IWC Ref. 2450

Inside Nivarox - The Heart Of The Swiss Watch Industry
Nivarox is probably the most important company in the entire world of Swiss watch making. Now owned by the Swatch Group, Nivarox makes the vast majority of the parts that make mechanical watch movements function. Today the company's official name is "Nivarox FAR" and I finally now what that means. The term allows you to understand the industrial nature of the group's goal. Comprised of about four plant locations around Switzerland, "Nivarox" is a contraction of "ni variable, ni oxydable." In other words "neither variable nor oxidable." I'll explain what that all means in a moment. "FAR" roughly translates into an acronym for "Affiliated Assortments Manufacturers."So what is not supposed to be variable or oxidize? Balance springs of course (also called hair springs). These little necessary parts are at the heart of what Nivarox has historically produced, and the primary component they are known for today. Though in reality the Nivarox FAR of today produces so much more.For those who are

Interesting Interview With Laurent Picciotto - Chronopassion Owner And Horology Ambassador
You may or may not know who Laurent Picciotto is, but if you look at watch marketing online at all you will at least recognize the face. In addition to owning and running the Paris based Chronopassion, he is a serious voice in the high-end watch world and very online social-networking savvy. He is also a really nice guy. I met him at SIHH, which was pretty cool. You can check out a lot of what Laurent does at his Facebook page here.Tom over at TheWatchLounge did a little interview with Laurent recently and it is actually not a bad read. I have to admit that most interviews with watch brand executives are boring and devoid of interesting details. Maybe it is Laurent's cleverness or the fact that he a retailer as opposed to part of a brand, but his comments are worth a look. Check out the interview here.

Select Mondaine Watches From JCK That I Liked
I thought it was really ironic to learn that Mondaine's US operation was located near where I live in the San Francisco Bay area. What are the odds? When I met with their people at the JCK show in Las Vegas a few months ago, I got to check out some of their new timepieces, and caught a few on camera. Sorry about any blurriness, but it adds to the candid nature of the shots right? Mondaine is a popular Swiss watch company that is best known for their official Swiss Railways watch. Aside from that, they have a multitude of nice offerings at reasonable prices. Part of this has to do with their high volume production that helps them keep prices down.Two of the best things that Mondaine does are its cases and the dials. You really get impressed but the quality of these parts in relation to the price. I did a full review on one of my favorite watches of theirs, which was the Mondaine Railway Chrono Sport II, which you can read here. Actually, I've seen a few names for the same watch, but you

Enamel Inlaid Square
I have an enamel inlaid square from I believe 1926. I don't know much about this watch and was wondering if anybody could help. I cannot find ANY info on this watch on the internet other than a catalog description from 1928. There seems to be no mention of it. If anybody could tell me what the production number was on this watch (I know it was low), if they have ever seen one or sold/bought one I would appreciate it. Any info would be appreciated. A close up photo of before and after restoring can be found here: mpassaro/search/label/Hamilton%20WatchesThanks!

Good News!
I sold my only Patek (5127) the other day; therefore, by definition, the bottom of the Patek resale market has occurred. Congrats to those who still have your calatravas - to the moon!