Vulcain in trouble?

[JonSnow]

Brice probably knows more than me, but my understanding was that even with 12 employees, these were still in house manufacture movements. At the very least, the movement design was invented by Vulcain (parallel bridge) and use of the case design predates the JLC Polaris. The decompression table does make the dial extremely busy and is totally worthless to anyone with a modern dive computer, but that's not the point. It is almost an exact replica of a history making original watch with all anachronistic features intact. Some people like Gshocks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[toxicavenger]

I'm just amazed Vulcain only had 12 employees before the staff reduction. It sounds like a Steinhart-sized operation with a couple designers, a couple staff watchmakers for repair work, and everything else 100% outsourced - case manufacturing, dial, hands, movements, even assembly and distribution.

The quality looks very high quality at that. I wonder who they use?

Further proof Yao is undoubtedly using a Chinese sweatshop for his parts.

Don't make him come here crying over this. He doesn't take it lightly.

[Ryeguy]

Brice probably knows more than me, but my understanding was that even with 12 employees, these were still in house manufacture movements. At the very least, the movement design was invented by Vulcain (parallel bridge) and use of the case design predates the JLC Polaris. The decompression table does make the dial extremely busy and is totally worthless to anyone with a modern dive computer, but that's not the point. It is almost an exact replica of a history making original watch with all anachronistic features intact. Some people like Gshocks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I thought I read somewhere that Vulcain movements were manufactured by that same company who made the supposedly "in house" Bremont movement - La Joux Perret.

You certainly are not in-house manufacturing production quantity cases or dials with only 12 people on the staff. Even with a fully automated / robotic manufacturing floor you would need more people.

My guess is Vulcain has in-house designers and maybe some in-house marketing and a few watchmakers assembling select models. Movements are made to order by a movement specialist. Cases, dials, hands, and assembly the same.

With very few exceptions, I doubt Vulcain employees even handled a finished watch prior to it being shipped to a dealer.

I'm not saying this resulted in any sort of quality concern. I'm saying 12 people simply cannot both manufacture and assemble the 3,000 annual pieces Vulcain reportedly does. (source: http://www.watch-insider.com/economy/fi ... d-germany/)

Assuming all manufacturing was outsourced and only final assembly was done in-house, you would need 5 watch makers, each able to produce 3 finished watches per day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year to get to those numbers.




The people in this video don't look like the kind of folks knocking out 3,000 watches per year.

Again, absolutely not bashing the brand. I like some Vulcain designs and respect their history.

I'd consider this one:

[JonSnow]

Fair critique ryeguy. Still, La Joux Perret building Vulcain designs is a far cry from jamming an ETA or Miyota in a Chinese case.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ryeguy]

Fair critique ryeguy. Still, La Joux Perret building Vulcain designs is a far cry from jamming an ETA or Miyota in a Chinese case.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

100% agree. I also will agree that "in-house" doesn't necessarily mean "vertically integrated" such as Rolex or Seiko.

As I said earlier, I was just surprised that such as well known, historic brand was able to operate with so few employees.

[ncstate1201]

I hope it is the swatch group that buys them, just hoping it is not someone like Invicta (glycine)

[River Rat]

One reason I buy vintage when it says Swiss made it's all made in Switzerland not like today were the case can be Chinese and as long as a few parts come from Switzerland it can be called Swiss made. When Chinese company's buy out Swiss company's there going to cut corners to save a buck.

[River Rat]

Here is some thing interesting if 60% of the watch is made and put together in Switzerland and 40% in China it can be called Swiss made.

Swiss Made defined by law
Swiss watch
A watch is considered Swiss, according to the Swiss law if:
its movement is Swiss and,
its movement is cased up in Switzerland and;
the manufacturer carries out the final inspection in Switzerland
Swiss watch movement
A watch movement is considered Swiss if:
the movement has been assembled in Switzerland and,
the movement has been inspected by the manufacturer in Switzerland and;
the components of Swiss manufacture account for at least 50 percent of the total value, without taking into account the cost of assembly. From 1 January 2017, the law set the minimum at 60 percent.

[streetracer101]

Well one upside is that after Invicta bought Glycine I was able to snag a 39mm Airman (already discontinued) for a bit more than 1/3 the usual price, as they were frantically dumping stock.
Plus, there's a good possibility the model I got will be among the last sub-45mm wide and sub 18mm tall glycine ever produced.

I wouldn't mind being able to get a Cricket for $900 new

I'll be surprised to see that happen, but if love to snag an aviator for under $1500.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk