I first came across Merci Instruments through an Instagram post by @mrgrandseiko. He was showing off this trio of beautifully simple field watches that I’d never seen before. Sure, they looked a little like the Timexes or Hamiltons I so often see, but there was something about these that made me stop scrolling for just a second (no small feat). The guy behind this account is always taking great photos, but even this one caught my eye. Turns out the group of watches I was looking at is made by a 10-year old French brand named Merci. It’s a retailer with one shop in the Marais neighborhood of Paris.
Read MoreSwiss Watchmakers Aren't Worried about Slowing Growth in China
News
Reporting from Baselworld, Reuters quoted a number of watch industry executives who said they expect to continue to see strong growth in 2019. This is despite a slow start to 2019 in which Swiss watch exports have risen just 2.1 percent in the first two months of the year. In 2018, Swiss watch exports rose 6.3 percent.
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Universal Geneve Is Coming Back Soon
News
In our Brief History of Universal Geneve, we concluded by hoping for an eventual rebirth of the brand.
Well, since we wrote that article in November 2018, a few developments pointing towards a rebirth of the Universal Geneve brand have happened. As someone astutely noted in the comments section of that article, Universal Geneve’s website, universal.ch, is now fully functional. It only features a history of the brand and a “contact us” form, but it’s definitely something.
Read MoreNYT: Watches are the New Bitcoin
Recommended
If the New York Times writes a longer-form piece on a trend, is it a bubble? If so, vintage watch lovers might want to watch out.
In a new article, the Times calls out vintage watches as “yet another easy way for the rich to make their money into more money”.
Read MoreSwiss Watch Exports Continue to Grow in February
News
After a stable January, Swiss watch exports grew 3.4% in February 2019. This is even despite a high comparison base, as exports grew more than 10% in February 2018. it’s a good sign that there may be additional room to run for the Swiss watch industry. Total exports totaled CHF 1.8 billion in February 2019, slightly higher than January’s CHF 1.6 billion total.
Read MoreRecommended: Having a Martini with Your Rolex at Watches of Switzerland
Recommended
Watches of Switzerland wants to take the retail watch space, one martini at a time.
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