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Industry - Technotime, a reliable and independent supplier
IW Magazine - July 25, 2012
In just eleven years, Technotime has earned itself a reputation as a credible and reliable independent movement supplier that is an alternative to established Swiss movement manufacturers.
A producer of modules, mechanical manual-winding and automatic movements and tourbillons, its products are customizable both technically and decoratively, allowing for brand differentiation.
One of Technotime's characteristic features, which it considers a competitive advantage, is its use of twin barrels to generate a full five-day power reserve, an optimal torque for driving complications. Additionally, Technotime is one of the few companies capable of making its own balance springs.
Established in 2001, Technotime is located in Les Brenets in the heart of Swiss watchmaking country. It is the successor of a French-Swiss tradition, born from the remains of France ebauches, the last French company to produce mechanical and quartz ebauches and movements. Technotime acquired that company's assets after its bankruptcy. A major turning point for Technotime was in 2003 when it turned its attention to high-end mechanical movements. It launched a complete series of new mechanical movements derived from a basic tractor, then the TT741 automatic column-wheel chronograph with date and small seconds.
According to Sebastien Gigon, Technotime's Sales Manager, the company in 2003 analyzed the market and saw that the Swatch Group was alone in producing mechanical movements.
"The situation was that some brands asked us also to be a producer of mechanical movements," he explains. "We decided to become a competitor of Frederic Piguet, the producer of high-end movements for Breguet and Blancpain."
Introduced in 2003, Technotime's first mechanical construction was the TT651.00 module for either hand-wound or automatic movements, featuring a patented big date with quick-change correction at 12 o'clock, and second time zone with hours and minutes at six o'clock. About thirty brands use it, and this year the module is being updated with an oversized day/night indicator disc making one full rotation every 24 hours, placed on the same axis as the second time zone hands with independent setting of the second time zone that doesn't affect the central time display.
A 10-mm diameter surface area is available on the disc for a brand's designers to customize, and may be fully revealed or left partially visible. Various display options are possible: the second time zone display may be used on its own, without a pointer, by careful transferring of the disc, or the disc may be combined with only the hour hand or with both hour and minute hands. Two discs may also be superimposed, with no hands, where a color appears through the cut-out numerals of the upper disc.
Majority owner
In 2004, Hong Kong-based Chung Nam became a shareholder of Technotime and the group, led by billionaire Charles Chong, now holds a majority of the shares. But in an age where watch brands aim to achieve vertical integration, Technotime moved in the opposite direction. Originally housing the necessary equipment to produce a large part of its movement components, it gave up this capability and near complete integration due to supply chain limits and high costs. This was further aggravated by the economic crisis, which forced the company in 2009 to close its French subsidiary in Valdahon (specializing in bar turning and watch component production) and slash staff numbers.
Instead of complete in-house creations, the company works closely with a network of partner subcontractors, experts in their respective areas of competence. For example, Technotime collaborates closely with Mercier in Breuleux, a company specializing in the finishing of movements and watches, for the assembly of different calibers, such as the TT718 and TT738.
Yet Technotime continues to produce and adjust its own hairsprings at its Les Brenets factory.
"We currently use two alloys to produce the spring and have just launched a partnership with a well-known European research center to test a new alloy with very promising characteristics," explains Gigon. Technotime today employs twenty-two and last year delivered about 11,000 mechanical modules, movements and tourbillons.
Competitions
To prove the quality of its products, one of Technotime's movements was tried and tested at the second edition of the International Chronometry Competition.
A first-time participant, the company subjected its specially-built timepiece to the competition's strict and objective criteria. After its in-house made hand-wound tourbillon Caliber TT791.50 went through three rounds of shock and magnetism tests imposed by the Haute ecole Arc, all validated by the Besançon Observatory and the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), it won third place in the tourbillon category, scoring 791 points out of 1,000, placing behind Greubel Forsey's Double Tourbillon Technique (first) and Chopard's L.U.C Tourbillon Tech Twist All Black (second).
Although that piece was a standard movement, Technotime gave it special attention, especially regarding escapement adjustment and trimming operations to optimize chronometric performance. One week was required for movement assembly, four weeks for adjustment, control and chronometric performance follow-up and two days to design the case, with a subcontractor brought in to make the case.
That competition validates Technotime's work and the recognition marks an important step for Technotime in terms of its watchmaking credibility. The company already has plans to participate in the third edition of the competition in 2013, hoping to score another win.
"Technotime participated in this competition to prove the quality of its movements, and also to demonstrate that a product does not necessarily need to be the most expensive in its class to deliver excellent performance," says Gigon.
Products
Technotime's Calibers TT738.00, a popular "all-terrain" movement (available in self-winding or hand-wound versions), and TT791.00 can be personalized to respond to a client's need to distinguish itself. Its current portfolio offers two modules, one manual-winding movement, one automatic movement and one tourbillon movement.
The movements and tourbillon are available with additional complications (retrograde date, power-reserve indicator and soon a chronograph) or any other specific modules developed by clients. Equipped with in-house manufactured balance springs, these movements may be optionally chronometer-certified by COSC. Technotime obtained its first COSC certification in March 2010.
The company today works with between sixty and eighty customers, including Blacksand, Ebel, Louis Erard, Edox, Hanowa, Andersen Geneve, Maurice Lacroix and Yeslam. Gigon refuses to reveal the full list, saying, "As an engine supplier, to avoid causing prejudice to brands that use our movements by presenting them as their own manufactured movements, we do not disclose the names of our customers, except customers clearly indicating the origin of their movements."
In an environment where the Swiss watch industry is tightening its grip on movement supply, and watch brands are moving to secure provision of movements, Gigon says he expects steady demand for his firm's wares.
"We hope to be able to manage a controlled growth that respects the product and that meets customer expectations, both in terms of quality, meaning the functionality of our movements, and value for money."
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Tennis & Timepieces - Watching Wimbledon
WORLDTEMPUS - 20 July 2012
Wimbledon, whose finals were played on July 8, is now getting ready for the Olympics. The 126th edition of the biggest title in tennis crowned the brand of the crown on the men's side and flashed retro style in the women's event. Miguel Seabra was on the scene and saw so much more.
Wimbledon and Rolex form not only one of the oldest partnerships in the history of sports sponsoring, but are also viewed as an ideal association - a case study since 1978, with both institutions bound by a deep respect for tradition and long-term vision. This is the reason it will seem odd to see Omega as official timekeeper at the All England Club during what will probably be the highest profile Olympic tennis event ever due to the legendary setting and the pedigree of the champions involved (even if Rafael Nadal won't play due to injury). Rolex, however, clearly dominated the recent 126th edition of The Championships, both on and off the courts.
First of all, in one of the most anticipated finals ever the champion that is Rolex's grandest ambassador prevailed: Roger Federer, who receives a reported 15 million Swiss francs per year from the Genevan brand. Showing smooth Swiss precision and displaying his modern classic style, the Basel native dismantled local hero Andy Murray with a blend of old-school sliced backhand shots and tremendous forehand accelerations en route to a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 win that tied him with William Renshaw and Pete Sampras as most Wimbledon title winners (7). A consequence of the triumph, the thirty-something's return to number one in the world's rankings allowed him not only to automatically tie Sampras' benchmark of 286 weeks on top of the tennis hierarchy, but also to surpass him this week for yet another record. And when it was time to lift the trophy he didn't forget to put his timepiece on - even though the shell-shocked Murray forgot to do the same.
My kingdom for a title
The men's singles summit was guaranteed to provide history either way. Federer, who had become the first man ever to play eight Wimbledon finals, seized the moment. Murray, the first Brit to play a Wimbledon final since Henry "Bunny" Austin in 1938, battled valiantly but in the end couldn't become the first to win Wimbledon (or a Grand Slam) since Fred Perry in 1936. The Scot had lost his three previous Grand Slam finals without winning a single set, but started in emphatic fashion, only to be denied once again. Understandably gobsmacked and having signed with Rado a mere three weeks previous, he did not possess the reflex to put his D-Star 200 on for the ceremony that glued the United Kingdom to the telly: during his moving speech, Murray was constantly showing his bare left wrist whereas cameras frequently caught his emotional girlfriend, Kim Sears, sporting a timepiece from Federer's longtime sponsor: a Rolex GMT-Master II.
Ironically, a 24-year-old Federer - who had a steel Rolex Daytona when he won his first Wimbledon in 2003 - also forgot to don his Maurice Lacroix when he won the tournament in 2005, ruining the brand's desire to make posters out of the traditional trophy picture and globally advertise a partnership that didn't last the scheduled five years; Rolex bought the remainder of the contract time back in 2006.
During the final, the cameras also caught a Rolex Daytona in rose gold on Victoria Beckham's wrist and one of Rolex's leading employees in the star-studded Royal Box: Arnaud Boetsch, a former number 12 in the world rankings who gave France the winning point versus Sweden in the 1996 Davis Cup final and the main man behind the brand's comprehensive investment in tennis throughout the past decade. Beside its historical tie with Wimbledon, the Geneva-based company also sponsors another Grand Slam (the Australian Open), the biggest team competitions in the world (Davis Cup and Fed Cup), the year-end championships on both tours (ATP World Tour Finals and WTA Championships) and several Masters 1000 events - including the title-sponsored Monte-Carlo Masters and Shanghai Masters.
Army of ambassadors and a maverick
In an era where there are more watch sponsorships in tennis than ever, Rolex dominates with an army led by Federer that also includes top-tenners Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martin del Potro on the men's side, and Caroline Wozniacki, Ana Ivanovic, Li Na and Zheng Jie among the women. Other notable partnerships include Novak Djokovic, defeated by Federer in the semifinals, who signed with Audemars Piguet right after winning Wimbledon in 2011. Rafael Nadal wasn't able to repeat his 2010 title with Richard Mille, losing in the second round. David Ferrer, who's been wearing Bovet for years, succumbed in the quarterfinals. TAG Heuer's Maria Sharapova, fresh from her Roland Garros title, lost in the fourth round to Longines ambassador Sabine Lisicki and subsequently lost her leadership in the rankings.
All the men playing in the semifinals had watch endorsements, though not one of the women semifinalists were brand ambassadors - although runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska has had past ties to Longines, the official timekeeper of Roland Garros. The ladies' tournament actually crowned a champion who played wearing a watch as a retro fashion statement rather than an endorsed instrument. Since April Serena Williams has been touting an '80s-inspired Casio Calculator watch, and she didn't need to use the calculator function to add another singles title to her Grand Slam tally: 14, five of which were won at Wimbledon. However, she might have used it to add the 1.18 million pounds' prize money amassed at the All England Club to total her official prize-money winnings at around 38 million dollars.
So why does a multimillionaire known for her taste in expensive accessories wear a non-sponsored, non-advertised Casio CA53W-1 calculator watch that can be found on the secondary market for as little as $16.45? "It all started when my sister and I put on this tournament for our friends and family. And this year the theme was the '80s, so we all tried to outdo each other with accessories and I managed to find this crazy calculator watch and I wore it and I never took it off. I also found another 'ridiculous' '80s gold-plated watch…it's just fun, I can't get out of the '80s. I think I'm stuck in 1986 and I love it," Williams revealed during last week's title run (another one) in Stanford.
In just over one week from today, both Williams and Federer will return to the grass courts of Wimbledon as heavy favorites to win the coveted gold medal in singles for the first time. Both have previously won the Olympic title in doubles.
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Only Watch - Big-hearted watchmakers
Since 2005, men and women with a sparkle in their eye and an open heart accept that "their" Fine Watchmaking brand should provide forceful and creative support for scientific and medical research on neuromuscular diseases in general and Duchenne muscular dystrophy in particular. The concept is to create a truly exceptional and indeed one-off piece. A combination of talents, the quest for excellence, innovation and healthy emulation between watch manufacturers, combined with impressive organisation and communication work, make ONLY WATCH an event that attracts worldwide media coverage and makes it an extraordinary showcase for watchmaking skills.
As of September 6th 2013, the travelling exhibition of these timepieces will make stop-overs in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, New York and Geneva, followed by the presentation at the Monaco Yacht Show (September 25th to 28th). The charity auction, led by Antiquorum, will take place on 11 am (GMT +1) on Saturday September 28th, in the Belle Epoque room of the Hermitage Hotel, Monaco.
On behalf of the 250,000 children, teenagers and young adults who suffer from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, I sincerely thank all those who contribute, each in their own way, to the success of ONLY WATCH and who contribute to keeping alive the hope for therapeutic solutions in what we all hope will be the near future.
Brands:
Backes & Strauss, Bell & Ross, Blancpain, Breguet, Chanel, Chopard, Chronoswiss, Christophe Claret, Corum, Cyrus, Delacour, de Bethune, Dewitt, Franck Muller, Frederique Constant,Girard Perregaux, Glashutte Original, Harry Winston, Heritage Watch Manufactory, Hublot, Ikepod, Jaquet Droz, Ladoire, Laurent Ferrier, Louis Vuitton, Manufacture Royale, Maurice Lacroix, Montblanc, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Vulcain, Zenith
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Nato Straps - A Casual Trend (Part 1)
WORLDTEMPUS - 10 December 2012
What was THE watch accessory of 2012? In all probability, those interchangeable webbed straps worth between 10 and 25 euros known to aficionados as NATO straps. In spite of being more present than ever in the watch scene this year, they are not new and have even withstood the test of time - but seem to have finally left the connoisseur niche to go mainstream with several established brands adopting them in respective collections. NATO straps are comfortable, easily changed out and provide a quick way to add some preppy all-American or rugged military style to a timepiece. Oddly enough, the fact that they are now "out there" more than ever has even produced some backlash in the die-hard watch community due to overexposure.
Still, NATO straps have yet a long way to go regarding consensus and might not ever get it. Those who are not in the know will think one is wearing a cheap watch because of the nylon material; fashionistas will consider it the ultimate way to accessorize a timepiece to make a colorful and casual addition to a specific outfit; and some horological purists will even opine that any ribbon bracelet will make your watch look cheaper…unless it is fitted to a genuine vintage Rolex Military Submariner.
The James Bond connection
It was indeed a Rolex Submariner that catapulted NATO straps to cult status via Bond, James Bond, when Sean Connery flashed a black-and-grey-striped strap tucked inside his white dinner jacket in 1964's "Goldfinger." Up to that point, the woven nylon ribbons were mainly used in the army following the official requisition of an inexpensive and resistant way of strapping soldiers' timepieces to their wrists: enter an item manufactured with exceptionally b sonic welded joints and made of high quality cross-weave nylon that later became known as "G10" thanks to the form used to requisition the strap. It also got the "NATO" label since it has a NATO stock number.
The straps built to military spec are made to last in any environment and have official suppliers such as the Welsh company Phoenix Straps, provider of the British Ministry of the Defense. Meanwhile, the concept has gone civilian, becoming fashionable in a subcultural kind of way and sold mainly on the internet and shops carrying pre-owned timepieces. These days, there are numerous makers of NATO straps around the world boasting different levels of quality, finishing and patterns. Some companies make them in Europe (mainly UK, France, Italy), others in the U.S. and, expectedly, there's a growing number of factories in Asia.
Brands and Modifiers
The hip trend has been picked up by clothing and accessory companies such as Massimo Dutti and Fossil and, of course, by several watch brands of various latitudes. For instance, eco-friendly Tempvs Compvtare - always against the use of animal skin - opts for cotton, woven, NATO-type straps. Companies dedicated to Rolex customization such as London-based Project X Designs use sophisticated, extra-duty G10 webbing of the finest quality to tool up its Stealth Series MK limited editions that are inspired by historic Rolex models of the past and legendary British Military SBS.
At the same time, powerhouse mainstream brand Jaeger-LeCoultre was already showing a James Bond-style striped NATO strap in Cordura to fit the Master Compressor Diving Navy SEALs series in its 2010 catalogue. And Maurice Lacroix's Pontos S chronograph gained a lot of popularity this year with colorful, striped, woven straps. Sandro Reginelli, product director at Maurice Lacroix, knows that the success of the new Pontos S line has a lot to do with the straps. "They are sporty and have a cool attitude, plus they are light and the wearing comfort is great. We have them made in a small manufacture specialized in this kind of strap under strict specification to meet our quality standards."
The Pontos S chronographs exude a sporty, go-getting spirit. "The dynamic strap is a perfect match for the case. Comfortable and hypoallergenic, especially in wet conditions, it demonstrates exceptional strength and popularity with athletes, divers and astronauts, who can easily adjust it according to the thickness of their gear," states Maurice Lacroix.
NATO STRAPS - A Casual Trend (Part 2)
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Maurice Lacroix - Marc Gläser as new Managing Director
DKSH, the leading Market Expansion Services provider with a focus on Asia, creates the function of Managing Director Maurice Lacroix to position the Maurice Lacroix brand and product development even closer to the market and to the needs of the rapidly growing customer groups.
Following the acquisition of a majority shareholding by DKSH in the Maurice Lacroix Group in summer 2011, the expectations of overproportional growth in sales, particularly in the Asia region, have been fulfilled. To position the Maurice Lacroix brand and product development even closer to the market and to the needs of the rapidly growing customer groups, the function of a Managing Director Maurice Lacroix is being created, which will be independent of the management of the long-established watch case manufacture Queloz in Saignelegier and that of the producer of movement components, La Manufacture des Franches-Montagnes. Effective January 1, 2012, the newly created role of Managing Director Maurice Lacroix will be assumed by Marc Gläser, who has held various executive positions at Maurice Lacroix over the past seven years.
Joerg Wolle, President & CEO of DKSH, commented: "Our expectations of overproportional growth in sales have been fulfilled, particularly in the Asian markets, where we are benefiting from the rapidly growing middle class throughout the entire emerging Asia region and their appetite for high-quality luxury and lifestyle products. We are convinced that through this new organizational structure and the enhanced focus on the diversity of core competencies within the Maurice Lacroix Group, we will be able to satisfy customer needs even faster and hence, accelerate our growth."
Gonpo Tsering, Member of Group Management DKSH, and Chairman of the Board of Maurice Lacroix, stated: "I am delighted to take this opportunity to extend my thanks to Martin Bachmann, the long-standing CEO of the Maurice Lacroix Group, for his outstanding expansion efforts of the recent years. Following the successful integration of Maurice Lacroix in the DKSH Group, he has decided to leave the company at the end February 2012. Our very best wishes accompany him."
As an independent Market Expansion Services provider for the marketing, sales, distribution, and after-sales support for high-quality luxury and lifestyle products, DKSH operates blanket-coverage networks in a diversity of markets throughout Asia for the benefit of premium brands such as Harry Winston, Graham, Breitling, Corum, and Ulysse Nardin.
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Maurice Lacroix - Masterpiece Roue Carree Seconde
For the fourth time in Monaco, unique watches will be sold at a charity auction for the benefit of the Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy - an institution for the treatment of children with muscular dystrophy. We are honored to present the Masterpiece Roue Carree Seconde, the unique timepiece created and donated by Maurice Lacroix for this year's Only Watch 2011 auction to be held on September 22, 2011.
The watch is based on the 2010 design presented by Maurice Lacroix, the first square-wheel mechanism in the history of watchmaking! From an aesthetic perspective, the mechanism is an absolute eye-catcher, but it is also irresistible in the way that the innovative layout displays the passage of time. It gives the Masterpiece Roue Carree Seconde another dimension, a fascinating spectacle that draws the eye inexorably into its spell.
Several years of intensive work lay behind the perfectly engineered square-wheel mechanism. It was developed by the watchmaker and engineer Michel Vermot, head of the development department at Maurice Lacroix. He worked in association with the Swiss Higher Education Institution, the Haute Ecole Arc, in Le Locle. Since, by definition, the gear profile of non-circular wheels cannot be regular, the shape of the teeth presented the greatest challenge in guaranteeing a constant transmission of power. The wheels were produced using silicon-machining technology to make very high-precision, lightweight and self-lubricating micro-components that cannot be manufactured with such quality using traditional production methods.
The movement in the Masterpiece Roue Carree Seconde draws the eye inexorably into its spell. The regular movement of the square wheel, with its captivating geometric openwork shape, makes the small seconds hand come to life before the observer's very eyes. The square and cloverleaf-shaped wheels were specially made for this watch out of silicon, and decorated with a unique and inimitable pattern, with plays of color that change constantly with viewing angle, illumination or movement of the square and clover-leaf wheels (Sigatec SA®, Kamic SA®). But that is not the only exclusive and distinctive feature of this one-of-a-kind timepiece. In a detail included specially for collectors who take delight in the unusual, the Only Watch logo is featured on the square wheel - a little surprise that is visible only with the aid of a magnifying glass.
The square wheel is driven by a toothed, cloverleaf-shaped wheel. Both wheels engage with the same precision as traditional round wheels. The constant, regular movement creates a wonderful visual spectacle.
To make the seconds hand more decidedly prominent, the hours and minutes are indicated by a centrally mounted hand. The power reserve indicator at 3 o'clock is the perfect completion to this well balanced arrangement. The hours, minutes and power reserve are featured directly on the main plate, which serves as the dial. A black, sand-blasted finish completes the embellishment. The case back has a large sapphire crystal offering a view of the elegant ML 156 mechanical movement, which is decorated with a Grand Colimaçon design in the finest Swiss watchmaking tradition.
The Masterpiece Roue Carree Seconde for the Only Watch 2011 auction represents a breath-taking combination of technology and craftsmanship. It is an exciting blend of technology and aesthetics, lending a new face to time. It is uncompromisingly masculine and intentionally technological. Ready, too, to give real innovative impetus to the fight against muscular dystrophy.
- Sand-blasted finish
- Folding steel clasp with push-buttons
- Developed in association with the HE-ARC, manufactured and assembled by Maurice Lacroix
- ML 156 manually wound mechanical movement
- Patented design (square wheel / cloverleaf-shaped wheel)
- Small seconds indicated on square wheel at 6 o'clock
- Hours and minutes indicated by centrally mounted hands
[Rating: 5 / 5 stars]
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