As the world responds to the disasters in Japan — the earthquake, the tsunami, the aftershocks, the nuclear power plant issues and the devastation — I find it difficult to continue to post watch news and product without a simple commentary here.
My first trip overseas in the watch industry more than 25 years ago was to Japan. I visited Seiko, Citizen, Orient and Casio. I traveled to the mountains, to the off-shoot factories hours outside of Tokyo. I visited the countryside and formed long-lasting relationships with the watch brands — not to mention forming an amazing love for the beauty of this country.
Now, my heart reaches out to all of Japanese people I know and to the families both here and there. While we often write about the great mechanical Swiss watch brands, these great Japanese bravados brought us quartz technology, solar timepieces and so much more. We, in the watch industry, often refer to our arena as a watch world. Now, more than ever before, we are truly a watch “world” coming together with thoughts and prayers.