BnbConcept

Hublot Watches Rescues BNB Concept, Sort Of

I recently reported that the Swiss highly respect complex watch movement maker BNB Concept declared bankruptcy. All in the watch industry agreed it was sad and uncomfortable news. Not long after I am not too surprised to hear that someone has come to the watch movement maker's rescue - one of their biggest clients no less. LVMH owned Hublot has announced that it will buy BNB Concept. What this means is not 100% clear to me. Hublot has announced recently that it wishes to become a movement maker itself, adding to in-house made movements to its higher-end offerings. Reports indicate that Hublot is purchasing BNB Concept for some of its technology and staff, as well is its machinery. It is unclear whether BNB Concept's manufacture will continue in operation, or this will all be transferred to Hublot's new space.

What is clear is that Hublot is not going to be able and save all of BNB Concept. So there will still be technicians and watch makers looking for work, as well as a host of other BNB Concept clients that will have to look elsewhere to get complex watch movements. There are only a handful of competitors.

Via Business Montres (in French).

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: bnb concept, BnbConcept, hublot, movement, watch

Movement Shock: BNB Concept To Declare Bankruptcy

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Shocking news in the world of watch movements as BNB Concept looks like it is going to close its doors. The highly respected complex watch movement maker looked like a star of the independent high-end watch industry. BNB Concept was responsible for the design and manufacture of a number of ultra complex (and expensive) watch movements for many watch brands. For example, its seems as though most of the tourbillon movements that aren't in-house made by a brand are sourced from BNB Concept. They even began their own exclusive watch brand with the Confrerie Horlogere. Founder Mathias Buttet really changed the watch industry over the last few years, and BNB Concept is, and has, been in very high demand. Now that is all over. So what happened?

Unpaid bills. Literally millions of them. BNB Concept has no cash. Problems arise not only in account payables, but account recieveables. While BNB Concept was doing great on paper. No one was paying them. With dozens on customers who haven't paid, BNB Concept has an utterly insufficient cash flow. It looks as it is another victim of the hurting luxury watch world. Because BNB Concept's customers could not pay it, BNB Concept itself had not enough cash to stay in business. Reports all suggest an extremely expensive overhead. With lots of highly trained labor, high-tech facilities, and not to mention lots of expensive machinery, BNB Concept was underwater before it knew what hit it.

The official announcement of their bankruptcy is expected to come soon. This will likely mean that the company will be closing, as no one wants to buy them and end up trying to collect from customers or paying all the bills. Though to be honest it isn't 100% clear what they will do. Hopefully the "talent" will be transferred elsewhere. While the news is sad for lovers of high-end complex independent watch brands, it is sadder for the watch industry as a whole. Consider it a major step back in giving independents a chance to assert their innovative designs without having to spend years themselves designing and making movements.

Via Business Montres.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: bankruptcy, bnb concept, BnbConcept, close, mathias buttet, MathiasButtet, movement, swiss, watch

CONFRÉRIE HORLOGÈRE Watches Website Finally Active

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

After teasing me for months with a simple placeholder movie on their website, the CONFRÉRIE HORLOGÈRE website is finally ready for action. The Confrerie Horlogere is new watch making arm of BNB Concept, one of Switzerland's best complex watch movement makers. One of their first watches was sold as a one-off piece for the sum of 280,000 euros. The brand combines the talent of enthusiastic young watch makers with the engineering prowess of a movement making powerhouse. One of the best things about the watches is that many of them carry lifetime warranties.

The new website is just as interesting and daring as some of the timepieces. Like a skeletonized watch, the website is also skeletonized. In website design, a navigational map or tree is often made to explain how the site will work, and how pages are connected to one another. In a unique move, the Confrerie Horlogere made the finished site to look like this. You literally navigate around the tree as new areas pop up. I've personally never seen anything like it before, and I like the concept. It isn't perfect, but it is a novel way of checking out the website of an interesting brand. They could use the addition of a more traditional navigation bar in addition to the system they have, and of course they need to flesh the site out with more content. Overall I think you'll be impressed with the courage and dedication the brand has with not only their watches, but with their media presentation as well.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: bnb concept, BnbConcept, confrerie horlogere, ConfrerieHorlogere, site, timepiece, watch, watches, website

Working The Good Life At BNB Concept Watch Movement Maker

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

BNB Concept is of the most important companies in the luxury watch making world today. BNB Concept is starting to get in the watch making game with their Confrerie Horlogere (click here for more information on the ImmenSEAty movement that is one of the pictured items in the gallery below), but their forte is in the design and manufacture of ultra-high end complex watch movements. Some of their clients prefer to be kept confidential (watch companies are sensitive), but others are proud of their relationship with BNB Concept. These companies include, but are not limited to Bell & Ross, Concord, and Romain Jerome. In total they have 28 clients at this time.

The Confrerie Horlogere is BNB Concept's newest venture is will be in the business of creating highly complex, highly original, and highly limited watches. The timepiece are accompanied with something never before seen with a watch - a lifetime warranty. Yes this makes sense on watches costing small (or large) fortunes, but this does not diminish their capacity to break on occasion. I would feel quite reassured if the exclusive Confrerie Horlogere watch I purchased came with such a warranty, mainly because I know they are of the only people in the world able to fix their watches.

With all this watch industry notoriety and demand, BNB Concept is an incredibly good place to work. Located in Duillier just north of Geneva in Switzerland, the roughly 150 employee company has workers with an average age of just 27 - very young for the watch industry. The clean, open, and creative environment encourages personal projects and has an incredible allure - flexible hours. BNB Concept is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Employees can work anytime they like (save for the cook). There are output expectations, and deadlines, but for the most part employees can come and go as they wish, an incredible benefit to working there, realized in just a handful of companies. Where do I sign up?

Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: BNB Concept Images 1

Tags: bnb concept, BnbConcept, confrerie horlogere, ConfrerieHorlogere, maker, movement, watch

'Only Watch 09' Charity Watch Auction In Monaco This September

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions, Charity

This special annual watch auction is a collaboration between Patrizzi & Co. (auctioneers) and the Monaco Yacht Show. To be held in Monaco on September 24th, 2009, the intended purpose of the auction is to raise money for the Monegasque Association against Dunchenne Muscular Dystrophy - who is heading efforts to develop new and innovative surgical techniques to fight Muscular Dystrophy. The event that starts with good intentions also has a great concept behind it. Plus, the auction will have no reserve prices.

The name "Only Watch" refers to the fact that each watch auctioned must be unique. This falls into two categories: the watch must be "number 1" in a limited edition set, or it must be a watch that is wholly originally and cannot be bought anywhere else. These special requirements add an distinct attractive quality to the event. Although the auction is not for another six months, the items offered will be on tour in several key locations before the show starting in August, see the link below for complete tour dates.

Watch brand participators include only high-end Swiss makers such as Audemars Piguet, BNB Concept, Cartier, De Bethune, Urwerk, Patek Philippe, and many others. There are going to be a great deal of very interesting watches. Pictured above is a unique watch movement from BNB Concept - a maker of movements for some of the higher-end watch makers of today. They will be participating in the event, and this movement is likely to be housed in one of the available watches for auction. Check back for more information as it becomes available.

Via Only Watch 09 Press Release - Patrizzi & Co.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 09, auction, bnb concept, BnbConcept, monaco, only watch, OnlyWatch, patrizzi, timepiece, watch, yacht show, YachtShow