Window Shopping in Geneva, City of Watches and Watchmakers

[@lynx-lynx]

Thanks to visit my city. You're welcome.

[@IMakeWatches]

Geneva is my city too! I've lived here for 25 years. That's why my English is still so good! 😂😂😂If you collect old record players like the ones you've been posting I saw a nice old Thorens from before they were electric at the CSP in the Plan-les-Ouates Espace Tourbillon last week.

[@Osto-1]

Love these videos Dayton - keep them coming 👍

[@IMakeWatches]

Hi Paul! Thanks! Happy Holidays!

[@stanWorkshop]

Incredible, seeing one of the Kings and using a guilloché machine! So inspiring. Thanks

[@IMakeWatches]

Thanks Stan! Rexhep was literally the first super-talented watchmaker that I met. The kindness that he showed me, even though I had no idea who he was (I thought that Akrivia was either a school or a watch repair shop), profoundly affected me. I asked him if he could help me change a balance staff and he said, "Sure, come back Monday. I'll have one of the guys do it for you or show you how to do it." That was my first indoctrination into the cult of kindness that permeates much of traditional watchmaking. I was stunned when I discovered that he was such an accomplished watchmaker.

[@stanWorkshop]

@IMakeWatches that is beautiful, I find it very inspiring seeing other folk who have put a lot of time into getting good at something complex and peoples affection for watches. Your videos are such a joy, thanks

[@IMakeWatches]

@@stanWorkshop You too Stan! When are your longer videos coming?! Us old guys watching KZbin don't watch shorts! You're missing out and so are we!

[@stanWorkshop]

@IMakeWatches you are entirely right, nearly there

[@tomkarr76]

I was able to examine the Chronoswiss guilloché machine at Watches and Wonders and try my hand at it. Fascinating devices and the incredible precision. Great video...I was in the same alleys and shops when I visited Geneva. nice memories. I'm already looking forward to April.

[@IMakeWatches]

Yes, I saw that one too! I filmed it but I didn't publish that video because I didn't have other interesting stuff from Watches & Wonders to combine it with. Atelier Wen also showed a new one made by a Chinese artisan at Geneva Watch Days. I would love to know the entire history of the one I used in this video! Some day after the high season I'll ask them about it!

[@Sestorema]

One day, I will visit Geneva 👍🙂

[@IMakeWatches]

If you do you should also visit La Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle, Neuchatel, and Bienne. Interlaken / Gridewald / Lauterbrunnen. Zurich, Lucerne, and Bern. And Ticino (Lugano and Locarno)! 😂😂😂

[@Sestorema]

@IMakeWatches Is It possible to visit some watch fabric/plant, or museum?

[@IMakeWatches]

@@Sestorema Yes! I will do more of that kind of thing next year! I wanted to try to get a handle the basics of watchmaking first and then get into the history of watches, parts and tool manufacturing, and then eventually modern watchmaking.

[@nickjohnson217]

Hi Dayton, I lost both my parents in a matter of months apart this year and I just want to thankyou for giving me the enthusiasm to carry on my hobby of watchmaking even though my mind was elsewhere, all your content is always a real pleasure to watch, I hope you and your wife have a very special Christmas and hope you get a few new tools for Christmas Day. 😉🙏👏

[@IMakeWatches]

Thanks so much Nick! I'm sorry for your loss and I'm happy to hear that you still enjoy my videos. Watchmaking is a hobby that allows me to enter a place of meditative concentration when I allow it to and that has therapeutic value for me as well.

[@keithgrey3916]

Just got back from a long weekend in Geneva to visit the Christmas market. After watching some of your videos, I was really excited to go to Plain Palau’s to look at all the watch stalls. I visited on Sunday, and you can imagine how disappointed I was that there wasn’t a single watch stall there! To add insult to injury I went to visit the Philipe Patek museum on the Sunday only to find that it wasn’t open until the Tuesday. All in all, a bit of a disaster! The Christmas market was nice.

[@IMakeWatches]

That's terrible! On Sunday the market is a farmer's market and totally different vendors! I'll try to make that more clear in the video description! Did you catch any of the Fête de l'Escalade activities? It was a great weekend for that!

[@forever-young5197]

you know... not the one who has a lot of luxury watches is rich.. but the one who is content with a little..

[@RobertRbtNicolas]

Really jealous about the guilloche, it's probably one of my favorite decoration on a watch. It's unfortunate that these machines are (almost impossible to find nowadays)

[@RobertRbtNicolas]

There's a beautiful example in a museum in Paris ("tour guillocher par mercklein, musée des arts et métiers" on Google)

[@IMakeWatches]

Yes, all but impossible. And I'm pretty sure that if this one was put on auction (which it won't be) it would go for over a million dollars. It's very nice of Breguet to make this one accessible to the public!

[@IMakeWatches]

You're right! And I love the musée des arts et métiers in Paris! The next time I'm there I'll make a video about it!

[@RobertRbtNicolas]

It reminds me that the workshop of the guy from Chronoglide channel has one in their workshop. (Interestingly you responded to the message about the museum but I cannot see it)

[@nikonfx6598]

Exellent! Thank you very much. I have a chance to sea watches and also the X'mas acitivties which is very attractive.

[@IMakeWatches]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it! ❤

[@sonnymoorehouse1941]

So Cool

[@IMakeWatches]

I know you wrote that one while I was operating that guilloché machine. Am I right Sonny?! 😂😂😂

[@theshadowman1398]

The watch finder store is so funny. That Royal Oak with VU meter dial has been sitting there for over 2 years.

[@IMakeWatches]

Sounds like it may be priced for the next hype cycle? 😂😂😂

[@keithgrey3916]

I didn’t! I knew nothing about it. Where did it take place? I did hear a very loud bang at 2.00pm. Guess that was part of it! I do enjoy your channel.

[@IMakeWatches]

Thanks! It was mostly in the old city, which is the high part of the city where you can see the horses and crowds at the end of this video (where Rexhep's atelier's are).

[@gioc4596]

Wow we got to see a very important personality on the Geneva watch world, a cool machine and the city itself. Loved it. Question can you find a reasonable priced used Rolex in Geneva under 4K? Wishing you and the viewers a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year 2025

[@IMakeWatches]

Thanks and happy holidays to you too! 🎉🎉🎉

[@thecleaner4971]

Excellent 👍 content seems so safe and peaceful as a watchmaker of 40 years I still have not been to Geneva, must go soon , have you been to England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿? Blessings Chris

[@IMakeWatches]

Geneva, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle, Neuchatel and Bienne are all great places to visit! If you're as close as the UK you must visit them all! As it's the center of the advertising world I've spent a lot of time working on TV commercials in the UK. Lovely country!

[@Mohammad800]

❤

[@martinweyden40]

What is your opinion on the Tissot Powermatic 80. It is not survivable . The put after 6 years a compleet new movement in it. Is that nessesery ? ? Because of the plastic in the movement

[@IMakeWatches]

I have mixed feelings about it. Mostly negative. But like the Swatch it addresses the market on an industrial scale in a way that is important for the industry. I'm increasingly finding that I'm mostly interested in the intersection between true vintage movements and high horology. These realms are both outside of the industrial scale production that drives the industry. Just like the Swatch, I appreciate the fact that the industry needs high efficiency, high reliability, low cost (relatively speaking) movements to address consumer demand because vintage and high horology can't.

[@lararob4673]

Funny you ran into RR

[@IMakeWatches]

Rexhep and his brother Xhevdet are both super nice guys. My instinct is not to bother people in the street but Rexhep was kind to me when I had no idea who he was and that made me feel like he's a friend.

[@lararob4673]

@ cool story, he seems like a nice guy in the interviews I have seen. Keep it up with the great videos!

[@floflo1151]

😊👍

[@juniortoledo8088]

MB&F on the train

[@IMakeWatches]

Yes! I was hoping someone would notice that! I love MB&F and that tram is a fantastic bit of marketing that keeps reminding me of that love!

[@sonnymoorehouse1941]

Nervana

[@IMakeWatches]

Ha! Be careful with that word! 😂😂😂

[@da___man]

Watching as you are panning across the Rolexes and their prices and it reminds me of what I don't like about them. Rolexes are thick/chunky and kinda ugly compared to Patek, AP, etc.

[@IMakeWatches]

I like them all but I wouldn't buy any of them at those prices. That said I'm glad that there are people that do buy them because the watch industry itself is magical and creates all kinds of benefits for the local economy. Especially Rolex and Patek!

[@frankflex4465]

like doing a heart transplant in a mcdonalds

[@IMakeWatches]

Yeah, there was a lot going on in there! Quite an easy machine to operate though! I was surprised!

[@giuliocaprini-be2pj]

Very cheap

[@IMakeWatches]

😂😂😂

[@forever-young5197]

you know... not the one who has a lot of luxury watches is rich.. but the one who is content with a little..

[@IMakeWatches]

Wise words! Especially taken together with your user name!