Could There Be A Bidding War Brewing?

Very few luxury goods today have such iconic symbols that the product is the secondary icing on the cake. The ones that do have been around for generations and have been able to withstand the test of time, whether it’s Mercedes Benz with their Iconic symbol, Rolex with their coveted crown, or Tiffany and Co with their baby blue box. All these luxury products stand for excellence and luxury and more than the product itself, the symbol is what the consumer wants the most. Superficial Twats!

Tiffany and Co. was started in The mid 1800’s by Charles Tiffany. To say that he was a pimp is an understatement, He had clarity, vision and drive. Here are some bullet points of interests about the company that I thought you would all find really interesting. The first Tiffany catalog, known as the “Blue Book”, was published in 1845. It is still being published today.
In 1862 Tiffany & Co. supplied the Union Army with swords, flags and surgical implements.
In 1867 Tiffany & Co. was the first U.S. firm to win an award for the excellence in silverware at the Exposition Universelle in Paris.
In 1877, an insignia that would become the famous New York Yankees “NY” logo was struck on a medal of honor by Tiffany & Co. and issued to the first NYC police officer shot in the line of duty. The Yankees adopted the logo in 1909.
The company revised the Great Seal of the United States in 1885.
In 1968, U.S. First Lady Lady Bird Johnson commissioned Tiffany to design a White House china service, which featured 90 flowers.
In June 2004, the jeweler Tiffany & Co. sued eBay, claiming that eBay profits from the sale of counterfeit Tiffany products.] As of July 2006, a trial date has not been set
On January 28, 2008, it was announced that the Japanese mobile phone operator SoftBank and Tiffany & Co. had collaborated in making a limited 10 model-only cellphone. This cellphone contains more than 400 diamonds, totaling more than 20 karats. The cost is said to be more than 100,000,000 yen.

Today the company has about 100 stores worldwide, 7,000 employees and as of 2007 is worth an estimated 2.4 billion dollars in revenue. This is just a snip of the kind of greatness Tiffany has achieved in over the last 200 years. Today the reality is quite harsh. With the economy taking a royal smelly dump, even Tiffany and Co needed to be bailed out of the trenches. Who do you think came to the rescue? Non other than super business mogul, philanthropist and humanitarian extrodinaire Warren Buffet. Mr Buffett has strategically been able to solidify his stake in Tiffany and Co by laying down his pimp fist hand out of a 250 million dollar injection into the Company.

This raises a very interesting Question? I don’t know how many of you know this. Warren Buffet owns the majority of shares in Berkshire Hathaway. Well, as of May of 2000, he made the move to acquire Ben Bridge, which is a third generation family jeweler which also happens to be one of the biggest Rolex Jewelers in the United States, which owns and operates well over 50 stores throughout the country. By having a stake in Tiffany this could mean good news for the Tycoon. With all the Tiffany and Co Stores around the world, he could very well have new stores under the Tiffany and Co name and convert all his Ben Bridge stores , because Tiffany and Co have already been established with such a massive name worldwide of tradition which is the benchmark of luxury. Besides it will give TIffany some real watches to sell besides those overpriced sterling silver anal beads or charms bracelets that they have been selling and ripping off the masses for years, because let’s face it people that shit is made out of frigging tinfoil because its’ cheap and breaks.

In the meantime, this could also start of a huge bidding war between the big three Luxury watch groups of Richemont, Swatch and LVMH, should Tiffany and Co be put up for sale, which is the latest dirty rumor. In a world where watch companies are putting up their own boutiques left right and center which are like their own casino’s in bright lights and the house always wins! This could be very attractive and profitable move for all parties involved to outbid the other which will absolutely drive up the price of Tiffany and Co”s stock, which will also allow them to claim ownership by solidifying their future and dominating retail by having all brands under one roof with the Tiffany name.

Breaking News!

In Late breaking watch news, it is confirmed that Marcia Mazzocchi, President of A Lange & Sohne for the US has been succeeded by former President of Panerai and Breitling for the US, Phillipe Bonay. This comes as a huge shock to the watch world in the United States because Marcia has single handed run A lange & Sohne in the United States for the last 8 years. She will still continue to be a part of A Lange & Sohne in a sales director capacity which has to be a huge slap in the face. Marcia and her brother Mark Bernhardt were responsible between 10-15 years ago for the building of growth and expansion of IWC in the United States even before Richemont acquired the brand. Marcia is a women of class, knowledge and sophistication and it will be very hard to imagine her in any other role. Even though she traveled like a million miles around the world, she is definitely poised in being an instrumental part of being involved hands on with collectors and retailers and in my opinion is one hell of an ambassador between the US and Germany.

To her credit she is a one women show running this very prestigious brand and it wasn’t till almost three years ago she had an east coast rep. She has a way about her that goes beyond business that makes certain retailers feel that she has known them for years it was personal, and it was this very weapon in her arsenal of building relationships that made her quite successful, and I am sure this was also the very reason for her demise. The tough part is always being able to draw the line, and when business gets personal that line get blurred. I know retailers who have said that because of the relationship, they felt compelled to order more product and because of this there was more product than a fucking museum sitting on shelves, which had price tags in excess of $100,000, which weren’t moving, this translated to the retailers being on credit hold because they couldn’t pay their bills.

I don’t know the real reason for her demotion, but it is sad to see a women like this who has built so much awareness and identity in the US market not being able to leave with her dignity, instead she gets a bump down to fries, not to trivialize her role. I wish her all the best and hope that she is doing ok, because even though I never knew her very well, I have always respected her because she is one women in shark infested waters of a industry run by men and she did it with so much grace and passion. Richemont should really honor Marcia for her hard work and commitment because she did something that very few have the ability to do.

Her successor Phillipe Bonay is no stranger to the watch industry, He has been with the Richemont group on and off for the last 10 years and had amazing success with the growth of Panerai which came to him as a result of his involvement before that with Piaget. Panerai was his passion project which he nurtured like a child, Even though Tall, Lanky and really fuckin awkward he understands business and is a character that you either like or dislike. Phillipe is a French man who could come accross as quite arrogant, but to be honest he is just socially challenged, because from what I understand he doesn’t work well with crowds of people. After Phillipe made the decision two years ago to leave Panerai and go to Breitling, you could tell he just wasn’t into it and he had lost his mojo.So after leaving Breitling only six month’s later he then temporarily went to help good friend and contemporary Ronnie Wolfgang with recently acquired Richemont brand Roger Dubuis.

I feel that this could be quite an interesting move for Phillipe, to run a brand like A Lange & Sohne because it is a lot more technical and exclusive than Panerai and needs serious attention in the United States market. As much as Lange is a collectors brand with their high end complications, I know that they have watches from their heritage which are more Pilots driven which we have yet to see. I am sure Phillipe who understands the US market very well, can dig deep into the archives and give life to a brand who needs a little bit of reviving.

Fit For An Idol

American Idol has swept this nation like the fucking plague for the last 8 years with mass hysteria. It is the highest rated show ever. Even if you don’t want to be a part of it, you can’t miss it, it’s in your face no matter what medium of news you subscribe to,its a Pop Culture Phenomenon! The reason, no not Ryan Geekcrest, I mean Ryan Seacrest, but non other than mega business Mogul Simon Cowell, who is the executive producer and brain child behind American Idol. Since my job is watches, that’s the only reason I pay attention at all.

This season it appears that both Simon Cowell and Ryan Creepcrest I mean Ryan Seacrest are wearing Jaeger LeCoultre timepieces. Ryan is wearing and AMVOX 2, while more importantly Simon Cowell is wearing the very elegant Master Tourbillon in 18K Rose Gold. In my opinion even though he is wildly successful and works really hard Ryan Seacrest has no business wearing such a nice watch because he doesn’t even understand what it is. No disrespect to him but seriously now, it doesn’t do the watch justice and quite frankly does he even know how it works? Great product placement for JLC because even though he irritates the shit out of me and I would rather watch Roman Greco Wrestling than see his face, it makes the brand look somewhat hip and appeal to a younger audience.

Simon Cowell on the other hand, even though he has a reputation for being a right wanker on the show for humiliating and embarrassing the contestants to the point where they question is it worth living, I respect him because he has true vision and passion for what he does and he is not afraid to speak his mind, he is witty, and a man of class and charm, who at the age of almost 50 has become one of the most powerful men in entertainment. His passions are cars and watches, so it’s not surprising that he wears something as fitting as a JLC Tourbillion in 18K Rose Gold. Being British and having the luxury to buy the best, he understands detail and heritage.

The best part is that he rocks this watch so effortlessly week after week in a T-shirt and jeans, and unless you were a watch collector you would never know he was wearing one of the most celebrated watch manufacturers in the world. Who knows maybe Simon Cowell will receive a custom bespoke Johnny Flyback strap which will truly make this watch fit for an Idol!

pic courtesy of http://www.fox.com
watch pic courtesy of http://www.jaegerlecoultre.com

Daniel Craig Cheats On Omega

It appears that The New James, Bond. Daniel Craig, who has already been morphed into pop culture icon status with only two films under his belt is already being compared as a modern day Sean Connery. His last film was Quantum of Insolence, I mean Quantum of Solace was like nails on a fucking chalkboard. It was not the best story line and lacked depth and interest. Look, I am not a film critic, but this film blew serious shit balls! In any event, the whole Omega Bond Film tie in has been going on forever. The truth is whether you know this or not, but the original bond was meant to wear a Rolex Explorer 1.

It seems that Daniel Craig despite his contract written in blood by the Evil empire that is Swatch Group with Omega, he still can’t get away from the heritage and prestige of wearing a Rolex. He has been photographed wearing the ever so debonair Rolex Stainless Steel Milghauss on the red carpet as recently As November of 2008. I can’t fault the actor for having impeccable taste, he actually has several Rolex watches in his repertoire including a vintage Paul Newman Rolex Daytona and chooses to wear the cult classic Rolex Submariner regularly off Screen and in all his interviews to pay homage to James Bond creator Ian Flemming, who’s vision was for 007 to wear Rolex.

In one way this is a huge testament to the Rolex heritage but on the other hand this is just absurd, because it sends out mixed messages to the public and is a huge conflict of interest, especially seeing that Quantum Of Solace came out around that same month. It’s interesting because the whole point of these red carpet events in regards to James Bond Films is to showcase the actor for the premier with all the endorsements and product placements in collaboration to the movie, whether it’s his made to measure Brioni suit or his limited edition Quantum of Solace Omega Watch. This is not fitting or OK in any book. I am not trying to start shit, but this is a very clear case of breaking a contract.

These things never end up working out, because they end in lawsuits and shit loads of unnecessary paper work. If Mr Craig is not careful and doesn’t stop continuing to wear other brands it can end up costing the film studio millions and maybe even his career. Especially when, A he has a written contract and B Rolex and Omega has a bigger rivalry than the Yankees and the Red Sox! It really sucks because he should be able to wear whatever he wants in his personal life, but after all he is representing one of the biggest movie franchises in the world and has become one of the most relevant screen heroes ever, unless his contract states that he only has to wear Omega while publicly endorsing the film, which I highly doubt, but at the end of the day he has a contract and should honor it instead of cheating On Omega!

Basel Exposed

People, I wanted to write article about the Basel Fair for 09. As you know by now my opinions are quite strong, hard hitting and I make no bones about telling it how it is from my perspective. I thought it would be interesting to have another opinion on the subject since I didn’t attend the Basel Fair for 09. I don’t like a lot of fluff and I write it as I see it. One man who I may not always agree with, but can respect his opinion and will remain anonymous and for now, and will be known as Long Dong Co-axial or LDC for this article to protect the innocent. LDC is an award winning journalist and editor in chief of a highly esteemed magazine in his field, and I thought it would be interesting to show you guys out there his opinion and perspective since he saw the product live and he just returned from Basel horny and ready to respond to my questions. Enjoy!

JF: How are you brother?
How was Basel this year compared to last year?

LDC:The Basel fair was quite weak in terms of American retailer turnout. Perhaps
only 50% of the U.S. Retailers showed up, maybe less.. A lot of American
retailers will place their orders during JCK Las Vegas show in June…and
everyone is hoping that there are some strong signs of life in the US
economy in the fourth quarter. Many brands offered fewer new products that
usual, but I actually prefer that. More focused. The economy might be weak,
but it was a very strong year in terms of new timepieces!

JF: What brand do you feel came out with product that made you wanna cream
your shorts?

LDC:Some of my favorites were:

Corum’s Ti-Bridge. A totally new interpretation of Corum’s classic watch.
Actually, it’s a totally new caliber.

Bulgari’s Sotirio Bulgari is a great piece. The lugs on the case, the
elegant Vaucher movement, the “V” motif that’s shot throughout the dial,
case and caliber. Bulgari has entered a new era in men’s watches.

The Vulcain Cricket was very cool as they offered quite a few variants of
alarm watches with different constructions, and hence sounds.

The Carl F. Bucherer EvoTec. The case may not be to everyone’s liking, but
the CFB A1000 with it’s peripheral rotor is a piece of history in the
making.

Blancpain’s L-Evolution. Has a bold modern design.

Glashuette Original’s Sixties is a modern interpretation of the
cushion-cased pieces from the early 1930s. GO also has a $20,000 sport
perpetual. What a value.

Speaking of value, Maurice Lacroix’s new Squellette Chronograph retails
somewhere south of $25,000. This watch is uncommon, modern, large (44 or 45
mm) and relatively affordable. They also have some great $3,000
chronographs.

The same goes for Chronoswiss’ new Dead Second’s. Again, uncommon, modern,
large (44 or 45 mm) and relatively affordable.

Ebel’s 1911 Tekton Real Madrid has the great case and a very cool
screwed-down sapphire crystal.

The Moser watches are ready to ship!

The Ulysse Nardin Moonstruck is a really cool concept. It expresses the
influence of the sun and the moon over the earth, and it also has a pretty
useful GMT function.

Chopard’s Lunar Big Date in Red Gold. I love guilloched dial and the
balanced design. Classic, but fresh. Also, the Mille Miglia pieces offer a
lot of watch for the money.

The Concord C1 Quantum Gravity is an incredible piece of wrist-borne
sculpture.

The list goes on. 2009 is a great year for watches!

JF: Were you happy with the product that Rolex and Patek came out with?

LDC:Patek Philippe was great…they seemed to offer new interpretations of their
classics…with no Geneva Seal.. I didn’t really care for the new 41 mm
Rolex.

JF: Could you feel the effects of the global financial crisis at Basel?
How so?

LDC:Absolutely. It was much easier to get down the halls. As a journalist it was
really easy to spend time with the various brand presidents.

But, actually, the mood at Basel felt more positive than the mood at the
SIHH in January. I think a lot of people felt that the US economy had hit
bottom in early March when the DOW closed at 6600. I certainly hope so.

JF: Do you think that retailer attendance was down?

LDC:Yes. Many retailers stayed at home. Those that did come, came with a smaller
entourage.

JF: Were there as many shitty brands exhibiting this year or do you feel
that a lot of them don’t even exist at this point?

LDC: I mainly deal with the strong established brands and the more creative
boutique brands. I hope the latter will continue to survive as the world
needs its creative mavericks, Johnny. We might see a lot of acquisitions in
the near future.

JF: Has this affected magazine advertising in any way?

LDC:The advertising at all of the watch magazines is down a bit. It’s even worse
at the big consumer magazines and the newspapers.

JF: Were there any new brands that popped up that surprised you in any way?

LDC:Nubeo. They have a watch called the Black Mamba that has an incredible case.
They also have a marketing tie-in with Kobe Bryant, so they’re marketing
savvy.

JF: Have you seen turnover with watch rep veterans?

LDC:Unfortunately, yes…some of them are my friends. But overall, the brands
want to stay as stable as possible. Most of the layoffs have been at the
lower end of the food chain.

JF: Why do you feel that as far as I can see the watch companies held out
this year from coming out with at least one strong product?

LDC: I don’t think this is the case…although I’m sure that many brands are,
indeed, holding on to some exciting products for next year.

JF: Did you have fun on this trip or did you feel that you would have had
a better time staying back home spanking it?

LDC:I had fun. Just because things are slow doesn’t mean that they stop
completely. Most of the people in the watch industry are really great human
beings, even during tough economic times.

JF:Do you think in general that the watch brands are out of their fucking
minds for for having price increases when product is just sitting
there collecting dust and no one can afford to buy right now?

LDC:Price increases? I thought that many of the brands were more reasonable in
terms of pricing this year.

JF:Thanks for your time Long Dong Co-axial. The truth is you are one of the only journalists out
there reporting real shit that people care about. All the others out
there are cliff note versions for the challenged, and one day you should
do a profile on johnny Flyback if you have the balls?

Rock on and Flyback !

pic courtesy of http://www.baselworld.ch

Omega Lands In NYC

Hey Omega Geeks, Don’t blow a load too quickly!, because on April 4, 2009 Omega launched the 51st worldwide boutique in NYC. The Location of the store is on the very prestigious Fifth Ave, 711 Fifth Ave to be exact. Amongst the cool things that will be on display at the boutique in NYC will be the very vintage ultra thin Omega watch worn by President John F Kennedy in 1961. This watch was the very watch that President Kennedy wore when he urged Americans to ‘ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.’ What a monumental piece of History! In addition to this there will also be the very limited edition moon watch of the 40Th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing which was encouraged by President John F Kennedy in the 1960’s. No need to wet the bed just yet, because a limited run of 7,969 will be made in stainless steel while the very limited 69 piece edition in platinum will first be exclusively available in the NYC boutique.

This boutique is quite full service if you know what I mean? Kidding of course, this boutique is not only sales and history driven, but also service and collector driven with private VIP areas, providing comfort and privacy to view the collections, while the staircase at the far end of the boutique houses certified watchmakers who are geared and poised to answer and take care of any mechanical issues you may have with your timepiece.

The best part of the store is the outside. Even though modern, impressive and chic, this boutiques entrance has been mapped out like the movements in their watches providing important subtle anthems of sun water and earth which make this house of Omega complete and balanced like any inner sanctum of worship. So if your in NYC, make a day out of it, enjoy yourself, soak it in, try not to do anything naughty in the private rooms, and see where Omega has landed.

pic courtesy of http://www.timezone.com