Founder’s Note

BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, IT WILL BE known the globe over that the world’s largest watch group, Swatch Group, has pulled out of the world’s biggest watch fair, Baselworld. And I would like to applaud and bow to the courage and conviction of Swatch Group’s CEO Nick Hayek for not allowing Baselworld to get away with the arrogance, ineptitude and greed it has perpetuated for decades. And what was the response from Baselworld? According to Rene Kamm, the unsurprisingly now-ex-Chairman of fair organiser MCH: “I hope that a successful edition of Baselworld in 2019 will motivate Swatch Group to again participate. I personally would be very pleased to hold constructive talks with Swatch Group.”

But beyond all the corporate niceties the message is clear, singular and seared indelibly into rock with Old Testament-like finality: Baselworld, you fucked-up! In fighter pilot parlance, you massively screwed the pooch. And you have no one but yourselves to blame for driving this enormous nail into your own coffin.

And yet Baselworld, in its own self-delusion, is still unable to admit its own culpability in its steadily plummeting stock. Like Tennessee Williams’ Blanche DuBois being misguidedly convinced