James [url=http://www.ukwatches.com/frame.html]auf seiner Website[/url] hat geschrieben:
In my opinion, watch companies can be split into 5 types; for ease of handling I have chosen to group them under the following categories.
1 Masters; Almost always individuals who make single or small series of watches and produce ALMOST every part themselves. Note the emphasis on almost, no-one nowadays makes everything, whilst a watchmaker can make a screw, almost none of them would.
2 Manufacturers; Companies who have their own factory and produce complete movements for their own use. May buy SOME movements in and may sell some of their output.
3 Makers Companies who buy in ebauches but case and dial them in their own factory, may even add some complications to these ebauches but do not make a complete movement.
4 Monsters. Companies with one (or more) large factories who also own a number of brand names and whose factories may make one brand one day and another the next.
5 Myths Virtual watch companies, who have a brand name or trademark and who market watches made entirely by others but which bear the brand name or trademark.
The first two categories are self selecting, that is Masters are principally members of the ACHI and Manufacturers are taken from the irreplaceable Hans Zbinden's post in the archives. However I am sure we all have thoughts as to who should be in 3 or 5
Anyway; here is my first suggestions as to who goes where: of course, I expect suggestions
Masters Vincent Calabrese, George Daniels, Parmigiani, Antoine Preziuso, and the Chinese gentleman whose name escapes me
Manufacturers Audemars Piguet, Chopard, Corum, Chronoswiss, Girard-Peregaux, Glasshutte, IWC, Jaeger-le-Coultre, Lange & Sohne, Minerva, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Rolex, Seiko, Zenith
Makers Bertolucci, Breguet, Breitling, Bulova, Bulgari, Ebel, Eberhard, Eterna, Fortis, Gevril, Hublot, Ikepod, Maurice Lacroix, Marvin Movado, Franck Muller, Ulysse Nardin, Nivrel, Oris, Revue Thommen, Daniel Roth, Alain Silberstein, Sinn, Tutima, Universal Geneve, Vacheron Constantin.
Monsters SMH group: Omega, Swatch, Tissot, Rado, Longines, Blancpain, Vendome group: Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Panerai, Dunhill, Montblanc.
Myths BMW, Burberry, Camel Trophy, Fendi, Hermes, Gucci, Jaguar, TAG Heuer, Louis Vuiton.
I have several queries; where do we put Gerard Genta, Urban Jurgensen, Kelek, Junghans.
As always responses are awaited with interest; one final note, I am NOT the ultimate authority, I am just making a suggestion for classifications. Also this is a moving picture, several companies that were in one group have moved groups within the last few years, so I confidently expect it to change again.
