In the last few years, storm clouds have formed over the Helvetic Republic, where, for years, there has been nothing but blue sky and crisp alpine air. First they were mere zephyrs, barely rippling the surface of our collective consciousness, hardly worthy of mention in those glorious, post-GFC days. More recently we’ve noticed an increasing number of these squalls, and exchanged worried glances with our fellow travellers, but tacitly agreeing to collectively write them off as temporary aberrations due to external factors like currency fluctuation or political instability. But now there’s no ignoring it. The gale is blowing hard, and all around us the watch industry is battening down the hatches and cutting loose the dead wood. Some of these new drifters will ride the storm out, but many will succumb to the forces and become tomorrow’s flotsam and jetsam in an industry that has known smooth sailing for too long. I’ll do you all a favour and stop with the meteorological/nautical allusions now. The coming year will be a pivotal one for the watch industry. Despite the positivity projected by the Swiss hegemony it’s becoming clear that the watch industry is in crisis. But how big? Is it a temporary dip, or is it a massive, once-in-a-generation…
The post YEAR IN REVIEW 2016: Letter from the Editor appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Continue reading ‘YEAR IN REVIEW 2016: Letter from the Editor’