Guilty as charged

When yesterday I offered an apology letter to a potentially unhappy Samurai Night Vision customer, I didn't know that I would be writing an "I am sorry" note in less than 24 hours. And not to just any customer, but to a barrister who specialises in contracts, restitution, and misleading conduct. Ouch. Luckily, the watch in question was not a Seiko. It was a trustworthy and robust Omega Moon watch, which was delivered to the customer-the barrister-with an issue. As annoying as it is, the watch had to be shipped back. While there was not the slightest doubt that I would be able to diagnose the problem and rectify it promptly, such "incidents" are annoying and can potentially spoil the enjoyment of a newly acquired watch.  The watch arrived this morning and it was the first job on my to-do list.  It literally took two seconds to spot the issue: a freely floating screw! A mere minute later, the screw was back, securely tightened. The Moon watch was ticking again, showing a perfect line on the timegrapher, needing no further adjustment. (Yes, I checked all the other screws, which were also fine). Things happen. At the end of the day, a watch is merely a complex sum of finely tuned mechanical components. For unexplainable reasons, even the tightest screw can unscrew; even the best watchmaker can make a mistake, and sometimes, the stars align in such a way that the time itself gets confused. Randomness, uncertainty, and disorder are mighty forces no one can overcome. Time favours entropy. The good news is that events like this are very rare. Out of hundreds of watches sold, only one or two have been returned to the workbench, under guarantee. Ironically, the return rate of brand-new watches is slightly higher than that of second-hand models. When the watch grows out of its "infancy stage", and once the teething problems are ironed out, most watches behave in an orderly and predictable way.  You see, writing an apology letter is easy:  "Dear Sir, I've made a mistake, I am sorry, I've fixed it."

Why doesn't consignment work?

 

We need to talk about a serious matter today. It's called business. If you allow a couple of minutes to familiarise yourself with the core principles, you will have a better understanding of the matter; consequently, you will benefit from the insider knowledge I am happy to share. 1. There are three parties involved in the business of second hand watch dealings. The seller, dealer, and the buyer. 2. A single, one-off transaction could be structured in such a way that it is beneficial to any party. However, multiple transactions with multiple parties can only take place if every party gets what they want, repeatedly. 3. Second hand dealing is a complex process. 4. Expectations and requirements: Seller They are a smart and mature seller who understands two key issues: the security of the transaction and the value of time. A smart seller is not going to waste their precious time dealing with time wasters, nor are they willing to risk their life inviting strangers into their home. Disposing of a large collection of any kind is a serious challenge.  5. Expectations and requirements: Buyer A sophisticated buyer has multiple requirements, coupled with very high expectations. The top priority is price. The price has to be right. The right price is hard to define, but 20-30% below retail for near mint stock is 'about right'. Overall condition of the watch, security of transaction, guarantee on performance, insured delivery and post sale servicing and maintenance are some of the other crucially important requirements. Meeting and exceeding those expectations is essential for repeat business.  6. Dealer's role: The dealer's role is to generate profit, grow the business, and keep both seller and buyer happy.  Selling is easy. Finding desirable stock at the right price is extremely difficult. Dealers are not gamblers, they are risk averse. They are not watch collectors either, they buy with the brain, not the heart. A dealer's greatest asset is their reputation. 7. What is a consignment? Consignments are deals where the seller sells the watch through a dealer. The consignor (watch owner) maintains the rights to the watch until the watch is sold. The selling price is set by the owner, while the risk of transaction is on the dealer. After the sale, the dealer is paid a fixed amount by the owner. While in theory, a consignment sale may look mutually beneficial, in reality, such a form of selling only benefits one party. Since the watch owner is not in a hurry to dispose of the watch, and retains full control of the sale, the asking price is almost always set too high. Practically, the dealer has no say nor authority to lower the price; so the watch remains unsold for a long period of time. On the other hand, the dealer bears all the responsibility and liability for the watch, including the post sale guarantee. The watch is eventually sold to a buyer who is a novice watch enthusiast, who sooner or later finds that they have been ripped off, paying above market price. Such a buyer would never return, and this is why accepting watches on consignment is cancer to the watch dealer.  A dealer who accepts goods on consignment will sooner or later run out of stock and customers.  Dealers who publicly seek goods on consignment either don't care about their reputation or haven't sufficient funds to run a successful business. Entrusting your watch to a dealer could be very risky as well: dealers do go out of business, companies change ownership, and deals where one party has full control over the other are recipes disaster.  In conclusion:  If you are thinking of disposing of your watch collection: find a reputable dealer who is capable of meeting your expectations. Meaning: money in your account, to the last cent, straight away.  As a buyer: the best place to buy a new watch is the brand's watch boutique. The second best place is from a reputable second hand dealer. Everything else is a casino.  No matter what you do, stay away from consignment stock. It's a cancer that will slowly destroy your appreciation for horology and ruin your enjoyment of fine watches - for ever.

AMW 2022

by Josh

NH Micro - our workshop's contract manufacturing arm - had one of the biggest weeks it's ever had. Nearly 2 years ago we decided that we would take NH Micro to the next level by expanding our client base - going to Australia's largest manufacturing expo as an exhibitor was the crown jewel of that plan! >From June 7-10, the NH Micro team set up shop at the ICC in Sydney's Darling Harbour. Our ambition was that just showing up and participating was already a success, and that it didn't matter if our booth wasn't perfect. We were simply happy to be the worst team in the best league.  The plan was straight forward: to talk to potential and existing clients, as well as to show case our capabilities with sample parts that we had on display. We had parts from the medical, space, optics/photonics, scientific instrumentation/research, and semiconductor sectors. Coming from a watchmaking background, our unique selling point was expertise in making all the difficult components that no one else wanted to make. Our mantra was, "small, complex and tightly toleranced". With quite tempered and reserved hopes, we began the first day of the fair. Tuesday morning; our relaxed and content attitude did not prepare us for the sheer volume of interest our little 9sqm booth was generating. From Tuesday until the end of the fair on Friday evening, the three of us - Andrew, James and myself, talked non stop to seemingly endless masses of engineers, designers, machinists, inventors and proud NH owners! A common theme started to come together; lead times are long, quality is low, and everything is getting more expensive. Finding suppliers and partners that can execute tasks on time and on budget is the Paul Newman Daytona of the manufacturing world. We barely had a moment to walk through the fair ourselves, but upon a quick stroll some things became obvious. For a manufacturing fair, there was very little manufacturing being exhibited. In fact of all the exhibitors, NH Micro was the only booth that represented a micro-machining capability, and one of only THREE manufacturing companies. The other two companies, Marsh Alliance, and Ronson gears, specialise in spring manufacturing and gear manufacturing respectively. The rest of the fair was a combination of conventional machinery resellers, cutting tool manufacturers and a lot of 3D printer distributors. After a few laps, it became pretty clear- we weren't the worst team in the best league, we were the only team in a nearly non existent league!

For our little, growing company this fair represented a huge milestone. It was our first public outing, and for it to have been so successful (over 200 contacts!) was an extreme confidence boost. The sobering reality of manufacturing in Australia never seems to dissipate, but for us, the show pointed towards a hopeful, exciting future.

Is Santa even real?

You spent the whole month putting reindeers and neon lights on the roof. The tree is glowing, the cake is baked, and the glasses are ready. Ray Charles sings. It's Christmas. Yes, you've been a good boy all year round. But you still wonder - this year, sometime after midnight, will Santa himself descend down the chimney with that toy you’ve dreamed about for far too long? Will he make it, this time? As you read this, the Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW) is in full swing. Granted, it’s a humble event measured by global standards, but nevertheless, the largest and most important event for a hundred or so die-hard Australian businesses who work hard to keep Australian manufacturing going. All dressed up nicely, enthusiastically, and ready to put on display the very best they have to offer. Yet once again, for the fourth time in a row, our Minster for Industry and Science hasn't shown up. "We do what we can,” says the fair organiser. “We call the office, we send an early letter, then a few more emails as we near the event. We provide extra staff, extra security - we beg. Unfortunately, the Minister never shows up.” "Of course, what else would you expect from a Labour minister?" you say. The truth is, neither of his three Liberal predecessors, formerly in power, made it to the AMW fair either. In Australia, ministerial disinterest is above the party line. "Maybe he is overseas, attending some international summit?" you insist. Well not really. As we speak, our Minister for Industry and Science is in Jakarta, spreading multiculturalism and dabbling in foreign politics. Don't get me wrong: multiculturalism is important, and I am all for it, but that is simply not his job, nor his portfolio. His job is to lead us, talk to us, and listen to us. To create and implement policies, to provide funds, to invest heavily and determinedly into Australian manufacturing. But, like Santa, he wasn't there today, on the day it matters. On his Facebook page, Minister Husic has left a message, confusing the Australian Made Week with Australian Manufacturing Week, events which ironically run in parallel, sharing the same acronym. It seems like a feed from a junior staffer who quickly googled AMW... "Australian manufacturing matters. We've got a proud history of manufacturing in this country. This week is Australian Made Week, a timely reminder of why we need to make more things here. The Albanese Government will invest in Australian manufacturing by setting up the National Reconstruction Fund to drive investment in projects that will build prosperity across the country." I wish he hadn’t. Three lines of a cliché rhetoric, failing even to get the name of the event right, promising something on someone else's behalf. Gutless and empty; almost as cynical as that old saying, “In a democracy, people get the politicians they deserve". Are we really that bad, Santa?

What is the official Swiss Railway clock?

 

What is the official Swiss Railway clock? In 1944 the Swiss Federal Railway made the decision to standardise and modernise the railway platform clock. Prior to then, every station had its own clock, often in its unique, local style. To add to that, only a few of those electric clocks were synchronised to central time. The first official clock was designed by engineer Hans Hilfiker in 1945. Hilfiker’s last and final version dates from 1955. Since then the official railway clock remains unchanged.

No numbers? Hilfiker was Swiss German and designed the clock dial in an industrial Bauhaus style. The core principle: minimalist but highly legible. Seventy years later, the clock dial design still remains as fresh as ever. Actually, the clock dial is now regarded as one of the 20 most iconic watch faces of all time, on permanent display at the Museum of Modern Arts in New York.  What is the deal with red 'dot' seconds hand? The seconds hand symbolises the red train master’s paddle. It is synonymous with punctuality and accuracy. A clock like no other? Indeed. The official railway clock features a unique function know as the 'stop to go'. That famous red seconds hand completes a full rotation in 58 seconds, and then pauses at the 12 o’clock mark for two seconds while the black minute hand jumps forward - starting its next rotation. Back in the 1950s the two second ‘pause’ was required to re-synchronise the network of over 3000 clocks run all over Switzerland. Today it is an iconic feature associated with what we call ‘Swissness’. SBBCFFFFSWTF? The letters on the dial are acronyms for 'Swiss Federal Railways' in German, French, and Italian: SBB CFF FFS 'Schweizerische Bundesbahnen, Chemins de fer fédéraux suisses, Ferrovie Federali Svizzere' Who is Mondaine? In 1986, the Mondaine watch company, owned by the Bernheim family, obtained the license from the Federal Swiss Railway to make timepieces featuring the Official Swiss Railway clock design. Mondaine makes wrist and pocket watches, as well as clocks. Who wears Mondaine timepieces? Watch enthusiasts who are fussed about minimalistic design, architects and graphic designers, those who have an ‘artistic flair’, or those who are simply concerned with the environment. But above all: people who value punctuality. The challenge The main challenge for Mondaine is to remain relevant while remaining ‘true’ to probably the most stringent design requirement: the watch dial. The fundamental premise is that dial design must remain unchanged to the last iota of shape, font, and style. This is an extremely difficult task for any watch brand. Mondaine keeps pushing the borders with technical innovations, variation of mechanisms, strap colours and environmentally friendly materials incorporated in the never-changing watch style. Actually, the very fact that the next Mondaine watch will look like the one from 1986 is the reason for the loyal support of hardcore brand followers. Mondaine is a club. The Mondaine project is timeless, and it’s here to stay.

We are pleased to offer you a range of the official 'Swiss Federal Railway’ Mondaine timepieces Buying a watch from a watchmaker makes a lots of sense. In all fairness - why would you shop anywhere else? Like any other watch, Mondaine watches are repairable as long as the spare parts are made available to the watchmaker, and as you are fully aware, we are passionate about watchmaking. Meaning: we will be on Mondaine’s back on your behalf, for as long as possible. In addition, we offer 5 years battery replacement free of charge on all Mondaine watches. A battery replacement is easy and could be done on the spot, while you wait. Does Mondaine make mechanical automatic watches too? Yes. We have the 41.5mm steel auto in stock. See below.  What is the “Original Mondaine”? The original is the purest white dial design watch which comes in 3 sizes: 30, 36, and 40mm and bears no other markings on the dial except ‘swiss made’. Battery operated.

A sophisticated present - to yourself I cannot think of a more sophisticated present than the official Swiss Federal Railway designed clock. Silver, black, or red, varying in size, built to last, and priced correctly. My personal pick: the largest of them all - the 40cm monster in brushed aluminium. An absolutely stunning clock; the kind of clock which would fit perfectly well in a harbourside mansion, busy city office, or a summer house cottage somewhere in the Snowy mountains. The smaller 25cm clock is just adorable. I am looking for a specific Mondaine timepiece…? If it is available in the current catalogue, then we can get it for you. Price match? You bet.