Business of fashion

THESE days it seems no one wants to call a factory a factory. Perhaps it's because the word conjures up images of dark, noisy, Dickensian sweatshops.

Baselworld

THESE days it seems no one wants to call a factory a factory. Perhaps it's because the word conjures up images of dark, noisy, Dickensian sweatshops where unskilled workers toil away for long hours and low wages. For the luxury industry the preferred term is often the rather jovial sounding "workshop".

As the editor of a magazine all about luxury, I've had the privilege of visiting my fair share of workshops over the years to discover first-hand how a brand's products are put together. It may not be everyone's idea of a good time but if you're interested in how things work and what makes luxury goods so desirable then the experience is absolutely fascinating.

In Switzerland earlier this year to attend the annual Baselworld watch fair, I got a glimpse into what makes a watch company tick when I visited Omega's assembly line in Grenchen, where the company makes its revolutionary co-axial movements. This assembly line is far removed from what we would normally associate with a factory and more accurately resembles a scientific laboratory of some sort. To enter the 1000sqm room where the watch movements are put together one has to don a lab coat, hairnet and shoe covers to ensure no unwanted dust is brought in.

A watch factory is a bit like when you see a famous person in the flesh and they appear much smaller than they do on television or on film. I've been looking at images of watch movements for years and, while I have always been aware that the images are larger than actual size, it was still something of a shock to see exactly how small the various components are and appreciate the precision and steady hands required to assemble them. My hands began to shake and I started to sweat out of sympathy when one of the workers demonstrated one aspect of the assembly. She did it with relative ease and then confessed that she'd never actually done that particular part of the assembly before.

Not only is it a reminder of the skill and precision involved in making a watch movement but of the human element as well. And it's also what Omega president Stephen Urquhart means when he says that in watchmaking the assembly line is "primordial" in creating the intrinsic value of a mechanical watch. "When you buy an iPhone, which by the way tells the time perfectly, do you immediately think of the skill involved with the person who assembles it as a reason to buy it?" he asks.

For our interview with Urquhart and a look at how Omega has re-established itself as a premium watch brand, see our story here. This month also sees Part II of our annual Watch Special and includes a rundown of our top picks from Baselworld. You can also find a video interview with Stephen Urquhart here.