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	<title>Kevin&#039;s Blog</title>
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		<title>Is Watchsmithing a Dying Industry?</title>
		<link>http://www.theecc.org/is-watchsmithing-a-dying-industry/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 16:36:38 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[When you walk into a shop and look at watches available to buy, seldom do you take how they were made, what makes them tick and how the mechanisms work to ensure that your watch works for years to come. Buyers rather look at the beauty of the watch or whether it comes from a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When you walk into a shop and look at watches available to buy, seldom do you take how they were made, what makes them tick and how the mechanisms work to ensure that your watch works for years to come.</p>
<p>Buyers rather look at the beauty of the watch or whether it comes from a name they know such as Rolex or Seiko. But the mechanics behind a watch isn’t managed by watch smiths anymore; this is done in factories with machines making these time pieces for you.</p>
<p>Watch smiths didn’t need an information technology degree nor did they need online master degree programs, but maybe these are courses they should consider moving forward as computers and hi-tech machines take over their dying art.</p>
<p>Most watch smiths now have their own small watch repair shops or stalls at markets offering watch repairs because there is no demand for the uniqueness you get from their hand crafts watches anymore.</p>
<p>If you learn more about their industry you will see that the watches made by these craftsmen are still appealing to some buyers who are looking for something distinctive, something unique and a one of a kind item that they wouldn’t find if they were to view site for watches.</p>
<p>But what are these professionals meant to do as more and more watches are churned out in factories? There is one thing for sure and that is you cannot beat the mechanical quality if you buy directly from a watch smith, the factories are churning watches out at such a high volume that there is no way, even with the highest quality control that they can match the care that is taken into making a watch when made by a professional watch smith.</p>
<p>If you think about it it’s similar to buying top wrinkle creams, if you don’t buy the best on the market, one that has been specially formulated to reduce the appearance of wrinkles you are not going to get the results you were hoping for. The same applies to the watches you buy, if you visit website, find watch and buy there is no way you know until it arrives at your front door that this is the right watch for you and is made to the highest standard.</p>
<p>There is still a small demand for unique watches designed and make by watch smiths, the same as there is a demand for Labrador Retrievers when families look for a family dog. This demand is far and few between when they are competing against big name watch companies such as Tag Heuer and others, but they are there. This is why these watch smiths have to rely on repairs, because there are always repairs to be done.</p>
<p>These watch smiths stand a better chance finding jobs within the larger companies where they can carry out repairs on specific watch brands, this way they are guaranteed a steady income from their professional. All you need to do is read full report on the demand for watch smiths and you can see that this really is a dying industry.</p>
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		<title>Watchsmiths &#8211; A Dying Industry?</title>
		<link>http://www.theecc.org/watchsmiths-a-dying-industry/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:40:22 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[Watch smiths are amongst those talented people who are able to design and repair remarkable gadgets on their own. An online MBA degree or a master of accountancy is not looked for in this job but persistence and tenacity is surely required. The sad part of the story is that technology is booming in today’s [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Watch smiths are amongst those talented people who are able to design and repair remarkable gadgets on their own. An online MBA degree or a master of accountancy is not looked for in this job but persistence and tenacity is surely required. The sad part of the story is that technology is booming in today’s era and the watchmaker industry is dying. </p>
<p>Industrialization has caused almost all of today’s watches to be made in factories where mass production has exponentially brought down prices. A major downside of mechanization is that all the watches manufactured by a particular machine are identical while every watch made by a watch smith is unique. This uniqueness gives a sense of distinctiveness to the buyer. These days watchmakers usually set up their own repair shops, as the market for their hand made watches has steadily declined. A master of library science can accurately tell the history of these craftsmen.</p>
<p>An interesting fact about watch smiths is that many rich people prefer handmade watches and order large companies, like Rolex and Tag Heuer, to make discrete watches for them. Factually, England has been amongst those few countries which have had degrees focusing on watch making, throughout its history. Nowadays, online finance degree programs and online MSW programs are commonly available and opted for but watchmaking programs are rarely selected. Indeed, if it had not been for these craftsmen, rare and old watches would have been lost long ago. It has always been these people who have repaired and cherished old jewels. It is truly very hard to imagine the patience and fortitude which is required to assemble a tiny gadget by hand.</p>
<p>A savior of the dying watch smith industry is the jewelry industry. Large jewelry stores usually make their own gold watches and are in need of a skilled craftsman. Skilled computer specialists who cannot find IT jobs can also apply for such positions. The job includes designing exclusive designs and implementing them in such a way that customer satisfaction results. Large Swiss companies such as Rolex do not disclose their designs and watch parts to common watchmakers and hence common watch makers are compelled either to join these large companies or to work under them. If they choose to work under them they will have to fulfill some stringent conditions which may include getting certified from an accredited watchmaking school. </p>
<p>Increasing electricity rates and financial losses have led many people to calculate their payment protective insurance using a PPI calculator. In these firm times it seems that watch smiths have a rare chance of surviving. Our world has moved itself to mechanization and, other than a few rich people; no one really cares for handmade watches. </p>
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		<title>Top 5 Watches for Collectors</title>
		<link>http://www.theecc.org/top-5-watches-for-collectors/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:44:03 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[„Time is money” is a phrase dating back more than two centuries, but ever present. 18 carat pure gold, diamonds of different sizes, shapes and colors, features tens of hundreds of components, thousands of research hours and millions of dollars. This is how you would describe the top 5 watches for collectors. French journalist Gregory Pond, ​​recently made a top of the most  „must have” and most popular brands of watches in the world, which was taken and presented in several international publications. In the realization of the rank, Gregory Pond, one of the most competent journalists in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>„Time is money” is a phrase dating back more than two centuries, but ever present. 18 carat pure gold, diamonds of different sizes, shapes and colors, features tens of hundreds of components, thousands of research hours and millions of dollars. This is how you would describe the top 5 watches for collectors.</p>
<p>French journalist Gregory Pond, ​​recently made a top of the most  „must have” and most popular brands of watches in the world, which was taken and presented in several international publications. In the realization of the rank, Gregory Pond, one of the most competent journalists in this field, took into account the current trend to estimate the price and brand value of the top 5 collectors items.  The criterias considered were: the network distribution, development potential, creativity, team, the efficient management emplyed and target groups.</p>
<p>The first position is held by <a href="http://www.rolex.com">Rolex</a>, which is not a surprise, it is also the only watchmaker brand that appears in the top 100 famous brands in the world, followed by <a href="http://www.cartier.com/">Cartier</a>, ranked second and <a href="http://www.patek.com/">Patek Philippe</a> to sign the podium, in third place. The forth place is occupied by <a href="http://www.tagheuer.com/">TAG Heuer</a> (LVMH), which is a Swiss luxury watchmaker, but most importantly, for all that you didn’t know, it is a branch of the well known luxury company Louis Vuitton. And finally, in the fifth place we have Omega (Swatch Group), which is one of the most well known watch manufacturer company, after Rolex, of course.<br />
The first position is held by Rolex with the Hans Wilsdorf’s fund model, a watch that celebrates Rolex’s entrepreneur and innovator. Hans Wilsdorf prized the Rolex watch for its accuracy, its elegance, and its potential to add value to its owner’s life and goals. This watch is worth 5.3976 million dollars.</p>
<p>In the second position, as I said, comes Cartier, with a watch somehow different from all others, but nevertheless a watch. Cartier is owned by a company producing jewelry and luxury watches in Switzerland, named Richemont. The piece of art costs about 2.7491 million dollars.</p>
<p>It is no surprise that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patek_Philippe_%26_Co.">Patek Philippe</a> is in third place, being one of the upcoming companies. This company is one of few privately owned companies and has been in the Stern&#8217;s family since 1932. This watch is brilliant and it costs aroud 1.6635 million dollars.</p>
<p>The forth place is occupied by TAG Heuer (LVMH), which is also a Swiss luxury watchmaker known for its sports watches and chronographs. It is a division of the luxury goods company LVMH Moët Hennessy, Louis Vuitton. The company motto is &#8220;Swiss Avant-Garde Since 1860&#8243;. In addition to watches, TAG Heuer produces glasses and cell phones. But do not be fooled by this fact because their watch costs 1.6442 million dollars.</p>
<p>And last but not least, the Omega (Swatch Group), which came up with a couple of collector’s items aver the years, but they said that this is the best one yet. Omega know by being the company that gave the Apollo astronauts watches that worked on the moon. So, this watch costs 1.6111 million dollars.</p>
<p>In the end these are the top 5 watches for collectors in 2011, these are the companies that produces them, and surely should not be missing from your collection.</p>
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