Today is the final day of our first ever Interview Week – a week we spent giving you unparalleled access to some of the most powerful men in the industry. Our last installment features a man in control of one of the biggest and most famous watch brands in history, the brand that went to the moon – Omega Watches.
Stephen Urquhart is the president and CEO of Omega, and in this interview we ask him about what prompted to the decision to open thirty boutiques in the United States alone, his view on the changing demands of watch buyers, why the prices of Omega seem to be not so slowly creeping higher by the year, who he views as his biggest competitors (hint: one begins with a “C,” the other with an “R”), why Omega decided to produce jewelry, leather goods, and even cologne (there is a very frank answer to that). We also ask about the future of Omega’s story, after so much of it has been reliant on NASA and the moon landing for the past 40 years.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy this exclusive, in-depth interview with Stephen Urquhart, president and CEO of Omega.
On the eve of his second anniversary as president of Patek Philippe, I joined 41-year-old Thierry Stern at the seaside Ritz-Carlton resort in Half Moon Bay, California for a chat about his legendary brand – the brand that his great-grandfather Charles purchased in 1932 with his great-uncle Jean – the brand his grandfather Henri helped establish as the watch of legends in the 1950’s and 60s, the brand his father Philippe brought into the modern age with the introduction of the Caliber 89, and the brand Thierry now controls as the fourth Stern to helm the watch manufacture by which all others are measured.
Stern was in town to present two new watches to select retailers – the Reference 5550P “Advanced Research”, the first perpetual calendar to employ Patek’s Oscillomax silicium treatment and the Reference 5235, the brand’s first regulator wristwatch. In this candid discussion, we talk to Mr. Stern about why these two watches are important, along with the importance of continuing advancement when in a position of such strength, how he views brands that are targeted towards younger buyers, what he thinks are gimmicks, where the industry is headed, whom he respects the most amongst his colleagues, which factory he’d love to visit but has never been allowed in, and what he likes to do in his free time.
Click through for an exclusive, in-depth interview with Thierry Stern, president of Patek Philippe.
You may have heard of the Flying Officer, the Gallet’s most famous model: a two register chronograph with cities of the world listed by time zone around the dial and a rotating bezel to track times across said time zones or measure hours elapsed (by placing the 12 at the location of the tip of the hour hand). Harry Truman even wore one that was a gift from his staff. (See the pictures below.) But did you know the original Flying Officer is actually a really innovative timepiece, for more than one reason? We bet you didn’t. But, here, Eric Wind explains why Truman’s watch was so important, and so cool.
Click through for the full story on the original Flying Officer plus original advertisements, pictures of Truman’s own watch, and other interesting tidbits.
Some of the most prized Rolex watches are those with cloisonné enamel dials. For example, see this circa 1950 Rolex that sold for over $ 700,000 earlier this year. But coming up for auction on Sunday, November 13 at Sotheby’s Geneva is a spectacular Rolex watch with a cloissoné dial of a different sort: an 18k automatic watch that was believed to have possibly been presented to Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of India on the occasion of India’s first constitutional day, January 26, 1950.
Rolex has stated that this watch is one of only two made with the map of India on the dial and sold by Rolex’s Bombay agent in 1949. The other one features slight differences in the dial and may have been made for the first Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharald Nehru. It was sold in 1993 and 2003 by Sotheby’s Geneva. This one has been newly rediscovered and not been offered at public auction.
With a pre-sale estimate of over $ 200,000 to $ 400,000, we are eager to see what the hammer price on this watch will be. For more information, click here.
UPDATE: The watch has been pulled as the Government of India has filed an inquiry asking for further information on the provenance of the watch. The granddaughter of Prasad claims that Prasad had a watch stolen from his home in 1964, which is now a museum. The current owner is anonymous and the Government of India would like to investigate the history of the watch. For more information, click here, here, or here.
If you read HODINKEE, you might know that Vulcain has a rich history of having the company’s Cricket watches worn by Presidents and Vice Presidents. Take this special Cricket, for instance.
The historic connection between the Vulcain Cricket and the White House has only gotten stronger now that Vice President Joe Biden has been spotted wearing a Vulcain Cricket the last few days. You can see him clearly wearing what looks to be the “50s Presidents’ Watch Automatic Steel” in this White House weekly address video on Saturday, November 5. The watch appears to be bright stainless steel, has the familiar position of the alarm pusher in relation to the crown, looks to be on a same dark alligator strap with curved ends, appears to have a flat sapphire crystal, seems to have larger dimensions (42mm) than the vintage non-Nautical Crickets, appears to have the minute markings for ease of alarm setting around the edge of the dial, and with further close photographic analysis appears to have the date by the 6 o’clock position, all signature elements of the 50s Presidents’ Watch Automatic Steel. It is available at Tourneau for $ 11,650.
A loyal reader alerted me that she saw Vice President Biden attending Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, DC yesterday (November 8, 2011) and heard the alarm of his Cricket go off, which triggered this familiar sound.
Perhaps Biden is just trying to become a bit more presidential in anticipation of a run in 2016, which he has not ruled out.
He got off facing fraud charges based on a technicality – NPA not doing their job properly – he certainly has not proved his innocence.
An innocent candidate should want to prove his innocence and clear his name – this will now never happen.
Best answer:
Answer by Frodo He got off, because even the NPA was afraid of what his followers will do if he was sentenced!! Its sad that our “justice” system will allow themselves to be manipulated and black mailed in such a way. If Zuma is innocent then surely Shabir schaik should be too? I can just imagine what will happen if he is NOT elected president, civil order will break down… his followers will make sure of that and that is why we are headed down the same road as zimbabwe….
The Men’s Rolex Day Date President is the most famous high-end wristwatch made in history. This watch continues to be most popular among CEOs, movie stars, and those requiring the absolute best in life. With its timeless features, the subtle elegance of this watch is enhanced with a Black Roman dial, offering a modern twist on a classic design. Other popular dial colors: silver, champagne, and mother of pearl.
Case Description:
18k Yellow Gold (36.00 mm); 18k Yellow Gold Crown
Dial:
Custom Black Roman Dial
Bezel:
18K Yellow Gold Fluted Bezel
Crystal:
Scratch-resistant Sapphire Crystal
Bracelet/Strap:
Italian-made 18k Yellow Gold President Bracelet, 80 grams in weight, fits up to an 7 3/4″ wrist. Additional links available.
