Transparent watches make Quinting tick

 

Swiss watchmakers have tried to create completely transparent watches over the last 100 years and failed but Quinting succeeded, says its president and founder Pascal Berclaz

SWISS watch manufacturer Quinting, which made the world's first transparent watch, has experienced a tenfold growth in its share capital in seven years.

Quinting president and founder Pascal Berclaz said the company's share capital is now valued at US$10 (RM34.70) per share from US$1 (RM3.47) in 2001.

The increase in value, he said, is attributed to the company's success in realising a dream that most watchmakers believed as impossible.

Quinting's four engineers spent seven years and more than US$10 million (RM34.70 million) to create completely transparent watches which were officially launched in 2000.

"All Swiss watchmakers have tried to do this over the last 100 years and failed but we succeeded," he said in an interview in Kuala Lumpur recently.

Berclaz said as soon as the watch was put in the market, it became so popular that demand was exceeded by 2,000 pieces.

Now it produces 3,000 transparent watches a year, sold in 25 countries with prices starting from US$10,000 (RM34,700) a piece.

The Quinting watches are worn by famous names such as Bill Clinton, Gerard Depardieu and Kofi Annan.

In Malaysia, the watches came into the market in 2006 and 10 pieces were sold in the first year and 20 more in 2007.

Berclaz said what is unique about the watch is its patented sapphire movement which makes the watch transparent.

"If you study a complicated movement from a well established brand, you will find that its movement is made from metal," he said.

The Quinting movement, however, is made by superposing several thin-toothed discs of sapphire previously metallised and given an antireflection coating.

The parts of the Quinting movement, said Berclaz, are assembled by hand in St Blaise, Switzerland, in a dust-free room to ensure perfect transparency.

"Working in sapphire needs a high degree of precision," he said, adding that such unique and advanced techniques has placed Quinting watches among the most sophisticated and complex on the market.

One of its most unique designs is the "Dove of Geneva" limited edition which bears the effigy of a dove, the symbol of peace. There are only 192 pieces of this watch, the same number as the United Nations' total number of member countries.

In Malaysia, Quinting watches can be purchased at all Woo Hing stores.