[michele]

Re: News and Comments from MakTime: Aleksandr Makarov`s Exclusive Interview for WUS Russia

....someone had better move quick before the chinese movements become the norm.

Unfortunately, watch production is a mirror of the transformation of the society (at least talking about Europe). High-end or low-end, no middle way.
Moreover, for many people, watch means "Swiss only". Luxury marketing-driven masses have no taste for more original things.

About low-end watches, Chinese factories have an incredible flexibility and they are capable to produce an huge range of complications (power reserve, retrograde seconds, etc.), while Russians are still not able to add the quick-setting date! o|

 

[Silversen]

Re: News and Comments from MakTime: Aleksandr Makarov`s Exclusive Interview for WUS Russia

Unfortunately, watch production is a mirror of the transformation of the society (at least talking about Europe). High-end or low-end, no middle way.
Moreover, for many people, watch means "Swiss only". Luxury marketing-driven masses have no taste for more original things.

About low-end watches, Chinese factories have an incredible flexibility and they are capable to produce an huge range of complications (power reserve, retrograde seconds, etc.), while Russians are still not able to add the quick-setting date! o|

Caro amico, Michele!

Don`t forget that since the 80-s our home watch industry has lived in the state of a permanent crisis almost without a moment's respite: quartz revolution, crash of the Union, the wild 90-s, and two economical crisis running (the local Russian crisis and now the world one). And after all that we can only wonder how it still is alive.

Only one quartz revolution almost distressed all the Swiss watchmakers greatly.

 

[michele]

Re: News and Comments from MakTime: Aleksandr Makarov`s Exclusive Interview for WUS Russia

Caro amico, Michele!

Don`t forget that since the 80-s our home watch industry has lived in the state of a permanent crisis almost without a moment's respite: quartz revolution, crash of the Union, the wild 90-s, and two economical crisis running (the local Russian crisis and now the world one). And after all that we can only wonder how it still is alive.

Only one quartz revolution almost distressed all the Swiss watchmakers greatly.

I agree. However, those are minor changes that do not require huge modifications.

To add the quick-setting date, Slava created a clever system back in the years - they incorporated a long two-pieces lever in the metal (then plastic) spacer, with a final "finger" that pulls the date disk.

Almost no modifications to the base module, reduced costs. Why Maktime dropped them? o| Systems like that could be added on Vostoks too, but in the 2010 i'm forced to rotate the hands continuously to set the date.

And i still remember my Aviator 26669, day-date with a crazy setting (everything had to be adjusted rotating the hands in different ranges of hours, a real hell).

It's a also a matter of choices. Dropping the Slava movements, Maktime trashed a very useful product.

 

[Silversen]

Re: News and Comments from MakTime: Aleksandr Makarov`s Exclusive Interview for WUS Russia

I agree. However, those are minor changes that do not require huge modifications.

To add the quick-setting date, Slava created a clever system back in the years - they incorporated a long two-pieces lever in the metal (then plastic) spacer, with a final "finger" that pulls the date disk.

Almost no modifications to the base module, reduced costs. Why Maktime dropped them? o| Systems like that could be added on Vostoks too, but in the 2010 i'm forced to rotate the hands continuously to set the date.

And i still remember my Aviator 26669, day-date with a crazy setting (everything had to be adjusted rotating the hands in different ranges of hours, a real hell).

It's a also a matter of choices. Dropping the Slava movements, Maktime trashed a very useful product.

We should admit that we don't have information enough, don't know the entire situation which took place that time, and that's why we can't accuse MakTime of that. Your annoyance is understood though.

As for me, I'm sure our home watch industry will hold out against those issues. Of course, you can ask me why, if you like.

 

[pwalsh21]

Re: News and Comments from MakTime: Aleksandr Makarov`s Exclusive Interview for WUS Russia

As for me, I'm sure our home watch industry will hold out against those issues. Of course, you can ask me why, if you like.

Okay, why? I'm interested in your perspective, and I'm glad you're willing to share it with us (not to mention the awesome translated articles!).

I worry that, despite the various plusses of the Russian watch industry, it's in real danger. Too much flux in global business, too much reliance on the local market, and too many potential invaders from Japan and China. I don't know that the Russian watch industry can survive without a strong local market for their watches, and I worry that most Russians see Vostok et al. as being part of the old USSR. I worry that pride in that part of Russian heritage won't arise in time to save the local market. I think that Vostok at least is now moving in the right direction with their cool new designs for the Kom and Amph but I don't know if it's happened in time.

That said, I really do hope it survives, and that you, Silversen, can calm my fears. These watches are too great/cool to disappear.

 

[Silversen]

Re: News and Comments from MakTime: Aleksandr Makarov`s Exclusive Interview for WUS Russia

Okay, why? I'm interested in your perspective, and I'm glad you're willing to share it with us (not to mention the awesome translated articles!).

I worry that, despite the various plusses of the Russian watch industry, it's in real danger. Too much flux in global business, too much reliance on the local market, and too many potential invaders from Japan and China. I don't know that the Russian watch industry can survive without a strong local market for their watches, and I worry that most Russians see Vostok et al. as being part of the old USSR. I worry that pride in that part of Russian heritage won't arise in time to save the local market. I think that Vostok at least is now moving in the right direction with their cool new designs for the Kom and Amph but I don't know if it's happened in time.

That said, I really do hope it survives, and that you, Silversen, can calm my fears. These watches are too great/cool to disappear.

So listen:

There are objective resources which AM hasn't used yet:
1. If he improves design of his watches under a new attractive pure Russian brand name;
2. If he gets money to invest his automatic 30644;
3. If he uses perspective Zaria calibers (the above mentioned 2615, for example);
4. If he revives the Slava automatic calibers;
As the technical documentation of automatic Slava calibers in contrast to Molnia 36xx hasn't lost (I hope so) and there is the equipment to make them on they can be revived (theoretically).
5. If his cooperation with our outstanding watchmaker Chaykin is really efficient;
6. If he brings into play every possible market for selling his improved watches plus he uses a right thoroughly thought over marketing strategy and has right partners on those markets where he wants to sell them;
7. The Russian human factor: AM, Aleksandr Shorokhoff, Valentin Volodko, Max Nazarov and Chaykin are really persistent and firm Russian men. The Russian of this type can give way, but never surrender. I can list hundreds examples, when the Russian people bore such a pressure which seemed to be absolutely intolerable, but they didn't surrender. I won't list them but they are very significant.

Almost all the points are executable. Some of them are in progress now. The main issues are money and time.

 

[sci]

Re: News and Comments from MakTime: Aleksandr Makarov`s Exclusive Interview for WUS Russia

Just for information, Zaria web page is back online. It isn't updated since the last up-time though.