A Day at La Montre Hermès in Bienne, Part I

October 25, 2023

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

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The Watch Customer Experience in Bienne: Small Things Make a Big Difference

October 19, 2023

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

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MoonSwatch: What Was Wrong with My Perfect Experience Queuing for a Neptune Moonshine and How to Fix It

September 1, 2023

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

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Sometimes, It Feels Wrong to Publicize Bienne

August 5, 2023

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,

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One Watch at a Time, Bienne Secretly Shines Around the World

July 4, 2023

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

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At the Source: the One and Only Omega Boutique in Bienne

June 8, 2023

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

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Alfio Pennisi, Luxury Watch Retail Made in Bienne

April 7, 2023

When walking in front of Jacques Tissot, on Bienne’s pedestrian Rue de Nidau, you could think for a moment you are strolling down the Champs-Elysées or 5th Avenue.

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Why Bienne Can Be Considered the Capital of Swiss Watchmaking

March 24, 2023

Being the capital of Swiss watchmaking is a title that a few cities can legitimately claim. Geneva, of course, including its suburb Plan-les-Ouates, is home to Rolex and Patek Philippe, the hard-to-dispute champions in their respective categories. It is also where the main

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Charles-Louis Muri, 40 Years Selling Watches, from Bienne to the World

March 11, 2023

25 years ago today, Charles-Louis Muri opened his magnificent vintage watch and clock boutique, in the Bienne Old Town. 15 years before that, he had started his trade on the same street, Rue Basse, just a few meters away. Even if Mr Muri

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From Lancaster to Bienne, Hamilton Turns 130

December 15, 2022

In Switzerland, Biel/Bienne is known for its diversity. A German and French bilingual town, within commute distance to Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Lausanne and Bern, it hosts people from all across the country. Walking down the streets

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