Movado
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| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Traded as | NYSE: MOV |
| Founded | La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland (1881) |
| Founder(s) | Achille Ditesheim |
| Headquarters | Paramus, New Jersey, United States |
| Key people | Efraim Grinberg, Chairman and CEO |
| Products | Watches |
| Revenue |  US$460,857,000 (2009) |
| Operating income | US$3,288,000 (2009) |
| Net income | US$2,552,000 (2009) |
| Total assets | US$440,000,000 (2009) |
| Website | movado.com |
Movado is a Swiss luxury watch company whose name is Esperanto for "always in motion". Movado was founded in 1881 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland by Achilles Ditesheim. The company was purchased by arts enthusiast Gedalio Grinberg of New York in 1983; his son, Efraim Grinberg, is the current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Movado Group, Inc. The North American President of Movado and ESQ by Movado is Alan Chinich.
The company is known for its iconic Museum Watch which is defined by a single gold dot symbolizing the sun at high noon, the hands suggesting the movement of the earth. The original Museum Watch was the first wrist watch to be displayed at the Museum of Modern Art and was designed by the American designer Nathan George Horwitt in 1947. Edward Steichen, the rewnowned photographer and director of the photography department at New York's Museum of Modern Art, proclaimed Horwitt's design "the only truly original and beautiful one for such an object".
Movado commissioned the design and installation of "Time Sculpture". This unique clock sculpture was designed by world renknowned architect Philip Johnson. It is located outside Lincoln Center in New York City. In 2006, Movado celebrated its 125th year of watchmaking. The company is internationally recognized as a leader in innovation. Elevating timepieces to an art medium, the Movado name has become the hallmark of some of the most innovative watches ever created.
Movado Group, Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes Movado, Ebel, Concord, ESQ by Movado, Coach, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Juicy Couture and Tommy Hilfiger watches worlwide.
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Collections[edit]
The Museum Watch[edit]
Movado is known for its iconic Museum Watch which is defined by a single gold dot symbolizing the sun at high noon, the hands suggesting the movement of the earth. The Museum collection is one of Movado's 27 collections.
The original Museum Watch was the first wrist watch to be displayed at the Museum of Modern Art and was designed by the American designer Nathan George Horwitt in 1947, originally manufactured by Vacheron & Constantin-Le Coultre Watches, Inc., Switzerland, and was added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in 1960.[1][2][3]
Movado had started producing an unauthorized version starting in 1948, copying Horwitt's design. Movado finally settled with Horwitt in 1975 with a payment of $29,000. Following Horwitt's death, Movado started heavy promotion of Horwitt and the design of the Museum Watch.[2]
Edward Steichen, the renowned photographer and director of the photography department at New York's Museum of Modern Art, proclaimed Horwitt's design "the only truly original and beautiful one for such an object".
Esperanto[edit]
Some Movado watch models have Esperanto names such as Bela (beautiful), Belamodo (beautiful fashion), Fiero (pride), Brila (brilliant), Linio (line), and Verto.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ Cook, Joan. "Nathan Horwitt, 92; His Designs Included The Movado Watch ", The New York Times, June 20, 1990. Accessed January 8, 2009.
- ^ a b The Museum Watch: 1958, Industrial Designers Society of America. Accessed January 8, 2009.
- ^ "Wristwatch Face: Nathan George Horwitt (American, 1898-1990)", Museum of Modern Art. Accessed January 8, 2009.
- ^ http://www.movado.com/
