A Horological Interview with Paul Bernard, the Bienne Contemporary Art Center’s New Director
I generally learn a lot when I get to interview people for this blog. In some cases, I learn even more than usual, and this conversation with Paul Bernard is definitely all the way up there. His perspectives on how contemporary art ties
A Day at La Montre Hermès in Bienne, Part I
When you first visit Bienne, some watch brands are impossible to miss. They are so to speak “in your face”, and that is a great part of the city’s charm. But it’s at least as charming, if not more, when some brands are
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.
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
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
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
At the Source: the One and Only Omega Boutique in Bienne
Friendly, relaxed and fun are usually not words associated with a luxury watch retail environment. Yet, they immediately come to mind whenever I step into the Omega headquarters boutique in Bienne. Don't get me wrong: none of the high endness you would expect
Watch Hunting: A Perpetual Quest
Earlier this week I polled on Instagram about what should be the next blog post and, by a very short margin, "Thoughts on watch hunting (why it never stops)" emerged as the winner. So here we go. The intense sensations in watch hunting
