Movado
Replica Watches
Movado
Group Inc. is the official name of the company that owns
and operates Movado Watches as well as several other well
known brands such as Ebel, Concord, ESQ Swiss and Tommy Hilfiger.
The company distributes these goods worldwide through its
own boutiques as well as jewelry stores.
Founded
in 1881 the company has been in operation consistently since
that time and has steadily built itself a niche in the world
market place. It now owns and operates over 20 boutiques
world wide and pieces sell for an average of $500.00 to $1500.00
each. The majority of the revenue for the pieces is generated
in North America.
Movado
watches are known for their clean lines and stylish good
looks. Many of their time pieces bear no facial ornamentation
except for the hands, the company stampings and a single
gold dot at the twelve o’clock position. This clean
surface gives the watches an allure that is both timeless
and elegant. Many of the models feature Swiss quartz movements
which are known world wide for their durability and longevity.
One of
the most famous Movado time pieces is the Esperanza which
was first created in 1987 by Florian Strasser, General Manager
of Movado and Gedalio Grinberg. This model has sold over
one million watches and is still part of their collection
to this day.
The company
manufactures the famous Movado Museum timepieces which are
highly collectible and are found in museums and galleries
as well as private collections. With over two hundred international
awards for creativity it is not surprising that Movado would
be considered by many to be among the premier watch companies
of the world.
Movado
advertises its watches extensively. In fact it was considered
to be among the top three advertising watch companies along
with Timex and SMH in 1996 with a total advertising budget
of over 1 million dollars each. Much of the advertising is
print advertising such as magazines and newspapers.
In 2005
retail sales are said to have been in the area of $73.9 million
and wholesale sales were $345 million. Movado is currently
in good financial health and is expected to remain so through
2006 and 2007.
Movado Replica
Watches - A Brief History
Movado watches began in
1881 in La Chaux-de-Fonds Switzerland. The founder of the company was one
Achille Ditisheim who began with just six employees. At this time all the
watches produced were handcrafted by this small team.
The company quickly grew
to prominence receiving six first class Official Rating Certificates in their
class by 1899 and a silver medal in 1900 at the Universal Exhibition in Paris.
By 1905, inspired by these successes the company began in earnest to pursue
the dream of creating watches that exhibited both excellence in function
and design. It was also in 1905 that the company settled on the name Movado
for their company.
In 1910 the company received
several awards for their 8 ligne movement at Grand Prix Exhibitions in Rome,
Brussels, Paris and Rio de Janeiro. 1912 saw the release of the now famous
and highly sought Polypan watch.
In 1947 Movado began producing
the first of their Museum watches. The piece was designed by US resident
Nathan George Horwitt. Horwitt, a talented designer, created a watch with
a clean, uncluttered face and a simple gold dot at the 12:00 position.
Perhaps the most famous
Movado watch of all time is the Esperanza. Created by Movado General Manager
Florian Strasser and Gedalio Grinberg the first Esperanza models were produced
in 1987. The idea behind this model was to create a watch that retained the
clean lines of the Museum watches but to bring to it a new and vibrant sense
of a lighthearted life style. The Esperanza collection continues to this
day.
Over the years Movado
has also collaborated with many other designers and artists including Andy
Warhol. These projects have resulted in a series of one of a kind, limited
editions. Examples of these pieces reside in museums, galleries and collections
all around the world.
More recent times have
seen Movado returning to their roots. One of the watches it has re-introduced
is the KingMatic series. The new version of the KingMatic features an automatic
movement and sweep second hand.
Movado has over the years
produced many fine time pieces and the company has a reputation as one of
the finest watch manufacturers in the world.
Movado, a company whose
name means "always in motion" in Esperanto, began its life in 1881
in a small workshop in La Chaux-de-faunds, Switzerland. Founded by talented
watchmaker Achille Ditisheim and his team of six employees, all watches were
manufactured and assembled by hand. By 1899, their hard work and determination
had paid off. They were awarded six first-class Official Rating Certificates
in their class, and in the following year, they were awarded the Silver Medal
at the Universal Exhibition in Paris.
By 1905, the company had
settled on its now famous name, Movado, and began in earnest its now famous
pursuit of excellence in design and function. They won the 1910 Grand Prix
Exhibitions in Paris, Rome, Brussels and Rio de Janeiro for their introduction
of 8 ½ ligne wristwatch movements.
The introduction of the
Polyplan watch in 1912 took the watch community by storm, and these watches
are highly sought after at auction today.
In 1947, American designer Nathan George Horwitt created the first Museum Watch.
It featured an uncluttered dial, with a simple gold dot marker at the 12:00
position. He likened the design to that of a sun-dial, like recognizing the
sun at its zenith at high noon.
Movado later teamed up with designers and artists such as Andy Warhol to create
one-of-a-kind limited edition watches, which reside in museums, galleries,
and collections today.
Movado is returning to
its roots today. It has re-introduced the KingMatic series, which was originally
introduced in the 1950's, and featured the first automatic movement and sweeping
second hand, both driven from a central rotor. Today, the KingMatic features
an all stainless steel case, stainless steel or leather bracelet, sapphire
crystal, automatic movement, and is water resistant to 50 meters.
