The Moser Group AG from Neuhausen am Rheinfall announced today that as of February 2012, Dr. Jürgen Lange will step back from his operational responsibilities in order to assist, as a member on the Board of Directors, in product development as well as brand representation. The Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Christof Zuber as the new CEO of the Moser Group AG who officially took this position on February 6, 2012. Dr. Christof Zuber is an experienced executive with a solid background in company development.

The Moser Group has made these changes in order to ensure future sustainability and growth of the company, and is now ready to carry out the next necessary major developments, such as to further invest in production capacity and to continue increasing on the brand building.

iW: Please describe the path that led you to your current position.
Torres: I’ve been with Vacheron Constantin for thirty years, but before that I was with Camy Watch Company, which was once very important in America.

If your brand did not exist, which watch would you wear?
Outside my brand, I always say the Patek Philippe 5100, black dial in platinum. It is maybe twenty years old.

Who do you consider to be the greatest watchmaker of all time?
That is easy: Jean-Marc Vacheron. He was more than a watchmaker. He was very creative and totally involved in the political and social aspects of Geneva. He developed the philosophy of the brand back in 1755.

The best living watchmaker?
Our watchmakers, because they are open to the world. They know about painting and many things outside of watchmaking. They are not just working at the bench, they are interesting and curious people.

What are the challenges facing the watch industry?
Our challenge is considering the evolution of the perception of luxury. We need to assess how we see hand-made products and how they fit into the world. Today we are at an intersection of things that are industrial and artisanal, and [watch] companies need to find out which of these they want to be in the future.

Who is the most influential person in the watch industry?
I think you cannot say there are people that are the most influential. Today it is the brands, which lead their own sectors, but not their leaders that are influential. It’s difficult to explain why there are no leaders. Instead we have marketing persons.
How should the watch industry be courting younger buyers?
We are not looking for younger buyers, we are looking for buyers. We don’t care if they are young, old or middle aged. Our watches are the same, but younger people are coming to us. It’s not the same thing as trying to attract them. The product is the same as ten years ago, but more of the young people understand the product. They are more informed. They used to receive the piece from their father, but now they buy it themselves. The watch industry needs to keep its own clients before attracting others. They need to retain their clients for a second watch.

How do you see the evolution of fine watch sales in the next decade?
The future of the watch industry is linked to the perception people have of luxury and technology. Do people want a watch with ninety percent of technology inside or do they want a watch where ninety percent of the added value is from people making it by hand? The challenge in the Swiss industry is linked to the price and technology. I think the higher priced segment should use less technology. They need technique, which is not the same thing as technology. Everybody can afford and can have technology.

In the past ten years, we’ve seen oversize and vintage styling as the industry’s dominant trends. What do you think the next trend will be?
I think it will be a decade of all the trends. People will have vintage, big and smaller. Remember smaller watches are more elegant on the wrist, but we see a lot of different tastes today, and the brands have made a good job of installing these segments [onto the market]. A brand is known more or less by the specificities of its segment, and I think there are very few global brands that do it all.

What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
I like to spend time with friends and family, with good wine and cigars and speak about things we enjoy. I also like to do nothing. With age, I find I like to sit outside on a chair with a good cigar and old whiskey and think alone. Not running and running. I play golf, but when playing golf you cannot just think. So in the afternoons, I like to just think.

In celebration of the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Geneva-born philosopher, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who himself came from a long line of watchmakers, the THINKSWISS: GENÈVE MEETS NEW YORK program includes more than 10 events addressing topics that lie at the core of Swiss and American identity, such as participatory democracy, humanitarian principles and freedom of information, animated in conversations that bring together personalities from the U.S. and Switzerland.

“Vacheron Constantin is proud to support this festival celebrating these ideas born in Geneva at the same time as our company’s founding, which continue to have such relevance both in New York and around the world,” says Hugues de Pins, President of Vacheron Constantin North America.

Among watch brands Rado has a few identities. There is Rado the materials innovator, which introduced high-tech ceramic to watchmaking in the 1980s and more recently invented Ceramos, a ceramic-metal composite prized for its luster, hardness and high strength-to-weight ratio. There is Rado the design brand, with its many Red Dot-award-winning designs and collaborations with designers such as Jasper Morrison. And of course there is the high-end watch brand that uses only Swiss-made quartz and mechanical movements, and even has an exclusive movement, Caliber A05.H31, to power some of its chronographs.

Twenty-twelve is shaping up to be a big year for Rado. Earlier this year, the firm announced what is perhaps its sportiest model to date in the form of the D-Star 200, a true diver’s piece with a dash of ‘70s retro styling. HyperChrome’s recent Dubai launch followed soon after, and the brand intends to follow up these launches with another major debut at Baselworld. Breschan hinted at yet another release further on in the year.

The technology at the heart of the new HyperChrome collection is in fact only a year old. Rado developed the method for making single-piece ceramic watchcases last year when developing its True Thinline, the thinnest ceramic watch ever made. Because the HyperChrome’s case is made from a single piece of ceramic, Rado is able to integrate metal brackets into its design. These stylistic highlights form what Rado calls “parentheses” around the case, framing the ceramic with a bit of metal matched to the indicators on the dial.

HyperChrome will include 27 models when the line is presented at Baselworld, but at the moment we have images of just two versions, a black ceramic automatic chronograph sized at 45mm and a white ceramic ladies’ automatic with a diameter of 36 mm. In addition to automatics, the range will include a selection of quartz models.

Look for an in-depth feature on the new HyperChrome collection in the May 2012 issue of International Watch.

The steel case and bracelet here are comfortable enough, and the clasp is secure. At this ($150) price range, I felt that the very solid locking clasp more than made up for the somewhat thin folding links. Better yet, the caseback is solidly screwed in, unlike many–or most– watches at this price. This is a genuine surprise that is just one reason a wearer can feel sure the watch will endure most typical daily bumps and bruises. For true shock resistance in ani/digi territory, I’d go with any of dozens of G- Shock models, Casio’s well-known, and less dressy, collection of sport watches.

As a dress watch, this Edifice works well in a somewhat retro (with its two-tone styling) realm, and might even be a bit unexciting on the wrist. Yet for pure multi-functionality and certain accuracy, it’s a tough one to beat at this price ($150 at Casio’s own website).

Just look at this watch’s many features:

• Solar Powered
• Stainless Steel Case and Band with IP Bezel
• 3-Hand Analog with Digital Display
• 100M Water Resistant
• Tough Solar Power
• 100m  Water Resistant
• LED Light With Afterglow
• World Time 
29 time zones (29 cities + UTC), city code display, daylight 
saving on/off
• 4 Daily Alarms & 1 Snooze Alarm
• Hourly Time Signal
• 1/100 Second Stopwatch 
 
Measuring modes: Elapsed time, split time, 1st-2nd place times
• Countdown Timer 
Measuring unit: 1 second 
Input range: 1 minute to 100 minutes (1-minute increments)
• Full auto-calendar (pre-programmed until the year 2099)
• 12/24 Hour Formats
• Mineral Glass
• Stainless Steel Band
• Stainless Steel Case
• Stainless Steel IP Bezel
• Accuracy: ± 15 seconds per month
• Low Battery Indicator
• Storage Battery: Solar Rechargeable
• Approx. battery life: 5 months on full charge (without further exposure to light)
• Module: 5200
• Size of case  47.4 mm x 44.0 mm x 10.5mm

Speed riding
Speed riding combines skiing and paragliding, allowing the speed rider to literally glide over obstacles that would stop a skier. This recent French addition to a thrill seekers’ repertoire requires solid skiing abilities, a familiarity with parasailing, a nice tall mountain and a helicopter to drop you at the top. The concept of hurtling down a peak like the Eiger at 60 mph becomes an obtainable reality with a parasail literally strapped to your body.
The sport was invented by 2003 by a group of French paragliders who sought to fuse the thrill of sports like BASE-jumping (BASE is an acronym that stands for the four categories of objects from which one can jump; building, antenna, span, and earth) with the (relative) safety of skiing. Speed riding provides “air” with a cushion of safety.

“We knew that the chance to fly fast and close to the snow would be very exciting,” says Francoise Bon, a former member of the French national paragliding team and one of the developers of the sport and the speed-riding canopy. To participate you’ll need the right gear that allows for flexibility, comfort and safety.

Critical equipment
Paragliding Helmet: Opt for a full-face design like this Charley No Limit Helmet: 259 EU. see charly-produkte.de
Ski armor: Don’t take any chances with rocky close encounters! UFO Plast offers a complete line of body armor to protect your shins, forearms, chest and back. Wear it under your ski suit. Prices vary depending on piece; ufoplast.com
Avocet Vertech II Ski Timepiece: As tempting as it might be to strap on your Rolex Explorer II or similar general sports watch, there is simply no substitute for a dedicated technology driven timepiece on the airborne slopes. The Vertech ($160) is a product of Avocet, a name well known in cycling circles and a leader in making ski specific watches since 1993, before giants like Casio and Suunto got into the altimeter/barometer game. The Vertech is worn over your ski jacket and measures (gained or lost) altitude, tracks barometric pressure and features a chronometer, alarm, countdown timer, maximum altitude, rate of descent and clocks your number of ski runs. See avocet.com

Winter sport motorcycling
Most motorcyclists live by the 50-degree rule: when the temperature drops below 50 they cover their bikes for the winter; Winter sport cyclists gas up their bikes and fire up their grip warmers.

Winter riding demands far more than a tolerance for cold because of the effect of the cold on a motorcycle’s tires (less traction), engine (performance shortfall) and suspension (diminished response). Winter motorcycling activities range from rally bound highway cruising to off-roading in the snow and professional ice racing, which is literally moto-cross on ice.

“We find that many of our riders live for winter cycling; there’s a satisfaction to the challenge of testing skills and equipment; of seeing what the bikes can do when put to the test,” says Mike Abt of Countryside BMW, a hub for the Midwest BMW motorcycling community.

The key to mastering winter sport cycling lies in knowing what to embrace and what to avoid. Ice and snowstorms are dangerous no matter what your driving skills.
Ready to challenge the weather? The right gear will get you on your way.

Critical equipment
Helmet: Nolan N90N, ($269), nolanhelmets.com
BMG Challenger jacket, ($279) britishmotorcyclegear.com
Stompers 4 oz 505 style leather jeans: The best fitting leather jeans made. Find your inner Terminator. ($425)
Wesco Boss Boots: Simply the toughest cycle boots on or off a bike: ($448) Both from stompersboots.com
Kobold Phantom Tactical: Kobold’s signature watch is now proudly made in the US and carries Pittsburgh, its city of origin, on its dial. Its PVD-coated surgical steel case houses an ETA 7750 movement; water resistant to 1,000 feet. Red lacquered seconds hand for sniping accuracy! And it’s designed to be operated with gloves, perfect for that jaunt around the world on your BMW GS. ($5,250) koboldwatch.com

Ice Climbing
Take one challenging vertical rock formation, add ice and any kind of precipitation that catches your fancy and you’ll be enjoying all that ice climbing has to offer. Ice climbing has been around for years, well before Clint Eastwood used it as a vehicle in “The Eiger Sanction” in 1975. The sport’s roots trace back to 19th century European mountaineering. Today a series of innovations propel the sport from the ranks of hard-core adventurers into the mainstream.

Ice Climbing demands equipment for ascending and descending various types of ice formations, from Alpine (frozen mountains) to water (frozen water flows). The climbing itself is conducted with an array of tools that could easily double as props for the “Saw” movies: ropes, pulleys, ice screws, harnesses, spiked boots and picks. The sport has a language all its own, with techniques like tying in, belaying, leading, abseiling, lowering and slopes rated from W12 (Low angled, climbable with one axe) to W17 (near mythical).
While demanding focus, conditioning and training, ice climbing is nonetheless touted for its therapeutic affect, as evidenced by this observation by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia and developer of several significant pieces of ice climbing kit.

“How could one ever be bored with so many good things to see and feel,” he says. “This unity with our joyous surroundings, this ultra-penetrating perception gave us a feeling of contentment that we had not had for years.”

Critical equipment
Grivel Reparto Corse Carbon Force: Don’t skimp when it comes to the pick you may be hanging from. ($749) grivel.com
Black Diamond Cyborg Pro Step-In Crampons with ABS Plates: These alien-looking devices enable you to become Spiderman: ($199) blackdiamondequipment.com
Suunto Core All Black: A virtually indestructible watch designed with climbers in mind. Features a switchable altimeter/barometer, compass, depth meter, digital thermometer and sunrise/sunset times for most of the places in the world where you’d find yourself. ($299) suunto.com

Ice Free Diving
The sport that truly separates men from Aquamen is ice free diving, which makes polar bear clubs look like a weekend splash in a backyard tub. Ice free diving is self-explanatory: it’s the sport of free diving through a hole in the ice on a single breath of air; the challenge is to reach your depth and return before you drown. The world’s first under-ice free diving competition was held in Oslo in 2008 with French free diver Guillaume Nery taking the title with a dive to 170 feet.

Ice diving requires incredible conditioning and an ability to hold your breath between three and five minutes in cold conditions, and upwards of ten minutes on land. The extreme temperatures encountered add additional stress to a diver and quickly alter environmental perceptions. According to Nery, “When you dive, the light fades almost immediately. You can feel a very intense chill through your body. All your reference points fade and it is a very strange and sort of interesting feeling. You suddenly become very conscious of a sense of discovery, as if you are in another dimension”.

The most important pieces of equipment that you carry in ice diving are your brain, your body and your watch; in the cold, black depths, nothing else really matters.

Critical equipment
Watch: Ball Engineer Master II Diver TMT: Cold temperature endurance to -40, an illuminated thermometer and inner bezel make this the natural choice for ice divers. A 42mm DLC titanium case, water resistance to 300 meters and 53 gas tubes make this tough watch easy to see in the cold depths. ($3,499) ballwatch.com
Pinnacle 7mm Tempo Merino Elastiprene Super-Stretch Jumpsuit / Wetsuit: merino lining retains heat without adding too much bulk. ($329) 
pinnacleaquatics.com

“Given Sector’s emphasis on fashion and Italian design, being at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is just a natural fit for the brand,” said Phil Schwetz, president of Sector USA. “We were able to build on the tremendous response from our presence in the CIRCA Accessories Salon in September to generate a great turnout again this season.”

Sector was proud to unveil its latest 2012 models for women. The fresh, new Lady Master collection was specifically flown in from Milan and formally introduced to the U.S. market.  Large, eye-catching cases framed with crystals, or enhanced with touches of rose gold as well as models that incorporate both black and white ceramic are just a few examples. The distinctive styles feature dramatic dials including a multi-function series with sub-dials for day, date and 24-hour.

The brand also offered an exclusive sneak peek at some of its new men’s styles, which are set to launch in Basel this March. In keeping with the DNA of the Sector brand, the men’s collections feature assertive oversized cases with fashion-forward twists like intricate stitching in bright accent colors.

(Left to Right) Veronica Webb, Fashion Director of Sector USA, Chris Del Gatto, CEO of CIRCA, Glenda Bailey, editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar and Phil Schwetz, President of Sector USA

Now Omega has partnered with the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) for a five-year sponsorship (and official timer) of the PGA Grand Slam.

“It is like the icing on the cake,” says Stephen Urquhart, president of Omega worldwide. “Golf has been a part of Omega since the late 1960s and early 1970s when we were involved in an event in Japan and then went on tour with other important tournaments over the next decades. It makes sense that we should be a part of this important tournament and this association. Golf is strong in the U.S. market and we are proud to be part of it.”

It is Omega’s goal through this sponsorship to talk to the 27,000 PGA members about the brand and its timing attributes. By reaching out to this group, Omega – by extension – reaches out to serious golfers, weekend golfers, and even novice golfers.

“These members are our ambassadors,” says Urquhart. “We have the potential here to double or even triple our sales in the U.S. market with this affiliation.”

Indeed, at the PGA Grand Slam in Bermuda this past October, Omega had a strong presence – with six red and silver Omega clocks on the course throughout the two-day event. The Grand Slam brought the four winners of the four major tournaments in 2011 together on one course for a final tournament. There, golf fans witnessed the passion of Rory McIlroy, Charl Schwartzel, Darren Clarke and Keegan Bradley, who all teed off at the Port Royal Golf Course under blue skies and with a backdrop of even more breathtaking blue water. The second day of the tournament brought higher winds and tossed the interesting and enjoyable tournament a bit. In the end, Keegan Bradley won, at 4 under for the 36-hole tournament — a shot ahead of Schwartzel. McIlroy finished third and Darren Clarke came up 9 over for the two-day total.

“Bermuda is a wonderful location to golf, but we would like to see the tournament more publicized and have the event bigger,” admits Urquhart. “The Grand Slam is a very meaningful event.” Urquhart feels a more central location would offer easier access to the public and media. In fact, solid rumor has it that the Bermuda venue will continue for 2012, but thereafter, the tournament may move.

New watches
To celebrate its expanded involvement with golf, Omega has created and released the new 41.5mm brushed and polished steel Seamaster Aqua Terra Golf watch. Reflecting the bright green golf courses of the championships, Omega has created the Seamaster logo in verdant green on the black dial. The watch houses the Co-Axial caliber 8500 that offers extreme precision and longer servicing intervals. The hour hand is adjusted independently of the minutes and seconds hands for easy change when traveling. The $5,500 retail timepiece is equipped with Omega’s patented bracelet, is water resistant to 150 meters and is guaranteed for four years.

“This is just the beginning of our dedication to this individual sport,” says Urquhart, underscoring the brand’s commitment to global growth and to the US market. In fact, Omega continues to open boutiques on U.S. soil. Since opening its New York City store in 2009, with another 11 boutiques opened in 2010 and 2011, the brand is not content to stop. This year will witness the opening of Omega boutiques in Las Vegas, San Francisco and Florida. Omega is also forging ahead with store-within-a-store concepts with its retail partners.

As to continued sports timing, Omega is busy gearing up for the London Olympic Games.

With a massive fan following and a reputation for excellence, the Jorg Gray and Ben Spies partnership is prepped for a successful season with several planned Ben Spies guest appearances around the world, including the Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Show on March 8, 2012. Fans of Spies and Jorg Gray can anticipate a new, limited-edition timepiece celebrating the partnership to be announced in the following months.

“Timing is everything in the racing world,” said Spies. “A partnership with Jorg Gray means that I’m aligning with a stylish brand and a company with the ability to capture every second on the track. I’m proud to be a Jorg Gray ambassador.”

After winning the Rookie of the Year distinction in the 2010 season and a top five overall finish for the 2011 racing season, Spies is primed for success in 2012. With a grueling schedule of 18 races in the championship, Spies hopes for a successful season that will lead to fulfilling his ultimate dream of becoming MotoGP World Champion.

“Ben possesses a superior level of talent, class and maturity,” said Trevor Gnesin, president of Jorg Gray. “His commitment to excellence in his field mirrors Jorg Gray’s commitment to creating quality timepieces. We’re looking forward to cheering him on this season and welcome him whole-heartedly into the Jorg Gray family.”