Chronoswiss
I began working with Chronoswiss in the early 2000’s. I had been aware of Gerd Rudiger Lang’s brand since years prior. The contemporary watch market had been growing and watches outside of the “typical” commercial brands were beginning to become interesting to a larger portion of the collector market.
In the beginning, I worked with Bellport Time Group, from Long Island, NY. We had a nice run of working together.
Next, Chronoswiss had a friend of the brand, from inside the brand, move to the USA. Mr.Harmut Kraft. Mr.Kraft and I were able to work like colleagues to provide a high level of service, along with Chronoswiss watches, to USA clients. It was fun. In 2012 or so, everything changed. G.R.Lang sold Chronoswiss to a couple, Oliver and Eva Ebstein.
The Ebstein’s were not from the watch world. In fact, neither had been in the watch business prior. Mr.Ebstein began his tenure as owner by selling a lot of the existing stock he’d inherited via the purchase of Chronoswiss, into the gray market in N.America. I had been holding on with the idea of working with the new owners. Now, the stock I had was severely devalued at the time, with so much product inundating the gray market. The next step, we get yet again another distributor, to be based in New York City. Mr.Ebstein chose a gray market/close-out dealer from Canada, who set up a distribution office in NYC, Chiron, Inc (owned by Maurice Goldberger). The distribution was not effective at all, in regard to being a retailer. Nor was it a smart move for manufacture looking for an actual direction.
After Chiron, Chronoswiss sent a transmission that Chiron were finished and anything else would be direct from Lucerne. We continued like this for a few years. Mostly, just special orders. During the Global Pandemic, I was in contact with a new international sales manager. He suggested we “get modern” with my stock and work with one another. I agreed. During this time I enjoyed limited success delivering a few nice watches to clients. I was very wary of this engagement system Chronoswiss had installed on their website. The Chronoswiss website was designed to perform e-commerce first and foremost. Once on the website, the browser introduces Beat Weinneman (chronoswiss retail sales manager) to the shopper, asking if he may be of help. Now, I know, many sales were and have been conducted this way to many markets. I would request watches for clients from the workshop. Watches which were in high demand were often described as not available, however if its’ SOLD , we’ll try to get one for you. What if I want one for stock? Well, Martin, we’re really oversold on this model, blah, blah, blah. Only later was it confirmed for me by the sales manager (on his way out the door), that Chronoswiss were not playing fair with their dealer network.
Flash Forward, Spring 2024, I’m in contact with Head of Sales, Christophe Chorao. Christophe Chorao came on board after an 18 year career with Ulyssee Nardin, as a sales manager for the Middle East. Mr.Chorao listened to my concerns about the website which I had learned and he said there was no truth to any of this etc., etc. Frankly, I knew that was nonsense. He asked to come and visit my shop in June 2024. I agreed. I collected Christophe at the hotel and I got him some breakfast. We walked into my shop and no sooner was he in the door that he came to sit and said my shop was not right for Chronoswiss? A fait au complet, I suppose. We had a chat and I realized he’s unfortunately, another watch professional who knows nothing about watches, marketing watches or the United States for that matter. Anyway, I returned my remaining stock, which was always wrapped and stored in my vault. Chronoswiss even shorted me on the return of funds for the stock in the end, with ridiculous excuses. Now, I am happy to be finished with dishonest people.
…the watches in 2024, began utilizing La Joux Perret calibre, decorated for Chronoswiss and labeled “Manufacture”. I am sorry, this is not manufacture. You can’t redress something and call it manufacture…neither is it manufacture to produce guilloche in a workshop and call an entire watch artisanal.
