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
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
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
Alfio Pennisi, Luxury Watch Retail Made in Bienne
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.
Charles-Louis Muri, 40 Years Selling Watches, from Bienne to the World
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
From Lancaster to Bienne, Hamilton Turns 130
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
From Rolex Hairsprings to French Pastries, Charlotte Ernandez Shows a Delicate Taste of Bienne
“Charlotte’s” quickly became my go-to bakery in Bienne when it opened 2 years ago. And while the fantastic St Honorés and pear tarts are the reasons I keep coming back, I must confess I was often intrigued
How It Took Rolex a Century to Own Its Movement Manufacture
I know, it sounds odd: Rolex is renowned for doing just about everything in-house. Yet, the brand with the crown only acquired the company that makes all its movements in 2004. This post, itself based on
The Refreshingly un-Bling Watch Culture in Bienne
There's one thing I personally don't like about the world of watches. It's when watches are about everything but actual watchmaking: watches as status, watches as an asset class, watches as an accessory part of
