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Birth Of A Montblanc: Making The World's Finest Pen & Why You Should Write With One

Visiting Montblanc's headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, I experienced how the world's finest pen is brought to life, and learned a little something about culture. Let me make you an instant expert on fine writing instruments.

I never thought much about fine writing instruments. The life I tend to live is practical and versatile. Much like my fellow Americans I shed tradition for convenience and economy. The practice of writing words has been done with half dollar ballpoint pens and pencils purchased from a drugstore. My finest "writing instruments" were dutifully sourced from hotels and other easy giveaways. Perhaps this is why I tend to prefer the keyboard. A bit of that changed when I discovered that for just a bit more (and at the right store), I could get pens made in Japan that worked better. With them I wrote more, and seemed to enjoy drawing and taking notes in a new way. Good tools are always appreciated and help you be more productive, but are writing instruments are more than just that?

Is writing like language? Does the process we use to write change what we say and the culture around us? Some academics posit that "language is culture." Then, by that accord is the way we write language a function of that culture? People worry heavily that the popularity of instant messaging via computers and text messaging via phones leads to a distinct degradation in our writing and language. It is hard to argue with this if you have any experience with these communication mediums. So what about the opposite? If casual ways of writing harm formality, do more formal ways of writing increase one's level of sophistication, even temporarily?

Gallery: Montblanc Pen Manufacture images

Tags: factory, hamburg, how made, manufacture, montblanc, pen, pens, writing instrument

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Rolex Watch Manufacture To Literally Grow Larger

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Watch making behemoth Rolex is like the Google of the watch world. Why? Because they are powerful and ubiquitous with an industry watching them that both love and hate them. Love them for their timeless designs and high level of quality, and hate them for often epitomizing watch snobbery and sequestering themselves from the rest of the watch industry. Rolex's ongoing theme is to be totally vertically integrated - meaning they will (or already do) make each component of their watches themselves.

A few weeks from now will see the beginning of a massive new construction project whereby Rolex is adding a huge new complex to the manufacture site in Bienne, Switzerland. The goal of the project is to contain the entire watch movement making process to one building. Most of the parts distribution and much of the manufacturing process is totally automated by robotics. Other than just focusing on trivial matters like making watches, the new structure will include features for people too. There will be a waste water treatment plant, underground parking, a restaurant, and cafeterias. The new physical arm of Montres Rolex is scheduled to be completed in 2012. The meaning of all this is that Rolex is totally un-alarmed by the "crisis" that is effecting watch sales, and is using what is likely times of cheaper construction and labor to focus on the brand's future when they will be one step closer to further domination of the mainstream luxury watch world.

Via Europa Star.

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

Tags: bienne, construction, factory, manufacture, rolex, switzerland, watch

Bentley Cuts Jobs

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

British carmaker Bentley has announced that it is cutting 220 jobs in Britain, nearly six percent of the workforce, as well as cutting pay for the rest of the staff. The company has 3,800 staff at the factory in Crewe, England. Since last October, it has enacted a series of production restrictions and is planning to suspend production again because of falling demand. As Autoblog mentioned recently the newer Continental line will shut down for a period of seven weeks, while the Arnage production line will go on hiatus for six weeks. Over the course of 2008 sales dropped by roughly 30 percent. The British automakers have, like the U.S. automakers, floundered in recent months. Jaguar and Land Rover announced 450 job cuts worldwide last month and the British government has created a £2.3-billion support package for Britain's automakers.

Source

Tags: bentley, factory, jobs

Daimler Slows Mercedes Benz Production

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

The principle of supply and demand has led to a throttling of production in many places. This week Daimler announced that it is reducing the working week at its largest Mercedes-Benz factory, the Sindelfingen factory near Stuttgart, Germany. BBC News reports that the factory will implement a four-day working week from January 12 until at least the end of March and there may even be some three-day weeks in the mix.

The AP says that Daimler has also announced a reduced work week at the Rastatt plant in southern Germany. Workers there will be facing four-day work weeks and occasional three-day work weeks from January 12 until the end of February. Daimler already expanded their Christmas wokr stoppage for all 14 German production lines. Although production has slowed, the workers have a labor deal that protects them from layoffs until 2011.

Tags: economy, factory, germany, mercedes benz, MercedesBenz