De Bethune Debate – Are six figure watches necessary?

As a watch collector with somewhat of a rose colored perspective in relation to anything horological,  being invited to a watch event ‘Are Six Figure watches necessary?’ proved to be possibly confronting.

Ironically the event was held at the State Library of NSW, another potentially archaic institution.

Maybe I’m quixotic but the idea of reading an actual book within a library such as this, is enriching on so many levels that you just cannot compare it with an e-book.

What was of greater interest was that the watch company hosting the event together with the Hourglass was no other than De Bethune. If there is one current brand that has a strong independence aura it is definitely De Bethune.

This is even apparent on the watches which speak for themselves by having no brand signature or logo.

The brand has its own unique design DNA not only from an aesthetic but more importantly in terms of movement architecture and a passion for genuine innovation.

De Bethune almost operates in a different universe to the rest of the industry. It has taken just eleven short years for two watchmaking devotees to build what history will doubtless view as the foundations of 21st century horology.  In 2002, when David Zanetta, a collector with a passion for art, history and timepieces, decided to join forces in founding De Bethune with Denis Flageollet, the son, grandson and great-grandson of watchmakers, they were both keenly aware of sharing the same vision of tomorrow's watchmaking. Their no compromise approach is finally receiving well deserved accolades amongst the industry and collectors.

In a tech driven, globalised world, the rational mind would certainly paint traditional watchmaking as on a path of eventual obsolescence. Luckily the human race is not entirely rational and there will always be a lure to own objects of irrational desire that spark inexpressible feelings deep inside of us.

Are these watches necessary? No! Are they an investment? No, as we will find out in due course! These questions are not just about watches but all things of human passion. To the crazy collector these creative works that symbolize beauty, romance, and exclusivity are not a desire but a necessity.  

A Perpetual Legacy

Unless you are an individual that does not need to be connected to the rest of the planet, the isolation of Australia, from the rest of the world, has its challenges. One positive is that the tyranny of distance makes the degree of commitment to this market rather obvious.

Most watch brands just pass by hoping for a quick uplift in sales, others have been here for many years with quite successful per capita sales (remember the tourist bonus given the weak $A) but do very little in terms  of reaching out to actual collectors. By inviting the media and rent a crowd, large stage showmanship whilst impressive, may get them a short flurry of headlines but no real connection with the actual end buyer. An experienced player knows this is not how lasting business is done down under.

Luckily there are a few what brands such as MB&F can sense the relatively restrained but deep passion for watches that this country possesses.

True to style it is great to see that this pioneering brand is not only walking a different path in terms of product design but also in terms of marketing strategy.

We have had the pleasure of Max Busser visiting our shores previously and this year Charris Yadigarolou made the special effort for what is to be one of the strategically most important launches for the brand this year (and they have had so many).

Great watch brands are created by a differentiated uncompromised end product that in my view endures and is nurtured by the passionate drive and connected vision of the people.  Upon reflection I have also come to the realisation that a brand is not just about the product but the journey it took to reach its elevated status.  

For a brand to become truly great it has to have been tested at its core. The easy road whilst tempting is never the path to great success. It is this point that makes the launch of the Legacy Machine Perpetual such a compelling story. 

I will spare the technical details of this ground breaking watch and rather remark on the fact that throughout the presentation one gained a very strong sense of the drive of Stephen McDonnell and his trails in pursuit of the unconventional that ultimately proved ground breaking.

Legacy Machine Perpetual is the watch that puts MB&F on the map even with the most dismissive traditionalist.

Patek Philippe Tour Day 2

After breakfast in the hotel we hopped on to our coach for a short trip to Plan Les Ouates, an industrial area on the southern side of Geneva. I know what you are thinking, luxury watches in an industrial area? Plan Les Ouates is no ordinary industrial area. Locals give it the nickname Plan Les Watches as it is home to many Swiss watch brands (Rolex, Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe, Piaget, amongst others). It is also home to several Swiss beauty/cosmetic brands like Clarins.

Upon arriving we had a quick coffee, met our guides and then headed in to the lecture room auditorium for a presentation about the Patek Philippe brand.  After the presentation we were broken in to two smaller groups to begin our tour of the factory. 

Sadly we were not able to take photos inside the factory areas, but it was fascinating to see how the parts are manufactured and machined. 

The tour is really well planned and nearly every area of the factory has large picture windows where you can see in to the machining areas. Alongside the windows or doors are large illustrations of what components are made in that particular area, along with a photo of the actual size of the piece being made and the steps involved in finishing each piece. It is amazing to see a piece of metal go in one end and the finished piece at the other. 

When you see the tiny size of some of the pieces and then are told that they all get polished, you really have to marvel at the skill of the polishers.

After the tour it was time for lunch which was in the private dining salon. Mr. Philippe Stern was our host for lunch. What a lunch it was! Prepared by a chef poached from a Michelin star restaurant, we were informed that he also prepared the meus for the 2 staff cafeterias.

Lasagne style Zita pasta # 18, eggplant confit,poultry and Pata Negra ham.

 Brittany lobster, cauliflower and curry foam.

 Lemon cheese cake, thin vanilla crepes.

 Coffee and chocolates ended our meal.

After our fabulous lunch it was back on the bus for the short journey back in to Geneva central for our tour of the Patek Philippe Watch Museum. WOW what a museum! The Patek Philippe Watch museum houses thousands of watches and pocket watches, and has examples of  clock and watch making from the 1500’s right up to the year 2000. Mr Henry Stern has built up a fabulous collection and continues to add to it. The museum is broken in to tow sections, Antique watches 1500’s to 1800’s and the Patek Philippe collection 1839 to present. There is so much to see that we will definitely be going back for another visit, you could spend a whole day looking at these masterpieces of horlogerie.

http://www.patekmuseum.com/

After a wonderful short tour of this fascinating museum it was back to the Beau Rivage for a quick freshen up and then to dinner at L’Observatoire Restaurant. We knew it was close to our hotel but didn’t realise it was in the hotel next to ours, Hotel D’Angleterre. The hotel is very old school British in style, very elegant and sophisticated. 

Nothing quite like a unique butter presentation!

Mille-feuille of crispy potatoes, vegetable puree flavoured with truffles and crispy chips.

Veal medallion Gamay jus, stuffed vegetables and mushroom filled potatoes.

Caramel pear, pink praline custard and orchid ice cream.

After our second three course meal of the day we were very glad it wasn’t too far back to our hotel and another good night of sleep.

Patek Philippe Factory Tour With LK Boutique

Late September saw us jetting to Geneva, Switzerland for a tour of the Patek Philippe factory. We were invited by LK Boutique and Patek Philippe to visit the Patek Philippe factories and see behind the scenes of watch making. Unfortunately we were not able to take photos while in the factory but let me say it was a truly amazing experience.

We flew to Geneva on Emirates with a stopover in Dubai. Previous trips to Europe have  been after a week in New York so it was a novelty for Vikki to fly westward from Sydney. The flight is of course very long, nearly 14 hours to Dubai with 2 ½ hour layover and then a further 7 hours to Geneva. Of course First class lounges help. 

The first meal of our trip was dinner in the Qantas First Class lounge in Sydney. A glass of rose Champagne got the trip of to a nice start. I ordered minute steak with chips and salsa verde and Vikki ordered pork with kale and sweet potato.

For dessert we ordered the cheese selection and a fig, toasted hazelnut and honey tart with a rosemary infused cream, housemade ricotta whey sorbet. Great cheeses and the tart was delicious and light.

Flying First Class is a rare experience and when you can upgrade you really enjoy the treat.

We arrived in Dubai early in the morning and after going through all the barriers, we stumbled along to Emirates First Class lounge. I had been here earlier in the year so it was nice to see Vikki’s reaction to the Dubai First class lounge. She was impressed with the size and the fitout, water features, plenty of lounging areas, dining room, spa, business desks. The service was impeccable and the lounge very relaxing. 

The only thing missing from breakfast was some bacon but it is a small thing. The sausages that we had (veal or chicken) with our scrambled eggs were sensational.

Freshly squeezed juice and bakers basket.

Scrambled eggs, veal sausages, roesti and baked beans.

Back on to the plane for the second leg of the trip which saw us fly up through Iran, then across Turkey and the Balkans before crossing the northern parts of Italy, over the majestic Alps and then in to Geneva airport.

After landing we headed to our hotel, The Beau Rivage Geneva. Located across the road from Lake Geneva, it offers an old world touch of luxury that was very welcome.

Exterior Beau Rivage, Geneva.

Interior Beau Rivage.

Our room was one of several that had a balcony facing the lake and the Jet d’Eau, with views to the city centre, the Alps and Mont Blanc in the distance.

A few shots of our room.

After settling in we had a little time to ourselves and decided to take advantage of the sunshine to explore a little. Our group was given public transport vouchers for the duration of the stay. We decided to use ours to take one of the Mouettes Genevoise across the lake. The Mouettes Genevoise, are wooden boats that have a long history on Lake Geneva. There are three routes to choose from and we took the one that goes directly across the lake and offers good views of the Jet d’Eau fountain.

From our drop off wharf we walked back to the city centre, which took us around 10 minutes. Naturally, we had to find some watch boutiques. We were also successful in finding M.A.D. Gallery, where I was to catch up with Max Busser later in the week.

We also found the carousel/merry go round located in the street leading up to the cathedral.

A bit more walking found us at the Quai de l’Ile, historic headquarters of Vacheron Constantin. This building is now home to a Vacheron Constantin boutique as well as home to their heritage department.

At this point, Lake Geneva starts to narrow again and become the mighty Rhone River. We never realized that the Rhone River starts its 812 kilometer journey down from the Lepontine Alps in the canton of Valais to the Mediterranean Ocean. You can see the water starting to flow quite quickly in the photo above and below.

In the Jardin Anglais, near the lake, is the Flower Clock.

Peak hour traffic was a nightmare! We thought Sydney was bad, but the traffic in Geneva shocked us a bit. Although we were later told that the road in front of the Hotel is the main one people use to go around the bottom of Lake Geneva and there is only the one vehicular bridge at that point. 

Back at the hotel we had enough time for a quick freshen up before meeting the other members of our tour group at a welcome cocktail party. Only a few shots of the food but as it was dinner there was plenty of food and all delicious.

Tiredness was starting to catch up with us so we headed back to our room where we had this stunning view out the window.

Check back for more on our trip to Geneva