WatchProSite|Market|Digest
WatchProSite|Market|Digest

Horological Meandering

It is not important NOW…

 

…but it was very important some years ago. For those of us who developed an interest in the Independents but were unsure of the provenance or prospectivity for any given watchmaker, AHCI offered an implied seal of approval. Sure, not all Independents were members, but many who mattered were. Would they have gained airplay without that forum? Perhaps; perhaps not. Indeed: for a while it was a personal ambition to have a piece from each AHCI member in the collection; that very quickly proved unrealistic!
It’s interesting to see the post from SteveH above, firmly of the opinion that AHCI has become irrelevant. Steve’s views are to be given great weight, given his time here as AHCI moderator (and influencer!), and still deeply immersed in top end Independents. If he says it is now unimportant, then it’s probably unimportant.
Where do we look now? The pundits, the bloggers, the vloggers and… the auction houses! The Geneva season starts this week, and the catalogues are stuffed full of Independent watches, many of them jewels. Watches we could only dream about, and which were once virtually unobtainable. It’s a good time to be alive.
Cheers,
pplater.

  login to reply
 
15 Comments view entire thread 

How important is the AHCI for you ?

 
By: Bruno.M1 : October 29th, 2023-12:19
I prefer to post it on the main forum and not the 'independent' part cause if possible I would like to see many different answers ;-) Most of us like independents so what do you think about the AHCI ? If one is a member is it an important indication for y... 

Interesting question…

 
By: dedestexhes : October 29th, 2023-12:38
I would say that the AHCI certainly has been material for the development of the independent watch makers. Without them the industry would look differently today. Having said that, I suppose today its role might not be the same anymore. So in essence, the... 

Not important at all for purchasing

 
By: m2 : October 29th, 2023-12:47
But I appreciate the work they’ve done and how easy they make it to find independents.

Am an AHCI 'Circle of Friends'

 
By: enjoythemusic : October 29th, 2023-16:21
Which basically means I very much enjoy their efforts and so donate a bit of currency annually. Imho they desperately need to modernize their use of the internet and effectively communicate their goals, efforts, and accomplishments. Each member (watchmake... 

That's a good question

 
By: piccolochimico (aka dsgalaxy1) : October 29th, 2023-17:06
If you look at the present and past members, you'll see the names of the most reputable masters, but it takes time to become part of that "club", which means that being famous and promising today has nothing related to a likely future access. I would broa... 

Long live AHCI

 
By: Jocke - Bad Santa : October 29th, 2023-17:30
For me, the most important thing is to see their creations at the annual fair. Even if many of the members do not do new things every year, you get a chance to talk to them and gain insight into how they have thought. They can also get me interested in fl... 

Agree about their annual fair....

 
By: enjoythemusic : October 30th, 2023-14:23
...it is also the perfect opportunity to livestream it, do interviews, showcase the latest creations, etc. Alas, in recent years they've not done that

I don’t think about it much, or at all. Isn’t it just a collective marketing platform?

 
By: Jay (Eire) : October 29th, 2023-19:59
And a pretty limited one at that. Membership has zero influence on purchase decisions. I’m not aware of the steps required to become a member and so can’t comment on your third question.

Important

 
By: Andreas_A : October 29th, 2023-20:36
For me AHCI membership is a distinctive marker of excellence. I bought several watches because the maker is or was AHCI member, and of course because I like the watch. I have watches by Calabrese, Preziuso, Van der Klaauw and Nienaber amongst others. They... 

Like some already said there was a time the AHCI was a good collective for small independent brands , so they could collectively be more visible for collectors and other brands at events etc

 
By: Watchonthewrist : October 30th, 2023-19:41
Nowadays with MSM and internet the can bild there own platform . I have bought many watches from AHCI members in the past because it was a nice indicator that they were serious watchmakers with respect from their colleagues.

It is not important NOW…

 
By: pplater : October 31st, 2023-11:23
…but it was very important some years ago. For those of us who developed an interest in the Independents but were unsure of the provenance or prospectivity for any given watchmaker, AHCI offered an implied seal of approval. Sure, not all Independents were...