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Happy Birthday, Kalen R. Strandberg

July 7, 2007: Today (7/7/07) is considered by many to be a very lucky day. It must be, because it's my eldest son's birthday. Happy 24th birthday to Kalen Robert Strandberg. I am very proud of the young man you have become!

Putting Me Behind the Wheel of a Race Car?

July 3, 2007 -- Next up for me is a trip to St. Tropez to get behind the wheel of a Formula One race car, courtesy of TAG Heuer! Are they crazy?

On Sunday, I'm flying to Nice, France and then on Monday morning, we're heading for the track for some instruction on how to drive a Formula One car, then we're getting turned loose on the track! Incredible.

I predict that I will top 70 miles an hour on my first lap, then the sky's the limit.

Wish me luck.

TAG is releasing a new racing inspired series of Carrera watches. More on that later.

I had a great time with Ron Jackson at the America's Cup in Valencia. Good friends, Ron and I always have a blast. I was there along with some retailers of Girard-Perregaux and they were a fantastic group. I really enjoyed the privilege of being there to watch the America's Cup. Alinghi lost the race to Team New Zealand while were there, in a very exciting race, but they are now up 4 - 2 in the first to 5 series. I'm pulling for Alinghi, because they are Swiss.

More after my fateful Formula One drive. Maybe they will ask me to become a full time driver...

Going to the America's Cup

June 23, 2007 -- Happy summer to everyone. Today is the first day of summer and it certainly doesn't seem like summer yet. I miss the years when summer was summer -- time off school, nothing to do until school started again.

I can't complain much however, as I've been doing some great traveling lately. After getting back from the JCK show in Vegas, Sophie and I rode to Barcelona, Spain for the MotoGP race there. We had a great time. It took us 12 hours to get down there and 14 hours to get back (we stopped in Carcosson, France on the way home, which was fantastic), and Sophie, bless her heart, didn't complain at all. She actually enjoying riding the V-Strom, though I think she would have preferred to be on her own bike. We did a mixture of highway and local roads, which was a good mix.

I love Barcelona in particular and Spain in general. The atmosphere was fantastic and the people really friendly. There were so many motorcycles in Barcelona for the MotoGP weekend, it felt great to be a part of it.

Next, I went to London for an Oris Williams F1 event, where I got to be part of a pit crew (I was responsible for switching out the front tire during the pit stop) and now that I am back in Geneva, I'm getting ready to go to the America's Cup in Valencia, Spain with Ron Jackson, president of Girard-Perregaux/JeanRichard North America. Ron is Geneva this weekend, so we are going to be playing football, riding motorcycles and mountain biking in the Alps, then heading for Spain on Monday.

Have a great weekend!

Back from Vegas, Off to Spain

June 6, 2007: I'm back from a great trip to the USA -- first stopping at home then going on to the JCK show in Las Vegas. My sons, Kalen and Evan, went with me and we had a great time. Evan went on the InSync Harley-Davidson industry ride, riding a V-Rod, and we went to Oatman, AZ. What a wonderful trip -- but, boy was it hot! On the ride, a bank temperature sign read 124 degrees! Had to be a mistake, but it was at least 105 in some areas.

I'm back in Geneva for a few days, but heading for Spain this weekend. I'm riding the V-Strom over the Pyrenees to go to the MotoGP in Catalunya, Spain as Tissot's guest. Tissot is the official timekeeper and the official watch, so they can get me great access. Should be a great time.

'Til next week!

Back from Cannes, Off to America and Vegas

May 24, 2007 -- I had a great time in Cannes. I calculated that over the four days, I spent 26 hours in the saddle of my motorcycle. 8 hours there and back, two hours a day to and from Cannes (one day it was four hours, two trips). It was great. We stayed outside of Cannes near the great little town of St. Paul-de-Vence and we got a chance to run in the town every morning, which was a fantastic experiecne.

Chopard, who is an official sponsor of the film festival and the designer and manufacturer of the Palm D'Or, gave me the behind the scenes view which will make for a great story for InSync. The film festival is quite a glamorous experience. I wonder how anyone gets any work done with all the partying and schmoozing that goes on.

On the last night I was in Cannes, I met two of the producers of "Entourage," which was filming there. The Entourage boys were going to Cannes and they were faced with some real production challenges -- just shooting on the Croissette would be a nightmare because of all the people. I wish them the best and I am already looking forward to seeing episode. "Entourage" is one of the few shows I watch regularly (along with 24, Lost, NFL Primetime, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip). You would be surprised how many people go to Cannes just to try and see celebrities. There were people who brought lawn chairs and just sat next to the sidewalk all day, hoping to see someone.

I got so tired of the paparazzi chasing after me ("Hey! Aren't you that guy from InSync?") I had to leave. Ha!

Next up on the hit parade is a trip to Vegas for the JCK show. The InSync ride is the day before the JCK show opens and we've got a good crew of people riding -- I think about 15 in all -- and we are going to Oatman, AZ this year.

Should be fun!

Off to the Cannes Film Festival

May 16, 2007 -- I'm knee deep in work but looking forward to a few days on the French Riviera. I am going down to the south of the France to the Cannes Film Festival to do a behind the scenes story on Chopard's involvement with the festival. Should be fun.

I am leaving first thing tomorrow morning on my motorcycle and hoping not to get too lost. My GPS system, the TomTom, had to be returned for service yesterday (of course!), so I am back to the traditional method of maps, asking for help and cursing in English, French and Chinese. Wish me luck!

After Cannes, I'm back in Geneva for a few days (including a visit to the Milus factory in Bienne), then I leave for the US to spend some time with my sons, then we are all going to Vegas. We'll be in Vegas for five days, one of which is the InSync Vegas Motorcycle Ride. I'm renting a Harley Softail Springer Classic and looking forward to blasting through the desert. We are going to Oatman, Arizona for lunch.

BaselWorld and SIHH Are History

April 24, 2007 -- Well, the BaselWorld and SIHH are history. The shows are tough enough -- this year, Glen Bowen and I had a total of 124 appointments over the ten days -- but when the shows are over is when the real work starts. It's great to see everyone and see all the great new watches. Now, I have to go through all the press kits we received, cataloguing everything and preparing the stories on which we here at InSync are going to focus. It's a lot of slogging through paper and shuffling of CDs, but it's necessary to get the word out to you, our readers.

My first story for InSync is an overview of everything we saw at Basel. It's my job to take everything I saw and put it into some semblance of order. Good luck, huh? Well, that's why my name is on the masthead.

BaselWorld and SIHH were a lot of fun this year. I got to see a lot of old friends and we heard great things about the magazine. It's bigger than it's ever been and people are really responding to our mix of editorial. We couldn't survive without the fans of the magazine, so thank you!

Now, I have about a month of hard work in front of me before I head to the US for the JCK show in Las Vegas. Good news is that my sons are going with me, so we are going to have a great time!

Off to BaselWorld!

Tuesday, May 10, 2007 -- BaselWorld starts on Thursday, May 12, with press day tomorrow, Wednesday, May 11, then I leave for the SIHH in Geneva on May 18. BaselWorld and SIHH should be great shows and I'm always excited about seeing all the new watches and saying hello to all InSync's friends in the industry. I leave tomorrow morning for the three hour ride from Geneva to Basel, on my trusty V-Strom, then the fun begins the next day.

Look for periodic reports as the show goes on. Whenever I get a chance, I'll post news and information from the show. There will be a comprehensive feature report in InSync in an upcoming issue as well.

Back in Geneva, Zenith, JeanRichard and MV Agusta

Monday, April 2, 2007

I had a great trip back to the US. I got a chance to spend four days with my sons in Pennsylvania, then I went down to Miami for a very nice Zenith event. It was held in South Beach, which is a beautiful place, and the weather was fantastic -- 80 degrees and sunny every day. Zenith introduced some great new watches, including a black titanium and rose gold Defy which really caught my eye.

I really like Zenith's CEO Thierry Nataf. He is very passionate about Zenith and he has really done wonders for the brand since he took over. Here is what Thierry had to say about Zenith's direction:

"Zenith at the Zenith is our mission," he said. "Zenith is the highest point in the sky, going beyond all limits and really bringing to the industry the incredible vision that makes us unique. We have to invest in new technology, not only mastering the traditional complications, which we do now, which was my vision. There is not one movement that is not made in house. We are focused not only the technical performance of our movements, but at the same time, I have the vision of bringing modernity to this industry, breaking rules with new mechanical movements thought of in a complete new way. Zenith is about the combination of yesterday and today and the power of emotional design."

In addition to seeing the new product Zenith has ready for Basel, I got a chance to meet some really prominent retailers from around the country and was able to spend some time running on the beach, lounging in the sun and swimming in the Setai Hotel's three pools (with varying temperatures -- one at 75 degrees, one at 85 and one at 95).

I could have stayed in Miami, it was that nice, but I couldn't wait to get back to Geneva and get ready for Basel, which is just around the corner.

Also, I am picking my motorcycle up today -- I brought back a power cord for my TomTom GPS unit and a cruise control -- can't wait to ride!

Speaking of riding, remember that the InSync JCK ride is the day before the JCK opens, which makes it May 31. Most of us are going to be renting from Las Vegas Harley-Davidson, but it's up to you what motorcycle you ride and how you get it. Just make sure you are part of the InSync Watch Riders this year!

In other motorcycle news, JeanRichard just announced a partnership with MV Agusta motorcycle company to make special watches for them. Good news, as this definitely means a trip to the MV Agusta Italian facility to do some test riding for a story in InSync!

Here's the text of JeanRichard's press release: Swiss watch making company JEANRICHARD has signed a co-branding contract with MV Agusta, the producer of Italian luxury motorcycles. Two young directors leading these independent companies, Massimo Macaluso and Giovanni Castiglioni, have built the first ever partnership between the worlds of "Haute Horlogerie" and motorcycles. Both brands, known for the exclusivity of their products, decided to collaborate in order to bond their expertise and passion for style, technological know-how and innovation, which are strengths shared by the two companies.

Watch making company JEANRICHARD, belonging to the Sowind Group, producesprestigious watches, developed and manufactured in its workshop in la Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland). Taking advantage of the centuries-old watch manufacturing knowhow of the Sowind Group, JEANRICHARD stands out by creating stylish and modern timepieces, merging creativity and technological innovation. MV Agusta is a legend in worldwide competition and remains the symbol of "Made-in-Italy." Renowned for their technical and aesthetic detail, the emblematic red and silver motorcylces are manufactured in the workshops of Varese in Italy. MV Agusta is distinguished at an international level by triumphing over 75 World Titles.

"This is a great opportunity for JEANRICHARD. We are not only willing to create synergies in the field of communication; we also want to take inspiration from the design and the technologies stemming from the motorcycle area," said Massimo Macaluso, Vice President of JEANRICHARD.

This partnership will be launched in April at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva, where the first JEANRICHARD watch series endowed with MV Agusta branding will be introduced.

Back in the U.S.A.

March 21, 2007 -- I'm off to the US for a week, first stopping in Pennsylvania to see my sons, then down to Miami for a Zenith event. Zenith's pre-Basel events are always really interesting -- not only a spectacular event, but great new products. Just check out the current issue of InSync to see all the beautiful watches they just introduced!

I had a great weekend in Barcelona, Spain. That's one of the nice things about living in Geneva, Switzerland -- everything is so close by. I can go over to Barcelona for the weekend, or to Florence, or to Prague. I have been taking advantage of Geneva's placement and going new places all the time. Most of Europe is only a short flight away and if you book far enough in advance, you can get great deals. I was able to fly to Barcelona on Swiss for $39 roundtrip. Can't beat that with a stick, can you?

I met up with my son Evan in Barcelona. He was there with his friends Tammy, Brittany and Matt. We had dinner together on the Friday night, then his friends left the next day and Evan, Sophie and the girls and I spent the day together, touring the fabulous city of Barcelona. I love Spain, and Barcelona in particular. Life there is relaxed and pleasurable. I could live in Barcelona, I think. The architecture is fantastic, the people are nice, the food is great and inexpensive. Evan stayed at a hostel down by the beach, which couldn't have been a better place. We met him and his friends there for breakfast and it couldn't have been nicer. The weather was spectacular -- 65 and sunny, made even better by the knowledge that the East Coast of the US was enduring another snowfall.

I came back to Geneva and snow as well. In fact, it's snowing right now, big, heavy flakes. I had to ride my motorcycle into Geneva to have it serviced, blitzing through a raging snowstorm the entire way. Luckily, it wasn't sticking, so I didn't have any problem getting it down there. They will service it while I am gone (I'm already at the 12,000 km service). I am having them run a power cord to my TomTom Rider, so I am never without my navigation. I'll tell you, the TomTom Rider has changed my life -- I now never worry about getting lost, because with the TomTom Rider, it's just about impossible to get lost.

BaselWorld and SIHH are fast approaching and already my schedule is just about full. I think I have a half hour on the 16th, but there is no time in the schedule for eating or relaxing, which is just the way I like it. I can't wait for BaselWorld and SIHH to start.

Florence, the Geneva Car Show and Barcelona

March 12, 2007 -- I'm just back from a Panerai event in Florence, celebrating the brand's 10 year anniversary with the introduction of three new manufacture. I had a great time at the event. Florence is a beautiful city, the weather was incredible (I should have ridden my motorcycle, rather than flown!) and the event was very interesting. I was very impressed with Panerai's plans. Not content to stay where they are, though where they are is incredibly successful, the brand is moving towards true watchmaking.

Angelo Bonati, CEO of Officine Panerai, is the first one to acknowledge that the company cannot rely on the current status quo. "The in-house movements allow us to enter a new segment of the market," he explains. "We are doing a great business right now and we are very happy, but you cannot continue to survive in this segment because the risk is that the segment will become narrower and narrower. With our in-house movements, we can enlarge our potential and develop our brand for the future.

"We would like to keep our authenticity and to grow in our technical knowledge, otherwise we can't claim that Panerai is a technical watch brand," Bonati continues. "Why should we continue to use movements from outside companies? We needed to develop our movements and if we have problems, we will solve them ourselves."

Most companies would be very happy to be in Panerai's shoes, but it just goes to show you that the best brands never stop pushing.

I went to the Geneva Car Show with Thomas Morf from Carl F. Bucherer today, had a great time. It's getting to be an annual tradition, going to see the latest cars with him. He is a motor head and it's fun to see the cars through his eyes. The new Jaguar XF is a great car!

This weekend, we are all going to see my son Evan, who is in Barcelona for Spring Break. After Barcelona, I'm back in Geneva for a few days, then I'm heading for Miami for a Zenith event. Lots of traveling, but I'm not complaining. I love the travel and I love the watches.

Spring is Here, I Hope

March 5, 2007 -- I think Spring is here in Switzerland, earlier than just about anywhere else, I think. Yesterday, it was 60 degees and sunny, which felt fantastic. Today it's raining and colder, but the light of Spring can be seen at the end of this tunnel. Though we haven't had a lot of snow or cold weather, I am ready for Spring. I was out on my motorcycle on Sunday morning, picking up croissants and bread for breakfast, and I can't wait to be out on my motorcycle all day every day. I rode throughout the winter, but there weren't a lot of pleasure rides during the cold months. It was more of a matter of survival, though any day on a motorcycle is a pleasure.

I am back in the office after having traveled the world a bit. I was in Mexico, testing watches in the jungle, locating Mayan ruins and having a great time. Then, I was off to Munich, Germany for the Inhorgenta Fair. I am heading for Florence this weekend, for a Panerai event, then it's Spain the next weekend to meet my son Evan, who is going to be there for his Spring Break, then the US for a Zenith event in Miami.

After I get back from Miami, March will be over and we'll be getting ready for Basel and SIHH. It's been a whirlwind and it's not going to slow down at all, because after Basel and SIHH comes JCK in Vegas (and the InSync motorcycle ride), then the summer will bring more trips to watch factories. It's busy, but so much fun.

Speaking of my son Evan, he just alerted me to a watch reference in a new popular song by Beyonce:

Beyonce: Upgrade You

Partner, let me upgrade you
Audemars Piguet you
Switch your neck ties to purple labels
Upgrade you
I can (up), can I (up)
Lemme upgrade you
Partner, let me upgrade you

Enjoy your week and I'll check back soon.

Off to Mexico for Adventure Watches

Wednesday, February 07, 2007 -- OK, so I blew my prediction of the Super Bowl. I enjoyed the game, though it was filled with mistakes, and I wasn't unhappy that Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts won the Super Bowl. Good for him.

I do think, however, that the NFL should look at venues a little harder in the future. It might be a good idea to commit to playing all Super Bowl's in a dome. I know that this was the first bad weather game for a Super Bowl, but the weather certainly had an impact on the game. Not the outcome, but the level of performance in the game.

I went to the Festina gold factory in Cordoba, Spain at the end of last week and it was fascinating. They do everything to make gold cases and bracelets -- they smelt the gold, they form it, then deform it and create solid gold cases in yellow, white and rose gold. Very cool; you can look for a story in InSync about the factory and Festina in general.

So, I am packing for a trip to Mexico. It's really a vacation, trying to recharge our batteries before we get into the hustle and bustle of the Spring watch shows, but I will also be doing some stories for InSync while down there. I am taking some adventure watches so I can find my way through the jungles to the beach...no I mean Mayan Ruins. That's right, Mayan Ruins.

Seriously, I am excited about seeing the Mayan Ruins and I am working with the tourist board from that part of Mexico to set up an off-the-beaten-track kind of adventure to put these compass and exploring watches to the test. Wish me luck!

I will also visit a watch retailer while I am down there -- I will be keeping busy for some of the time there.

So, for now, hasta luego!

Venice, A Spanish Gold Factory and My Super Bowl Pick

Monday, January 29, 2007 -- Just got done with a bunch of traveling, from Zermatt to Venice and it seems like everywhere in between. I went back to Venice for a Piaget pre-SIHH event, where I saw some really beautiful watches. Piaget, though a very well known brand, is relatively unknown in the USA as a true watchmaking brand, and the story is fascinating. After meeting with Piaget's president, I am going to go see Piaget's facilities in the Jura and in Geneva for a feature in InSync.

On Friday of this week I am going to Cordoba, Spain to visit the Festina Gold factory. I am really excited about going to a gold factory because I really have no idea how gold is produced. Should be a fascinating trip, so look for my story in InSync soon.

This Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday and I'm really going to miss being in the USA. Every year, we have a big Sunday touch football game, then we all get together to watch the game. I am trying to put together a football game for this Saturday, 10 am, here in Geneva before the Super Bowl for real. I am planning to stay up to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday night -- it doesn't start until after midnight, Geneva time. Who do you pick Indianapolis Colts or Chicago Bears? I am torn -- I am an NFC guy, being a Philadelphia Eagle fan, but I also am a quarterback fan, so I have to pull for Peyton Manning. I guess I am rooting for the Bears, but I will be happy if the Colts win.

My prediction: Bears 34, Colts 31.

Enjoy the game.

Off to Zermatt and then Venice

January 18, 2007 -- I'm just getting over a cold that kept me from visiting Ulysse Nardin this week. Usually, when I get a cold, I just keep on trucking and instead of lasting two or three days, it hangs on for three or four weeks. This time, I took Sophie and Casey's advice and rested for two days, and I hate to admit it, I already feel better. I will make the trip to Ulysse Nardin in early February, so I really didn't lose anything.

This weekend, Sophie and I are heading for Zermatt, Switzerland for a Villemont event. Zermatt is a fabulous ski town, no motor vehicles allowed in the town, and we will ski both Saturday and Sunday if the weather permits. We are staying at the Kulmhotel Gornergrat, one of the most exclusive hotels in the world. It has a view that is unrivaled of the Matterhorn and the 28 other peaks over 4,000 meters in the Gornergrat region. For Fernando Clemenz, manager, the Kulmhotel is a special place. "At 3100 meters high, it's unique," he says. "It was very difficult to construct and we just did a major renovation and the hotel is really well-appointed now."

The Kulmhotel is very busy during the day, when over 5,000 people come in a day, to admire the view or to eat. The hotel features two restaurants and a few shops, including a very nice watch store on the ground floor. When the train stops running (the last train down the mountain to Zermatt is 7:55 pm), it gets very quiet here indeed. With only 23 rooms, it's a different experience altogether.

"We have a unique hotel classification," Clemenz adds. "The view is spectacular and it's amazing to have an all around view of the 29 peaks. At night, it's amazing because we don't get any light from anywhere and the air is so clean and clear that the stars are wonderful here."

With the rooms ranging in price from 120 chf to 250 chf (which includes half board -- breakfast and dinner), this rare hotel experience is within the budget of just about everyone. The hotel is running at about 75% occupancy and in the summer months, from June to September, it is sold out well in advance. Half of the guests stay one week, while most other stay one to two nights.

"Many people want to be away from everything, and you can do that here at the Kulmhotel Gornergrat," Clemenz says. "We get a lot of writers who come here to work. Skiers love it because you can ski out the front door of the hotel."

One additional interesting note is that the rooms are not numbered in the normal way you would expect. Instead, the numbers are based on the height of the peaks around the hotel, so one room will be 4478 (the Matterhorn), while the one next door might be 4228 (Castor). Even Clemenz needed a special plan to find the rooms he wanted to show me!

I can't wait to sleep at the top of the world.

For more information, www.gornergrat-kulm.ch

After Zermatt, I am back in Geneva for one day, then I'm off to Venice for a Piaget event. After Venice, I have a trip to Spain scheduled to visit the Festina gold factory, then I might be visiting the Dior factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, then it's off to Florence, Italy for a Panerai event. It's going to be a frantic next few weeks.