Mans Coach Watch

Established as an independent engraver in 1978, Olivier Vaucher (he was born in 1954) has, as he admits, had many difficult years, and has known many ups and downs. But he never gave in to the temptation to give it all up or to find refuge in stone setting, as have so many others. Standing firm during the watch crisis that dragged on and on, he managed to hold on, and then saw his tenacity rewarded starting about ten years ago with the renewed interest in engraving.

The great empires and kingdoms that make up the largest slice of the proverbial watchmaking pie Swatch watch, Richemont, LVMH, Rolex, Seiko, and a few major independents such as Patek Philippe and Chopard) only continue to become greater. This was again demonstrated by the latest move on this highly competitive chessboard with the acquisition of Hublot by LVMH. While this purchase made headlines, many other much less publicized buy-outs take place behind the scenes and involve 'subcontractors' that move lock, stock, and barrel into one camp or another.

The final quarter of the financial year saw a continuation of the strong growth in sales of luxury products seen during the first nine months. Overall sales for the year grew by 16 per cent at constant exchange rates.Luxury Watches