The Watch Files

On April 25, 1981, attendees at the European Watch, Clock, and Jewellery Fair in Basel got their hands on something completely new. IWC introduced the Porsche Design Titan chronograph, the first titanium watch available for sale. The revolutionary material caught the watchmaking world off guard, and the Titan helped IWC and their partner Jaeger-LeCoultre survive the quartz crisis. This is the story of the watches created by legendary designer Ferdinand Alexander Porsche and the radical utilitarian watch designs he created with IWC. It's also a story of how materials and design can spark customer enthusiasm and sales. This episode is divided into three 15 minute segments:  Ferdinand Alexander Porsche and Porsche Design  IWC, Porsche Design, and Titanium  Materials as a Watch Design Element

On April 4, 1960, 70 independent Swiss watchmakers joined forces to form a remarkable new cooperative. Intent on standing their ground against the consolidation of watchmakers into corporations, the Coopérative de Fabricants Suisses d'Horlogerie would launch a shared watch brand three years later, using the name of famous watchmaker Pierre Jaquet-Droz. The Coopérative grew rapidly, accounting for over 15% of Swiss watchmaking exports in 1968 and boasting a catalog of over 2,000 different models. Yet this unique experiment, and the famous brand they used, is entirely forgotten. Join Serge Maillard, Publisher & CEO of Europa Star, and Stephen Foskett, Publisher of Grail Watch, as we tell the stories of the events that changed the horology industry. More Information: The Forgotten History of Jaquet-Droz, Switzerland’s Shared Watch Brand, Grail Watch, 2021 La Concentration Dans le Secteur Horloger, Europa Star 4, 1960 Interview with Dr. Charles-Edouard Virchaux, President of the Cooperative of Swiss Watch Manufacturers, Europa Star Eastern Jeweler 85, 1964 Scope of the Technical Control Center of the Swiss Manufacturers' Cooperative at Bienne, Europa Star Eastern Jeweler 89, 1965 Jaquet-Droz Sales Centre Opens at Bienne, Europa Star Eastern Jeweler 91, 1965 The Cooperative of Swiss Manufacturers Publishes Report for 1965, Europa Star Eastern Jeweler 94, 1966 1966 a Prosperous Year for Jaquet-Droz, Europa Star Eastern Jeweler 100, 1967 Jaquet-Droz Strike their Balance, Europa Star Eastern Jeweler 111, 1969 Jaquet-Droz Six Years' Presence on Watch Markets, Europa Star Eastern Jeweler 133, 1973 Jaquet-Droz: A Great Name Becomes a Great Brand, Europa Star 199, 1993

On July 8, 1992, it was announced that watchmaking giant SMH (today known as the Swatch Group) was purchasing upstart watch brand Blancpain and their movement producer, Frédéric Piguet. This was a recognition of the contrarian company's decade-long effort to re-establish mechanical watchmaking in the face of the quartz crisis. Declaring that Blancpain would never produce a quartz watch despite the fact that this was all consumers seemed to buy at the time, Biver directed his company to produce six masterpieces of mechanical watchmaking as a "living museum of the past." This was the template for the entire industry, which returned to prominence thanks to craftsmanship, storytelling, and luxury, all of which Biver understood more than anyone else. Join Serge Maillard, Publisher & CEO of Europa Star, and Stephen Foskett, Publisher of Grail Watch, as we tell the stories of the events that changed the horology industry. More Information: Blancpain, F. Piguet, Biver, and the Path Forward, Grail Watch Jean-Claude Biver: Past, Present, Future, Europa Star Lettres du Brassus, Issue 05

On January 12, 1979, the Swiss watch industry announced the thinnest watch ever made: The Delirium, developed and produced by Ebauches SA for Concord, Eterna, and Longines. It was just 1.98 mm thick and wasn’t a big seller, but it accomplished something more important: The Delirium proved that the Swiss were innovating like the Japanese and would stand their ground in the quartz market. And the novel design of the Delirium, which embedded the movement into the case back, laid the foundation for another critical announcement four years later, the Swatch. Join Serge Maillard, Publisher & CEO of Europa Star, and Stephen Foskett, Publisher of Grail Watch, as we tell the stories of the events that changed the horology industry. More Information: The Thin Watch War | The Watch Files: January 12, 1979, Grail Watch The Battle to Build the Thinnest Watch, New York Times, February 22, 1979 A New World Record Set by ETA S.A. of Granges, Europa Star 119, 1980