Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Jean-Michel, Jean-Michel Tomaschett wrote: >What is a "real" mechanical watch? >Do you think the majority of them are "really" hand-made? > A watch with a manual movement. For example I have a couple of IWC watches that predate the 1950's and these watches must be wound once a day when worn to keep time. > > >A batteryless wristwatch made in Switzerland does not automatically mean it >is handmade. > It depends on the maker. Certainly all components are hand assembled and many makers do in fact hand make most of their components in-house. > >Most of the Swiss watch companies are not independent. >Please excuse my English, I live in watch-country. > The advent of the quartz movement in the late 1960's (was Swiss designed and developed) and Japan's outstanding ability to exploit this technical advancement put many old Swiss family owned wrist watch makers out of business in a very, very short period of time. The revitalization of the fine Swiss Watch only came about in the late 1980's. Many Swiss based watchmakers are foreign owned today. Many old brands have been reborn. BTW, you're English is fine. Regards, Greg > > >Jean-Michel > >-- >To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html