chairman

Swatch Group Chairman Nicolas Hayek Passes Away At 82

One of the richest men in the world and often cited "savior of the Swiss watch industry" Nicolas Hayek has recently today. His history is closely linked with the Swiss watch industry that he helped pull out of doom by creating the Swatch Group. Forming the low-cost Swiss Swatch watch brand of quartz watches helped fund and keep alive the mechanical watch industry that Hayek adored and fought for since the 1980s. If you own a Swiss watch, chances are it was somehow influenced or made possible by Mr. Hayek. Read more about him here on Wikipedia.

Born in Lebanon in 1928, Hayek moved to Switzerland early in life. A series of clever business moves and initiatives brought him to a fateful time in the early 1980s when the quartz crisis (as the Swiss call it) was threatening the mechanical watch industry with much cheaper quartz movement based watches from places like Japan. It was a key time of "do or die" in Switzerland, and Hayek really did an incredible job of keeping Switzerland's most famous export alive, and even thriving.

His death was sudden and unexpected. He remained working until his final moment. As far as I know, his death was without much or any prior medical notice. Hayek prided himself on being the soul voice of the Swatch Group. Giving interviews and answering questions daily. I unfortunately had some interview questions with him pending at the time of his death, which I doubt will answered posthumously. While it is not clear who will take over for Mr. Hayek, it will likely be his son Nicolas Hayek Jr. Switzerland and the entire world of watch lovers mourn on this day for the late and great Nicolas Hayek.

See the official announcement here from the Swatch Group.

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

Tags: chairman, death, died, dies, hayek, nicolas hayek, swatch

Ulysse Nardin Chairman Smart Phone Hands On

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Timepieces / Watches

Ulysse Nardin surprised the haute horology world a few months ago with the announcement of a luxury smart phone. I originally discussed the Ulysse Nardin Chairman here, but recently got to sit down and personally experience three of the Chairman models my self. I also got to learn a lot more about what makes the Ulysse Nardin Chairman a real luxury of a mobile phone. I got to see the blue and satin steel, the black-toned model (very sexy!), and the blue steel and rose gold (very Ulysse Nardin!). The phone is large and pleasantly hefty - I would describe it more as comfortable and solid feeling rather than intimidating.

The back piece of the watch is made of a carbon fiber plate and a black ceramic plate (mobile phone antenna radio signals do not travel through metal well). The keypad features large comfortable keys and excellent backlighting - and the screen is one large sapphire crystal. Ulysse Nardin finally confirmed that the phone's operating system will be unique to the phone rather than just a skinned version of an existing mobile phone operating system.
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Gallery: Ulysse Nardin Chairman Phone Live