Showing posts with label Watch Logo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Watch Logo. Show all posts

Thursday, December 27, 2012

The Story behind 10 Greatest Names of Swiss Watch makers and their Logos

Every watch had a historical story behind on how they created their Watch and logo. My father once told me that I should not buy a Watch without a proper logo, Well, that that was a bit too extreme but somehow the Logo is really representing the spirit of the watch company and the book of history of the watch iself!  These are some of the Watches I like especially their Logos! They are beautiful as their watches are.

                                     This 1950 Rolex bubble back as a Beautiful Flat "Logo"
                                     It would be perfect if the watch size is larger 36mm
Rolex
As Some Chinese described Rolex as “Five pieces of Matches” (五支火柴)
in the 70s means the Crown Logo of the Rolex. In fact, the Rolex Logo of Crown was original design of a Palm indicating that the watch was hand crafted by hand. Gradually the palm was changing into a Shorter Crown in the 40s and then came up the modern design in the 60s and has been using till now.
And The Crown is now representing the Rolex Monarch of Super Swiss watch Manufacturing.

                                     A Retro Early Royal Oak with "AP" logo at 6 Oclock position
                                                       Watch designer: Gerald Genta
Audemars Piguet
Logo “AP” is adopting the name A and P from two Founders; Jules-Louis AudemarsEdward-Auguste Piguet.
AP always represent itself in High profile display of their watch, in 1972, AP launched the Royal Oak sport watch using Stainless steel as the material, a hexagonal crown design with exposed Screws to locking onto the base, unique, bold and beautiful. It was immediate being recognized as the most attractive design and it is Classic now after 40 years.


Blancpain still produces their watch in this tiny Farm House



                         A hostile and Arrogant Moonphase Expression
Blancpain 
1735, In VILLERET, Jehan-Jacques Blancpain decided to dedicate himself to watch making. He started by making watch parts then, later, complete fob watches.
Over the following centuries, members of the Blancpain family succeeded one another at the head of a highly prosperous company.
Blancpain has a Royal blood of making watch of Mechanical movement, Blancpain announces that there has not been any Quartz Watch made by the company and will not have any in future.
Blacnpain make circular watch case only so far I have seen, will there be any square or rectangular watch, I know not? May be in future
I love Blancpain because of the facial expression on the moonphase is so “Proud and Arrogant like” (好惡死) ...It seems that Blancpain wants to tell other watch makers, “ I am the best!’ Ha, I like Blancpain!
Once you buy a Blancpain, they will treat you like King, and no like ptehr watch maker, the Chairman uses to send you Xmas card and booklet every years at last I got it for the past 20 years.
What a good marketing and good Branding! 


                          A very beautiful Design from Corum, "Bridge"
Corum
Montres Corum SARL is the name of a Swiss watch and wristwatch parts manufacturer headquartered in La Chaux-de-Fonds Switzerland, an important industrial centre in the history of watchmaking.
Corum the firm as it exists today was founded in 1955 by uncle-and-nephew partners Gaston Ries and Rene Bannwart, who saw the advantage of marketing the line of handmade watches produced in their workshop to a wider market. 

In terms of industry standards and innovation, Corum’s hallmark watch is known as the Admiral’s Cup, introduced in 1960, which greatly advanced the technology of water resistant watches. In addition to the Admiral’s Cup, among the most popular models by Corum are Golden Bridge, Artisans, Bubble, Coin Watch and Golden Bridge..

In recent auction highlights, a fine and large limited edition curved skeletonized wristwatch signed Corum achieved a record price for this model of wristwatch, fetching $11,875 in December 2010 at the Important Watches sale at Christies, New York. Corum and the Admiral’s Cup watch remain industry competitors to this day, appearing regularly at auction worldwide. The symbol or logo of Corum watches is a turned key.
It state the anthem for mystery, a creation for beautiful watch, a key of beautiful time , and now it represents the success of Time.
                       This is a special SpeedMaster with a 18KT white gold bezel sold March 2012
Omega
The Omega watch company was founded in 1848 in Switzerland by 23-year-old Louis Brandt. He began creating his Omega watches by hand by painstakingly assembling each watch piece by piece.
Omega watches with its unique design and impeccable precision have provided the world several progressively advanced timepieces since 1885.

Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet and it represents perfection and success in the attainment of a task. The Omega story began in 1848 at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, when its founder Louis Brandt at the age of 23 opened a comptoir d' tablissage, a sub-contracting sales office for watch manufacture. In 1880, due to the greater supply of manpower, communications and energy, Louis-Paul and Cesar Brandt moved into a small factory in the city of Bienne /Biel. With the introduction of their first series-produced calibers, Labrador and Gurzelen, in 1895 the watches achieved a precision of within 30 seconds a day.

Four years later, Louis Brandt & Fils became the largest producers of watches in Switzerland, with a production rate of 240,000 watches produced annually and employing 800 people. But this fact did not stop the exclusivity of the watches they produced: a clear example is the minute-repeating wristwatch, developed in 1892 in partnership with Audemars Piguet, and probably the first wristwatch of its kind. The famous Omega caliber became a brilliant market performer when it went into production in 1894. Its major points for salability were in its easily interchangeable parts, and its simplicity of construction.

The company's banker, Henri Rieckel, suggested the name "Omega" for the new watch. The overwhelming success of the "Omega" name led to it being adopted as the sole name for all the watches of the company from 1903.
The Most valuable and famous Model is likely Omega Speedmaster, it was created in 1957. After rigorous evaluation and testing, NASA decided to use the "Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph wristwatch in 1965 as its official timekeeper. In 1967, the one millionth chronometer was certified.

On 21st July 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong ( he died in 2012) became the first man to step on the moon. As he made the famous steps quoting "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind", he was wearing his Omega Speedmaster Professional chronograph. With this unique accomplishment came a unique nickname: the Moon Watch.
In April 1970 the Omega Speedmaster rescued the Apollo XIII mission from a potential disaster, earning Omega the "Snoopy Award", the highest distinction granted by NASA.
The Russian Space Agency also chose the Omega Speedmaster chronographs to accompany their astronauts.

Omega is now rated as the most popular watch in China, many famous leaders is wearing Omega, including our greatest Chariman Mo who's watch is Omega, which was a gift from Kwok Mui Yok. You can see 2 out of 10 Chinese visitor at Canton road is looking for Omega.

                 An Anchor recalls my time working onboard the M/V Vessels

Ulysse Nardin
Established In 1836, started business for Marintime Watch and Observatory Chronometers,  with Nardin pursuit of Watch Makring excellance, they had a invention of makin diamond Spring and Diamond Fork Escarpment.
So the logo of Anchor is representing Ulysse Nardin.
Over 50 countries Navy is appointing Nardin to make Astronomical watch for them.

                        An Elegant Slim Watch for you and me or her.

Jaeger-LeCoultre
The LeCoultre family settled in the Joux Valley in the 16th century, when Pierre LeCoultre fled from persecutions against the Protestants in France, and decided to settle there after spending some time in Geneva. Courageous and determined to be up to the challenge, he bought a piece of land in the Joux Valley as could be seen in a deed that he signed when acquiring the land that remained a landmark in the history of this region. He lived the rough life of a pioneer, land work and animal husbandry, hunting bear ad Wolf. Despite many obstacles and different events, the community started to grow. In 1612 the son of Pierre LeCoultre built a church that marked the settlement of the Sentier village.

The LeCoultre family worked for generations in the small family-run forge and this was where Antoine LeCoultre, genius inventor and founder of Jaeger-LeCoultre, tenth generation since Pierre LeCoultre, built up his knowledge in metallurgy, inventing with his father a new alloy, perfecting music box vibrating blades and setting the basis for the razor blade industry. His curiosity and will to combine his empirical knowledge to scientific culture soon made him turn towards the noblest art in mechanical arts: watchmaking.

At Jaeger-LeCoultre, inventions were part of the everyday program from the very beginning. The first LeCoultre workshop was created in 1833 when Antoine LeCoultre elaborated a technical achievement, a machine able to cut watch pinions, later adopted by all professionals, like all great discoveries of the House, contributing therefore to the world reputation of Swiss watchmaking.

Years went by, punctuated by multiple inventions such as the Millionomètre (1844), enabling the measurement of microns (thousandth of millimetre), the famous “remontoire à bascule” (1849), the first system able to replace the traditional key for winding and setting the time of a watch or the first complicated movement, pieces for which the manufacture earned the name of “Grande Maison”.

From 1860 to 1900, the manufacture created more than 350 different calibres. Half with complications: 99 repeaters, amongst which 66 minute repeaters, 128 chronographs and 33 calibres that gather in the same timepiece the chronograph and the minute repeater. From 1890, the manufacture presented its firsts Grande Complication, that is to say watches with three majors watchmaking complications: perpetual calendar, chronograph and minute repeater.

In 1903, Edmond Jaeger (1858 – 1922), Parisian watchmaker for the French navy, challenged the Swiss to manufacture ultra-thin calibres. The manufacture’s creator grandson, Jacques-David LeCoultre (1875 – 1948), in charge of manufacturing at LeCoultre & Cie at that time, accepted the challenge. This collaboration, and then friendship with Edmond Jaeger was to give birth to one of the most extraordinary ultra-thin watch collections in the world, with the LeCoultre Calibre 145 (1.38mm thick). This would be followed by pioneering wristwatches that would lead in 1937 to the creation of the Jaeger-LeCoultre House.

From the beginning of the wristwatch, Jaeger-LeCoultre offered many models that quickly attracted the public, and that would later become great classics, passing through decades with reinterpretations coming from the inexhaustible creativity of master watchmakers, as well as the fruitful inventiveness of other artists – enamellers, engravers etc. – working for the “Grande Maison”.

The first was Duoplan that paved the way to the smallest movement in the world, Calibre 101. Born in 1925, Duoplan, was invented to solve the issue of wristwatch precision. Its tiny dimensions compared to pocket watches meant having much smaller balances that lacked precision. The Duoplan movement is built in two “floors”. Therefore, the balance volume is much more important, enabling the watch to be very reliable and precise when measuring time. The watch also provided a unique after-sales service by Lloyd’s in London: every single damaged movement was replaced in a few minutes. The London retailer Tyme proudly stated: “Your watch will be repaired in less time than you need to finish your cigarette!”

In 1929, the most important version of the Duoplan movements’ family, Calibre 101, broke the record of the smallest mechanical movement in the world. Today, with its 98 components (in 1929, there were 74), 14mm length, 4.8mm width and 3.4mm thickness and a weight of hardly 1 gram, this world record is still the reference 83 years later!

The famous clock Atmos is as eternal as it is historic. Invented in 1928 by Jean-Léon Reutter from Neuchâtel, Atmos represents for science one of the rare objects that came close to the old dream of perpetual movement. The complete knowledge of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s watchmakers will be necessary to go from prototype to the Haute Horlogerie clock. Atmos takes its energy from the slightest changes in temperature. A one degree fluctuation is enough to keep it going for two days! It consumes 60 million times less energy than a 15 W bulb! This cult object has remained until today the official gift of the Swiss Confederation for more than half a century.
It is during this golden era of the manufacture, and more specifically in 1931, that Reverso, the iconic watch par excellence of Jaeger-LeCoultre was also introduced. For Reverso, the original idea came from César de Trey, who during a business trip to India, took up the challenge of creating a watch able to withstand the shocks during a polo game. Back in Switzerland, de Trey entrusted the project to Jacques-David LeCoultre, who created Reverso, whose name is inspired by the Latin “I turn over”. A simple gesture makes it possible to swivel the case on its brancard to protect the watch glass. The back of the Reverso was to be available for any personalisation by all means of the art of watchmaking, and the collection continued for decades to celebrate today, younger than ever, its greatest success, both commercial as well as artistic.
Jaeger LeCoultre is named with two major founder and Contributor Pierre LeCoultre and Edmond Jaeger,

                        An unique layout on the dials, beautifuly Balance.

A Lange & Söhne
An non-Swiss blood hi end watch maker, it was originated in Eastern Germany in a small town called Glashütte (Glass house)
It was once disappeared due to the isolation of Easter block of German, and Rejuvenated after the German unification in 1989.
A High Quality watch maker who can match in par with the Swiss monarch of watch manufacture.
                      Oversea is one of the best design sport watch from Vacheron Constantin
                                                     Designed by Gerald Genta
Vacheron Constantin
In 80s, Chinese called this watch 勞詩丹頓!
In 1775, Downtown in Geneva, Switzerland, a guy named Jean-Marc Vacheron opened up a workshop, which turned out to be first watch manufacturer in world, In 1819, the businessman Francois Constantine joined it, and his talented art for brand promotion made Vacheron Constantin become the only watch brand out of Geneva, which also the first one. Seize the Moment!! It Is Typical for You to Choose Catching mother of bride dresses His famous sayings that [do everything in your power and the hope for you will be endless” and let the products speak instead of the sale” are still Constantin`s insisting operating logos today.
Quality: Permanent brand wisdom.

In the year 1880, Constantin officially register the title of honor “Maltese cross” as the company`s trademark. “Maltese Cross” can prevent the blocking of shock absorbers caused by irregular movements, then maintaining its accuracy and improving the operation roles of clock mechanism. Constantin uses it as its brand totem, representing its product logos which seek for greater perfection. At present, it is undoubted that Vacheron-constantin is the technical benchmark in global watch industry, and its full-handwork makes the delicate brand perfectly construe its personality.

                              
                      Another beautiful watch design "Nautilus" since 1976 till now created by Gerald Genta

Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe unique “Calatrava Cross Star” flag originated in a story back to year of 1185, Spain called Calatrava city by the Moorish invasion, the courageous priest Raymond and Knight Bendigo – Belas Case led a people desperate war of resistance, and final Moorish drive away. The Calatrava doji is a knight’s sword and the priest doji combination. Thus, the doji and sword together have become a symbol of solemn and bravery.
One hundred reached Fei Lai’s founder Anthony – Pictet and Jane – Fei Lai think this cross as a symbol of the significance and their cooperation in the spirit of a very fit, so they decided from 1875, “Calatrava Cross Star” as Pictet Patek Philippe brand’s logo.
HK Snob

PS
Late but till meaningful as I got the Christmas card from Blancpain Today!
See that little farm house factory.