The Creative Get Going

hen the going gets tough, the tough get going, as they say. This adage is way easier said than done in real life, so much so in the luxury watch industry. The unfavorable season has obviously taken a few down with it— stalling a bunch of players, while pushing others to figure out contingency plans. At the same time, it serves as a wake-up call or an ego-check for those thinking that all that glitters is gold.

Like any luxury businesses out there, it takes blood, sweat and tears to succeed. In this case, the watch industry has an unquenchable thirst for creativity. One needs to spew out new sizes, new dials or new movements, year in and year out, but only a select few really break new ground.

Take, for instance, Omega with their Master Chronometer movement or Hublot with their incredible material fusion that leads to super-exciting collaborations. Their persistence in staying true to their own brand identity has really paid off.

In today’s high-end watchmaking, creativity and craftsmanship always win. A deserving example in this respect is Breitling, which cleverly built up their Chronoworks team dedicated to research and development.

See, most of the time, creativity comes not out of boredom, but out of necessity. Juggling too many balls is certainly risky, yet it could pave the way to a great future. Speaking of the future, watch enthusiasts should definitely keep an eye on the new collaborations involving Swiss watchmaking heritage and Japanese craftsmanship, as in the case of Frederique Constant which has been absorbed into the Citizen group.

Admittedly, there will be plenty of eye-rolling in response to any Eastmeets-West joint venture. But, how could it go wrong when two of the most powerful watchmaking nations come together? In fact, this could probably be the most creative solution ever. And, as they say, united we stand, divided we fall. So, Switzerland, maybe that’s what new friends are for.