believe that is the main criteria used by most consumers. How watches vary in water resistance and the "bar" scale. To finish this article I want to point out the factors used by watch manufacturers when it comes to water resistance. Wristwatch companies used to employ the term "water proof" but had to change that due a few rare law suits. Apparently a scuba diver perished in the early 1970's and there were lawyers that tried to blame a watch manufacturer. They contended that the scuba diver's watch failed, causing him to misread his oxygen supply. In those days watches were marked as "water proof" and now they are marked "water resistant". The water resistance of a watch is measured in bars. An easy way to remember this scale is this: 1 bar = 10 meters.(3.3 feet deep in water) So when you see the markings on the back of your watch "Water resistant 10bar", or "W.R. 10bar, this means your watch is likely to resist water up to 333 feet. If you see a 20bar marking this means your watch is "likely" to resist water up to 666 feet deep. (my math is impressive......no?) Anyway, you get the point right? If your watch has no markings regarding water resistance you don't have any protection. If the back of your watch casing is engraved with "water resistant" and does not have a bar rating, this means it is "likely" to resist intermittent splashing or heavy rain. All of these water resistant ratings can be voided if watches are exposed to salt water, soap, shampoo, nail polish, nail polish remover, cleaning agents etc. etc. Wristwatches are sealed with gaskets and therefore susceptible to drying and deterioration. The only way the water resistance rating given by the manufacturer can be given any weight is if you carry out periodic maintenance. If you own an expensive watch, it is worth your while to follow up on maintenance. Most people buy inexpensive watches and replace them when they fail. Betty Silverman is a successful author and publisher of watches-wristwatches.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 06:33 AM Fake and Counterfeit Watches What are counterfeit watches and how to avoid getting burned buying a watch that was not the real thing 1. What are fake and counterfeit watches? 2. Why aren't they stopped by company legal action or international law enforcement? 3. Who makes them and where do they come from? 4. Where do people buy these things? 5. What should I do if I encounter one? 6. How do I identify a counterfeit watch? 7. How do I avoid mis-identifying a real watch as a fake? 1. What are fake and counterfeit watches? Most popular makes of fine watches are prone to having their designs copied by manufacturers of replica watches. These watches sell from as little as $10 to several hundred dollars -- but $100-150 appears to be the most common range. They vary from generic look-alike to exacting reproductions of the exteriors of the genuine watch. Often, even details such as the manufacturers logo, serial numbers, and other markings are reproduced. Quality and durability can vary highly. One Internet site selling replica Omega watches reported the average life span of many of them to be only 2 to 3 years. So far, the makers of these watches appear to mainly be making counterfeits of current and recent model watches. Presumably, there is not a large enough market for fakes of older and vintage watches to make it worthwhile to pursue. But also understand that counterfeit watches are not a new concept -- so you may occasionally encounter fake watches made many years ago. Some of these older fakes were watches of other cheaper brands that were relabeled by repainting the dial with a different logo and at times even stamping the back or movement with marks like would have appeared on the other brand. Possessing such a watch is not illegal. But the maker and sellers of the replicas are usually in violation of the legal copyrights on the original manufacturer's copyrights and trademarks. 2. Why aren't they stopped by company legal action or international law enforcement? Several reasons. One, these sellers are like cockroaches. You stomp one and two more pop out. The legal costs of pursuing them are practically money flushed down the toilet because it never stops the problem. The only way to effectively attack the fake market is to cut off their Asia-based sources -- which requires international cooperation. And frankly right now, the government and international enforcement agents across the world have more important global threats to protect their citizens from than just fake watches. Two, anyone who wants a $1,000 to $20,000+ watch and will settle for a $100 fake of it was not a serious buyer. They either would never have bought the real thing, or will toy with the fake and eventually return to their original desire and buy a real one after the brand-name image makes them feel good, but the fake itself disappoints. So while these products do infringe on the name brands, they don't really hurt sales, therefore manufacturers do not have a financial incentive to aggressively pursue them. They tend to do enough that they can prove in any court cases that do arise that they have enforced their trademarks. But more than that is profitless to them. And third, where the cheap fake is being sold for a high price as the real thing are cases of fraud between the buyer and the seller, to be handled by the police and legal system. There is no reason for the manufacturer of the real thing to get involved. Wasn't their product, wasn't their dealers, the only connection to them was a forgery. While most of us dislike the fake wristwatch market, the reality is that the time, money, resources and incentives to do much seriously about it are just not there. And realize that most of the people being cheated buying fakes sold as the real thing were playing a risky game -- buying from questionable or unauthorized sources, ignoring common sense warning signs on an expensive purchase, merely to get a cheaper price on something that looked like what they wanted. They played a game and they lost. So my extent of sympathy for those buyers is somewhat limited -- especially to the point that I do not want manufacturers to raise prices so they can spend the smart watch buyer's money protecting the foolish watch buyers from their poor shopping decisions. 3. Who makes them and where do they come from? Thousands of counterfeit luxury watches seized and destroyed by Asian officials Counterfeit watches appear to come mainly from Asian countries. People out to make a quick buck manufacture these watches--often with either little understanding of or contempt for European or American copyrights and trademarks they are stealing. 4. Where do people buy these things? The most common places are street vendors in major cities, flea markets, less reputable pawn shops, and Internet auction sites. Generally, these are all places where fly-by-night sellers can operate. Normally, counterfeits sell for anywhere from $50 to 150. Sellers of these illegally produced merchandise are frequently pursued by law enforcement and arrested. In many cases, the buyer will understand that they are not buying genuine merchandise. But sometimes the buyer is completely unaware they are buying a fake. They may even pay hundreds of dollars -- believing they are getting an incredible deal on an expensive watch. 5. What should I do if I encounter one? Simply walk away. While they may look similar to the real thing, they are normally very cheap and short lived watches. Even at their appealing prices of US $50-150, you would be much better off buying a genuine watch of reputable brand than buying these cheap counterfeits. As mentioned above, the life span of most of these fakes in only 2-3 years of use. That is a poor deal for the price. 6. How do I identify a counterfeit watch? Know the real models -- browse the manufacturer catalogs and the display collections of an authorized dealer. Handle the real thing. Be familiar with not only the face of the watch, but also the bracelet, clasp, and the back of the watch. Understand that manufacturer catalogs and websites usually do not show all the models and variations they make. So just because you do not see an item in a catalog or on an official website is not by itself proof that a watch is fake. Look at the zOwie Rogues Gallery of Fakes page for photos showing some of the tell-tale incorrect features on some of the counterfeit Omega watches we've seen. Even if you are interested in other brands of watches, the illustrations of fake Omega watches will show you what types of errors and omissions to look for on any fake. Are the logos and face details incorrectly or poorly reproduced? Are details wrong? Often, fakes confuse names and parts from different watches. Or a replica may have style of hands normally found on a different model watch. Does it have any unusual, unexpected, missing, or non-functional features? While it looks really neat, not very many genuine fine watches have see-through backs. Fakes may not replicate unusual features, such as a helium relief valve, or those features may not function. Chronographs may have non-operating subdials and stopwatch functions. Are any of the colors or texture details wrong? Fakes sometimes come in color combinations or bezel textures not available on the real watches. Clasp on bracelet may look different and have a much simpler latch mechanism. Bracelets my be made simpler. The quartz Chronograph dilemma: Because of the complexities involved, you will seldom find a fake watch with working chronograph (stopwatch) functions that has an automatic movement. So if you see what should be a mechanical movement chronograph where the second hand is moving in 1 second increments, it is likely a fake. 7. How do I avoid mis-identifying a real watch as a fake? Fine watch makers such as Rolex, Omega, IWC, Breitling, Cartier and others have made thousands of models over the past century. Many older models look similar enough to current or other models that their differences can be mistaken as signs of a fake. Similarly, manufacturers sometimes made some unusual or custom versions for specific International markets that would be unknown or seem odd even to people experienced with that brand of watch in their part of the world. So how do you tell when a watch is really a real one? The number one test is to find the manufacturer's serial number. On modern Omega watches, the 8-digit serial number is laser etched on the outside of the watch--usually on the back of one of the lugs, or on the back of the case. On older Omega watches, the number is still 8 digits, but almost always inside the watch, engraved into the movement. Rolex watches normally have their model and serial numbers on the ouside side of the case, between the lugs where the bracelet or strap attach. The presence of a correctly engraved or laser etched serial number is often enough to confirm the watch is real--except for fake Rolex watches that often do bear fake serial numbers. The next step is to have the manufacturer validate the serial number. It is best if you can also include a photo of the watch with your request. They will respond with the technical details that you can use to confirm that the serial number does indeed belong to that watch. For information on contacting Omega for this assistance, see Tell Me About My Omega. Even if the watch is genuine, having a manufacturer's representative check the serial number and view the watch or a photo of it can also identify if the watch has been altered. Especially on older watches, they may have had their dials repainted (sometime to completely different color combinations) or had exterior replacement parts (especially crowns and bracelets) that were not original to that specific model. Source: http://chronocentric.com/watches/counterfeit.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 06:43 AM Switzerland-EC Electronic Waste And The Fight Against Counterfeiting (May 1, 2003) The Switzerland-EC Joint Clock and Watch Committee held its annual meeting on 9 April in Basel, on the occasion of the Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Show, at which several important topics featured on the agenda. ........................................ Watch counterfeiting On the subject of counterfeiting, the Swiss delegation noted that the phenomenon was also prevalent in the European Union, particularly in Benelux, Spain and Italy, in which countries thousands of fake watches were seized last year. On this point, the FH has continued to collaborate with national authorities, such as the Guardia Civil in Spain or the Guardia di Finanzia in Italy. It has also organized and attended training seminars for customs and police authorities in Italy and Greece. The Community delegation reaffirmed the intention of the European Union to combat this scourge more effectively. The EU moreover published a draft regulation to this effect in January 2003. This draft will enlarge the field of application of existing legislation and will facilitate the filing of requests by manufacturers for intervention by customs authorities. However, except in highly specific cases, it still renounces the seizure of copies purchased by tourists for personal use, a point that is regretted in watchmaking circles. Despite everything, this change in the legislation is laudable. Read full article at http://www.fhs.ch/en/news/news.php?id=230 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 06:52 AM Telling a real from a fake By Michael Finney Special To The Examiner Thursday, March 11, 2004 HERE'S THE QUESTION: Is the Rolex on the guy in the next cubical a real Rolex? Is the handbag carried by the woman you're lunching with the real thing? More and more consumers are asking that question. Whole new levels of counterfeit watches and purses have entered the market place. These fakes are so good they are no longer even known as fakes. Instead they are now called "replicas." When you think of buying a knock-off Rolex you might think of a street vender in Tijuana, Mexico or a small shop on New York City's Canal Street. However there is now a new place to shop for fake Rolexes; the Internet. Online shopping has transformed the mom and pop business of knock-off watches into an international marketplace of Rolex replicas. There are dozens of sites selling replicas. John Brozek, an expert and author of the book, The Rolex Report, said "They are trying give it a fluffed up name, giving it a more politically correct name." However Brozek says even called a replica it's still, "a fake, a knock off, a counterfeit." Brian Brokate, an attorney for Rolex, says the fake watches are hurting the company and consumers. "I wouldn't call them higher quality, because a counterfeit is a piece of junk. But they use more expensive materials to make the watches," he said. Brokate says factories in Asia and Europe are making better knock offs than ever before "Instead of using base metal, with a higher priced replica, they may use stainless steel," he said. Either way you cut it, Brokate says, "it's still a wannabe." Brokate says the $60 knock off watch many of us are familiar with has morphed into a more sophisticated $200 fake."Most people in today's market," he says, " know they are buying a knock-off." I took a real Rolex and a couple of fakes down to Union Square and showed them around. Most consumers couldn't tell which one was the real one and which one was the fake. So is it legal to buy these watches? The answer is yes, as long as you are simply buying for yourself and are not helping with the sale ....... If you actually hold a purse party at your home you could be busted for a felony. If you are going to someone elses purse party and bring a friend, you have committed a felony too. How? By setting up the sale of a fake. Michael Finney is the consumer affairs reporter for ABC7 and KGO radio. See him every night at 5 and 6 on ABC7 News, and hear him Sundays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on KGO radio. His column appears every Wednesday in The Examiner. Source: http://www.sfexaminer.com/article/index.cfm/i/031104c_finney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 07:02 AM Rolex Fakes Knockoffs can be found in a lot of places. The Troubleshooter picked up fake Rolex watches and counterfeit Mont Blanc pens in Mexico. In the United States, the Troubleshooter purchased counterfeit Versace and Chanel sunglasses, as well as look-a-like Coach totes. In Tijuana, Mexico, shopper Teresa Trucchi bought two Rolex watches. Despite the fact that shop owners told her the watches were not authentic, Trucchi admitted she could be fooled. "They look like Rolexes to me," Trucchi said. To see if professional jewelers could tell the difference between a fake Rolex and a real one, the Troubleshooter went to Unicorn Jewelers in Rancho Bernardo. Jeweler Fred Nasseri laughed when he saw the fakes, packaged in black plastic bags. These, by no means, are real," Nasseri said. How can consumers distinguish the real from the fake? Nasseri said authentic Rolex watches have clearly etched serial numbers and model numbers and boast 18-carat gold. Genuine Rolexes do not have skeleton backs and they are also much heavier than fakes. John Brozek, author of "The Rolex Report," said many counterfeit watches are pretty good copies of the real thing. "Someone who didn't know the difference would be fooled on this watch. Even someone who's knowledgeable, this is a little tricky," Brozek said. Brozek said counterfeiters are getting better at producing real looking fakes. "It does shows they're getting a little more sophisticated. It shows they're spending a little more effort in certain areas. They are trying to duplicate cosmetically even more so," Brozek said. Brozek said counterfeiters are even using color copiers to rip off the look of genuine Rolex boxes. "In order to gain trust, they're actually counterfeiting the accessories and the packing that goes with the watch," Brozek told the Troubleshooter. So why would consumers buy a fake watch anyway? Nasseri said it is all a matter of status. "A lot people buy it for show," Nasseri said. "It's a matter of $50 versus $5,000. A lot of people have $50. They don't care if they're buying imitation because they know it." Are consumers fooled by the imitators? Michael Campbell inspected the watches and noted that there is "not too much of a difference at all." Stefan Purnell agreed. "This will work," Purnell said. Source: http://www.watchbasics.com/rolex_news.htm Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 07:06 AM Beijing's Phony War On Fakes Welcome to the People's Republic of Counterfeiting, where everything from soap to software is pirated-- and even the government's crackdown isn't real. By Richard Behar The three-story building in Pinghu had been raided a month earlier for making fake Rolexes. So when a team of Chinese government agents knocked on the door of the Wei Da watch factory in Guangdong province, they were admitted like familiar guests. Workers served them tea in fine chinaware, while two dozen blank-faced girls remained seated around a long, rectangular table, gluing tiny minute marks onto the faces of watch dials. After a half-hour, a manager gave the word and the girls fled down an alleyway--but not before lining up to punch a time clock. When the raiders were finished combing through the factory, they filled a truck with more than 10,000 counterfeit watch dials (mostly Omega, Rolex, Casio, and Citizen), along with 106 sets of molds. The boss was nowhere to be found, but on his desk were wads of cash and two thick catalogs filled with dozens of sample dials. His punishment: a $400 fine. For the counterfeiters, it was a day like any other in Guangdong, China's richest and fastest-growing region. The unmarked factory in Pinghu is one of thousands like it in southern China. It is estimated that a quarter of the world's watch production is concentrated in Guangdong, and perhaps a third of that is counterfeit. The fakes are exported everywhere--to Europe, Russia, the Middle East. "Watches are perfect because they are small, easy to hide and transport, and have high profit margins," says Jack Yang, an agent with Kroll Associates, the world's largest investigative agency, which spearheaded the raid in Pinghu. China's Communist rulers, hoping to join the World Trade Organization next year, want to appear serious about cracking down on counterfeits. Raids like the one in Pinghu now occur in many cities, sometimes followed by orchestrated "destruction parties," in which the seized goods are steamrollered in the presence of local media. But these actions are barely stanching the epidemic, estimated by Chinese officials to be a $16-billion-a-year business and costing foreign firms tens of billions of dollars annually in lost sales. China produces more fakes than any other nation--everything from autos to aircraft parts, beer to blades, soap to shampoo, TVs to toilets. Moreover, exports of fakes are rising (72% of the counterfeit Beanie Babies seized in the U.S. last year were from China), and crime syndicates are entering the racket. "The problem is getting worse rather than better," says David Holloway. Source: http://www.fortune.com/fortune/articles/0,...,373631,00.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 07:10 AM Rolex or Replica? Some timely advice so you don't end up making a very expensive mistake. By John E. Brozek © InfoQuest Publishing, Inc., 2004 Chronos Magazine, Winter 2003/2004 Rolex was there when Hillary and Tenzing conquered the summit of Mt. Everest, and they accompanied the Piccards on their journey to the deepest ocean floor in the world: the Challenger Deep of the Marianas Trench. Chuck Yeager strapped one to his wrist when he first broke the sound barrier in 1947, as did Sean Connery when he portrayed James Bond in the spy films of the 1960s. They’ve gone higher, deeper and faster than any other watch in the world, but it appears they may now be facing their most difficult challenge yet… counterfeit watches. With the every-growing popularity of online auctions like eBay and Yahoo, unscrupulous sellers are passing off counterfeits as the real thing—and doing so with alarming success. Were not talking about the cheap fakes from the ‘70s & ‘80s, with second hands that ‘tick’, or dials featuring misspelled words. No, these are incredibly sophisticated replicas with sweep movements, laser-printed dials, and, in many cases, counterfeit boxes with warranty papers. What once was a business operated from the street corners of Taiwan, has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry—marketed globally on the Internet, via literally hundreds of online auctions, chat rooms, forums and dot-com sites. How bad is the problem you ask? Well, try this on for size: Rolex currently produces around 750,000 watches, annually. However, it is believed that counterfeiters are churning out fakes at a rate of over ten times that number! Yes, the situation is bad, and it doesn’t seem to be getting better anytime soon. With that being said, there are a few things you should look for when performing a cursory inspection of a would-be Rolex watch: Fit & Finish, and Form & Function. Fit & Finish: Rolex has a reputation for over-engineering everything in their watches, from the movement, right down to the detail they put into a tiny screw—nothing is done half way. Therefore, I would encourage you to go to your local dealer and get as much “hands on” time with as many authentic Rolex watches as you can find. Note how they physically look, feel and operate. Next, educate yourself—learn everything you can on the specifics of the watch, and whom you’re buying from. Genuine Rolex watches are nearly flawless, with smooth edges, and perfectly finished parts fitted with tolerances measured in microns. Counterfeits, on the other hand, will often have rough, sharp edges, and parts that sometimes feel awkward and unfinished to the touch. Genuine (gold) Rolex watches are made from solid gold parts from the case, right down to the bracelet screws. However, counterfeits are often just gold plated, which can be detected by removing the bracelet screws or spring bars. The presence of any “steel” pins or screws is a pretty good sign of a fake, or at the very least non-original parts. Winding crowns, and rotating bezels can feel rough and frequently get hung up as they are turned. While their bracelet links and buckles can seem poorly fitted, and may have uneven or excessive gaps. Most counterfeits utilize generic parts, so hands are frequently too short, or of the wrong shape. Quite simply, if it’s not perfect, then it’s probably not a Rolex. Form & Function: Since counterfeiters are primarily interested in duplicating the cosmetic appearance of the watch, they will often perform rather poorly. You should test the hacking feature, as well as any day, date, 24-hour “GMT” hand, or chronograph (stopwatch) functions on the watch. Wind the watch and adjust the hands. Most fakes use cheap Asian movements, so their performance is quite inferior to that of a Rolex. Furthermore, the “extra functions” are often just for show, and don’t actually work. Bottom line: does the watch actually perform like a quality Swiss timepiece? In recent years, Rolex has added additional security features to help differentiate a genuine model from a counterfeit, including: a hologram encoded sticker on the case back, as well as a tiny (almost microscopic) “crown” laser etched into the crystal—at the 6 o’clock position. The warranty papers have also been changed to a completely new design, with watermarks imbedded into the paper to help avoid duplication by a computer scanner. Counterfeiting has turned into a very high-tech business, and thus, anti-counterfeit security has become a timely issue, as well. In fact, the US Treasury Department has even got in on the act, with the release of a newly designed Twenty Dollar Bill, earlier this year. This new bill features color-shifting ink, a security thread, a multi-color background, and new watermarks. While some like to believe that counterfeiters focus primarily on “modern” watches, this can be a very costly mistake. Prices for rare vintage pieces such as the exotic dial Paul Newman Daytona, and Comex or Red Submariners have recently climbed to record heights. Thus, a new breed of fakes has emerged, with counterfeiters simply doctoring up the dials of less expensive models to “create” their aforementioned (and much pricier) counterparts, in what has become known as converted or Franken-watches. Another common “conversion” is turning stainless steel watches into two-tone ones, whereby creating a more expensive “model” by replacing the crown, bezel, hands and bracelet center-links with aftermarket gold-tone pieces. Thus, for just a few hundred dollars, one can “artificially inflate” the value of a watch by thousands. And the scary thing is these “converted” models will pass most inspections. While you’re busy trying to authenticate the movement and operation of the watch, you miss the fact that it has been cosmetically “enhanced” with counterfeit parts. This has also become a serious problem with regard to aftermarket diamond dials and bezels, which are considerably less expensive than the genuine Rolex parts. Again, these fakes are almost impossible to identify without the luxury of a personal inspection. So, unless you know the seller, I would avoid purchasing these high-risk models from an online seller, or you could become their next online victim. If this isn’t bad enough, online thieves are now perpetrating a whole slew of new scams, including the bait & switch: Whereas, the seller displays a stolen photo of a genuine Rolex, but ships a counterfeit to the bidder. Obviously, no amount of Rolex knowledge can protect you from this kind of situation. You’re simply relying on the honesty of the seller, and in today’s market that can be a big mistake. Therefore, when purchasing a Rolex from an online auction site, or even from your local dealer, there is one simple rule that always applies: buy the seller, not the watch. Caveat Emptor: Buyer Beware. Source: http://www.iq-enterprises.com/pages/rolex_..._or_replica.htm Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 07:13 AM SAUDI ARABIA June 2004 Counterfeit Watches Seized in Jeddah The Counterfeit Committee at the Chamber of Commerce in Jeddah counteracted what it described as the biggest contraband operation involving thirty two local companies that had conspired to enter counterfeit watches onto the Saudi market. The 1.7 million counterfeit watches were smuggled in two trucks coming from Dubai. The Vice President of the Counterfeit Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce declared that some law enforcement officers backed up by agents from the Ministry of Trade have spotted the trucks after they were delivered to a number of wholesalers in Jeddah. He estimated that retailers of counterfeit watches make more than one billion Saudi Riyals a year from circulating counterfeit watches in the Saudi market when international watch manufacturers are experiencing great losses because of those traders. The Committee investigators asked the drivers of the seized trucks to provide them with the names of the Saudi consignees that made the deal, the import data, and the card of origin. All findings will be forwarded to the judicial authorities concerned to take the necessary measures against the perpetrators and the counterfeit watches will be destroyed. Source: http://www.sabaip.com/bulletin.asp?year=20...onth=06&b=1 Posted by: Rikske Oct 30 2004, 07:13 AM @maxdata Thanks , very good reading stuff ,very informative. Keep it going. Greatings : Rikske Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 07:18 AM RFID takes on the counterfeit watch By Jo Best Silicon.com July 23, 2004, 12:02 PM PT Winwatch has teamed up with Toshiba to put RFID tracking tags into wristwatches, with a view to stopping the trade in counterfeit timepieces that sees thousands of dollars ripped off big-name watch sellers such as Rolex. Radio frequency identification tags represent the much-hyped technology that's turned up on luggage, dogs, and even Japanese schoolchildren. Winwatch has patented a method of putting the tiny chips into the glass crystal of watches or fixing one to the glass front so it doesn't interfere with the mechanical workings. Attaching it to the watch-front also means that the metal parts of the watch--or wearer's wrist--won't interfere with the tag being read and that tags can be added to ready-manufactured watches. The RFID chips will be manufactured by Toshiba and will be readable from a distance of 1mm. Source: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5281615.html Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 07:23 AM Gray Market Watches Even reputable new watch dealers may be selling 'unauthorized' watches--know the risks and problems you may face after buying - What are 'gray market' watches? - How can I tell if a watch is gray market? - What does it mean to me if I buy a gray market watch? - What does it mean if the seller removes the serial number? What are 'gray market' watches? There are many places where you can buy fine watches. The most important concept to understand before making a purchase decision is the difference between gray-market versus authorized dealers and how that affects the price, warranty coverage, and resale of a watch you purchase. All genuine Omega, Rolex and other fine watches come from the maker's factory. The maker only sells them to authorized dealers and distributors. To establish and maintain an authorized dealer relationship and volume discounts, authorized dealers must make large initial investments in inventory and continue to purchase minimum quantities of watches over time. This can involve minimum initial and ongoing inventory purchase requirements as high as US$ 250,000 for a single dealer to carry each major brand. For smaller dealers, this often forces them to purchase more watches than they can sell directly to their customers and to hold in inventory an excessive amount of merchandise of a single brand. So some authorized dealers sell off at wholesale prices the surplus to the 'gray market' of unauthorized dealers--who then sell the watches at heavier discounts than authorized dealers are allowed to. This is not explicitly illegal, but it usually violates the authorized dealer or resellers agreements with the manufacturer. The manufacturers, to protect their authorized dealers from the heavier discount offered to the consumer by the non-authorized dealers, refuse to provide in-warranty service on these watches. Unfortunately, this policy usually ends up hurting the uninformed consumer more than it protects the authorized dealers. The reason this policy is an ineffective deterrent is that the customer needs to know this before they buy the watch. But only a small percentage of buyers know this before a purchase. Many do not discover this until after they have a problem and are refused in-warranty service by the manufacturer or an authorized repair center. At that point, the customer sees the manufacturer as the bad guy for refusing to honor a warranty on a watch the customer feels they bought legitimately. How can I tell if a watch is gray market? Gray market watches are genuine watches from the original manufacturer. They are not fakes or factory seconds. The only thing that makes them different is that they passed through an unauthorized dealer or reseller on the way to you. (Though occasionally, some less ethical gray market dealer may also sell old stock, returns, or refurbished watches as if they were 'new' merchandise.) Here are probable signs of a gray market watch: - Is the dealer's published price more than 20% off the manufacturer's listed retail price? - Is the manufacturer's warranty card missing or not stamped with an authorized dealer stamp? - Is the serial number missing off the watch? What does it mean to me if I buy a gray market watch? Gray market fine watches are typically available at discounts of 30-40%, compared to the maximum 20% discount the authorized dealers are usually contractually allowed to give you. Note that there are legitimate cases where an authorized dealer may give you more than 20% off current list price on a fine watch. When a dealer has stock they acquired before a manufacturer's price increase, when the watch is a returned or clearance item, or when they bend the rules when really desperate for end-of-month sales (particularly if they have a very large amount of returns after Christmas). While some gray market dealers are very honest and forthright about what they are selling to you, others may not mention that their merchandise is gray market or make it clear that you do not have a manufacturer's warranty on the watch. Your manufacturer's warranty card will not be stamped with an authorized dealer's name--or you may get no card at all. In either case, you have no valid manufacturer's warranty coverage. Watches described as having 'open papers' means the warranty has not been validated by an authorized dealer. If the dealer includes a warranty of their own, it will only be good through them--it will not be honored by any other dealer or the manufacturer's authorized service centers. For this you must trust the reputation and stability of that dealer to repair your watch within the warranty period. Otherwise, any repair will be at your expense. Some gray market watches have had the serial number removed from the outside of the case (but not the inside) to prevent the manufacturer from tracing it to the authorized dealer that sold it to the gray market. See the following section for more information on watches that have had their serial numbers removed. Ultimately, the difference is whether you are willing to risk warranty, resale, and other problems in return for saving another 10-20% off the cost of the watch. What does it mean if the seller removes the serial number? Having a watch with its serial number removed has several important implications: Although not often enforced, many states and countries have laws making it illegal to possess an item that has had its serial number removed. Such laws treat watches with altered or removed serial numbers as the equivalent of stolen property. The manufacturer's authorized repair centers may refuse to service the watch even outside the warranty period. Even worse, some manufacturers have been known to confiscate such watches that have been sent to them for service. Lack of a serial number may interfere in getting an insurance claim paid if your watch is lost or stolen. It may interfere with your ability to resell the watch or may reduce what someone is willing to pay for it. Some manufacturers can supply you with detailed information on your watch--such as its date of manufacture, country it was shipped to for original sale, features and movement calibre, and even a copy of the COSC certificate for your watch--but only if you have your serial number. Yet, a number of unauthorized watch sellers have a common practice of removing serial numbers from watches they sell to protect their supplier who have violated their contracts with he manufacturers by reselling merchandise to unauthorized resellers. So who protects you, the watch buyer? The answer is that you have to apply the primary buyers rule of 'caveat emptor' - buyer beware. If you are unsure about the status of a place you are considering buying a watch, ask them specifically if they are an authorized dealer for the specific brand of watch you are buying. If not, you may want to consider shopping elsewhere. For more detail on protecting yourself when buying watches--expecially Omega--see the Chronocentric article Omega Consumer Alert: New watch dealers with questionable policies. If you have already purchased a watch and discover that it has had its serial number removed, you should immediately contact the seller and insist they refund your full purchase price or provide a replacement watch with its serial number intact. The most alarming part of the way these laws are written is that, once you become aware that the serial number has been removed, you effectively become an accomplice to the crime! Here is an example of such laws from the State of Georgia, in The United States: A person commits the offense of criminal use of an article with an altered identification mark when he buys, sells, receives, disposes of, conceals, or has in his possession a ... watch, watch movement, watch case ... from which he knows the manufacturer's name plate, serial number, or any other distinguishing number or identification mark has been removed for the purpose of concealing or destroying the identity of such article. A person convicted of the offense of criminal use of an article with an altered identification mark shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years. Source: http://wwwchronocentric.com/watches/graymarket.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Oct 30 2004, 07:57 AM Annual Calendar, Perpetual Calendar, and Secular Calendar A "perpetual calendar" ("quantième perpétuel" in French) is one of the complications that is required if a watch wants to be called a "Grande Complication." Besides, there are other calendar complications: The "annual calendar" and the "secular calendar." Let us first briefly discuss the characteristic features of these various calendars, then, we will have a look at the role which they played and currently play in horology. If you are not familiar with the regulations concerning leap years in the Gregorian calendar, I recommend that you read the page 'The Year 2000' on my site. It will help you to better understand the following text. The Annual Calendar will work fine for one year. It knows the lengths of the months (if they have 30 or 31 days) and only requires a correction once a year: When February turns to March. The Perpetual Calendar will work fine for all of us for the rest of our lives (except for those few that will still be alive in the year 2100 ...). Berner simply defines it as "Device that changes the date at the end of each month including the 29th February in leap years." What sounds so simple requires a lot of knowledge to construct and a lot of horological precision workmanship to make. (A perpetual calendar adds about 100 parts to a movement.) If you want to see a didactically excellent explanation of the way how all these wheels, cams, and rods interact, you should read Huber/Banberry's book or, still better because it's animated, get the DVD from the http://www.patekmuseum.com; it contains a detailed explanation of Patek's perpetual calendar ref. 3940. The Secular Calendar is a complication that has hardly ever been built into a watch. It takes into account the "400-year-rule" which means that only these calendars will jump directly from February 28 to March 1 in the year 2100 - all perpetual calendars will follow their 4-year-mechanism, and they will display "February 29" even in the year 2100. Calendar Complications in Wristwatches The "plain calendar" was introduced rather early. Please note that even the so-called "full calendar" with day, date, month, and moon phase indication is still a "plain calendar" as it requires manual interaction and correction in all months that have less than 31 days. A beautiful watch, a complicated watch - but, by definition, still a "plain calendar." The perpetual calendar has been known in pocket watches since about 1615, but it was only used in wristwatches by Patek Philippe more than three centuries later. The first perpetual calendar wristwatch ever was made by Patek in 1925; it was based on a 1898 12''' lady's pocket watch caliber. Patek Philippe began the serial production of perpetual calendar wristwatches in 1941 (ref. 1518). In 1958, the year when I was born, a Patek wristwatch with perpetual calendar cost about 3,200.- Swiss Francs - times have changed ... It remained a specialty of the "Masters of Complication" for a long time. Today, about 20 years after the renaissance of the mechanical wristwatch, all major manufactories offer perpetual calendar watches. In recent years, it has become common practice for the manufacturers to include a dial that shows the current year of the leap-year cycle, either numbered 1-4 or 1-3 plus "leap year" or a similar description. Exceptions from this rule are IWC's perpetual calendars as these watches directly indicate the year, e.g., "2003." On Zenith's perpetual calendar, the leap year is laid out in a different color. IWC's watches are different in another respect: While most perpetual calendars have numerous little pushers to individually set day, date, month, moon phase, and year (an exception is, e.g., Ulysse Nardin's "Ludovico"), the watches from Schaffhausen - the most popular being the "Da Vinci" and "GST Perpetual Calendar" - are mechanically "pre-programmed" so that they can be set simply by turning the crown. You have to be very careful, however, as these watches cannot be turned back if you accidentally set them to a later date; this requires a trained watchmaker. Prices vary enormously; the above mentioned "Da Vinci" is the entry ticket into the world of perpetual calendars; the top of the range is marked by the two most expensive "Grandes Complications" that include a perpetual calendar: Blancpain's "Le Brassus" with the famous "1735" caliber and Patek Philippe's "Sky Moon Tourbillon". By the way: A watch mover is nearly a must if you have a perpetual calendar that you are not wearing all the time. Other calendar types play a minor role: The annual calendar, whose less complicated mechanism makes it less expensive, is not very common. Currently, annual calendar watches are available from - Bédat & Co. (No. 7) - Breitling (Navitimer Olympus) This is actually a 4-year calendar; it only requires a correction in leap years - Carl F. Bucherer (Patravi Chronograph) - Bvlgari (Bvlgari-Bvlgari Annual Calendar) - Du Bois & Fils 1785 (Grande Date) - Maurice Lacroix (Masterpiece Flyback Chrono Annuaire) - Ulysse Nardin (Marine Chronograph) - Patek Philippe (Ref. 5035 and 5036) The secular calendar is a rarity, not even Patek Philippe's 1933 "Graves Supercomplication" had this feature. Patek Philippe holds a patent from 1986 (Swiss Patent 653841) for a "A secular perpetual calendar movement with retrograde indication" that was built into "The Ultimate Watch," Patek's "Caliber 89." Since then, they never re-activated it in a pocket or wrist watch, even the "Star Caliber 2000" that sells for 13.2 million Swiss Francs (rose, white, and yellow gold and platinum versions, only sold complete as a set) and the wristwatch that was derived from it, the "Sky Moon Tourbillon," don't have it. Still, if you want to do your descendants a favour and save them the trouble to have their watch set on March 1, 2100, there is a watch for you: Since 1996, Svend Andersen makes a wristwatch with the strange name "Perpetuel Secular Calender" (I know - whatever language you assume that this is, German, French, or English: It's misspelt). This (I take the liberty to correct Mr. Andersen here) Perpetual Secular Calendar is the only wristwatch that incorporates a correction for the 400-year-rule. References: Patek Philippe: Website Huber, M., Banberry, A.: Patek Philippe Geneve. Montres-bracelets - Armbanduhren - Orologi da polso - Wristwatches. 2nd ed., Genève 1998 Berner, G.-A.: Illustrated Professional Dictionary of Horology I+II. CD-ROM edition, Société du Journal La Suisse Horlogère SA, Bienne 2002 Patek Philippe Museum: Films. DVD, Patek Philippe Museum, Genève 2002 Copyright © 2003 and responsible for contents: Christoph Ozdoba. First version November 1, 2003; last edited: November 1, 2003. Source: http://www.ozdoba.net/swisswatch/calendar.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Oct 31 2004, 02:58 AM Rolex - What Do The Numbers Mean? Rolex model numbers prior to the year 2000 were either four or five digits. - The first two or three describes the type of watch. - The second from the last describes (some exceptions) the type of bezel - The last describes the material that the watch is made from. New models introduced in 2000 have a 1 preceding the old five digit model number. Type of Watch Airking - 55 & 140 Daytona Cosmograph - 165 Daytona Manual Wind - 62 Explorer - 165 GMT Master - 167 Lady OP Date - 65, 69, 691 & 692 Lady OP Datejust - 65, 69, 691 & 692 Lady Oyster Perpetual - 67 & 671 Midsize Oyster Perp DJ - 682 Oyster PD - 18,180, 182 & 183 Oyster PD (Older) - 65 & 66 Oyster Perp Date - 15 & 150 Oyster Perp Date Chronometer - 15 & 150 Oyster Perp Datejust - 16 & 160 Oyster Perpetual - 10 & 140 Oyster Perpetual Chronometer -142 Oyster Quartz Date - 190 Oysterquartz Datejust - 170 Sea Dweller - 16 & 166 Submariner - 16, 166 & 168 Submariner OP - 55 & 140 Thunderbird Bezel DJ - 16 & 162 Yacht Master - 166, 686 & 696 Type of Bezel 0 Polished 1 Finely Engine Turned 2 Engine Turned 3 Fluted 4 Hand-Crafted 5 Pyramid 6 Rotating Bezel Type of Material 0 Stainless 4 Stainless/White Gold 7 14k Yellow Gold 1 Yellow Gold Filled 5 Gold Shell 8 18k Yellow Gold 2 White Gold Filled 6 Platinum 9 18k White Gold 3 Stainless & Yellow Gold Production Dates By Serial Number 1926 - 28,0001975 - 4,267,1001987 - 9,766,000 1937 - 99,0001976 - 4,539,0001987 1/2 - 9,999,999 1943 - 253,4001977 - 5,006,0001987 1/2 - R000,000 1948 - 543,4001978 - 5,482,0001989 - L000,001 1955 * - 1,012,0001979 - 5,958,0001990 1/2 - E000,001 1962 - 1,558,0001980 - 6,424,0001991 3/4 - X000,001 1967 - 2,163,9001981 - 6,910,0001991 3/4 - N000,000 1970 - 2,952,6001982 - 7,366,0001992 1/4 - C000,001 1971 - 3,215,5001983 - 7,862,0001993 3/4 - S000,001 * 1972 - 3,478,4001984 - 8,388,0001995 - W000,001 * 1973 - 3,741,3001985 - 8,814,0001995 3/4 - T000,001 * 1974 - 4,004,2001986 - 9,290,0001997 1/2 - U000,001 * - In late 1998, Rolex began using the A prefix...A000,001 - In early 2000, Rolex began using the P prefix...P000,001 - In mid 2001, Rolex began using the K prefix...K000,001 * When Rolex reached the 999,999 production serial in the early 1950's...they restarted the production serial at 100,000 rather than begin a 7 digit number at 1,000,000. During this period Rolex was also putting the date code on the inside of the case backs...so confusing production serials can sometimes have their production date determined. Look for the Roman number I, II, III or IV for the quarter & two arabic digits for the year. In the late 1950's, Rolex again reached the 999,999 production serial & they started their 7 digit numeric numbering system at 1,000,000 for production serials, this continued until the 1990's until production serials reached 9,999,999. Rather than begin an 8 digit production serial, Rolex instead began their serials with a letter prefix such as R, then L, E & X. (ROLEX without the O) N, C, & S came out during the early to mid 1990's, W, T & U a little later. The latest letter prefixes are all running concurrently...as Rolex wishes! Only Rolex knows the exact date that any watch was actually produced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Oct 31 2004, 04:29 AM This took me a while to compile.. But here it is. Enjoy. Neo Links to Watch Brands If there is no link available, a phone number is provided. Please report broken links. A ACCUTRON 1-800-A-BULOVA http://www.accuratewatch.com/ A.C.H.I. +32 15.21.18.94 http://www.akteo.com/ http://www.alfex.ch/ http://www.arctime.com/ http://www.arminstrom.ch/ http://www.audemars-piguet.ch/ http://www.a-reymond.com/ B http://www.baume-et-mercier.com/ http://www.bedat.ch/ BELAIR (732) 905-0100 http://www.bellross.com/menu.html http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/b...au/contacts.htm BERTOLUCCI 1-201-507-4400 http://www.blancpain.com/ BOCCIA 1-800-360-2586 http://www.boucheron.fr/ http://www.swisstime.ch/level1/companies/Bovet.htm BRAUN 1-203-431-0505 http://www.breguet.com/ http://www.breitling.com/ http://www.bucherer.ch/ BUECHE-GIROD 1-800-524-1024 BULOVA 49-6157-959431 http://www.schmuckforum.de/bunz/ BUZZI 1-561-241-1980 http://www.bulgari.com/ C http://www.vincent-calabrese.ch/ http://www.candino.ch/ CARRERA 1-212-332-3170 http://www.cartier.com/ http://www.casio.com/ http://www.catamaran.ch/ http://www.catena.ch/ http://www.thewatchmuseum.com/museum/watchmaker/hall.htm http://www.century.ch/ http://www.chagal.ch/ http://www.chanel.com/ http://www.charriol.com/ http://www.chase-durer.com/ CHAUMET 1-800-827-7590 http://www.chopard.com/ CHRISTIAN DIOR 1-212-696-1870 http://www.christophe-claret.ch/ http://www.chronoswiss.de/ http://www.citizenwatch.com/ COACH 1-201-460-4800 http://www.coinwatch.com/ COLIBRI 1-800-556-7354 http://www.concord.ch/ http://www.corum.ch/ http://www.corum-sailing.com/ CRISTIAN GENEVE (516) 759-5353 CROSS 1-800-ATCROSS CROTON 1-800-443-7639 http://www.silvermans.co.uk/CWC/index.htm CYMA 1-212-695-4270 D http://www.smwatches.com/ http://www.delance.com/ http://www.delma.ch/ http://dubeywatch.com/ http://www.dugena.de/ ALFRED DUNHILL 1-212-752-9292 DUPONT 1-914-701-5200 E http://www.ebel.com/ http://www.eberhard-co-watches.ch/ JACQUE EDHO 1-800-227-0437 http://www.egana.com/ ELGIN 1-718-361-7720 http://www.emile-pequignet.com/ http://www.endura.ch/ http://gb-enigma.com/ http://www.epos.ch/ http://www.ernstbenz.com/ http://www.eta.ch/ http://www.eterna.ch/ http://www.jacquesetoile.com/ F http://www.favre-leuba.nl/ FENDI 1-800-95FENDI http://www.festina.com/ http://www.fleury.com/ FORGET +41 22 312 43 15 http://www.fortiswatches.com/ http://www.frederique-constant.com/ http://www.dfreemontwatches.com/ G http://www.garde.de/ GERALD GENTA 22-344-8720 http://www.gevril.ch/ http://www.girard-perregaux.ch/ http://www.glashuette.de/ http://www.glycine.com/ http://www.grovana.ch/ GRUEN 1-718-361-7720 http://www.gucci.com/ H HAMILTON 1-800-766-6342 http://www.hanhart.de/ http://www.harwood-watch.com/ MICHAEL HERBELIN 1-800-725-7047 HERMES 1-800-757-7555 http://www.hmti.com/watches.html http://www.hublot.ch/ I http://www.ikepod.com/ http://www.immersion.it/ http://www.iwc.ch/ http://www.jacquesetoile.com/ http://www.jaegerlecoultre.com/ JAGUAR 1-914-623-8525 http://www.jeanmarcel.com/ http://www.europastar.com/jeanperret.html http://www.jacob-jensen-design.com/ MICHAEL JORDI 1-800-823-8340 http://www.jorghysek.com/ http://www.josswatch.com/ JULES JURGENSEN 1-800-220-1233 http://www.junghans.de/ URBAN JURGENSEN 49-32-365-5566 http://www.watches-lexic.ch/ K http://www.ozdoba.net/kelek/kelekhome.shtml http://www.kienzle.net/ CALVIN KLEIN 1-201-271-1400 http://www.kriegerwatch.com/ http://www.krug-baumen.com/ UHREN KURTH 49-2237-2800 L http://www.mauricelacroix.com/ http://www.horloger-de-saint-paul.com/ http://www.lange-soehne.com/ http://www.lavallee.ch/ http://www.limes-watches.com/ http://www.longines.com/ http://www.s-direktnet.de/homepages/louis-erard M MARCELLO C 49-2405-475-353 MATHEY-TISSOT 1-800-874-0907 http://www.mauricelacroix.com/ MELLERIO 1-212-588-8808 http://www2.metalor.ch/ http://michelewatches.com/ http://www.mido.ch/html/general/index.html http://www.minervawatches.com/ DANIEL MINK 1-800-221-6465 http://www.momo.it/ http://www.mondaine.com/ MONTBLANC 1-800-995-4810 http://www.movado.ch/ http://www.vizio.com/ http://www.muehle-uhren.com/ http://www.muehle-uhren.com/ http://www.frankmuller.com/ N http://www.naftawatch.com/ http://www.orbitex.ch/uluru/sponsors/ulysse_nardin.html NICOLET 1-800-713-6337 http://www.nivada.ch/ NIVREL UHREN 49-681-584-6578 NOBEL 1-800-NOBEL95 http://www.glashuette.com/ http://www.northeagles.ch/ O http://www.officinepanerai.com/ http://www.omega.ch/ http://www.oris.ch/english/index.html P http://www.parmigiani.com/ http://www.patek.com/ MONTES PEQUIGNET 33-381-673066 http://www.piaget.com/ LUCIEN PICCARD 1-800-524-0299 http://www.paulpicot.ch/ http://www.piquotmeridien.ch/ http://www.poljot-international.com/ http://www.porsche-design.com/ http://www.antoine-preziuso.com/ http://www.pulsarwatches.com/ R http://www.rado.ch/ http://www.ramawatch.com/ http://www.rainerbrand.de/ http://www.remrem.com/ http://www.revue-thommen.ch/ http://www.rgmwatches.com/Frame.html http://www.roberge.ch/ http://www.rolex.com/home_noflash.html http://ewristwatch.net/frame/role.html DANIEL ROTH 1-212-207-8883 ROVEN DINO 1-800-882-8608 S SAINT HONORE 1-213-272-1196 http://www.sarcar.ch/ JORG SCHAUER 49-7082-930-60 http://www.schwarz-etienne.de/ http://www.sectornolimits.com/ http://www.seiko-corp.co.jp/ http://www.a-silberstein.fr/ http://www.sinn-uhren.de/ http://www.skagen.com/ http://www.sothis-fine-watches.de/ http://www.staib.de/ ARMIN STROM +4134.222.556 http://www.swatch.com/ http://www.swissarmywatch.ch/ http://www.swiza.ch/ T http://www.tagheuer.com/ TEMPTION 49-7032-877-954 http://www.tiffany.com/ http://www.timebydesign.com/ http://www.timex.com/ http://www.tissot.ch/ http://www.titanwatch.com/index.html http://www.titoni.ch/ http://www.tudorwatch.com/ http://www.tutima.de/ U http://ulysse-nardin.com/ UNION GLASHUTTE 49-35053-46-476 http://www.universal.ch/ V http://www.vacheron.ch/ VAN CLEEF 1-212-644-9500 VAN DER BAUWEDE 1-305-674-9464 http://www.ventura.ch/ http://www.victorinox.ch/ http://www.vincent-calabrese.ch/ W WALTHAM 1-718 361-7720 http://www.raymond-weil.ch/ WENGER 1-800-432-2996 HARRY WINSTON 1-212-245-2000 WITTNAUER 1-800-FOR-WITT X http://www.xantia.ch/ http://www.xemex.ch/ Y DAVID YURMAN 1-212-593-1122 YVES ST LAURENT 201-438-8150 Z http://www.zenithwatches.ch/ http://www.zitura.com/ http://www.zodiacwatches.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Oct 31 2004, 07:20 AM Omega celebrate man’s walk on the moon with a special Speedmaster July 09, 2004 To celebrate the 35th anniversary of Man’s first walk on the moon, Omega has issued a special Limited Edition of the famous Speedmaster Professional. Launched in 1957, the Speedmaster underwent very few modifications to meet the stringent needs of NASA and its astronauts for the Apollo 11 landing and the watch continues to be used in manned spaceflight missions. The 35th anniversary model incorporates all the same chronographic features and its Omega Calibre 1861 mechanical hand-wound movement has a power reserve of 45 hours. To commemorate the event and the watch, Omega has engraved a special Apollo 11 patch on the sapphire ceaseback and placed the actual date of the event on the new dial. This anniversary model is produced as a Limited Edition of 3,500 pieces – each one being individually numbered. Source: Omega Press Release - www.omegawatches.com (courtesy europastar.com) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Oct 31 2004, 08:01 AM Links to Watch Organisations & Associations Watch Organisations http://www.fhs.hk/ - FH Hong Kong http://www.fhs.hk/ - FH Hong Kong http://www.fhs.jp/ - FH Japan http://www.aihh.com/ - Switzerland http://www.afhms.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.detail.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.afdt.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.cpih.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.centredoc.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.vdu.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.fleurier-quality.com/ - Switzerland http://www.fsrm.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.chronometrophilia.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.ssc.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.aghbo.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.baselworld.com/ - Switzerland http://www.economiesuisse.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.osec.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.mhl-monts.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.mih.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.chaux-de-fonds.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.bhi.co.uk/ - Great Britain http://www.bhi.co.uk/bhfhome.htm - Great Britain http://www.ahsoc.demon.co.uk/ - Great Britain http://www.awi-net.org/ - USA http://www.jewelers.org/ - USA http://www.nawcc.org/ - USA http://www.dg-chrono.de/ - Germany http://www.jwnz.co.nz/ - New Zealand International Trade Press http://www.gz-journal.de/ - Germany http://www.uhren-schmuck.de/ - Germany http://www.watchpress.net/ - Germany http://au.polygon.net/aus_jeweller.html - Australia http://www.dimepgrafica.com.br/ - Brazil http://www.revistapulso.com.br/ - Brazil http://www.canadianjeweller.com/ - Canada http://www.ppiparis.com/orion - France http://www.le-bijoutier-horloger.com/ - France http://www.bhi.co.uk/ - Great Britain http://www.jewellery-net-asia.com/ - Hong Kong http://www.argoeditore.net/ - Italy http://www.argoeditore.net/ - Italy http://www.sothis.net/ - Italy http://www.sothis.net/ - Italy http://www.italian-jewelry.com/orafoit/ - Italy http://www.argoeditore.net/ - Italy http://www.orologi.it/ - Italy http://www.orologico.it/ - Italy http://mmjp.or.jp/jks.n.m - Japan http://www.globalsources.com/MAGAZINE/TP/TP.HTM - Philippines http://www.swisstime.ch/ - Switzerland http://www.europastar.com/ - Switzerland http://www.heure-international.com/ - Switzerland http://www.annee-horlogere-suisse.com/ - Switzerland http://www.webdo.ch/mp/mp.html - Switzerland http://www.watchzone.com.tw/ - Taiwan http://www.timesquare.com.tw/ - Taiwan http://www.americantime.com/ - USA http://www.awi-net.org/ - USA http://www.hrwatches.com/ - USA http://www.insync-watch.com/ - USA http://jck.polygon.net/ - USA http://www.national-jeweler.com/ - USA http://www.professionaljeweler.com/ - USA Auctions Companies http://www.antiquorum.com/ http://www.christies.com/ http://www.sothebys.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: gothica23 Nov 2 2004, 12:38 AM Really good stuff here! Here's a good one about the Pan Craze and big watches: Watches: Monster Watches How a movie muscleman spawned a trend that bulked up the wristwatch By David Prince -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blame it on Sylvester Stallone. Before the Hollywood muscle man started wearing monster watches, only special forces, top guns and military buffs wore them. But today, big wristwatches are in fashion and they continue to get bigger every year. Stallone sparked the trend back in 1995 when he was window-shopping in Rome during the shooting of the film Daylight. The actor saw a Panerai Luminor in a jewelry store and bought one to wear during the film. He liked it so much that he asked the tiny Florence-based watchmaker to produce 200 of them in a limited edition with his signature on the case back. It was called Slytech. He apparently received only 15 of the timepieces, which he offered as gifts to friends. He still has two at home. "I immediately felt when I saw the watch that it had star power," Stallone said during the U.S. launch of a new limited-edition Panerai at the Beverly Hills Grand Havana Room in October of 2002. "Besides, its perfect for people who are over 45 years old, " he added in reference to the ease of reading large-format watches. Panerai is now one of the hottest watch brands in America and one of the prized names in the stable of watches owned by the Richemont Group. The sport watch, which comes in sizes as large as 1.8 inches (or 46 millimeters) in diameter, has redefined what's cool yet elegant in wristwatches. What was once worn over the wetsuits of crack frogmen in the Italian navy is now on the wrists of men wearing dinner jackets and suits, not to mention more casual attire. "Some of the 300 Panerais produced exclusively for the Italian commandos between 1938 and 1993 were already catching the eye of collectors and fetching handsome prices at auction, especially the ones produced in the 1940s and early 1950s that were powered by Rolex 16 lignes movements," says Philippe Bonay, president of Panerai North America. The Richemont Group bought the watch manufacturer in 1997, but it wasn't until Richemont took the brand global a year later that Panerai and, in effect, monster watches took off with the consumer. "It was the first line of watches with an extra large diameter [44 millimeters]," says Bonay. Last year, the company launched a limited-edition Panerai, the Luminor Marina 1950, which commemorates the development of the watch in the 1940s for the Italian navy. The largest modern Panerai (47mm), it's one of the rarest wristwatches on the market: only 1,950 will be made over the next three years. It sells for about $7,500 in the United States. "Today, our watches have gained respect of watch enthusiasts worldwide primarily because of their rarity, value and history, which no one can duplicate," says Bonay. Panerai's success has also led many other companies to introduce larger watches. Audemars Piguet, for example, now makes one of the biggest watches on the market, the Royal Oak Offshore T3 Chronograph. The limited-edition, 1,000-piece watch is 57.20mm in diameter and weighs 4.762 ounces. It's no wonder it was designed with the help of Arnold Schwarzenegger and released with the launch of his recent film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Its bold, octagonal bezel and titanium case look as if they could withstand the assault of 10 Terminators. Its suggested retail is $19,900. "This [big watches] is more than a trend," says Francois Henry Bennahmias, president of Audemars Piguet USA. "When you look at watch sizes throughout the history of watchmaking, the average width of a case in the '40s was 32mm, then 36mm—today it is 38mm. I believe this marks an evolution that stems quite simply from the evolution of physical appearance: people—men and women—tend to be taller and, naturally, have larger wrists. Maybe the average will soon be 40 or 42mm." Besides being taller, many of us are slightly fuller framed than our forebears, so a mega-wristwatch looks proportionate. But there's also an ostentation to wearing a Panerai, T3 Chronograph or any other large watch. "It makes the product more visible on the wrist," says Christian Bédat, the head of Bedat & Co., a small Swiss watchmaker under the control of the Gucci Group. In April, Bedat launched a dressy, elegant large-format watch, the 797. It starts at about $3,950 in America. "It is easier for the brand to make a statement and for the consumer to feel that he or she got value for [the] money," says Bédat. Nonetheless, there is also a practical side to wearing these massive wristwatches. Those who are beginning to find small print difficult to see will have fewer problems telling the time with a jumbo timepiece. A number of these watches were originally designed for just that. Divers (Panerai) in murky water needed to see at a glance how long they've been under and pilots (International Watch Co., Breitling and Chronoswiss) couldn't take their eyes away from their flight path for more than an instant to check the time over Germany or the United States. "There are models out there that are large to be large, but for us functionality is part of the design," says Lisa Roman, director of marketing for Breitling USA. Most of Breitling's promotional material focuses on the company's history of producing aviator's watches, such as the Super Avenger. "More complicated movements need larger cases. For example, our new Bentley Motors watch with the added chronograph capabilities of its 30-second chronograph is driven by our new caliber 25 movement. The Emergency Mission at 45mm is housed with an electronic transmitter. So size is integral to function." Some big watches, however, are unabashedly 100 percent fashion statements. Beverly Hills attorney turned jeweler Ali Soltani began his own brand, Ritmo Mundo, in March 2002 with a love for mega-wristwatches. "It's a lifestyle watch," says Soltani, whose family owns the chic Rodeo Drive jeweler David Orgell. His newest Ritmo Mundo, the Palazzo, has a whopping 52mm diameter case and sells for about $1,800. All his watches are made in Italy with French or Swiss movements. "It's nice to wear a $1,200 or $1,800 watch that is inspired by those that cost $20,000 or $30,000," says Soltani.. "There is no need to reinvent the wheel. I call it the adult Swatch, for lack of a better phrase. We could afford a $20,000 watch, but it's nice to have a few that don't break the bank." A new monster watch brand seems to appear every few months, and Italy is a key breeding ground. "Large watches have been around for a long time already—especially in Italy," says Bédat. "Certain brands less established are producing very large watches, so they are easier to stand out from the rest. Some brands became famous and trendy due to the size and unique design they offered." Two small, relatively new Italian brands making waves with grandi orologi are Anonimo Firenze and TCM. The former takes its inspiration from Panerai. with watches such as the Militare, and the latter resembles the IWC Big Pilot, with its Air First. Anonimo Firenze began manufacturing in 1998 with the intention of maintaining the watchmaking traditions established in Florence by Panerai, which had moved its production facilities to Switzerland in 1997. "We like to say that the Swiss make watch movements and we make watch cases," says Anonimo Firenze founder Federico Massacesi. "We have maintained the great tradition of making sports and military watches in Tuscany with Anonimo. We are grateful to Panerai." The story is similar with TCM (Tierra Cielo Mare), which the Milan-based company Lo. Fo. Ce launched as a watch brand in 2001. "Air First is similar to IWC Pilots because we worked with IWC for many years," says Silvio Arati of Lo. Fo. Ce, whose largest Air First pilot's watch measures a massive 55 mm in diameter. "It was like a small family and we helped develop the Italian market for them as well as creating new watch designs. So it was [natural] for us to start our own creations." Regardless of design origins, monster watches are here to stay. The only question is how much larger they can become. "There is a limit to the size of a watch," says Nadine Iskenderian, marketing and public relations manager for IWC. "Some companies appear to be competing for the production of the ever larger watch; however, in reality there comes a point where the watch is uncomfortable to wear." Source : Dec Issue Wine Spectator- www.winespectator.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Nov 2 2004, 03:40 AM What is White Gold and Where Does It Come From? There is no such thing as white gold! There are however gold alloys which appear white, silvery, or grey. When jewellers speak of white gold, they mean white gold alloys. In most other major languages these alloys are described as grey rather than white. We will stick to "white". Gold Alloys Gold itself is a yellow metallic element but, in its pure form, it is too soft to be used for general jewellery purposes, although there are some cultures which do wear pure gold jewellery, it would need to be heavily made and carefully used. The yellow colour of gold is caused by gold absorbing violet and blue light, but reflecting yellow and red light. It is usual for gold to be mixed with other metals to produce an alloy, which is simply a mixture of two or more metals. Throughout history, most people have preferred the colour of gold jewellery to remain close to that of pure gold itself, and so most jewellery has historically been made using yellow gold alloys. Other metals mixed with gold to produce alloys include copper and silver, which are the common components of most yellow gold alloys, and nickel, zinc, and palladium to produce white alloys. White Gold Alloys with Nickel White gold alloys became fashionable in the 1920's, mainly as a substitute for platinum, which had itself recently become fashionable. Platinum is quite expensive, needs greater temperatures than gold, and is generally considered harder to work with than gold, although it is ideal for use in diamond settings. At least three patents were issued for different "recipes" of white gold alloys during the 1920's, using different components to produce the whitening or "bleaching" effect. Simply mixing a white and a yellow metal together does not just produce a pale yellow colour, alloying produces a difference in the atomic structure which alters the reflectivity of light of different wavelengths. The commonest metal which causes a significant bleaching effect in gold is nickel, which has the great advantage of being inexpensive, and also providing, in 18 carat alloys, a good colour match for platinum, however its colour matching in 14 and 9 carat alloys is poor. It also has the serious defect that it commonly causes dermatitis, through allergic reactions when worn in contact with the skin. It is also considered to be slightly carcinogenic. E.C. Regulations covering the use of nickel in jewellery are being implemented, and soon all or most new jewellery sold in the Community will have to be nickel-free, or at least "nickel-safe". Most American and Italian white gold alloys use nickel. A typical nickel containing white gold alloy might be, in parts per thousand: Gold 750, Copper 55, Nickel 145, Zinc 50 White Gold Alloys with Palladium The other metal which is ideal as a constituent of white gold alloys is palladium, which is a close relative of platinum. Its main disadvantage is that it is quite expensive, indeed at the time of writing this, the market price of palladium was higher than that of gold, due to Russian economic and production problems. Its second disadvantage is the high melting point, although jewellery manufacturing and repair equipment has improved, so that most workshops can now cope. A hidden factor in the high cost of alloy components is that there are large proportions of scrap produced during jewellery manufacture. Because this involves expensive precious metal alloys, recycling and reclamation of the precious metals is very important. When scrap contains high levels of expensive metals like palladium, there are extra costs involved in recovering it, which have to be added back to the production costs. Other possible whiteners include silver, platinum, chromium, cobalt, tin, zinc, and indium. Silver would be an ideal constituent, with excellent working properties, but unfortunately it does not have a very great bleaching effect. Copper does not tend to whiten, but is used to improve the ductility of most white gold alloys. A typical palladium containing white gold alloy might be, in parts per thousand: Gold 750, Silver 40, Copper 40, Palladium 170 Source: http://www.24carat.co.uk/whatiswhitegold.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Nov 2 2004, 03:41 AM Rose, Red and Pink Gold Alloys It is very simple to produce a gold alloy with a reddish colouration. All that is needed is to increase the proportion of copper in the mixture. To maintain the correct proportion of gold in the alloy, this usually means decreasing the silver content. In the past, many goldsmiths have reduced the silver content and increased the copper content to save cost, as copper is less expensive than silver. We encounter many people who believe that red gold is old gold, and vice versa; also that old gold is better than new gold. Neither of these beliefs are accurate. Certainly, some old gold was reddish, and some old gold is better than some new gold, but not necessarily. So what is the difference between red, rose, and pink golds? Only the name. All three are basically the same, although "rose" gold has a certain romantic marketing ring to it! Many goldsmiths use all three expressions interchangeably, as I do. However, the words rose and pink carry softer overtones, so I tend to use red to denote a deeper red, and pink or rose to denote a softer, warmer colour. It is not often realised that there are only two metallic elements which are not silvery coloured. Gold is yellow, and copper is red. By adjusting the proportions of these metals, gold, silver and copper, it is possible to vary the colour from very pale yellow, usually called "green" gold, to a deep red, or to a deep gold. Source: http://www.24carat.co.uk/whatisrosegold.html Posted by: Neo Nov 2 2004, 03:42 AM Green Gold Alloys Green gold alloys are made by leaving the copper out of the alloy mixture, and just having gold and silver. In most cases, it is more of a greenish yellow, rather than what most people would describe as green. Eighteen carat green gold would therefore contain:- Gold 75%; Silver 25% Most green gold alloys are rather soft to be used for general jewellery purposes, but it can be used very effectively for decorative effects on hand-made pieces of jewellery Source: http://www.24carat.co.uk/whatisgreengold.html Posted by: Neo Nov 2 2004, 04:55 AM What is STERLING Silver? Pure silver, like pure gold, is too soft to be durable, and must be mixed (alloyed) with other metals. Copper and zinc are preferred choices. They toughen the alloy while enhancing silver's bright natural sheen. Sterling Silver is 92.5% pure silver alloyed with copper or zinc. The name comes from the Easterling area of Germany where the original silver craftsmen lived. According to ancient mystic lore, silver can ward off werewolves and other demons, and some claim it enhances psychic powers. Today, most of the world's mined silver comes from Mexico, the US, Peru, Canada and Australia. Nearly a fifth of the world's output comes from Mexico. Posted by: Neo Nov 2 2004, 05:30 AM Caratage or Karatage? The 'Karat Code' Because gold is naturally a soft, malleable metal, in order to make jewellery it must be alloyed with other elements to strengthen it. The UK The 'karat code' shown on the hallmark in the UK will tell you how much pure gold your jewellery contains. The word 'carat' comes from Arabic, meaning "bean seed", because years ago seeds were used to measure the weight of gold and precious stones. Now though, karat literally means the amount of gold an item of jewellery contains. Pure gold is 24 carat or 99.99% pure. The ultimate in richness with a unique supple quality that lets it be shaped and moulded into spectacular jewellery with a glow than transcends all others. Much of today's gold is mixed with a percentage of alloys - metals that modifies the colour of gold and make it harder, and stronger. The karat mark tells you the percentage of pure gold to alloy. The higher the karat, the purer the gold. For example, 18 carat gold is 75% pure and 25% alloyed metals. If a piece of jewellery is 22 karat gold, it is hallmarked in the UK with the numbers 916 meaning 91.6% pure gold (22 parts pure to 2 parts alloy). The Karat Mark U.S. Karat Markings In the U.S. "Karat" with a "K" is a measure of gold's purity. "Carat" with a "C" measures the size of a gemstone. The karat mark tells you the percentage of pure gold to alloy. 24K is 100% pure gold18K is 75% gold14K is 58.3% gold10K is 41.7% gold European Karat Markings 999 is 24K gold750 is 18K gold585 is 14K gold The higher the carat quality the greater the proportion of gold it will contain. Countries across the world allow different minimum carat standards. For example, in France and Italy the lowest permitted standard for gold is 18 carat, in Germany it is 8 carat and in the USA it is 10 carat gold. In Britain, however, the minimum standard has been 9 carat since the First World War when gold was in short supply. There are also other marks with other meanings on fine gold jewellery. Ask your local jeweller to explain the markings and what they mean. Source: http://www.gold.org/jewellery/goldandyou/karatage/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Nov 3 2004, 11:27 AM List of watch firms related to their owners http://www.gucci.com/ Bedat & Co.BoucheronGucciYves Saint Laurent John Arnold & Son*Thomas EarnshawGeorge Graham*Thomas MudgeDaniel QuareThomas Tompion*PK Time Group(••) http://www.lvmh.com/ChaumetChristian DiorFavre-LeubaFredDonna KaranTAG-HeuerZenith Movado GroupCoach (Made under Contract)ConcordEbelESQMovadoVIZIONote: Movado Group doesn't own Coach, but makes it under contract, Ebel was bought from LVMH in december 2003. http://www.richemont.com/ [*]A.Lange & Söhne (60% Stake) [*]Baume & Mercier [*]Cartier [*]Alfred Dunhill [*]IWC [*]Jaeger-LeCoutre [*]Mont Blanc [*]Officine [*]Panerai [*]Piaget http://www.fhs.ch/Esowind.htm [*]Daniel [*]JeanRichard [*]Girard-Perregaux [*]Tradema http://www.swatchgroup.com/ [*]Balmain [*]Blancpain [*]Breguet [*]Certina [*]cK/Calvin Klein [*]Endura [*]ETA/Valjoux (movements) [*]Fendi* [*]Flik-Flak [*]Glashütte Original [*]Glashütte Union [*]Hamilton [*]Jacquet-Droz [*]Lanco [*]Lemania (movements) [*]Leon Halot [*]Longines [*]Mido [*]Omega [*]Pierre [*]F. Piguet (movements) [*]Rado [*]Swatch [*]Tissot [*]Unitas [*]Universo (watch hands) * Majority owner of Fendi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Nov 3 2004, 03:46 PM LEGAL : a watch from Switzerland, a Swiss watch Ordinance governing the use of the appellation "Switzerland" or "Swiss" for watches. (Of December 23, 1971) (Status as of July 1st. 1995) The Swiss Federal Council considering Article 50 of the Federal Act of August 28, 1992 concerning the protection of trade marks decrees : Art. 1 : Definition of the watch An appliance for the measurement of time is considered to be a watch if its movement is not more than 50 millimeters in breadth, length or diameter or if its thickness, measured with the main plate and the bridges, does not exceed 12 millimeters. For the breadth, length or diameter, only such dimensions as are technically necessary are taken into consideration. Art. 1a : Definition of the Swiss watch A watch is considered to be Swiss if : a. its movement is Swiss; b. its movement is cased up in Switzerland and c. the manufacturer carries out the final inspection in Switzerland. Art. 2 : Definition of the Swiss watch movement A movement is considered to be Swiss if : a. it has been assembled in Switzerland; b. it has been inspected by the manufacturer in Switzerland and c. the components of Swiss manufacture make up for at least 50 percent of the value, without considering the cost for assembly. For the calculation of the value of the component parts of Swiss manufacture according to 3. c. above, the following rules are applicable : a. The cost of the dial and hands is taken into consideration only when they are fitted in Switzerland; b. The cost of assembly may be taken into consideration when a certification procedure provided for by an international treaty guarantees that, owing to close industrial cooperation, the foreign and the Swiss component parts are of equivalent quality. Art. 3 : Conditions of using the name "Swiss" The name "Switzerland", indications such as "Swiss, "Swiss product", "manufactured in Switzerland", "Swiss quality" or other appellations which contain the name "Swiss" or "Switzerland" or which may be confused therewith may be used solely for Swiss watches or watch movements. If the watch is not Swiss, the indications appearing in the 15th paragraph may nevertheless be applied to Swiss movements, provided they are not visible to the watch purchaser. The indication "Swiss movement" may be applied to watches which contain a Swiss movement. The word "movement" must appear written out in full in the same type face, dimension and colour as the appellation "Swiss". The 1st and 3rd paragraphs above are also applicable, when these appellations are used in translation (in particular "Swiss", "Swiss made", "Swiss movement") with the true indication of origin of the watch or with the addition of words such as "style", "type", "form" or other word combinations. Are further considered as use, beside applying these indications on watches or their packing : a. the sale, offering for sale or putting into circulation of watches bearing such an indication; b. the application thereof to signs, advertisements, prospectuses, invoices, letters or commercial papers. Art. 4 : Marking indications of origin on watch cases A watch case is considered to be Swiss if it has undergone in Switzerland at least one essential manufacturing operation (to wit stamping, turning or polishing), if it has been assembled and tested in Switzerland and if at least 50 per cent of the cost of manufacture (excluding the value of the material) is accounted for by operations carried out in Switzerland. The appellations mentioned in Article 3, 1st and 4th paragraphs may be applied only to watch cases which are intended for watches in the sense of Article 1 a. The indication "Swiss case" or its translation may be applied to Swiss watch cases, which are not intended for Swiss watches in the sense of article 1a. When such an indication is applied to the exterior of the case, the indication of origin of the watch or of the movement must be conspicuously indicated on the watch. Art. 5 : Marking indications of origin on watch dials The appellations mentioned in Article 3, 1st and 4th paragraphs may be applied only to dials which are intended for watches in the sense of Article 1 a. The indication "Swiss dial" or its translation may be applied to the back of Swiss dials, which are not intended for Swiss watches in the sense of Article 1 a. Art. 6 : Marking indications of origin on other components of watches The appellations mentioned in Article 3, 1st and 4th paragraphs may be applied only to components which are intended for watches in the sense of Article 1 a. Exported Swiss ebauches (movement blanks) as well as movements produced with such ebauches may however bear the indication "Swiss parts". Art. 7 : Samples and collection thereof Notwithstanding Article 3, 2nd para. and Articles 4 to 6, watch cases, dials, movements and other components may bear Swiss indications of origin when they are : a. exported separately in the form of samples or collections thereof; b. manufactured in Switzerland and c. not intended for sale. Art. 8 : Penal provisions Infringements of the prescriptions of this Ordinance come within the penal provisions of the Act concerning the protection of trade marks. Art. 9 : Coming into force - The present ordinance shall come into force on January 1, 1972. - Final provision of the modification of May 27, 1992. - Enterprises which, at the date of coming into force of the present amendment, have already lawfully and durably made use of one of the protected appellations whithin the meaning of Article 3, 1 st and 4th paragraphs, shall be entitled to continue such use during a period of five years following the coming into force of the present amendment, even if the casing-up and final checking by the manufacturer take place abroad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Nov 3 2004, 04:23 PM Ancient Watch Applications Throughout the ages, mankind has used a variety of simple to advanced techniques to measure time; the sun, water, candles, sand, pendulum, weights, springs, electric current, tuning forks, quartz crystal, ammonia atomic clock, cesium atomic clock. Many different persons lay claim to the invention of the same advancements. An example of this is the system of winding and setting through the crown. It seems as if everybody has tried to claim this as their own invention. Some watch makers/companies claim to have invented such mechanisms but never had them patented. Shadow Clock A vertical stick, gnomon, or obelisk that casts a shadow is a Sundial. and they were used as early as 3500 BC. In 1500 BC Egyptians had portable sundials. There is an Egyptian sundial from the 8th century BC that is still in existence. Sundial Sundials tell Apparent sun time, while your clock tells Mean Solar Time. Four times yearly Sundials and clocks agree. However, the Sundial time is sometimes 16 minutes faster and sometimes 14 minutes slower than your clock time. This difference is known as "The Equation of Time". There are tables available to use for converting the Sundial time to your local Mean Solar time. Water Clep'sy'dras is a Greek word meaning kleptein,"to steal"; hydor,"water". Ancient water clocks from Egypt date back to 1400 BC. Ctesibius of Alexandria a Greek physicist and inventor improved the ancient Egyptian clepsydra in the 3rd century BC, in which water dripping into a container raised a float that carried a pointer to mark the hours. He attached a float with a rack that turned a toothed wheel where he put gadgets such as birds and ringing bells. The American Indian used a small boat as a water clock. There was a small hole to let water drip out and graduated lines on the inside of the boat to show the passing of time.. There have been water clocks that used a siphon to automatically recycle itself. Another interesting method was the cylinder into which water dripped from a reservoir with a float to provide readings against a scale on the cylinder wall. This cylinder water clock was used by the Romans. In the 16th century AD the Clepsydras were used by Galileo to time his experimental falling objects. Later in history an improved version was invented simular to the hourglass. Candles Candles were used in ancient times as a device for measuring the passing of time by marking intervals along the length of the candle. The Candle was used as an alarm clock by putting a nail into the wax, whenever the candle wax melted down to the nail then the nail would fall into a tin pan and make a noise. In ancient times Egyptians used tallow, a substance of animals, to make candles. Romans were the first to use the wick, a heavy string in the middle of the candle. In the Middle Ages beeswax, taken from the honeycomb was used, however it was an expensive item. In the mid 1800's paraffin wax which is distilled from oil came into use. It burned clean and did not produced unpleasant odors. Today candles are still made from paraffin wax and heavy string for the wick. Sand The Hourglass is an instrument for measuring time, it is of ancient origin. The date of its invention is unknown. It has also been called a Sand Clock. It can be designed for different time periods. It is a glass vessel which has two compartments. The uppermost compartment has a quantity of sand, water, or mercury which runs into the lower compartment during a period of time. The Sandglass was used by navies as a timekeeper and to find the speed of the ship. For measuring speed a log line was thrown overboard in which knots had been tied at regular intervals. By counting how fast the knots appeared, they could reckon how many "knots," or nautical miles an hour the ship traveled. The Sandglass was calibrated in seconds, or minutes or hours. For timekeeping the four-hour and half-hour Sandglass was used. The days at sea were divided into six four-hour watches. The half-hour Sandglass was carefully tended, turning it as soon as the sand had run through and striking a bell for all aboard to hear. Likewise, at the end of four hours the hourglass was turned. This method of bell ringing and watches is still used aboard many ships to this day. Pendulum In 1583 Galileo demonstrated that successive beats of a pendulum always take place in the same length of time, regardless of the distance through which the "pendulum do swing". The wheel or ring that replaced the verge and foliot escapement is called a Balance Wheel, which was first used in about 1400. However, the verge and foliot continued to be used until around 1650. In about 1656 Christiaan Huygens designed the first weight-driven clock with a pendulum instead of a verge and foliot escapement or balance wheel, and this made it possible to have some accuracy in timekeeping. It is believed Robert Hooke invented the first anchor escapement sometime before Huygens used it in his clock. The anchor escapement was invented about the time that the pendulum clock came into use. Huygen's design used a recoil escapement with an escape wheel and anchor with pallets called an Anchor Escapement. With the anchor escapement a pendulum swing was reduced from about 85 degrees to about 10 or 15 degrees, therefore much less energy is needed to keep the pendulum in motion which improved accuracy. And clocks could be made much smaller. The Pendulum has a natural frequency that is independent of amplitude and the frequency does not depend on the weight of the pendulum, only its length and the acceleration of gravity. The period of a pendulum is influenced by the strength of gravity which varies with latitude and elevation. The period of a pendulum will be greater on a mountain than at sea level. Other influences to the pendulum is caused by the room temperature, if it rises just 4 F degrees the clock will lose one second a day. If the pendulum has a length of 39 inches you can have a fairly accurate second hand.... But, if the pendulum is just .001 inch too long it will lose one second a day. There are methods to compensate for errors caused by temperature, for example the use of the metal alloy Invar. The minute hand begins to come into use in about 1680, and the second hand a few years later as the use of the pendulum developed. Weights Mechanical clocks with an escapement came into use sometime around 1285. These mechanical timepieces had a verge and foliot which were used for the mechanism that sounded a bell. The name CLOCK, which originally meant BELL, came into use when there were very large mechanical time indicators installed in bell towers in the late Middle Ages. These Clocks were not accurate One of he first public clock to strike the hour was in Milan in about 1335 AD. The clocks had only one hand, the hour hand. Weight driven clocks which were introduced before 1400 AD and regulated by a verge escapement. had mechanisms known as the verge and foliot or balance beam with a crown wheel, which resulted in a mechanical relaxation oscillator. Springs The Second and Minute Hand The spring-powered clock was invented in about 1510 by Peter Henlein of Nuremberg, Germany, however the spring-powered clock did have its problems, that of slowing down when the mainspring unwound. The force of the mainspring is greater when fully wound than when it is almost run down. To solve this problem Jacob Zech of Prague, in about 1525, used a Fusee, or spiral pulley, to equalize the uneven pull of the spring. The fusee is a cone shaped grooved pulley used together with a barrel that contains the mainspring. Jost Burgi (1552 - 1632) has been credited with having invented the first clock with a minute hand in about 1577, however, it was not until the invention of the pendulum-regulated clock after 1656 that a minute hand became practical. Electric Current Battery Clocks In 1840 the first Battery clock used an electrical impulse to operate the dials of a centrally located master clock. The electric current replaced the weight and spring as a source of power. Then in 1906 the first self contained battery driven clock was invented. The master clock system using electricity gives a direct impulse to the pendulum which in turn moves the clock's gear train. Synchronous Electric Motor Clock The synchronous electric motor came into use in 1918. Patented by Henry Ellis Warren in 1916. The synchronous electric motor runs in step with the frequency of the electric power source which in the USA is 60 cycles per second. The electric motor is coupled to a reduction gear that drives the clock’s hands. A synchronous electric motor being used in a clock is wholly dependent on the frequency stability of the AC current which is supplied by the power company. The synchronous electric motor clock can be made into a precision time instrument by the use of the tuning fork. Tuning Forks Invented sometime before 1752 by JohnShore. A Tuning Fork is a U-Shaped two pronged steel bar. It can be tuned to an exact frequency and retains that for many years. It produces a pure tone, without any harmonics or overtones. The first Tuning Fork Clock (fork-clock) by N. Niaudet was described at the Academy of Sciences on December 10, 1866, and which was shown at the expositions of the University of Paris in 1867. Quartz Crystal The piezoelectric effect was discovered by the Curie brothers in 1880 Pierre and Paul-Jacques Curie. The first Quartz Crystal was applied in a clock in 1929. W.A. Marrison and J.W. Horton invented the original quartz clock, which at that time was very large indeed. The quartz crystal can be designed to oscillate at high frequencies such as 100,000 cycles per second. The use of the quartz crystal is known as the piezoelectric effect. This property exhibited by certain crystals of generating a voltage when subjected to an electric field causes it to oscillate a given frequency. If a 100,000 cycle per second frequency is subjected to a combined electrical and mechanical gearing reduction of 6,000,000 to one ratio, then the second hand of the synchronous clock will make exactly one rotation in 60 seconds. This clock can have an accuracy of one second every 10 years. The piezoelectric effect using quartz crystals was discovered by the Curie brothers in 1880, and in the years following was studied extensively by them. They found that when quartz and certain other crystals are stressed, an electric potential is induced in nearby conductors and, conversely, that when such crystals are placed in an electric field, they are deformed a small amount proportional to the strength and polarity of that field. Ammonia Atomic Clock There was major event in the development of the first Atomic Clock in 1949. This atomic clock was based on an absorption line in the ammonia molecule. An atomic clock is really just a frequency standard in which a running count of oscillations is recorded. This distinction between atomic clock and atomic frequency standard is analogous to the pendulum clock where the pendulum frequency standard is used to drive an escapement mechanism that keeps track of the ticks thus producing a clock. From the very beginning of this program, it was believed that atomic beam methods offered the best approach to an atomic frequency standard. The Second is now established as 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of cesium-133. The Atomic Clock, with an accuracy of better than one second in six million years, known as the NIST-7, (in service from 1993 to 1999) differs from its predecessors in that the process used for selecting and detecting atomic states involves laser-manipulation rather than magnetic-deflection methods. This was the first major change in design for cesium-beam frequency standards. NIST F-1 Atomic Clock is referred to as a fountain clock, it is the new cesium atomic clock at NIST's Boulder, Colorado Laboratories and it is one of the most accurate clocks in the world. Cesium Atomic Clock The new cesium atomic clock at NIST's Boulder, Colo., laboratories, began its role as the nation's primary frequency standard by contributing to an international pool of the world's atomic clocks that is used to define Coordinated Universal Time (known as UTC), the official world time. Because NIST F-1 shares the distinction of being the most accurate clock in the world (with a similar device in Paris), it is making UTC more accurate than ever before. NIST F-1 recently passed the evaluation tests that demonstrated it is approximately three times more accurate than the atomic clock it replaces, NIST-7, also located at the Boulder facility. NIST-7 has been the primary atomic time standard for the United States since 1993 and is among the best time standards in the world. NIST F-1 is referred to as a fountain clock because it uses a fountain-like movement of atoms to obtain its improved reckoning of time. First, a gas of cesium atoms is introduced into the clock's vacuum chamber. Six infrared laser beams then are directed at right angles to each other at the center of the chamber. The lasers gently push the cesium atoms together into a ball. In the process of creating this ball, the lasers slow down the movement of the atoms and cool them to near absolute zero. Two vertical lasers are used to gently toss the ball upward (the "fountain" action), and then all of the lasers are turned off. This little push is just enough to loft the ball about a meter high through a microwave-filled cavity. Under the influence of gravity, the ball then falls back down through the cavity. As the atoms interact with the microwave signal—depending on the frequency of that signal—their atomic states might or might not be altered. The entire round trip for the ball of atoms takes about a second. At the finish point, another laser is directed at the cesium atoms. Only those whose atomic states are altered by the microwave cavity are induced to emit light (known as fluorescence). The photons (tiny packets of light) emitted in fluorescence are measured by a detector. This procedure is repeated many times while the microwave energy in the cavity is tuned to different frequencies. Eventually, a microwave frequency is achieved that alters the states of most of the cesium atoms and maximizes their fluorescence. This frequency is the natural resonance frequency for the cesium atom—the characteristic that defines the second and, in turn, makes ultraprecise timekeeping possible. The NIST F-1 clock's method of resolving time differs greatly from that of its predecessor, NIST-7. That device—and the versions before it—fired heated cesium atoms horizontally through a microwave cavity at high speed. NIST F-1's cooler and slower atoms allow more time for the microwaves to "interrogate" the atoms and determine their characteristic frequency, thus providing a more sharply defined signal. NIST F-1 was developed by Steve Jefferts and Dawn Meekhof of the Time and Frequency Division of NIST's Physics Laboratory in Boulder, Colo. It was constructed and tested in less than four years. This new standard is more accurate by a wide margin than any other clock in the United States and assures the nation's industry, science and business sectors continued access to the extremely accurate timekeeping necessary for modern technology-based operations. Together with the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., NIST provides official time to the nation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Nov 3 2004, 04:43 PM History of Watches Beginning in 1480 to today many things have changed ... some have not. 1480 - 1511: The beginnings of portable time-keeping. In Nürnberg, Germany, Peter Henlein creates the first pocket watch. It is made of gilded brass and has only one hand giving the approximate time. It is ball shaped, yet oddly named a "Nürnberg Egg". Henlein's invention would soon be imitated and other Nürnberg Eggs followed. 1485: Leonardo da Vinci sketches a fusee for a clock. This system would later be used in watches. 1535: Religion has had a strong influence on the watch industry, and it had a major impact at this time. Martin Luther's Protestant reformation took over Geneva. In 1535, Geneva had no watch making industry to speak of and was mostly known for its jewelry. 1541: Jean Calvin now moved to Geneva and turned it into the center of the reformation. As word of this spread, Protestants from Paris and other watch making centers fled to Geneva. Calvin had imposed many strict laws banning theater, dancing, and other forms of art and entertainment. This included a ban on wearing elaborate clothing and jewelry. Initially this seemed like doom for Geneva's many fine jewelers, but one loophole in Calvin's laws gave them opportunity. Calvin considered watches an item of practical use, therefore allowed in his new strict Protestant Geneva. Geneva's jewelers then collaborated with the watchmakers who had recently fled there to make watches with jewels, enamels, and engravings. This collaboration spawned the beginning of Geneva's luxury watch industry. 1575: Watches are now getting more drum shaped and until 1600 also get more oval shaped. Early 1600s: Form watches are now starting to become popular. The cases are shaped like animals and objects. Religious themes are very popular, like skulls (for death) and crucifixes. Mid 1600s: By now watches were coming with pair cases. These had an outer case to protect the inner case of the watch. 1635: This was around the time that the fusee was adapted from clocks to watches. This helped get equal power to the mainspring regardless of whether the watch was fully wound or nearly out of reserve power. 1659-1675: Christian Huygens in Holland invents the "Remontoire". This keeps a more constant force on the escapement. Also during this time the spiral hairspring for the balance wheel was invented. There are claims that either Robert Hooke invented this in 1664 or Christian Huygens in 1675. There is also a claim that Thomas Thompion did in the same year. Regardless of who invented it, it made great stride in terms of accuracy. Now watches were accurate to within a few minutes, adding the use for a minute hand on watch dials. 1687: Daniel Quare patents the repeating mechanism that uses bells to sound quarter hours and the hours. 1700: The horizontal cylinder escapement is invented by either Thompion or George Graham. 1704: Peter and Jacob Debaufre, along with Nicolas Facio, are the first to use rubies in watch movements. This greatly reduces friction which improves accuracy and increases longevity of parts. 1715: George Graham invents the dead-beat escapement. 1725: George Graham invents the cylinder escapement which makes watches much slimmer. 1750: Around this time, watch makers began using enamel on watch dials to make them easier to read. Today, making a genuine enamel dial is very labor intensive, therefore expensive. 1755: Jean Marc Vacheron begins making his own watches. He would later join with Francois Constantin to form Vacheron Constantin. 1759: Thomas Mudge invents the English lever escapement. The key advantage of this movement being that the watch can be wound without stopping or losing time. 1761-1762: John Harrison's marine chronometer is the first timepiece to successfully determine longitude at sea. At the time, there was a large monetary award for whomever could be the first to accurately determine longitude at sea. Before then, many sailors perished on ships lost at sea that eventually ran aground and found themselves in the wrong spot or at the wrong time. Astronomers claimed to have the solution by using the stars for longitude, while watch and clock makers raced to solve the problem with timing. Both factions raced to earn the prize. Harrison had many competitors and some tried to stop him, but after many years and four different chronometers, he succeeded in spite of the heavy composition. 1770: Watch cases were now getting more elaborate. Machine turned cases, cases made of tortoiseshell, and enamel painted cases were all making the pocket watch more decorative. 1773: John Harrison collects his prize for his marine chronometer.at last. 1775: Abraham Louis Breguet sets up his own watch making shop in Paris, France. 1780: Abraham Louis Perrelet, one of Breguet's early instructors, invents the self winding movement. Breguet would later improve this feature. 1783: Abraham Louis Breguet invents the gong spring for repeaters. He also designs his own style hands and numbers, which are still named after him today. The gong spring helped make repeaters much smaller. 1783: Breguet begins work on his famous "Queen Marie Antoinette" watch. The watch features self winding, minute repeating, perpetual calendar, independent seconds, equation of time, thermometer, and power reserve. It also had a rock crystal dial to show off the amazing movement. Unfortunately the watch took so long to complete that the Queen never got to see the final product. In 1983 it was stolen from a museum in Jerusalem and to this day the watch has not been recovered. 1786: Breguet is the first to use guilloche on watch dials, which not only made them more attractive but also more legiblel. 1790: Breguet invents the parachute anti lock device to protect the balance wheel. 1791: J.F. Bautte founded the watch company that would eventually become Girard-Perregaux. 1795: Breguet invents the tourbillon. One of his greatest achievements, this device compensates for positional errors in the escapement caused by gravity. It remains one of the most difficult mechanisms to manufacture today. 1795: Breguet invents the Breguet over coil balance spring. This greatly improves accuracy and is still used in high quality mechanical watches. 1798: Breguet invents the "Sympathique". This is a clock and watch set. When the watch is not in use, it sets into a recess in the clock. The clock would then adjust and reset the watch. Later versions also rewound the watch. In 1991 this system was adapted to a wristwatch / clock set. 1799: Breguet invents the "Tact" watch, also known as the "watch for the blind". With this watch, the wearer could feel the exposed pointer on the case to determine the time. Late 1700s: With all of the latest technical innovations, movements are now much smaller, and form watches reemerge in even more styles than before. Early 1800s: Thanks to Breguet's invention of the gong spring, repeaters are much more compact and repeaters are now getting very popular. 1801: Breguet gets the patent for the tourbillon. 1807: Thomas Young invents the recording chronograph. 1809: Luther Goddard of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts is the first watch manufacturer in America. He has produced only approximately 600 watches in total. 1810: Breguet makes the first wristwatch for the Queen of Naples. There are many other claims to the first wristwatch title, but Breguet's is documented. 1820: Thomas Prest registers a patent for the self winding watch. 1821: Rieussec gets a patent the chronograph. There are also claims that Breguet invented this. 1827: The Breguet "Marie Antoinette" watch is finally completed four years after Abraham Louis Breguet's death. The major part of the work was executed by Michael Weber, one of the firm's best watchmakers. 1830: Seven years after Breguet's death, the Breguet company introduces a watch that can be wound or set using only one crown. Breguet, along with many other companies, would claim to be the first to have invented this. 1833: Antoine LeCoultre starts his own watchmaking business. It would later become Jaeger-LeCoultre. 1837: The first Tiffany store opens. 1838: The Swiss watch firm Audemars claims to have developed the first watch that can be wound or set through the crown. 1843: Adrien Philippe, of Patek Philippe fame, develops a watch with winding and setting through the crown. 1844: The start, stop, and reset chronograph is invented by Adolph Nicole; he works on this development until 1862. 1844: Antoine LeCoultre invents the millionometre. This precise system helps make movements much smaller. 1845: Adolphe Lange begins watchmaking in Glashütte, Germany. 1845: Adrien Philippe joins Patek & Cie to form Patek Philippe & Cie. 1846: Ulysse Nardin is established. 1847: Antoine LeCoultre develops a watch with winding and setting through the crown. 1848: Louis Brandt opens his own workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds; this eventually became the Omega Watch Company. Mid 1800s: Swiss watches now dominate the world market. Ladies jeweled watches are very popular. Thanks to numerous advances in technology, watches are now more mass produced and more affordable. They are also much more accurate. Perpetual calendars. retrograde displays, jumping hours and split second chronographs, were getting popular as well. The Swiss lever escapement is now used more than the English lever because it functions with less wear to the escape wheel and with better accuracy. 1850s: The going barrel replaces the fusee, making watches much more compact. 1851: The "Warren Manufacturing Company" is founded. It would later become the "Waltham Watch Company", one of the most significant watch companies in American history. 1853: Tissot makes the first dual time zone watch. 1856: Eterna is founded. It was originally called U. Schild and adopted the name Eterna only in 1906. 1858: Minerva is founded. 1860: Heuer is founded. They would become known for their chronographs. 1860: Chopard opens. 1865: Zenith founded. 1868: An American from Boston named Florentine Jones moves to Shaffhausen, Switzerland to start International Watch Company, (IWC). 1869: The Illinois Watch Company is founded. 1875: Audemars Piguet & Cie is established. 1880: Girard-Perregaux is the first company to mass produce wristwatches, primarily for military use. 1881: Movado founded. 1884: Breitling starts. 1884: Greenwich, England is officially named the zero meridian and used as the world wide recognized basis of time zones. 1886: Geneva Seal established. 1891: April 19th --Two trains collide in Kipton, Ohio, killing 11 people. This for those days impressive accident occurred because a conductor's watch had stopped, thereby the trains schedule in disarray. After this tragedy, a commission was formed to regulate the standards of railroad watches. With many trains moving so fast on the same tracks, accurate timing had become imperative. These railroad watches had to be durable, accurate, and easy to read in a quick glance. The regulations stated that an official railroad watch could not run fast or slow by 30 seconds or more in a period of 7 to 14 days watches. In these days American watches were by far the most accurate and names like Howard and Waltham ruled the day. 1892: Aarne Bonniksen of Coventry, England invents the "Karrusel". It is similar to the tourbillon, but larger, slower, and less complicated to manufacture. 1892: The Hamilton Watch Company is founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. To day it owned by the Swiss "Swatch Group". 1892: Ingersoll introduces the "Dollar" watch. This inexpensive model brought watches to the masses. By 1916 Ingersoll was making 16,000 watches per day. Their slogan was "The Watch That Made The Dollar Famous". Late 1800s: The wristwatch was now growing in popularity, especially with the military. Many of these were pocket watches with wire lugs attached to accommodate a strap. 1894: Universal Geneve established. 1904: Cartier makes a watch for Alberto Santos Dumont. The watch is sold commercially in 1911 and is still one of Cartier's most popular models and much imitated. 1905: Hans Wilsdorf starts the Rolex Watch Company together with his brother in law. The company was originally named Wilsdorf & Davis. The Rolex name was not officially registered until 1908. 1906: Omega introduces the first minute repeater wristwatch. The movement was made by Audemars Piguet. 1912: Movado introduces the "Polyplan", the first wristwatch with a curved movement and case. There were other watches with curved cases, but a curved movement was a new technical achievement. 1914: Eterna introduces the first wristwatch with an alarm. 1914: The first radio time signal was transmitted from the Eiffel Tower in Paris and in Nordeich, Germany. 1917: Cartier introduces the "Tank" watch, which still enjoys continued success until today. 1918: In Japan, the Shakosha Watch Company opened. This would become Citizen in 1931. 1920: Charles Edouard Guillaume wins the Nobel prize for inventing Invar and Elinvar. The composition of these metals causes them to be almost unaffected by temperature variations. The metals would be used for balance springs, thus greatly improving accuracy. 1920s-1930s: Art Deco styles become popular as wristwatches gain in popularity and pocket watch sales decline. 1923: John Harwood is the first to mass produce a self winding wristwatch. The watch was set by rotating the bezel and had no crown. 1924: In Tokyo, the Seiko brand name is launched by Kinttaro Hattori. It was formerly named "Timekeeper" and watch making was started in 1881. 1925: The first year to use Daylight Savings Time. 1926: Rolex introduces the first waterproof case called the "Oyster". It features a "Twinlock" crown that screws down to keep out moisture. 1927: Mercedes Gleitze swims across the English Channel wearing a Rolex. This was the first great publicity coup for Rolex. There would be many more as Rolex became the most recognized luxury watch brand in history. 1928: Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces the "Atmos", an amazing clock that runs on changes in temperature. A temperature change of just one degree suffices to keep the clock running for up to two days. 1929: The quartz crystal clock is invented by W.A. Marrison. 1929: Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces the world's tiniest watch movement. It measures 14mm x 4.8mm x 3.4mm and weighs 1 gram. 1929: First anti magnetic watch created by Tissot. 1931: Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces the "Reverso". Developed for polo players, the case flips over to expose the back and protect the crystal. One of the world's first sports watches. Today the Reverso is a whole collection of watches including a tourbillon, minute repeater, a double watch, jewelry style and others. 1931: Rolex introduces a self winding model called the "Perpetual". 1932: Patek Philippe introduces their first "Calatrava" model. 1933: Advances in metallurgy make Nivarox the metal of choice for hairsprings. It is harder than Elinvar, anti magnetic, and non rusting. These hair springs come in various grades, with Nivarox 1 being the best. Nivarox is still used in many good watches to day. 1933: Ingersoll introduces the "Mickey Mouse" watch. This is not the first comic character watch, but definitely the most popular. Its great success inspired many other watch companies to offer their own character watches and they are very collectible today. 1935: Gruen introduces the "Curvex". The great success of this model helps fuel the explosion of curved watches that will go into the 1940s. 1936: Universal Geneve introduces the "Compax" chronograph. This was the first chronograph with an hour counter and its style helped launch the popularity of all chronographs. 1937: Edmond Jaeger joins Antoine LeCoultre to form the Jaeger-LeCoultre company in the famous Vallée de Joux in the Jura mountains north-west of Geneva 1942: Breitling introduces the "Chronomat". 1945: Rolex introduces their first "Datejust". 1948: Omega introduces their first "Seamaster". 1948: Eterna is the first to mount the self winding rotor on tiny ball bearings to reduce friction. 1952: Breitling introduces the "Navitimer" which becomes the quintessential pilot's watch. 1953: The "Submariner" introduced by Rolex. 1954: Rolex launches the "GMT Master". 1955: Rene Bannwart, designer for Omega, leaves the company to start up his own watch brand and Company named Corum. 1955: Louis Essen and JVL Perry develop the first Atomic Clock. 1956: Rolex introduces their first model that displays the day and date. 1957: Hamilton introduces the world's first battery driven watch. The watch had its share of problems but marked the beginning of a very serious crisis in the Swiss mechanical watch industry, almost leading to its complete demise. 1957: Buren makes the first self winding watch with a micro rotor. 1959: Piaget introduces the 12P, the thinnest self winding watch in the world at 2.33 mm thick. 1960: Bulova introduces its very successful "Accutron" model. This battery-operated watch replaced the balance wheel with a tuning fork. The system was much more accurate than previous battery operated watches. 1961: Movado introduces the "Museum" watch, a model remaining popular till to day. The dial had been designed 14 years earlier by Nathan George Horwitt. 1962: Rado produces the world's first scratch proof watch called the "Diastar 1", a classic still popular in some markets to day. 1962: ETA of Switzerland develops the first quartz battery operated watch called the "Beta 21". This is by far the most accurate and dependable system to date. Instead of starting to produce quartz watches for the general public, they did not use this new, by them invented, technology and continued to produce mechanical movements. 1966: Girard-Perregaux produces the world's first high frequency mechanical movement, (36,000 vibrations per hour). Most mechanical watches have a rate of 18,800 or 28,800 vibrations per hour. 1969: Seiko introduces the "Astron", the first quartz watch available to the general consumer. Not many Astrons were made, but this marked the beginning of the Japanese quartz watch domination. 1969: Man lands on the moon and NASA choses the Omega Speedmaster as the watch to go to the moon with them. The Omega Speedmaster remains the first watch worn on the moon. 1969: In a race to develop the first self winding chronograph, Zenith and Movado collaborate to introduce the "El Primero". 1970: Hamilton releases the "Pulsar", the first electronic digital watch. At the push of a button, the light emitting diode (LED) would light up the red numbers. This was easy to read, but exhausted batteries quickly. 1972: Longines and Seiko introduce a new type of digital display with the LCD, (Liquid Crystal Display). It displays the time continously, in contrast with the LED's push button method. 1972: Audemars Piguet introduces the "Royal Oak", the first stainless steel luxury sports watch. What seemed risky back then, is the leading trend today. 1974: Paul Picot founded. 1976: Patek Philippe introduces the "Nautilus". 1976: Citizen makes the first light powered watch. 1979: Vacheron Constantin introduces the "Kallista", the world's most expensive watch. With 130 carats of diamonds, it is worth approximately 9 million dollars. 1979: Concord releases the "Delirium", the world's thinnest watch, (1.98mm). As the battle for the thinnest watches continues, the Delirium IV is released at an amazing .98 mm thick. Thin, but not very practical, as the case would bend on the wearer's wrist. 1980: Hublot founded. 1983: Despite the popularity of quartz watches, Gerd Lang starts his own mechanical watch company named Chronoswiss. 1983: SMH of Switzerland launches the Swatch brand. It immediately takes off and gives the inexpensive Japanese quartz watch brands a run for their money. The many different and sometimes crazy styles were an instant success, and at about $35, people bought not just one but many. Several limited edition Swatches have fetched hundreds, even thousands, of Swiss Francs in the collectors' market. 1984: The Texas-based Fossil watch brand is launched. With its retro styling and packaging, Fossil limited editions are an instant success with collectors. Mid 1980s: The mechanical watch starts to make a comeback. Digital "fatigue" and appreciation for the true values of genuine mechanical masterpieces made in a centuries old tradition resurge. 1985: The Swiss Heuer Company merges with TAG to form TAG Heuer. 1985: IWC releases the "Da Vinci", a self winding, perpetual calendar which enjoys continued success today. 1985: Citizen introduces the "Aqualand", the first diver's watch with a depth sensor. 1985: Ulysse Nardin introduces the "Astrolabium Galileo Galilei" which makes it into the Guiness Book of Records. This watch indicates the position of the sun, moon, and stars. It also shows sunrise, sunset, dawn, dusk, moon phases, moon rise and moon set, eclipses of the sun and moon, the month and the day. It was developed by Ulysse Nardin's in house genius Ludwig Öchslin and he would later develop two other complicated watches to form a trilogy set. 1986: Patek Philippe introduces the secular calendar, which factors out the adjustment in the gregorian calendar every 400 years. 1986: Audemars Piguet introduces the first self winding tourbillon. 1987: Alain Silberstein of Besançon, France opens his own watch company. His designs remain truly unique and instantly recognizable. 1988: Chronoswiss makes the first regulator wristwatch. 1988: Ulysse Nardin's Ludwig Öchslin develops the "Planetarium Copernicus", a watch that displays the position of the planets in relation to the Sun and Earth. It also shows the moon rotating around the Earth and has a perpetual calendar indicating the month and signs of the zodiac. 1988: Jean d'Eve and Seiko release watches that are automatic / quartz hybrids. The rotor inside charges the watch, so battery replacement is not necessary. Though this system had its problems, this technology would be improved and reintroduced later by Seiko. 1989: The world's most complicated watch, the Patek Philippe Caliber 89 is sold for 3.2 million dollars (including commissions etc.). It has 33 different functions and took nine years to complete. 1990: Daniel Roth, who was instrumental in the rebirth of the Breguet brand, launches his own brand of watches bearing his name. 1991: Junghans unveils the "Mega 1", the first watch capable of receiving a radio signal to synchronize the watch with an atomic clock. 1991: Franck Muller founded. 1991: At the height of the Swatch craze, the "Kiki Picasso" Swatch sells for 62,000 Swiss Francs. 1992: Timex unveils "Indiglo", a back lit display that illuminates the entire dial equally. This is by far the easiest watch to read in the dark. Today this same system can be found on many watches, ranging from Timex to Omega. 1992: Ulysse Nardin completes their trilogy set with the "Tellurium Johannes Kepler". This piece shows the rotation of the Earth as seen from the North Pole. It also shows which part of the Earth is exposed to the sun, and indicates sunrise and sunset. Lastly it shows the moon rotating around the Earth and eclipses of the sun and the moon. 1994: Seiko unveils the "Kinetic", a greatly improved automatic / quartz hybrid compared to the one they made in 1988. Now there are similar movements in Swiss watches. 1994: The A. Lange & Söhne brand is revived in Germany and quickly earns a position on top of the horological world along with the most prestigious Swiss brands. 1994: After years of planning, Roland Murphy introduces his own watch brand, (RGM). 1995: Symbolic of our lives becoming more dependent on computers, Timex unveils the "Data-Link". The watch "reads" information off of a computer screen to remember schedules, telephone numbers, etc. 1995: Citizen releases a line of "Eco-Drive" solar powered watches. Much better looking (not as obviously solar) than previous solar powered watches (designed by the famous Swiss designer Jörg Hysek), they last an amazing 500 days on a full charge. 1996: Philippe Dufour unveils the "Duality". The movement feature two escapements which average against each other to improve accuracy. This system was developed to rival the tourbillon. 1996: Parmigiani brand launched. 1996: Rado unveils the "Vision 1", a watch that features a crushed diamond crystal. Until now sapphire crystals were the hardest. The Vision 1 remains an experimental model not being produced for the public at large as of yet. 1997: Patek Philippe unveils their "Annual Calendar" which runs without being adjusted for one full year. 1999: Watches that run on the difference in temperature between the air and the wearer's wrist are launched by Seiko (the "Thermic") and Citizen. 1999: Omega unveils the "Co-Axial". This movement was developed by George Daniels and has a new escapement that has less friction, which results in higher accuracy and requires less service. 1999: Casio innovates with the first wristwatch with a built-in Global Positioning System (GPS). 1999: IWC introduces the "Deep One", the first mechanical watch with a depth gauge. 2001: Swatch introduces the thinnest chronograph ever. Tissot introduces the T-Touch - the first touch screen chronograph watch ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted February 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Posted by: Neo Nov 7 2004, 06:49 AM Counterfeit watches, a different market segment Counterfeiting is a different market segment and that has changed, both in terms of who is doing it, where it is being done and the quality of the final product that makes it to the points of sale for counterfeit goods. When most people think of counterfeit watches, they think about the knock-offs sold on the streets of big cities for $10 that are clearly not real. But now the quality of the materials used in fakes has improved, with the goal being to fool the purchaser into thinking the watches are real. According to several sources, counterfeiters are big business and in fact are often linked to organized crime. The geographical location has shifted as well, from Taiwan and Hong Kong to China and South Korea, where labour is cheaper and intellectual property infringement claims are harder to enforce. "Counterfeiting has progressed to the second generation, where the products are so well copied that people are buying fakes believing that those products are genuine," says Marc Frisanco, intellectual property counsel, Richemont Group. "The price of the second generation counterfeit is within 10% of the price of gray market products. With the help and enhancement of the Internet, all the issues are blurred because you don't know if the watches on the screen are fake or genuine." To the casual eye, however, the watches look real. People, including some fringe retailers who can't buy authorized products direct from the manufacturers, buy these counterfeits thinking they are the real, branded watches. Some brands, like Cartier and Swiss Army Brands, are leading the fight against counterfeiters, going undercover to bust them, destroying product and winning huge judgments against them. Source: http://www.europastar.com/europastar/magaz...tent_id=2029233 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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