Tuesday, July 12, 2011

They're finally here!

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I'm delighted to report that we've got a new addition to the gallery, something Christine and I have been working on since early May.  We have shown jewelry for years, including our current display of Lola's Bolas - "Bling on a String", and now we have added some truly amazing timepieces from the Bozeman Watch Company.

The Bozeman Watch Company is the brainchild of Christopher Wardle of Bozeman, a self-described "watch geek" and an entrepreneur of the highest order.  The United States dominated the watchmaking world from approximately 1850 to 1950, but starting in the early 1970s with the invention of the quartz movement, the mechanical watch industry was almost completely sunk in the US and in Europe, with only the Swiss companies hanging on in any number.  American greats like Hamilton and Bulova still exist, but only as names owned by large corporate conglomerates like the Swatch Group, makers of the plastic fashion watches that took the world by storm in the early '80s.  Swatch actually controls a giant...um..."swatch" of the watchmaking industry, and it owns famed companies like Omega, Tissot and Longines, among others.  Swatch also owns ETA, the manufacturer of the movements (the guts) used in almost all of the mechanical watches on the market today.

Chris created the Bozeman Watch Company as the antithesis of all of this - Bozeman Watch timepieces are created from the ground up, with each component - from the case to the crystal to the movement - designed specifically for these watches, rather than assembled piecemeal from a catalog of available parts.  The watches are made in very limited editions of 10 to 150 individually numbered pieces per design, and many of the editions sell out during their preproduction phase.  Every model is certified as a Chronometer by the COSC, meaning that the watches are built to the highest standards of accuracy and precision in the industry.  The artistry and attention to detail are simply amazing, and we are fortunate enough to be able to showcase the pieces here in the gallery!

For more information on these stunning watches, please stop in or contact us.  We would be delighted to assist you in selecting an heirloom timepiece to be treasured for generations.

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