Friday, September 13, 2013

Accurist - Vintage Collection

















Accurist - VINTAGE Collection NEW

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The history of the brand.

1946 THE BRAND IS BORN

In 1946, working from premises in St John Street in London's Clerkenwell district, Asher and Rebecca Loftus established Accurist with the intention of creating a brand name of lasting value. Like much of the competition at that time, Accurist watches were made entirely from Swiss components; a positive sales point that guaranteed quality, and which coupled with competitive pricing helped establish our reputation for value.
Accurist became the first watch company to actively promote the 21 JEWEL lever-movement and Accurist 21 JEWELS became the Company Slogan setting a standard in watches that was later to be followed by many of our competitors. In an effort to increase market share and to position Accurist as a national brand in a somewhat conservative market place, Accurist broke out of the traditional watch advertising mould by producing a T.V. Campaign which was aired regularly on "Sunday Night at the London Palladium", probably the most widely viewed television program of its day.

 1965 - OLD ENGLAND WATCHES
However, a watch was still seen to be a 'once in a lifetime' purchase - Accurist set out to change this by introducing fashion into watches. Richard Loftus, fresh out of University, created a range of watches that was to revolutionise the watch market worldwide. Soon Accurist's Old England watches were seen on the wrists of the famous and fashionable: - Princess Anne, The Beatles and Twiggy were amongst the millions worldwide who wore the large brightly coloured watches that became synonymous with the mini skirt, Carnaby Street and London of the swinging 60's.
As the sixties developed, so did Accurist and in 1968 a Swiss office, Accurist S.A. was opened in La Chaux de Fonds, the heart of the Swiss watch making industry, to co-ordinate the manufacturing and sourcing for the company.

1978 - ACCUR-ANKLE, ACCUR-WRIST

The'70's saw the introduction of the digital quartz movement and as the technology developed from L.E.D to L.C. D it was Accurist's digital quartz watch which was chosen as the official watch for the pilots of the newly launched Concorde aircraft. Brand awareness remained an important factor in the success of the Accurist product range and 1978 saw the launch of one of the Television's most memorable campaigns; John Cleese featuring the "Accur-ankle, Accu-wrist!" commercial. The commercial went on to win awards around the world including the Palm d'Or Advertising Award. It was even featured on the USA's Johnny Carson show as one of the world's ten best adverts!

1986 - THE NATION'S TIMEKEEPER

In 1983 after two years of careful research and planning, Andrew Loftus applying all the principles on which his parents had established the business, switched the manufacturing base from Switzerland to Japan and in the following three years Accurist's UK business increased by over 500%.
Flushed with the success of the new collection, Accurist achieved a major marketing breakthough by being appointed as the first ever, official sponsor of British Telecom's Speaking Clock. Since the original sponsorship agreement in 1986 Accurist's speaking clock has received the incredible number of almost 3 billion calls. Making this the "greatest sponsorship deal of all time". Accurist continued to maximise on its association with the Speaking Clock, developing a new advertising and marketing campaign with the slogan "Accurist - the standard by which all watches are set". In 1987 Accurist were awarded The National Association of Goldsmiths first ever Award of Excellence in recognition of their contribution and influence in the UK watch market.

1993 - GREENWICH MEAN TIME

In 1993 Accurist had become the UK's largest brand in value terms and now set its sights on the international market. Again it was creative and opportunist marketing that would provide the platform for its most ambitious project to date. The Royal Observatory at Greenwich, home of Greenwich Mean Time and The International Meridian Line was undergoing major renovation. Accurist seized on this opportunity and became the first and only Watch Company to be formally associated with the Observatory, providing them with the new Atomic Clock, which officially records the time for the world. In 1995 to celebrate this association with Greenwich Mean Time, The "Greenwich Commemorative collection", was launched in over 20 countries.

1997 - MILLENIUM COUNTDOWN CLOCK

In April 1997 Accurist started the official countdown to the Millennium by providing the Old Royal Observatory at Greenwich with a Satellite controlled clock accurate to within 1/10,000,000th of a second to countdown the last 1000 days of the 20th century. In 1884 at the International conference in Washington the meridian line at Greenwich was chosen as the "meridian line for the world" 0 degrees longitude and it was decreed that the universal day for the world starts at midnight on the meridian line.
Later in 1997 Accurist moved its Headquarters' to its current location in London's West Hampstead district The custom built facilities have created a modern and efficient infrastructure from where Accurist can uniquely provide an efficient and co-ordinated service across every facet of its business from product design, and distribution, to after sales service and product assembly.
In July 1997 Accurist won "Volume watch brand of the year" at The UK Jewellery Awards.

1999 - ACCU2 WATCHES

1999 saw the launch of Accurist's youth orientated accu.2 range, backed by a high impact advertising campaign "no ordinary old timer" success was instantaneous and the collection is sold in over 1500 outlets across the UK. Innovative product design and strong advertising campaigns (including "sec's machine" and "two-timer") have insured that accu.2 has remained at the forefront of fashion watches.

2000 - ACCURIST CELEBRATES THE MILLENNIUM

January 1st 2000 saw the Accurist name emblazoned across television screens and newspapers world-wide as camera's from across the globe focussed on the meridian line and on it the prominently placed Accurist millennium countdown clock at Greenwich, to usher in the new millennium.
In 2001 Accurist's commitment and dedication to service was acknowledged by the trade in general as Accurist became the only watch company to have been awarded the most prestigious "Customer Service Award " at The UK jewellery awards ceremony.
March 2003 has seen Accurist further strengthen their original agreement to support the Old Royal Observatory at Greenwich by signing an exclusive license with the National Maritime Museum to produce a range of replica clocks and watches from the Observatory's and Museum's historic collections.

2006 - OUR TIME - ENGLAND FOOTBALL TEAM

In September 2005 to capitalise on their expertise in the UK market Accurist set up a new division to distribute other brands in the UK. 2006 saw Accurist become the first brand to be co-featured in the English football team‘s advertising campaign. From Jan 1st 2007 Accurist started distributing Versace watches and Jewellery.

2008 - BRITISH REAL TIME

In 2008 Accurist launched ‘British Real Time’ with faces and voices from across the United Kingdom. Accurist’s research shows that our relationship to time and how we access it has changed. We focus more on what we do with our time rather than being dictated to by the constraints of time. British Real Time.com is a celebration of British culture and what contemporary Britain is doing at any given moment, giving a snapshot of Britain today.
The past 60 years tell a remarkable story of the development of one of the industry's most famous independent watch companies. With a young and dynamic management team committed to the companies original principles, the future promises to be just as exciting.

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2013 - TRUE BRITISH DESIGN

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The year 2013 is set to be one of evolution for the Accurist brand with plans to re-align the brand to reflect the vision, values and core competences that have remained the same since the company was founded.









































A part of this major re-branding project includes defining the brand identity which is reflected in the new logo, point-of-sale materials, campaigns and online activities.



































 





These are designed to show the brand's core values: stylish, British, high quality craftsmanship, value and precision.

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With the increase in demand for licensed fashion wrist watches, Accurist launches their newest Spring/Summer collection - 'Vintage'.
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This range is a quintessentially British watch, inspired by true British design using the first Accurist logo that was applied in Clerkenwell 1946.
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'Turning heritage into Modernity' was the true focus for the Vintage collection offering 6 models, each with its individual nato-style strap.
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The watches have been crafted with stainless steel cases, Bombay dials, three ring canvas nato straps and
are fitted with Miyota 2115 calibre movements.
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Additional features include a date window and an engraved caseback with a special edition gift box.
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Specification

Band Colour - Multi Colour

 Band Length - 225mm
    Band Material - Nylon
    Band Type - Strap
    Band Width - 20mm
    Calibre - Miyota 2115 movement
    Case Depth - 9mm
    Case Diameter - 40mm
    Case Shape - Round
    Date - Date
    Dial Colour - Light Champagne/Silver/Black/
    Range - Core
    Warranty - 3 year manufacturer's warranty
    Watch Colour - Silver/Gold/Rose Gold
    Water resistance - 50m


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Thursday, September 12, 2013

A. Lange & Söhne - GRAND COMPLICATION Chronograph


“It Simply Marks the Beginning of a New Era”
An interview about a masterpiece: the GRAND COMPLICATION

The GRAND COMPLICATION features both a grande and petite sonnerie, minute repeater, a chronograph with rattrapante as well as flying seconds and a perpetual calendar. Anthony de Haas, Director Product Development, answers questions on the most complicated wristwatch ever crafted by A. Lange & Söhne.



1. What does the GRAND COMPLICATION mean for A. Lange & Söhne?

With the development of the most complicated wristwatch ever built by A. Lange & Söhne – and in Germany – we entered uncharted territory in the domain of horology.
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The unique combination of seven, some very rare, complications is not only a tribute to the tradition of our brand, but marks above all the beginning of a new era in the history of A. Lange & Söhne.

2. What do you mean by ‘a new era’?

The building of this multiple complication with the most complex of chiming mechanisms that bears the distinctive signature of our unique Saxon watchmaking culture has expanded our knowledge and released a lot of creativity. It is not an exaggeration to say that this project has opened the gate to many new ideas and designs.

3. What was the biggest challenge in the development of the GRAND COMPLICATION?


The project was an adventurous expedition into the universe of complexity where danger lurks on every corner. It imposed extreme requirements on the perfect interaction of many intricate mechanisms and hundreds of parts. To give an example, we had to avoid any loss of amplitude when at midnight all indications of the perpetual calendar are switching and the grande sonnerie is striking simultaneously. We succeeded in mastering this challenge and have even made it possible for the owner of the timepiece to operate the rattrapante mechanism at the same time.

4. What is required of watchmakers to assemble the movement of the GRAND COMPLICATION and how long does it take them?

Assembly must adhere to exacting requirements in terms of precision and the perfect interaction of intricate mechanisms.

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Only the most talented and experienced watchmakers will be able to master the challenges associated with assembling the movement and its 876 parts. Even the most experienced watchmakers will take about a year to accomplish the mission. It requires the highest level of concentration, experience and sensitivity – and a lot of patience.

5. What happens during this rather long period of assembly?


The assembly time of one year includes above all elaborate and comprehensive test procedures. For example, the chiming mechanism is monitored day and night. In turn, this recording has to be evaluated to check whether the mechanism has been chiming correctly every single quarter. If not, it has to be dismantled, adjusted, assembled and checked again to see if it is functioning properly. ‘Free, with no shake’ is the mantra that governs the interplay between the moving parts of a chiming mechanism.

6. Why did you choose 2013 to present this fundamental piece in the history of the manufactory?


This year is dedicated to our horological heritage. ‘Unique by tradition’ is the theme we have chosen for 2013. By tradition, A. Lange & Söhne is a unique brand that follows its own path and in doing so constantly tries to outperform its own achievements. The GRAND COMPLICATION is the perfect embodiment of this idea.

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7. What is the message that A. Lange & Söhne is sending with the GRAND COMPLICATION?

More than any other watch ever built by A. Lange & Söhne the GRAND COMPLICATION manifests the endeavour of our product developers and master watchmakers to extend the boundaries of fine mechanical watchmaking. And what is more, it contains a promise to our collectors: our ambition to never stand still will keep us committed to enriching the world of fine watchmaking with meaningful contributions.
 

8. After the GRAND COMPLICATION, what can we expect from A. Lange & Söhne in the future?

As a matter of principle, we do not comment on future developments. However, we are constantly working on a number of product development projects. There is an unrelenting demand for timepieces with sophisticated complications. We have responded to this trend in the past two decades with many exciting developments and we will have attractive new products to address it in the future. In other words: we will continue our product policy of watchmaking excellence and unmatched craftsmanship.

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9. How does the GRAND COMPLICATION compare to the pocket watch No. 42500 that Lange
presented three years ago?


The GRAND COMPLICATION is an independent development that opens new gates as regards technical and manual demands. The technical highlights are inspired by the tradition of horological complications that A. Lange & Söhne took to new levels in the late 19th and early 20th century. The pocket watch No. 42500 is perhaps the most prominent and sophisticated example. The know-how acquired during its restoration provided valuable insights and sparked new impulses. The same holds true for the development of the GRAND COMPLICATION.

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10. How does the GRAND COMPLICATION command its price of almost two million euros?

Looking at the price one has to bear in mind that it took our product developers seven years to master all of the technical challenges involved in the design of this exceptional timepiece and that the entire series consists of six pieces only.

11. Is it true that all six pieces have been sold?

It is true that the number of serious A. Lange & Söhne collectors interested in the watch is higher than the supply. But it has not been decided yet which of the potential buyers will eventually receive one.

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Unfortunately, we cannot produce more GRAND COMPLICATIONs as it would tie up capacities that we need for our new projects.

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Contact information for the media

Arnd Einhorn, Director Press and PR
* Tel.: +49 (0)35053 44 5505
* E-mail: presse@lange-soehne.com
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