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TAG Heuer - Focus
Under the leadership of the highly experienced Jean-Claude Biver for the past year, the TAG Heuer production facilities and collections have begun a major shift enabling the brand to adjust to the new market conditions while remaining true to its slogan "Swiss avant-garde since 1860". This turbocharged approach is symbolized by the Carrera Caliber Heuer 01 presented at Baselworld 2015: a new case, a new caliber, a new design, a new construction - and all within a Manufacture-made selfwinding chronograph featuring a quality-price ratio intended for a broader and doubtless younger audience. The sporty, modern personality of this timepiece in steel and titanium with modular integrated elements and various types of finishing around an openworked dial aspires to sophistication, clearly highlighted through the sapphire crystal with the PVD-coated skeleton-worked rotor, as well as the red column wheel of the in-house movement. And that's just the start…
Case: brushed steel and titanium, sapphire back, anthracite bezel with tachymetric scale, water-resistant to 100m
Diameter: 45mm
Movement: mechanical self-winding (Caliber Heuer 01, 50h power reserve), red
column wheel, skeletonized chronograph bridge and new oscillating weight
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph DIAL : openworked, three counters, rhodiumed hour-markers with red dot enhanced by white and red SuperluminovaTM
Strap: rubber, folding clasp with safety pushbuttons
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TimeCrafters 2014 - A successful third edition of TimeCrafters closes in Manhattan
The emphasis at this year's edition of the TimeCrafters exhibition, which was once again held in the Drill Hall of the historic Park Avenue Armory in the heart of Manhattan, was clearly on the "craft". Chopard, for example, chose to exhibit only its haute horlogerie pieces, while TAG Heuer showcased only its gents' collection and high-tech pieces such as the V4 Tourbillon presented at BaselWorld earlier this year.
Christophe Claret, famed for its casino-gamed inspired timepieces and high-end chiming complications, made its debut at the show with its new complication for ladies, the Margot, which features a mechanical interpretation of the "he loves me, he loves me not" game.
"It's a chance for us to meet collectors," said Wolfgang Sickenberg, Chief Operating Officer, Christophe Claret. "There is a well-known and knowledgeable public here. It is also a chance for us to show retailers that we are committed to developing the market."
Richard Mille was one of the few other brands at the show to present high-end pieces for ladies and the brand's Marketing Director, Tim Malachard, stressed the importance of being able to show the timepieces to the general public at the show. "TimeCrafters became interesting for us as soon as we knew that other high-end brands were participating, especially given our price point," he told WorldTempus. "Some of our retailers have two stores in New York, so it's also important for us to be able to meet with them."
De Bethune was not necessarily present at the show to sell watches, according to CEO Pierre Jacques, although the fact that it was the brand's second time at the show suggests that exhibiting there is worthwhile. "It's an excellent opportunity to show our timepieces to a New York public," he said. "I think people come here with fewer inhibitions and they can see the watches that we have launched during the year. This may not necessarily translate into sales tomorrow but it helps us to support our partners here."
It was perhaps more important for one brand than any other to be able to present its products directly to the public. The "hydro-mechanical horologists" at HYT made their first appearance at the show with their unique way of displaying the time using coloured liquid moving around the circumference of the dial in place of an hour hand.
HYT's CEO Vincent Perriard attended the show in person to explain this intriguing technology. "We have a different rationale for attending the show than other brands," he explained, "since we are in our first real twelve-month business cycle. Now that we have the production we can start to open doors. But the exercise here is more about communication. It's about explaining the watch and being in touch with watch fans."
"We already did QP in London last year and Belles Montres in Paris and each time we notice that we get a lot of feedback. You don't really sell on the spot but it creates noise around the brands and then after a couple of weeks you start to notice the sales. So it does have a positive impact on the sales and there is a correlation between the show and sales. We see it."
Speaking on behalf of the organisers, Eric Dumatin confirmed the general upbeat mood among the exhibitors. "The most important thing is the feedback from the brands," he said. "Taking two brands at random, Audemars Piguet and A. Lange & Söhne have both had excellent feedback, especially from Saturday."
"They have both sold a lot of watches, taking orders or reservations from customers and directing them to the stores. There has been a big increase in this respect compared with last year.
"Our aim is to present high-end watchmaking to the general public, not just to collectors and people who are already familiar with it. We will develop the concept and continue to work with our media partners to spread the word about fine watchmaking."
TimeCrafters has established itself as an important event for brands and watch fans alike in only a few short years and will be back at the iconic Park Avenue Armory location next year.
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TAG Heuer - Chinese Momentum by the Great Wall
Under slight rain, TAG Heuer's Tesla Roadster met the press on June 10 in front of the Great Wall. The occasion was special: in the siege baquet of the 100% electric roadster sat the respected actor Chen Dao Ming.
Best known in western countries for his role in the impressive Chinese production "Hero" ("Ying Xiong"), set in times prior the construction of the Great Wall, he is a successful television and movie star with a charismatic and honorable reputation. Known for his roles as historical legends and powerful men, Chen Dao Ming is also a reliable friend of the brand, who shares TAG Heuer's values of success, passion, and innovation. His upcoming movie, "Aftershock", a disaster movie about the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, comes out this summer in Asia, before a wider release.
Despite his love story with the media and the audience, Chen Dao Ming does not often mingle with the press. It was therefore a honor to share this particular moment of driving performance with him.
Next, the TAG Heuer's Tesla Roadster will reach QuFu, the hometown of the great philosopher Confucius.
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Linde Werdelin - The Danish approach to horology
5th October 2009
There are no Alps, no Val de Joux nor a daily herd of watchmakers commuting to each their manufacturing company anywhere to be seen in Denmark. None the less a successful brand has appeared from the land of the Little Mermaid and other fairytales.
"Are we seated properly," Morten Linde asked his partner, Jørn Werdelin - who had just returned from heli-skiing at the highest European mountain, 5600 meter high Elbrus, in Russia. The reason why he asked is due to his experience with medias. If Morten is positiond at the wrong side of Jørn, the picture texts will credit the seated duo Werdelin Linde.
VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY
Morten and Jørn are obviously used to the press as the watch brand bearing their surnames enjoys great success all around the world, not least Spain, USA, Russia, England and of course the motherland, Denmark. Not only many well established watch medias has long time ago opened the eyes - and magazines - to the Danish watch brand. Even such highly appraised medias such as Monocle, Wall Street Journal and Financial Times have discovered the young up-and-coming watch brand. FT even went as far as to dedicate a whole paragraph in their watch and jewellery special, dubbing Linde Werdelin "New kids on the block" in 2007, when reporting from the annual watch shows, Basel World and SIHH.
A true sports watch
The idea of creating a wristwatch extraordinaire arose in 2003, when the two friends looked into the market of true sports watches. Morten Linde had a long career as designer for i.e. Georg Jensen and TAG Heuer behind him and Jørn Werdelin was a banker based in London at the time. Both are avid skiers and in such a degree that they wanted a watch especially designed and produced to meet their needs on the snowy pistes around the world.
Morten designed the highly innovative Jesper Bank sailors watch for Georg Jensen in 2002. This particular watch offered a duo construction giving the owner the opportunity to wear the watch both as a dedicated nautical watch as well as a daily timepiece. Inspired by this novel idea the Danish duo created the "world's first professional sport swatch," they tell Watch Tempus, while visiting their Danish authorized dealer, Franz Jaeger & Me, in central Copenhagen.
Founder's watch
In 2006 Linde Werdelin could introduce the first batch of the first mechanical watch, Biformeter. 222 units were produced with a dial and case back indicating "founders watch". These early Biformeters were produced to fulfil the interest from family and friends who had followed the highly motivated and ditto creative duo in their quest to create the perfect sports watch.
The Biformeter was however not the only horological product coming from the two friends. More importantly a complimentary attachable digital Instrument followed the intro of the Biformeter and the world press soon picked up on the innovative introduction on a market that is so hard to enter if not backed up by a obscene amount of money, creative PR-agencies and preferably with an expensive Hollywood star to boot as brand ambassador.
Instrumental
The Instrument series offers two models, each meeting professional needs: The Reef (for diving) and The Rock (for skiing/rock climbing). Both Instruments works as a separate clip-on construction with innovative software designed and produced in Denmark. It works with a rechargeable battery not unlike a mobile phone. Both Instruments are produced in lightweight aluminium and milled in a five-axed CNC machine to meet the duos extremely high demands for their product.
Wet
The Reef, formerly known as the Sea Instrument, is an essential tool for protection, guidance and re-experience during diving and under water activities. The Reef has been meticulously developed in conjunction with professional divers and is the first dive computer with a 55mm transflective colour screen offering superior legibility underwater and responding automatically to the environment and the conditions both on land and underwater giving a first class display even in the most awkward of light situations.
Dry
The Rock, an updated version of the Land Instrument, is an essential tool for protection, guidance and re-experience in the mountains or on the ski slopes. The only sports instrument with an external temperature sensor that can capture a whole day's experience graphically, with a main viewing screen that can be personalised to your needs. The Rock is continuously developed by professional athletes and tested in extreme conditions such as The Everest and the South Pole.
"I always carry my temperature measuring device on my ski boots," Jørn Werdelin tells Worldtempus. "And I leave my temperature measuring device outside my hotel window at night. That way I can see how the weather has developed while I slept, hence getting a assumption of what to expect of the day to come," says Morten Linde. "Yes, you become your own little weather man," giggles Jørn, celebrating his and Morten's creation, which they have dubbed "the world's first real sports watch".
Impressive collection
Today Linde Werdelin offers an impressive range of mechanical watches, besides from their - locally produced - digital Instruments. 2009 has introduced the exquisite SpidoLite with independent watch maker Svend Andersen modified movement, the dramatic diver's watch Oktopus, The One (which is a Version 2.0 of the Biformeter) as well as the traveller's cosmopolitan's favourite, the 3 Timer.
Visit "The Lab" to read Morten and Jørn's personal comments and follow the progress of this fascinating and highly innovative Danish watch brand: http://thelab.lindewerdelin.com/
[Rating: 5 / 5 stars]
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