Watch industry's Three Kingdoms scuffle: Germany Japan followed Switzerland, the watch industry's tripartite balance

A good watch must come from Switzerland? The answer is no longer unique. Although the Swiss watchmaking status is lofty, the chase behind the chase is the momentum, especially Germany and Japan. The two latecomers, one based on tradition and the other one communicating the future, walked a path that was not quite the same as the Swiss watchmaking but actually shaken Switzerland's watchmaking standout.

Switzerland Breguet table

Glashütte, Germany

Japan Seiko table

Speaking from the history of tabulation

If the history of the manufacture of watches and clocks, Switzerland is not a pioneer. The earliest time, Britain and France is a well-deserved watchmaking power, they created a wide range of table clocks, popular in Europe, and even spread to all the royal family in Asia. Most of the items on display in the Forbidden City Clock Tower now come from British and French manufacturers.

However, with the tide of revolution in Europe and the turmoil in the war, many timepieces and handicraftsmen were relocated to Switzerland. It is far away from the war and closer to the center of Europe. It is rich in materials and has a smooth market. As a result, Switzerland began to become the center of the clock and watch manufacturing industry in Europe to the world, calm and mild national characteristics, but also makes such a boom continues without interruption.

While Germany is another scene. The world's first pocket watch came from Germany, and the watchmaking industry in Germany flourished in the 15th century. In the 19th century, the town of Glashütte in Dresden became one of the world's most important watchmaking regions. But the good news is not long, the flames of World War II will cut off this magnificent historic life, Dresden has been hit hard, precision watch almost disappeared. Only after the fall of the Berlin Wall started to gradually recover and regained its glory. Swiss watchmaking attitude for the German watch is inclusive and recognized, after all, the same source in Europe, the values ​​are generally consistent.

At this point, Japan's situation has some ups and downs. Japan, the spoiler, launched a quartz watch war in the 1980s, almost destroying the entire Swiss watchmaking industry. Fortunately, Mr. Hayek turned the tide and rescued the Swiss mechanical watchmaking industry. The Swiss are quite hateful of this fiasco, in their view, it is like two competitions, obviously a sword, but you took the machete battle, even win can not be called a hero. Therefore, although the Swiss watchmaking defeat, but the Swiss is dissatisfied with the heart is despised Japanese watchmaking. The Japanese also have a pride: since I defeated you in my way, you are not convinced, then I defeat you in your way. This samurai spirit has led Japan to focus on the development of mechanical watches in the late 1990s, with Seiko as the representative and frequently won the Swiss watchmaking competition or the selection, leaving the Swiss with no face . While disdain on the mouth, not recognized, but privately but heart and soul, gradually or explicitly or explicitly recognized the status of Japanese mechanical watchmaking.

Similar in bones

There are indeed many similarities between Germany and Japan. For example, they are equally meticulous and conscientious in their work style. They attach equal importance to the machinery industry. Now most of the brands that occupy most of the automobile market come from these two countries. In the field of precision machinery manufacturing, there are numerous On behalf of the brand, such as the camera industry, Japan has Canon Nikon, Germany has Lycra; their history is equally tortuous, wanton aggression and defeat ended, and then die, rebirth again ... In many view, Japan is Germany as the benchmark Or even be called "Asia in Germany."

These behind the various factors that naturally affect the watchmaking industry in the two countries. Mechanical industry, especially the precision machinery manufacturing industry is highly developed, making the watchmaking industry has a solid foundation, which is why although the two in the modern watchmaking industry started late (although the German watch industry was born earlier, but due to The impact of World War II, the revival of modern watchmaking industry should start from the collapse of the Berlin Wall), but the stamina is full, the reason for the rapid development. The rigorous and persistent national character, but also makes them in the precision chronograph manufacturing process, continue to pursue higher standards.

Here, probably understand the overall development of a country's watchmaking industry, two preconditions: the mechanical industry, especially precision machinery manufacturing developed, and rigorous national personality. This may also explain why the United Kingdom, the United States and even Spain now have some good watch brand was born, but has always been called the watchmaking power. As for China, although there is indeed some foundation in the machinery industry and the precision machinery manufacturing industry, the national personality also seems to lack rigorous perseverance. Worth pondering!

Different style

At BASEL, I asked some brands about the Swiss watchmaking style. There are about two styles of Swiss watchmaking: French style and German style. This actually made me quite surprised, the style of Swiss watch even came from the two countries. But think down, which is also reasonable, the rise of Swiss watchmaking was originally due to the influx of watchmakers in Germany and France. However, it seems French style is more for the Swiss watch we touch today. Let's put it as a representative of the Swiss watch style.

If you want to fine-tune down, the style of the two can be distinguished from the appearance of one or two. First, the German watch dial is generally relatively clean, rarely used carved patterns, most of the German table is also rarely used diamond, enamel and other technology. In our usual German watch, Glashütte will be more enamel or diamond watch. Lange this year also introduced an original diamond-studded basic models, beautiful is very beautiful, but selfish think that this does not seem to be Lange style. The Swiss or French watchmaking style on the contrary, the fine carving on the dial is a watchmaker's pursuit of a realm, this point, Breguet is a very typical representative. In addition, enamel, diamonds are common design, and watchmakers in this area a lot of effort.

Second, the overall design of the German watchcase is also clean and concise, most of the case cut at right angles, almost no arc. The Swiss-French watch is more curved side of the design, it seems a lot softer and more polite. The German watch was of no style until the end of World War II until the reunification of Eastern and Western Germany, producing a large number of watches in the form of curves with radians. Of course, this is a political and historical reason, for no reference.

Here, but to mention a very interesting brand, Rui Bao Chronoswiss. 1982, Swiss contemporary watchmaker Gerd-Rüdiger Lang established in Munich, Ruibao brand. Although it is a German brand, but with a very thick French style Swiss watch, not only the movement entirely from Switzerland, but also in the design and German watch far away. Such as the classic normative pointer series watches, the dial with a solar radiation carved patterns, the side of the table is Breguet currency carving, it is difficult to find in its watch series of the shadow of a typical German watch . I had a hard time convincing myself that it was a German watch. As a result, this year, Rebolt really "derrick to Switzerland", the Swiss family business Ebstein acquired all the shares of the Treasure from Gerd-Rudiger Lang hands, Ruibao table's new headquarters also moved to the Swiss city of Nidau. As a result, its Swiss-style "truthfulness" it!

As for the Japanese style, it is somewhat similar to the German style, but more radical. Its dial design is clean, while the edges of the case polished as sharp shiny as possible. In addition, Japanese-style watches are also designed and manufactured more open, and try to adopt more innovative technologies, such as Seiko's Spring Drive chronograph watch with smooth scanning movement pointer, can accurately display the timing moments, the award-winning . At the same time, Seiko is constantly upgrading their skills in electronic watches or quartz watches, which is almost unthinkable in the old European watch made in Europe as a whole not only for quartz watches or electronic watches Very cautiously conservative, and even arguably strongly hostile, seems to blame the desecration of the mechanical watchmaking soul. On the other hand, some emerging watch brands are quite open to this. For example, Devon Tread 1, the American watch once introduced in our magazine, directly uses electronic technology as the source of movement. Such a trend may be more in the future.

Design genre

Talking about the style of watchmaking, can not fail to mention the difference between the concept of design. Germany is particularly evident at this point. The industrial design in Germany is profoundly influenced by the Bauhaus style. They think the design must be service-oriented and of little utility. This pragmatic design style makes Germany's products have a clear characteristic, that is, will not be too useless design - like those patterns carved, the use of curves, must not be the original intention of the German designer. German industrial designers are reluctant to be artists, they also hope that they become an important part of industrial production. Not to mention big, just look at some of the German-made kitchen utensils, such as Shuangliu, to be or WMF and other brands, with a very strong sense of industrial design.

Another feature of German industrial design is that it is "adapted to local conditions," and their design is to re-optimize the existing materials instead of designing the drawings unconquered and then looking for raw materials all over the world. And the Germans respected their steel, they had a very strong confidence in the German steel, so in the watchmaking, they think the best advantage, the most reasonable treatment is polishing or drawing, and the rest of the action is superfluous Too

Day watch is also somewhat similar, such as carving are not their strengths, simple design more in line with their style. And, what they are looking for is not how to make the watch more complicated, but how to make the ordinary watch go more accurate. Play is the most basic, most real technology. But have to say that such a strategy is appropriate, the travel time of the lean requirements indeed won a good reputation for the Japanese watch, but also to maintain Japan's precision manufacturing trustworthy reputation.

In addition, the Japanese watch with a more modern sense than the German or Swiss watch, this modern sense may be derived from its dial case design, perhaps from their dial layout, and even the case of polishing Grinding or PVD treatment. In short, these elements are not original, but combined with the use of the Japanese play a modern sense.

Some of Japan's traditional crafts such as lacquer art and traditional painting have also become more and more appearing in the watchmaking industry in recent years. Several arts-based watches, such as Vacheron Constantin and Chopin, have been co-operated with them. But on the contrary is the Japanese local brand in this area is not much ink, in the final analysis, or from their watchmaking ideas focus on nothing.

Focus on the future

If only based on the outstanding performance of certain brands, to conclude that Germany and Japan will shake the Swiss watchmaking independence status, it is actually not comprehensive. The reason why we pin our hopes on Germany and Japan is because of their importance and layout for the future development of the industry.

Germany, since 1878, began to realize the importance of developing watchmaking talents. On May 1 of that year, Moritz Grossmann founded the German watchmaking school in the town of Glashütte and formally established it. Later, the watchmaking associations With the foundation. Later, the brand Glashütte watchmaking schools under the command, and continue to expand the scale, in 2008 but also converted into a melting watch schools and watch museum as one of the buildings. The German watchmaking school mainly recruited young people to learn watchmaking technology and continuously supplied reserve personnel to various watch factories in the town of Glashütte. Some of them also traveled abroad to carry forward the German watchmaking style. Currently, many of the workers in the town of Glashütte are graduates of watchmaking schools, and about 20% of the watchmaking schools, such as the Glashütte brand. As the tradition of German watchmaking tradition, this watchmaking school has a strict rule, it only recruit German students. The person in charge explained that the one reason is that because of the limited teaching staff in the watchmaking school, it is not open to the whole world. Second, it is also due to the consideration of protecting the German watchmaking industry.

The Japanese industrial layout, it is a lot of occupation of the market. This occupation comes from a form of sales, and secondly, the basic movement of the provision. The Miyota below Citizen is the world's leading base movement provider, providing the world with millions of basic movements every year, some of which are also available to some of our well-known Swiss watch brands. In addition, Citizen also acquired in recent years some of Switzerland's famous complex movement manufacturers. In this area of ​​development, it seems quite similar to the development of Japanese cars.

In recent years, with the rise of the German watchmaking industry and its fame, some of the brands that disappeared in World War II began to gradually "resurrect" and marked with confidence in Made in Germany. It can also be seen from the German self-confidence in the watch manufacturing industry.

In addition to add that, as the market matures and refinement, with a unique personality of the German watch will have a more robust market performance. For example, if you like to collect military or special mission watch some friends, the German table is undoubtedly the best choice. For example, Tutima used to produce NATO air timepieces; Laco and Stowa were designated as manufactured by the German Air Force during World War II, and Laco's naval watch was also a designated watch supplier to the German Special Forces.

However, in order to really shake the leading position of Swiss watchmaking, whether it is the German watch or the Japanese watch (especially the Grand Seiko and Credor series here), the top priority is to solve the problem: how to improve the production of these watches.