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belligero · 15 April 2014, 12:26 AM

I didn't see this coming...

http://www.letemps.ch/Page/Uuid/6455...ange_de_patron

Zenith's designs improved remarkably under his direction (although the Nataf era established a pretty low baseline). I wonder if this will have any effect on Rolex's design direction. The signs from the new Sea-Dweller were very positive (no case size increase, slimmer lugs, matte dial).

wantonebad · 15 April 2014, 12:28 AM

Wow!

joe100 · 15 April 2014, 12:40 AM

Thierry Nataf was the evil witch-doctor of the watch world

Chewbacca · 15 April 2014, 12:43 AM

brilliant move.

FremStar · 15 April 2014, 12:44 AM

Very interesting! Thanks for posting!

JP Chestnut · 15 April 2014, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joe100

Thierry Nataf was the evil witch-doctor of the watch world

His tenure at Zenith is the measuring stick for all terrible design decisions in the watch industry. We need a "puke" emoticon if we're going to continue discussing Nataf-era Zenith.

KINGROLESAR · 15 April 2014, 12:47 AM

Thanks-very interesting

rbl · 15 April 2014, 12:47 AM

Interesting. I don't know anything about Rolex's corporate structure, but I wonder if somebody was moved aside, or just retired/stepped down.

JP Chestnut · 15 April 2014, 12:58 AM

By the way, I'd put "New IWC" at about .4 on the Nataf scale.

FTX I · 15 April 2014, 01:00 AM

Thanks for sharing.

illiguy · 15 April 2014, 01:01 AM

Can someone explain why his is a good hire and the ramifications of such a move? Apologies, I don't know anything about Rolex management.

Miguel Alvarez · 15 April 2014, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JP Chestnut

His tenure at Zenith is the measuring stick for all terrible design decisions in the watch industry. We need a "puke" emoticon if we're going to continue discussing Nataf-era Zenith.

That's good. I had that brief panic moment "was this the same guy who was behind some of zenith's monstrosities"?

belligero · 15 April 2014, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JP Chestnut

By the way, I'd put "New IWC" at about .4 on the Nataf scale.

So would I.

cop414 · 15 April 2014, 01:14 AM

Very interesting, I wonder if any designs will "trickle down"?

JP Chestnut · 15 April 2014, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miguel Alvarez

That's good. I had that brief panic moment "was this the same guy who was behind some of zenith's monstrosities"?

I knew it wasn't, but when Ryan said that "Zenith's designs improved remarkably under his direction" I knew it couldn't have been Nataf! I don't think there's a single person in the world who found those watches to be an improvement.

Thevenin · 15 April 2014, 01:38 AM

A very bold move indeed

Best of luck to JFD

DVR · 15 April 2014, 01:41 AM

They 'flip' CEO's more often than flippers flip watches. How long before the next one ?

jonnyz1245 · 15 April 2014, 01:51 AM

Be interesting to see how this plays out.

Will there be Rolex "vintage" style pieces or tributes to watches from the past? If anything, maybe the glacial pace at which Rolex moves and develops new products might change and for the better? Or it could just be business as usual!

perpetualman88 · 15 April 2014, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DVR

They 'flip' CEO's more often than flippers flip watches. How long before the next one ?

x2

seems to be the case in the lasts 10-15 years

jonnyz1245 · 15 April 2014, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perpetualman88

x2

seems to be the case in the lasts 10-15 years

X3. They seem to be searching for something. Wonder what it is? 3 over a 100 year period and now 3 in 6 years.

Maybe we will see a SS Pepsi after all

capote · 15 April 2014, 03:47 AM

Yeah, out with the old, in with the new

Male model ad complete with a Nietzsche quote and everything

fmc000 · 15 April 2014, 04:01 AM

I'm sad. Really sad. And worried. Very worried.

JP Chestnut · 15 April 2014, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fmc000

I'm sad. Really sad. And worried. Very worried.

Rolex is Rolex and Zenith is Zenith. I'm not sure if you can impute his future choices based on his (honestly fairly good) past at Zenith. If the previous guys oversaw the YM2, the upsized DJ2/DD2, and the polarizing DSSD... I wouldn't immediately think this guy will be worse.

belligero · 15 April 2014, 04:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by capote

Yeah, out with the old, in with the new[...]
Male model ad complete with a Nietzsche quote and everything

You do realize that's from the low-baseline-establishing Nataf period I was referring to, right? They dumped the joke watches and now have a very decent lineup that's not too trendy for the most part. Despite some 57 mm novelty stuff and open-dialed tat, I'd say their current percentage of wearable designs is well above average in the business.

The one move that concerns me slightly was Zenith's change to from their in-house Elite to outsourced Soprod movements in some their entry-level watches, claimed to be due to lack of manufacturing space and wanting to increase El Primero movement production, but it's understandable given Zenith's resources compared to Rolex's. They've been doing well with what they have lately.

Palaver15 · 15 April 2014, 04:48 AM

Thanks for sharing. Will be interesting to see if a new exec team shake-up follows.

JP Chestnut · 15 April 2014, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by belligero

The one move that concerns me slightly was Zenith's change to from their in-house Elite to outsourced Soprod movements in some their entry-level watches...

This was my one and only worry, but I suspect there's zero chance of Rolex straying from totally in house.

hbk75 · 15 April 2014, 05:13 AM

waiting for a pepsi with 18k yellow gold.

belligero · 15 April 2014, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JP Chestnut

This was my one and only worry, but I suspect there's zero chance of Rolex straying from totally in house.

It's not so much the in-house thing, as I agree there's zero chance of that happening, it's the apparent cost-cutting and compromise of manufacturing integrity.

But they're completely different companies, and I'm in no position to know what kind of manufacturing/shareholder pressures led to that decision.

I bet Dufour's looking forward to running a private company that's sitting on a mountain of cash instead of having to answer to investors that can't resist going for short-term gains. The effects are a bit obvious in certain design-by-committee Swatch Group and Richemont products on occasion. LVMH doesn't seem to be that bad in comparison... except obviously for Hublot, which wasn't ever going to be taken seriously as a watchmaker anyway.

Dr. Robert · 15 April 2014, 05:29 AM

You think he'll bring lug holes back on the SS watches??????

Audemars Piguet · 15 April 2014, 05:32 AM

Good news

15 April 2014, 12:26 AM	#1
belligero Banned Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: EUR Posts: 487	Ex-Zenith CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour becomes new Rolex boss I didn't see this coming... http://www.letemps.ch/Page/Uuid/6455...ange_de_patron Zenith's designs improved remarkably under his direction (although the Nataf era established a pretty low baseline). I wonder if this will have any effect on Rolex's design direction. The signs from the new Sea-Dweller were very positive (no case size increase, slimmer lugs, matte dial).

15 April 2014, 12:28 AM	#2
wantonebad 2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: USA Watch: 126600, 116500LN Posts: 12,849	Wow! __________________ "I'm kind of a big deal... on a fairly irrelevant social media site that falsely inflates my fragile ego"

15 April 2014, 12:40 AM	#3
joe100 2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Real Name: Joe Location: New Mexico Watch: Explorer Posts: 12,840	Thierry Nataf was the evil witch-doctor of the watch world __________________ It's Espresso, not Expresso. Coffee is not a train in Italy. -TRF Member 6982-

15 April 2014, 12:44 AM	#5
FremStar "TRF" Member Join Date: May 2009 Real Name: Sam Location: Gotham City Watch: Wall Street Posts: 9,954	Very interesting! Thanks for posting! __________________ "Wealth is of the heart and mind, not of the pocket!" "A Watch Is An Emotional Object, And So, It Is The Responsibility Of The Brand To Create Emotion Through It's Products" - Georges Kern "In the 1950s and 60s, they made the Ref 8171, which is a cult collectible—now that’s the ultimate Rolex you could own with a calendar and a moon phase.” - John Reardon "Heh, heh, heh..." - Michael Kilyung

15 April 2014, 12:47 AM	#7
KINGROLESAR "TRF" Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Real Name: Drew Location: PHILADELPHIA Watch: CROWN MARKED Posts: 2,158	Thanks-very interesting __________________ "Raise your glass high, those here for those not with but a sigh; for enjoy each day, it comes but once, then quickly to the past as it must" - King Rolesar 03

15 April 2014, 12:43 AM	#4
Chewbacca Banned Join Date: May 2012 Real Name: CJ Location: Kashyyyk Watch: Kessel Run Chrono Posts: 21,112	brilliant move.

15 April 2014, 12:47 AM	#8
rbl "TRF" Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Missouri Watch: Bark DD Posts: 400	Interesting. I don't know anything about Rolex's corporate structure, but I wonder if somebody was moved aside, or just retired/stepped down.

15 April 2014, 12:58 AM	#9
JP Chestnut Banned Join Date: May 2012 Location: Ann Arbor MI Watch: Rolex Ref 16600 Posts: 3,908	By the way, I'd put "New IWC" at about .4 on the Nataf scale.

15 April 2014, 01:00 AM	#10
FTX I "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Real Name: Flavio Location: N/A Posts: 14,654	Thanks for sharing.

15 April 2014, 01:01 AM	#11
illiguy 2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: UTC/GMT -5 Posts: 3,662	Can someone explain why his is a good hire and the ramifications of such a move? Apologies, I don't know anything about Rolex management.

15 April 2014, 01:14 AM	#14
cop414 TRF Moderator & 2024 SubLV41 Patron Join Date: Apr 2012 Real Name: Tim Location: Pennsylvania Watch: 14060M Posts: 72,244	Very interesting, I wonder if any designs will "trickle down"? __________________ Rolex Submariner 14060M Omega Seamaster 2254.50 DOXA Professional 1200T Card carrying member of TRF's Global Association of Retro-Grouch-Curmudgeons TRF's "After Dark" Bar & NightClub Patron P Club Member #17 2 FA ENABLED

15 April 2014, 01:38 AM	#16
Thevenin "TRF" Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: La Jolla, CA Posts: 575	A very bold move indeed Best of luck to JFD

15 April 2014, 01:41 AM	#17
DVR "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Real Name: Denis Location: Flanders, EU Watch: Diver watches Posts: 2,009	They 'flip' CEO's more often than flippers flip watches. How long before the next one ? __________________ AP - BP - UN - GO - GS - JLC - RLX

15 April 2014, 01:51 AM	#18
jonnyz1245 2024 Pledge Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Earth Posts: 2,324	Be interesting to see how this plays out. Will there be Rolex "vintage" style pieces or tributes to watches from the past? If anything, maybe the glacial pace at which Rolex moves and develops new products might change and for the better? Or it could just be business as usual!

15 April 2014, 03:47 AM	#21
capote "TRF" Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Real Name: Daniel Location: Sweden Watch: 16570 Posts: 7,315	Yeah, out with the old, in with the new Male model ad complete with a Nietzsche quote and everything

15 April 2014, 04:01 AM	#22
fmc000 Banned Join Date: Sep 2011 Real Name: Fabio Location: Como - Italy Posts: 4,811	I'm sad. Really sad. And worried. Very worried.

15 April 2014, 04:48 AM	#25
Palaver15 "TRF" Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Real Name: Christian Location: Northern Virginia Watch: In Search Of... Posts: 11	Thanks for sharing. Will be interesting to see if a new exec team shake-up follows.

15 April 2014, 05:13 AM	#27
hbk75 Banned Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Taiwan Posts: 705	waiting for a pepsi with 18k yellow gold.

15 April 2014, 05:29 AM	#29
Dr. Robert 2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Real Name: Bob Location: U.S.A. Watch: 1655 Posts: 64,277	You think he'll bring lug holes back on the SS watches?????? __________________ Founder & Card Carrying Member of the Global Association of Retro-Grouch-Curmudgeons

15 April 2014, 05:32 AM	#30
Audemars Piguet "TRF" Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Real Name: Alex Location: Europe Watch: AP Posts: 5,252	Good news

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