The Watch Customer Experience in Bienne: Small Things Make a Big Difference
As you may know if you've been here before, I love buying pre-owned watches. The variety, the serendipity, and the story behind each piece are a lot more magical to me than a thick carpet, engineered lighting and unscratched, shiny cases. For that
Zooming in on the Captivating Horage Lensman 2
While my sister Jeanne is a photographer, I really know very little, actually close to nothing, about photography. The pictures I take for this blog hopefully get the job done most of the time, but as you can tell they’re informative at best.
Starting Tomorrow, the Streets of Bienne Will Host the Arty Show with a Special Watch-Related Guest
As of Wednesday October 4th, the streets of Bienne will feel like a giant art gallery. Covering a lovely path from the train station to the old town, the Arty Show is back, for its 5th edition. Founded in 2018, the initiative mixes
The Good Vibes at the Swatch Boutique in Bienne
The Swatch HQ boutique in Bienne is officially a Drive-Thru. You can come with your car, order via an intercom and collect your watch at the window a few meters away without leaving your seat. Some special boutique watches are even delivered in
Interview: Marc Montagne, Author of “Invest in Watches: the Art of Watch Collecting”
While Marc Montagne has become a close friend over the years, I am first and foremost a fan of his (although please don't tell him). We met in 2015 after I reached out as a reader of his fantastic Quora contributions and as
MoonSwatch: What Was Wrong with My Perfect Experience Queuing for a Neptune Moonshine and How to Fix It
After having fully embraced and waited in line for the original MoonSwatch release, I thought I was done. Too much hype, too many people wanting and wearing it with whom I just didn't relate when it comes to watch appreciation. And then, there
A Brief Introduction to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry
The trade organization that regulates Swiss Made-ness and preserves the interests of its member brands across the globe is located in Bienne, a 2 minute walk from the train station. As I used to wonder, and have often been asked, what exactly the
Sometimes, It Feels Wrong to Publicize Bienne
Made in Bienne stemmed from a mix of candid enthusiasm and a sense of injustice. Injustice because when you talk to watch people around the globe, how many will answer Bienne, or Biel, when asked about the world capital of watchmaking? Geneva, primarily,
One Watch at a Time, Bienne Secretly Shines Around the World
What do Martin Luther King, JFK, the Dalai Lama, Meryl Streep and Neil Armstrong have in common? They notoriously spent some of the most important moments in their life with a watch made in Bienne around their wrist. Like millions of people over
Dear Watch Brands: Please Bring Back the Solid Caseback
This year has seen Rolex release several open caseback watches, while Omega, earlier this week, celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Semaster with a collection of closed caseback special editions: in both cases, pun intended, the opposite of what each brand had us
