I am not sure if this is a real watch that will be sold as a one off (limited edition of one as seen on the dial “1/1”), or whether it is a metaphor. Either way it is a bit clever to say the least. It is also really “French ballsy.” “Ma petite entreprise ne connaît pas la crise.” This is Romain Jerome’s CEO  Yvan Arpa saying, “my small company knows no crisis.” Well that is good, your small company also knows no price limits. After the Titanic and Moon DNA watches, I am not going to be surprised to see the Human DNA watch. Now that would be a grotesque novelty.

Actually, Romain Jerome is doing quite well despite the economy, and I don’t think it is because they are cooking the books. They know how to source good watches and put together interesting ideas. Successful high-end watch making is all about creating something that people want. The skill takes marketing savvy and product know-how. The 2008 sales income for Romain Jerome was 25 million Swiss Franks. That is three times higher than forecasts, and six times higher than 2007. At least 20% of the income is pure profit after expenses for the company. The challenge now for Yvan Arpa is sustain the growth, fulfilling the many watch orders, and keeping up with the demand for service and style from Romain Jerome.

Look at the image of the Crisis Tourbillon watch. Set again one of the Moondust DNA watches, there are a few new additions to the face. Money signs for Japanese Yen, Euros, British Sterling Pounds, and the US Dollar sit within craters on the face. It isn’t clear who hit what, but the message is obvious, Romain Jerome is a “smashing success,” in all the most important regions.

See Romain Jerome watches on eBay here.

See Space watches on Amazon here. [phpbay]romain jerome, num, “14324”, “”[/phpbay]