The Swatch Group Ltd. is the number one manufacturer of finished watches in the world. The Group is active in the manufacture of finished watches, jewelry, and watch movements and components. It produces nearly all of the components necessary to manufacture the watches sold under its 19 watch brands and the multi-brand Tourbillon retail label, as well as the entire Swiss watchmaking industry. In addition, it operates its own worldwide network of distribution organizations. The Swatch Group is also a key player in the electronic systems sector. The Swatch Group takes its name from the extraordinarily successful story of Swatch, one of the world’s most widely recognized consumer brand names. Less than 30 years ago, the Swiss watchmaking industry was battling a serious crisis. The first Swatch watches were released in 1983. The years since then have seen the recovery of the Swiss watchmaking industry as a whole, and the establishment of The Swatch Group as a strong, diversified industrial holding. This solid foundation has allowed the Group to broaden its reach and extend its range of brands. Today, the Swatch Group offers watches in all price categories, and Swatch Group monobrands and the multibrand Tourbillon retail mark hold leadership positions in all market segments.

Today, under the leadership of Board Chair, Nayla Hayek, and CEO, Nick Hayek, Swatch Group continues to invest heavily in research and development, driving the steady expansion of its leading position in materials and process technologies and in product design and manufacturing. In particular, the Swatch Group engages in significant development activities in microelectronics and micromechanics. The Group is also active in the field of telecommunications and in the automobile and service sectors. Sports timing and measurement technologies, although not a core business, play a key role in terms of brand and Group visibility. A strong number of Swatch Group companies serve as official timekeepers at a variety of international sports events, including the Olympic Games.

The Swatch group brands include: See image


The Watch Aficionado

01-07-2013 om 13:49 geschreven door The Watch Aficionado

Richemont is an industrial holding company, which owns several of the world’s leading luxury goods companies. Each of the Group’s Maisons represents a proud tradition of style, quality and craftsmanship which Richemont is committed to preserving. The individual heritage and identity of each Maison is rigorously guarded, the designers and craftsmen being constantly challenged to keep the heritage alive through a continuous process of reinvention and innovation.

The company was created in 1988 by the spin-off of international assets owned by Rembrandt Group Limited of South Africa (now known as Remgro Limited). Established by Dr Anton Rupert in the 1940s, Rembrandt Group owned significant interests in the tobacco, financial services, wines and spirits, gold and diamond mining industries at that time as well as the luxury goods investments that, along with the investment in Rothmans International, would form Richemont.

Richemont’s businesses operate in five key areas: jewellery, watches, writing instruments, leather and accessories, and other businesses. The Group is managed with the objective of growing value for shareholders over the long-term, recognising that the most important assets of the Group – its Maisons – have almost all been in existence for over a century. Each of the Maisons has its own distinct identity that stems from its heritage and culture and it is critical that each Maison has the correct strategies and resources to be able to enhance that identity. The independence of the Maisons within the Group is fundamental to the Group’s strategy for future growth.

Richemont’s watch brands include: See Image

24-06-2013 om 16:42 geschreven door The Watch Aficionado