2009 Swiss Watch Exports Down 22.3%
The headline on the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry’s report on December, 2009 exports reads “Recovery Confirmed.” This is perhaps a case of news that is less bad being viewed as good. Swiss watch exports for December were down only 7.2% compared with the same month in 2008, though for all of 2009, Swiss watch exports declined 22.3% to 13.2 billion Swiss francs.On the bright side, December followed November as the second month in which the steep declines reflected in the the 12 month moving average leveled off, and December’s single digit decline is perhaps a sign that the fever has broken, though the patient remains in guarded condition at best.Markets that registered growth in December were mainly those in the Far East. China enjoyed a 43.5% increase while Hong Kong was up 27%. The U.S. market’s decline slowed from -21.4% in November to -15.7% in December. The decline increased in France (-24.8%), and Italy suffered a 33.6% decline in December. Ja

Top 10 Watches Of Baselworld 2014
Baselworld 2014 marks the fifth anniversary of watches-dealer visiting the massive watch trade show event and at this point, our March/April pilgrimage to the third most populated city in Switzerland (not actually saying much) is met with gracious welcome by many of the brands who produce the best watches in the world. Baselworld is the larger of the annual watch trade shows around the world. While SIHH in January (in Geneva) is smaller, it is also an important event where a different list of important brands display their newest watch and jewelry creations.For your reference you can check out our list of the top 10 watches of SIHH 2014 to recall the timepieces we felt were the most worth knowing about. We make it part of our coverage to provide watches-dealer audience members with a list of what we feel is going to be of importance or worth your hard-earned income over the next few years. No "top list" is complete nor is it totally inclusive of everything that is cool. For that you'll

Virtually Test Watches On Your Wrist From Home With Tissot Reality
Another major step in making watch stores less relevant. I recently discussed the demise of third party watch retailers here, and a lot of people said that they still like going into stores to try watches on. So while buying timepieces online makes sense from a value and selection standpoint, it is hard to give up actually trying-on, and holding the watch. Well, this new system from Tissot doesn't exactly replace that experience 100%, but makes an awfully convincing case for skipping the store.It is called Tissot Reality, and is a method of using what is known as "augmented reality." The term applies to programs that create visuals over real-life images. Tissot has created a downloadable application that allows you to try out their entire T-Touch collection family of watches from home in your underwear. The system isn't perfect, but the first attempt is really cool. You need to download the software, print out then cut out the watch shaped strap for your wrist, and you must have a webc

Is this vintage 1980 orchid 2663 worth servicing?
Excuse my terrible picture taking but my mom dug up an old rolex (complete with papers!). A quick googling shows that it's worth a little bit (nothing crazy) but is it even worth servicing? It doesn't really hold much sentimental value either.It definitely needs a new band as the leather is crumbly but it actually still runs!Edit:I noticed I didn't post this in the vintage forum, sorry :(

Is this 18038 DD's dial legit?
Hey guys, I found a good deal on a 18038 that I'm considering buying even though I already have a 118238. The seller sent me a couple of pictures and the bracelet is in good condition for being an old watch. My only is concern is the dial. I don't think factory diamond dials came with the Roman numeral track, but with lume plots instead. From what I've seen the Roman numeral track belongs to stick dials. I've looked at so many watches that I tend to notice when something is off but I know some of you can tell right away. What do you think? Worth it or pass?https://ibb.co/jvBgEb