Modernahab
1111
Good point again regarding Montblanc.
They are one of the few houses in the Richemont portfolio, along with the utterly tragic Roger Dubuis, where I question the conglomerate's brand management. I've been impressed by some of the Minerva-derived higher end pieces they've released, and the Nicolas Rieussec chronographs are indeed very distinctive. Their mid-range offerings leave me scratching my head, however, and the one Montblanc I owned (an 1858 Geosphere) suffered from poor build quality, subpar finishing and cheap-looking components. Maybe they should just shift completely into the upmarket realm and concentrate on heritage pieces à la Minerva. Or just stick to pens.
Roger Dubuis just makes me want to cry. My wife and I have matching Sympathie S37s from the house's early days, and the commemorative throwback limited edition Sympathie retrograde QP they just did is heartening - like a visit by a friendly ghost. But I can only imagine what Dubuis himself, while alive, must have thought of his name being attached to the garish, Hublot-esque products in the current line.
Underdogs: What are yours?
Underdog: Someone who is hardly noticed (The Urban Dictionary) I’m sure many of us have brands we think of as over-hyped and overrated (names will not be mentioned ;-D), but perhaps likewise some that we admire and feel worthy of more attention and respec...
Some beautiful watches there. I always loved that LUC Twist.
Speake Marin is/was a brand that seemed to fly under the radar. Possibly so was Ulysse Nardin. ...
Yup, Speake Marin does seem to suffer some from the Rodney Dangerfield syndrome.
I think they deserve credit for their individual and idiosyncratic design language, though I wonder if that also impedes their popularity. Ulysse Nardin is an interesting case, I think. I felt that they were much more in the public eye a couple of decades...
Very interesting thread and proposition…
Depending on perspective this could apply to many brands. As you say, Chopard in many ways still lags in perception behind the quality of watches. The LUC line generally sports nice and horologically sound pieces, the AE fully fits the current era / custo...
Very astute!
Regarding Chopard, I agree that the Mille Miglia line seems like an adipose appendage at this point. I also think that the jewelry watches in the Happy Diamonds mode may continue to damage the perception of Chopard as a serious player in the mechanical wa...
I was also thinking about GM in the 1980s…
I guess Blancpain is where Biver’s journey and the resurrection of mechanical watch making started but the creative drive has now long petered out 🤷🏻♂️ Another one I could mention is Montblanc. The Villeret pieces remain underrated for what they are and ...
Good point again regarding Montblanc.
They are one of the few houses in the Richemont portfolio, along with the utterly tragic Roger Dubuis, where I question the conglomerate's brand management. I've been impressed by some of the Minerva-derived higher end pieces they've released, and the Nic...
I am not sure that some of the other Richemont brands know where they are headed, either…
Not that familiar with RD but see your point. The one that worries me somewhat is JLC. Hopefully Jerome Lambert can instill a period of positive experimentation again, reinstalling the brand as the watchmaker’s watchmaker. I am probably only marginally ab...
Correction - and embarrassment!
Surely a sign of ongoing cognitive decline, but I just realized I'd conflated Svend Andersen with Christiaan van der Klaauw. My bad. Both underappreciated, nonetheless.
Arnold & Son is amazing at watchmaking!
My favourite one is the Nebula 41 on steel bracelet. ...
