" "
Gotcha!
The fact is that we are all either guessing or paraphrasing what was said over the past few months. Everyone's comments are tainted by certain prejudices that they carry including mine.
Mr. Journe is a very passionate man who is gifted horologically and has worked hard to acheive the success he deserves.
Is there absolutely no correlation between the success of his personal brand started in 1999 to the hyperbolic growth of internet watch forums? If the internet communities play NO ROLE in his success, how do you explain his lack of financial success in the horological world prior to 1999 despite working in it since age 14?
It is being honest with yourself, remembering where you come from, and SHARING the success with the people who helped you along the way. So there is no cryptic message ( and I do not speak for the PuristSPro exec staff ) SHARING means putting money or some tangible effort back into the community that helped you get to where you are today, not just lip service.
But I will just have to wait until Mr. Journe explains himself, if he ever does, but I sincerely hope he voices his thoughts.
The last time Mr. Journe posted anything substantive on the forum was a very passionate letter (in french0 focused on his belief that Jaquet Droz violated his design on using the rehaut ring as a decorative element on a watch dial, a letter which the PuristS was asked to take down by the lawyers at SWATCH. I didn't need a lesson on the nuances of the French language to get his point either.
I remember the vast amount of support FPJ received.
Do you know what happened three years after the lawsuit was filed and all the information was revealed in court?
Yeah right...
Until everything is out in the open ( and I doubt they ever will) I would just assume we all give thanks to Brad, Felipe, the PuristSPro exec staff, Dr. Mao, and most importantly Mr. Journe for providing us with a warm environment to discuss his creations and part ways amicably for now. I sincerely hope that we see a FPJ forum soon.
Mike
This message has been edited by mkt33 on 2010-06-03 19:33:40