 Builders in the German town of Gernrode, which is located in the Harz Mountains, have announced that they are nearing completion of the world's largest cuckoo clock made out of chocolate. The Halloren Chocolate factory, in Gernrode -- which is the oldest city in Germany -- together with the Harz Clock Factory indicated that they hoped to have the clock completed by the weekend. When done, the clock will be nine feet and two inches tall and a wooden frame. The casing will be made entirely of 265 pounds of pure chocolate. In the end, the clock is to be sold off in pieces for a charity during a festival on Sunday.
Watches: There is no doubt: we live in a historic era for the art of watch making. What the industry Haute Horlogerie turns into in the near future, whether it either flourishes or starts another crisis (if the predictions of Nicolas Hayek are to be believed) - in fifty or a hundred years, researchers shall call our time the "golden age of watch making.
Every year around 3-5 new brands of prestigious watches are introduced into the market and, the giants of the market, offer models with precious finishing, unexpected designs made from unique materials with same unique technology. Almost all such projects, except for very indistinct or too advanced watches, instantly gain popularity with a thankful audience. New prestigious watches do not need much time to be in the market and prove their worth, which is a paradox in itself and conflicts with the epithet "prestigious". The time between the presentation of the brand in the Basel show (or in the lobby of a famous hotel in Geneva) and the release of the autumn collection, which was instantly sold out in boutiques, is only six months .And during the next season in Basel, there is an exhibit of a masterpiece by the famous watch manufacturer-De Luxe presenting their new masterpiece. It's not an irony - connoisseurs carry these models with pride and pleasure, and after two or three years, the brand acquires the status of "Grand". Who now dares to call these companies "newbies": blu, FP Journe, Speak-Marine, De Bethune, Urwerk or Richard Mille? But their 7-10-year experience seems frivolous compared to the habit of watch houses to measure their age by centuries. It seems that the Swiss watch industry, in which the word "prestige" is associated primarily with the history of it, the very same traditions and breaks, actively exploiting the Fast-Lux, luxury express - like fast food, fast is" high-caloried "serving everyone to get new luxury watches.
The reasons are many for the fabulous success of new names on the horizon among the conservative of arts. Firstly - an insatiable desire of fans to acquire something exclusive. The market analysts call it the triumph of "mini-trends." All columnists are of one voice asserting that product is released in bulk. And what could be more niche than luxury? Today's consumers want to have prestigious watches that make them stand out from the crowd - and unique designs, an unusual mechanism, even though there's a new name on the dial. Why not meet their demands? Because of this most of the new luxury brands create a collection focusing mainly on the organization and not technical skill. In Switzerland there are professional design studios, the largest producers of mechanisms that can provide any order; a factory to produce cases, clock-hands, and dials and decorative pieces. Only an original "chip" is required to make most exclusive models, no limit to money on advertising - and a new prestigious brand mechanics is ready with the production of handmade watches with a limited edition. Such a kind of situation offends the owners of the large watch companies like Patek Philippe or the Satch Group. Nicolas Hayek, head of the Swatch Group, said in a recent interview called, "My Watch" commented that to launch a new brand, such as a prestigious car would be very difficult, but for the own-brand luxury watch, even his tailor is attempting it. In this case, the cost of production, marketing and distribution of a "new prestigious brand" is considerably lower than those brands with a long history and established image.
Here's how it happens. Traditional manufacturers of complex mechanics build their collections on the principle of "mass models - exclusive collections, where the number of unique limited editions is only the tip of the iceberg. The full range of such brands is designed for thousands of people around the world. "Budget"Patek, Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC and even Breguet are affordable even to the usual manager with a stable salary of 3-5 thousand dollars.
Of course, buying a steel Rolex is not simple - it is necessary to shop for many months or to be on a waiting list. But for the tempted connoisseur who wants to have something limited, life is not easy. Often to acquire a unique model from a great brand you need to have a good old customer of that brand. And some experts consider that it is shameful to stand on a par with that same manager. And these kind of people are increasing. |
