Bill
31965
Not at all. No rules broken. It was a good way start a conversation though not the one you intended.
I always struggle with indexing the posts because I’m responsible for it. I have a general brand bucket called “General Brands” as a catch-all, and then I have Independents, which is also multibrand.
You’re not wrong
By: Bill : November 22nd, 2025-16:56
true vertical integration implies control. A 25% stake gives access but not authority. Hermès integrates final assembly and dial/case making, but without full control of movements, it’s more “strategically aligned” than fully integrated.
Thought provoking
By: Arronax : November 21st, 2025-00:50
My definition of independent would be that watches can still be produced by said watchmaker if all other parts of the watchmaking industry collapse. With that definition I suspect we'd be down to single digit independents, possibly due to hairspring manuf...
Exactly
By: Bill : November 22nd, 2025-16:58
Many respected independents source parts but retain full creative and operational control. Independence isn’t necessarily about making every screw; it’s about autonomy in decision-making and vision.
A Taxonomy Problem.
By: Bill : November 21st, 2025-02:15
This raises a broader question: where does Hermès actually belong in watch brand classification? The traditional categories fail us here: "Fashion Brand" – Dismissive and inaccurate given their manufacturing depth "Independent" – Reserved for artisanal ma...
That’s an excellent point.
By: Bill : November 21st, 2025-16:36
Reviewing"GEO" George Cramer’s threads—especially his perspective on Cartier’s high watchmaking efforts—there’s a clear parallel to Hermès. Both brands operate under the shadow of their core identity : for Cartier, it’s jewelry; for Hermès, it’s leather. ...