On Christmas Day, 1969, Seiko introduced a watch called the Astron. So what? Just another watch, right? Not really. This watch almost brought down the entire Swiss watchmaking industry. The reason? It contained a quartz movement. Since the 1700s, the Swiss had pioneered the development of mechanical timepieces, which were clocks and watches driven by…
Most of us are familiar with the image of the lone wolf. We usually associate this with strength, independence and self-reliance. This resonates with leaders, since we are out in front creating opportunity, health and growth for the individuals and organizations we serve. But, what about the other side of the coin? Can being a…
Water resistance is a key specification for watches. This applies to mechanical, quartz or fully electronic devices like an Apple Watch. The determinant of this rating is hydrostatic pressure, or as our Swiss watchmaking friends would say, “pression hydrostatique.” This is the pressure of a fluid at rest due to the weight of the fluid…
Ronin were Japanese samurai warriors who became masterless, with no feudal lord to serve. Ronin literally means “wandering man.” Societally, ronin were in a difficult position. They were excluded from the traditional samurai hierarchy and lacked the privileges and benefits associated with serving a lord. They were displaced. Sounds like what happened to a lot…