All Entries in the "Business" Category
Jon Omer to Head DeWitt North America

DeWitt has announced that Jon Omer has joined the company and that he will lead all DeWitt activities in North America, including Mexico and the Caribbean. Prior to joining DeWitt, Mr. Omer served as vice president at Harry Winston where he reorganized distribution and grew sales. Mr. Omer also oversaw Bulgari’s growth in North America for more than 10 years. Mr. Omer is Chairman of the American Watch Association and on the Board of Directors of the American Watch Guild.
Hublot Announces New U.S. and Latin America President

Hublot has announced the appointment of Beatrice de Quervain Blanchard as U.S. President. De Quervain Blanchard will join Hublot CEO Jean-Claude Biver and Managing Director Ricardo Guadalupe to oversee the U.S. expansion strategy. At Hublot, de Quervain Blanchard will focus on gaining market share through a diverse marketing program that will include the opening of new boutique stores, a strong wholesale network and newsworthy communications initiatives.
Holition: Try on 3D Virtual Watches at Home

Holition is launching the second generation of their real-time 3D virtual reality application that lets you “try on” virtual watches at home using a computer with a web cam. With Holition, your computer monitor looks like a mirror in which you can see yourself with the watch on your wrist. As you move, your image and the virtual watch move with you in real time. You can view a demo video on the Holition web site.
2009 Swiss Watch Exports Down 22.3%

The headline on the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry’s report on December, 2009 exports reads “Recovery Confirmed.” This is perhaps a case of news that is less bad being viewed as good. Swiss watch exports for December were down only 7.2% compared with the same month in 2008, though for all of 2009, Swiss watch exports declined 22.3% to 13.2 billion Swiss francs.
Swatch Group Enjoys Rebound in Second Half of 2009

Swatch Group struck a positive tone in its 2009 financial report as results for the second half of the year were much stronger than the first half, when watch sales were down 16.4%. Watch sales finished the year down 5.5% at a constant rate, largely outperforming Swiss Watch Federation export sales figures for the same period. The Group forecasts improved sales and margins in 2010.
Lange Launches Zeitwerk iPhone Application

Response to Lange’s award-winning Zeitwerk has been so strong that the watchmakers in Glashütte are having trouble keeping up with demand. If you’re waiting anxiously for yours to be delivered, or if you just want a cool new app for your iPhone, Lange has something for you – the Zeitwerk iPhone app. Explore the watch in different colors, spin the watch around, and zoom in to explore details up close. The app even lets you disassemble different areas of the watch using the touch screen.
Is the Sales Decline Slowing?

The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH reports that November recorded the highest monthly value of the year for Swiss watch exports, and also the most moderate decline at -10.6% compared with November, 2008. The report notes that while the November figures are negative, they represent a marked improvement over prior months. For 2009 overall, levels remain low however, with exports down 23.7% for the first 11 months.
Swatch Group Chairman Wants to Stop Deliveries to Competitors

Reuters is reporting that in a recent interview published in the Swiss daily l’agefi, Swatch Group Chairman Nicolas Hayek said the group plans to stop selling watch parts to other brands. Swatch Group supplies movements and crucial components to many brands through its ETA unit. “We no longer intend to produce or deliver to third-party watchmakers,” Hayek was quoted as saying.
Frederic de Narp New President and CEO at Harry Winston, Inc.
Harry Winston Diamond Corporation has announced the appointment of Frederic de Narp as President and CEO of Harry Winston, Inc., its New York-based jewelry and watch subsidiary, effective January 4, 2010. Mr. de Narp previously served as President and CEO of Cartier North America. He succeeds Tom O’Neill who led Harry Winston, Inc. over the last 5 years. Mr. de Narp joined Cartier in 1991, and was named president and CEO of Cartier North America in 2005.
2009 Filled with Awards for A. Lange & Söhne

2009 proved to be a very successful year for A. Lange & Söhne. With a total of 21 international awards, it is in fact the most successful year in the history of the brand, which was re-established in 1990. Since the presentation of the first collection, the timepieces made in Saxony have won more than 130 prizes, including 81 first prizes.

