Branding Bienne: Interview with the City’s Vice-Chancellor Julien Steiner
As the city’s Vice-Chancellor, Julien Steiner has among his prerogatives Bienne’s image as a place to live. Considering how radically the perception of Bienne has evolved over the years, and the role of watchmaking in the city’s reputation, there was a lot to
Where Watchmaking and Leather Savoir-Faire Share a Roof, and Much More – A Day at La Montre Hermès, Part II
As I explained in the previous “episode”, the day spent at the Manufacture Hermès was so rich that a single article could not do justice. One of the reasons is that there are in fact two distinct, yet intimately connected, operations taking place
Made in Bienne, one Piece at a Time: Langel Chocolate
The first 70 articles I wrote for this blog are all about watchmaking. And I expect pretty much the next 70 to be as well. But sometimes, it’s nice to make a little exception. Especially when it comes to high quality chocolate, the
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.
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
