Manufacture
Kong reports on the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie's (FHH) visit to Singapore in 2009, highlighting their mission to promote fine watchmaking. This event provided a crucial platform for the FHH to introduce its initiatives, including anti-counterfeiting efforts and educational tools, to the Asian market. The discussion that followed reveals the community's nuanced perspectives on the FHH's role and the complexities of combating watch piracy.
12 May 2009 Singapore, The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH)
Now, there is a hardcopy magazine which features the best 20 articles on the FHH website and distributed to partners during the SIHH. In future, FHH may be considering quarterly editions and discussion with press groups is ongoing.
In the pipeline, also developing programme for 3-hour workshop of assemble and disassemble of an ETA movement.
2) to inspire the vocations and arouse interest/awareness in watchmaking
3) to take up the role as a think tank for the Fine Watch Industry. Recently FHH has organised a 1-day meetup for 40 CEOs of the watch industry to discuss and share various points of views and reflect on the state of the industry. FHH also has tied up with a university in Milano to conduct data gathering about the watch industry and will publish
a book later.
4) Train Fine Watchmaking professionals
FHH has started a pilot programme of certification to validate the knowledge of salespersons in France. The salesperson will be tested on his sales skills, watch knowledge before awarded the certificate. The result would increase the credibility of the point of sale and would deliver a better experience for the buyers.
Highlighted that currently the FHH has 29 brands and five institutions.
Each demonstrates the authenticity, creativity and innovation that make them a legitimate partner to the FHH.Â
They are: A.Lange & Söhne, Antoine Preziuso, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Boucheron, Cartier, Chanel, Chopard, Corum, Daniel Roth, Gérald Genta, Girard Perregaux, Greubel Forsey, Hermès, Hublot, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, JeanRichard, Montblanc, Panerai, Parmigiani, Perrelet, Piaget, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Tag Heuer, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef and Arpels, Zenith.
Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry - Musée de l'Horlogerie et l'Emaillerie,
Geneva - Musée d'Horlogerie Beyer, Zurich - Musée d'Horlogerie du Locle,
Château-des-Monts - Musée International d'Horlogerie, La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Next he proceeded to another initiative of the FHH - The Anti-Counterfeiting Campaign and highlighted the impacts to the industry and also consumers. More details in the press release after this post.
Next was the introduction of the Watch@Tablet® , a project started in last September.
Pascal holding a Watch@Tablet®
Watch@Tablet® is a sales and training tool, developed by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) and set to become the essential resource for Fine Watch sales associates. This extra-thin touchscreen tablet PC provides information and advice on demand.
John preparing the tablet for hands-on session ...
Rana Karam has her set ready. She is the Project Manager for the Watch@Tablet®  project.
Pascal was explaining how Watch@Tablet® was suitable to monobrand (for brand boutique) and multi-brands for retailers. Understand during this trip, 18 sets ordered.
Perhaps some of the new upcoming boutiques in ION (Singapore mall) may incorporate the Watch@Tablet® .
The startup screen of the Watch@Tablet®
After that 3 Watch@Tablet® were handed out for the press members to try them.... 
Rana with the Watch@Tablet®
Guiding the users along ....
You can hear many inputs while the users were testing 
It would be good to have a voice recorder on to hear the real comments about the experience of the Watch@Tablet®
 
Pascal handling questions raised by the press members/users ....
Some interesting information (gathered from the Q&A)
It may not be neccessary to buy the tablet as the key is the software which is developed by FHH through a vendor.
However, a tablet is encouraged instead of using a notebook with mouse as mobility would be limited and most importantly, the playability and spontaneous movement would be hindered during an explanation to a customer.  It also looks more progressive and impressive with a tablet.
We have also raised if it could be planted into iPhone or other Smartphones. The answer is
possible but the screen size may be too small. Anyway low price tablet is coming by the manufacturer of the first netbook, so the real price is at the licensing of the software and updates.
The initial pricing released is the hardware (tablet with docking station) is USD3,000 and
per license of the software is also USD3,000 which includes one year of free updates of software and news (about twice per week). One license for one device. Subsequently, the update fee per license is USD600 per year.
Some pictures of the contents ...
A picture of the FHH trio with the HH Magazine, the Watch@Tablet® and the Anti-Counterfeiting Campaign booklet .    Â
For more information about FHH, please visit www.hautehorlogerie.org
Kong
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Related post:
The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) Debuts the Watch@Tablet® at the Las Vegas JCK Show
Press Release from FHH A global response to counterfeiting worldwide "FAKE WATCHES ARE FOR FAKE PEOPLE ! " The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie and the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry are joining forces to launch an international anti-counterfeiting campaign. Their objective is to inform the public on the damage caused by this global scourge. In spite of the many efforts made, the problem of counterfeiting and piracy continues to wreak havoc on virtually every economy worldwide, and is ex
Indeed , everyone realises that cheaters will be cheaters and fake people will always exist. Man is a fallen creature. The prime objective is for people to know the truth and then make an informed choice. 40 million fake Swiss watches are made each year vs. 26 million REAL Swiss watches. This is not just a minor problem created by poor people to get pocket money. The campaign does NOT target poor people who buy cheap watches. They could never afford more and a cheap watch is still functional....
You know which ones. 'Nuff said.
..was more based on the hyperbolic claims concerning the mafia, organised crime, etc that were discussed in a thread last week. I know what the campaign is getting at, but I do think that there are far more important things that make people phoneys than the watch on their wrist....
bdlj, Thanks for the clarification. I took the opportunity of the FHH visit to quiz them about those statements that some people have questioned. It seems that the major interested parties (e.g. governments and trade groups) have been gathering 'intelligence' about all aspects of global counterfeiting for decades. Some governments even have dedicated covert operatives equivalent to the FBI ATF section and running at high levels of clearance. I guess $200 Billion or more that can get diverted to
Which haven't really understood the problems and probably made things worse? By lumping in that " counterfeits and piracy worldwide amount to US$ 200 billion to 360 billion a year, or 5% to 7% of international trade." the FHH is not in the best of companies in the anti-piracy department. As a side, does that number include real piracy, the parrot/peg leg/arrrgh kind? A
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