A Surprising Look At The Influence Of The Swatch Watch Group Brand
Lets talk about Swatch. When you think of the name, ‘Swatch,’ you might think of the plastic inexpensive watch. That may be so but Swatch or The Swatch Group is a diversified multinational holding company active in the manufacture and sale of finished watches, jewelry, watch movements and components. It is the world’s largest watchmaking group, and supplies nearly all the components required for the watches sold by its nineteen individual brands and the multi-brand Tourbillon retail company. (Did you know that the name, ‘Swatch,’ is a contraction of “Second Watch” – coined by Nichole Lopez, because the new watch was introduced with a new concept of watches as casual, fun, and relatively disposable accessories?)
As someone who repairs the finest luxury watches in the world, at my New York City watch repair shop, I also see the watch industry from the inside-out. Just as in automobiles, wherein a ‘brand’ like Toyota might actually be also behind Lexus or Scion, so it is with watches. The Swatch family includes both low-end and high-end luxury watches. Obviously I don’t repair the low end watches; many of those are almost ‘throw aways,’ but the fine, high quality watches are objects of beauty and are worth of repair if and when they break.
But back to Swatch…
Its production companies supply movements and components to third-party watchmakers in Switzerland and around the world. The Group is a key player in the manufacture and sale of electronic systems used in watchmaking and other industries. It is also a leader in the field of sports event timing.
Swatch Group brands are Omega, Longines, Rado, Tissot, Hamilton, Breguet, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Jaquet Droz, Léon Hatot, Tiffany & Co., Union Glashütte, ck watch & jewelry, Balmain, Certina, Mido, Swatch, Flik Flak, Endura and Tourbillon and just recently acquired Harry Winston.
Swatch Group Production Companies
Swatch group also have production companies as follows: ETA, Nivarox-FAR, François Golay, Comadur, Rubattel et Weyermann, MOM Le Prélet, Universo, Manufacture Ruedin, Simon Et Membrez, Lascor, Novi, Swatch Group Assembly, DYB, EM Microelectronic, Renata, Micro Crystal, Oscilloquartz and Swiss Timing.
The story behind Swatch is also the story behind the rebirth of Swiss watches in the 1970s and later, in response to heavy competition from the Japanese. Here’s what Wikipedia says:
Swatch was originally intended to re-capture entry level market share lost by Swiss manufacturers during the aggressive growth of Japanese companies such as Seiko and Citizen in the 1960s and 1970s and to re-popularize analog watches at a time when digital watches had achieved wide popularity. The launch of the Swatch brand in 1983 was marked by bold new styling, design and marketing.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swatch
For some of my customers, watches are like clothes. On a fun and funky day at the beach, they might wear an inexpensive Swatch. But when they are dressed for work, or to impress, they might put on their luxury watch – their Omega, Longines, or Hamilton watch. Either way they may be wearing a watch made by the same multinational company; but the one is a fun, almost throw away watch… the other is a fine luxury timepiece deserving of loving care and the occasional repair (when necessary).
About Ron Gordon Watch Repair
Ron Gordon Watch Repair is located at 280 Madison Ave, Ste. 510, New York, NY 10016. We provide watch repair services throughout New York City, Manhattan, Midtown Manhattan, Downtown and the boroughs of New York, NY. Read our Google Places, Insider Pages, and City Search Reviews, online.