MODANE, France, 25 July — It was in the late 1980s that the Swiss watchmaking industry was in a serious crisis. The number of units produced in Switzerland in proportion to the global market dropped from 43 to 15 percent. Something had to be done. The introduction of the world’s thinnest watch by a manufacturer in 1978 posed a challenge to Swiss watchmakers.
“In a bid to meet the challenge, the Swiss decided to create an even thinner timepiece. In the process the watchmakers not only set the record for the world’s thinnest timepiece, but also invented a new way of manufacturing a watch. Using this one-piece case, the bottom of the watch also served as the bottom plate for the watch mechanism,” Swatch President Michele Sofisti told Arab News during the recent launch of the “world’s thinnest” Chronograph. The Swatch Skin Chrono event was held at one of Modane’s wind tunnels located in a picturesque setting.
The mechanism was installed from the top, and the sapphire crystal was set into position as the final step. This was a radical yet highly successful simplification.
But would it be possible to create a less expensive quality watch out of plastic?
The question was answered with the Swiss setting out to conquer this next challenge.
“The watch had to have a simplified driving and setting mechanism, and a plastic case that could receive the mechanism from one side, with a uniform base for models for both men and women. Through numerous advances, the technicians were able to make do with 51 parts instead of the usual 91 parts or more. What was once thought to be an impossibility became a reality,” Sofisti said.
Thus the Swatch was born...a Swiss made quartz utilizing synthetic material, water-resistant, accurate, shockproof, inexpensive, perfect for mass production, and available in a wide range of colors. This young, innovative product became, and has remained a symbol of excitement, fun and joy of life, exclusively made in Switzerland,” he claimed.
According to him, Swatch means simply more than wearing a watch. “It’s in tune with the setting and people around. It’s unique and playful, and fashionable and trendy. Individuality and lightness are among its strong features. It’s appealing and enhances the individual personality,” he said, adding: “Swatch watches are always matchless in design, model, utility and maintenance-free. It appeals to all and satisfies everyone.”
True to its image and credibility, Swatch Bijoux launched its spring and summer collection recently in Milan.
“In fact, Swatch is the number one brand in Italy with four million watches sold every year,” said Sofisti who attended the event with G. Nick Hayek Jr., former president and board director. It has strong presence in 22 countries with megastores in London, Milan, Paris, New York and Geneva and 500 stores worldwide including the Gulf.
“We’re rapidly increasing our market share and expanding to new markets across the globe,” Sofisti said asserting that the Kingdom was one of the leading markets in the Middle East-Gulf region with Swatch sales up by 30 percent over last year.
“Our business relations with Alzouman General Trading Co. in the Kingdom is strong and highly cooperative, in fact, they are one of our good partners,” he added.
Alzouman has more than 20 Swatch showrooms in the Kingdom, including the Gulf’s biggest showroom at Faisaliya Center in Riyadh.
After being in the watch industry for 17 years, Swatch manufactured the square shaped watches, which are “truly different from any other square watches manufactured so far.”
“Watch Skin Chrono is the thinnest Chronograph the world has ever seen. The numbers speak for themselves. A mere 6.6 mm of thinness is at the forefront of Swatch provocation, technical achievement and contemporary design,” Sofisti said.