While many watchmakers are looking to China for their growth, Eberhard and Co. takes another tack. It has focused its survival on a loyal niche market a lot closer to home: Italy.
Konstantin Chaykin is the only Russian watchmaker whose designs have gotten him elected to the prestigious Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants.
Auction prices for antique pocket watches are soaring as collectors vie for decorative 19th century timepieces made in Europe for sale in Imperial China.
Before plunging into the Chinese market, it is testing Asian waters with a recently opened standalone boutique in Singapore, where watch buyers are known for their hard-headed discernment.
Swatch Group, the world's largest watch maker, agreed on Monday to pay $750 million to acquire the watch and jewelry business of Harry Winston, which plans to shift its focus to its diamond mining activities.