Watch brands like Raymond Weil are opening up new boutiques throughout India. Press conferences are being held, Indian celebrities are being brought on as new spokespeople / ambassadors, parties are being held and rupees (the Indian currency) are being used to buy new men’s and women’s watches, which is music to the watch industry’s ear.

Oliver Bernheim, CEO and President, Raymond Weil Watches says that “Indian end consumers are very innovative today. They want to see nuances, they want to be global, they want to see a watch that would fit to their waist. So, I love the Indian consumer because he (she) is open for fresh products for nuance. It is a market that doesn’t stop being interested by development,” said Oliver Bernheim, CEO and President, Raymond Weil Watches. RW (Raymond Weil) expects India to contribute 7% to its global sales by the end of 2010. This estimate speaks highly and confidently of the potential for spending power that India offers.

Other brands besides RW that are keen on the Indian market are Chico, Citizen, Fossil, Casio, and Tissot. Tissot has recently signed one of India’s most famous faces to its brand. Referred to as the “face of the new generation,” the beautiful Deepika Padukone has become Tissot’s brand new and hottest face.

Although India may not be the best destination for super high-end brands like Cartier watches, Gucci watches or Bvlgari watches, it really is a great area for lower to mid range priced brands like the ones listed above and also for others like Baume and Mercier and Michele watches. There are even some TAG Heuer and Movado watches that would surely sell well there.

That’s an idea! If the high end brands were really smart, they would open boutiques in India that only sold their lower-priced watch lines. Perhaps this wouldn’t make too much sense for Cartier or Breitling, but definitely would for TAG Heuer and Movado and I’m sure Omega watches would sell well as they are sporty like Tissot watches and those have good sales numbers.

A lot of times when introducing a new brand or product into a certain market the company has to spend a lot on advertising (you’ve heard the saying “you’ve got to spend money to make money), but in India, consumers there are already “very very aware of International luxury and premium brands. Many Indians travel abroad today. Many luxury and premium brands also advertise in India so brands like Raymond Weil, Chico, Citizen, Fossil, Casio are very well known to Indian consumer today,” explains Harish Bhatt, COO, Titan Watches.

So, basically the recipe for success is there. As we enter 2010, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more watch brands closing stores in the U.S. and Europe and opening new locations in India.

Breitling has always shared a close and essential relationship with aviation, sports, and industry. It is no surprise that the maker of the first wrist chronograph and first fully automatic chronograph would pursue a higher standard of precision in its designer timepieces. By appropriating itself of the entire movement manufacturing process for the B01, Breitling can now oversee every detail of the chronograph’s development.

The B01 project has created a revolutionary specialized assembly process that guarantees the integrity of each watch’s quality. Movement along the assembly chain is conducted by an ultra sophisticated computer program that monitors and routes each movement throughout the various paths of assembly. The program alternates the movement’s components in two phases. The first phase is fully automated and conducted exclusively by precise robotic arms. This ensures a better quality product as these machines have greater precision than a human hand. The second phase directs the components of the movement to a separate facility where partial manual assembly is required. Upon exiting the assembly chain, the movements are sent to the C.O.S.C. for extremely rigorous testing and analyzes.

The caliber B01 is available exclusively in its C.O.S.C certified version, with accompanying documentation to prove its clearance of highly meticulous precision testing. It is considered a high frequency movement at 28,800 vibrations per hour. The new Chronomat B01 features this new movement, and encases it beautifully in stainless steel, steel & gold, or 18k rose gold. This timepiece has been developed with endurance in mind and boasts 500 meters of water resistance. Another feature that has created excitement over this new Breitling movement is an optimized column-wheel device that provides a clean start/stop function without a jump of the hand. The movement is equipped with a 70 hour reserve which is an impressive feat considering its sleek shape. A patented self setting device for the resetting hammers does away with the traditional need to have a watchmaker correct each individual movement.

As the crowning achievement of this great watch manufacturer’s 125th anniversary, the caliber B01 ushers in a new era for chronograph movements, and validates Breitling as the world leader in precision time-keeping instruments for professionals.