Beat Lüscher is the owner of the design agency ‘Die Gestalter’ and a lecturer at the School of Design in St.Gallen. The vintage style plays an important role in both areas of activity. And actually for a very simple reason. Beat Lüscher, the terms ‘vintage’ and ‘retro’ basically mean the same thing, don't they? Beat Lüscher: Yes, you can see it that way. They're about the past. Why is it still relevant in marketing today? That's relatively easy to explain. Let's take the advertising for the ‘Zermatt’ tourist region as an example. This is pure retro. It evokes positive memories of the past without being nostalgic. We are sold a beautiful, intact world in which there is no mass tourism. Retro has a lot to do with values. And that brings us right back to branding. And how? In what way? The history of the ‘Pepsi’ logo is a wonderful illustration of how a brand moves away from its own values and then eventually finds its way back to them. The first lettering in 1905 was deliberately modelled on that of ‘Coca-Cola’. The differences were just big enough to avoid the risk of a lawsuit - at least in those days. After around 50 years, the company broke away completely and came up with a logo and a colour language that is completely incomprehensible from today's perspective. Today ‘Pepsi’ is now very close to its former core, radiating confidence and evoking memories of childhood. And we are not talking about our grandparents. Rather, the feelings of being grounded are aimed at the younger generation. It is noticeable that America in particular is focussing heavily on the retro style. What is that connected to? Many brands from America experienced their ‘triumphant advance’ after the Second World War, when US soldiers were stationed practically all over the world and thus became quasi ‘brand ambassadors’ for ‘Pepsi’, ‘Kodak’ and so on. Such products very quickly became very well known. ‘Kodak’ is currently experiencing a resurgence. Yes, and that's after the brand almost completely disappeared in 2016. You can also see this in the logo at the time - a kind of desperate act, a last gasp - with which they completely separated themselves from the old. Now they are practically orientating themselves back to the original one-to-one. You teach young graphic designers. How receptive are they to the ‘old forms’? They find the stories exciting. But they would rather develop something completely new than build on the old. Personally, I find re-designs extremely exciting and challenging. You have to think about how to keep the good part of the DNA and which elements to get rid of. So the marketing industry is very much orientated towards what was created decades ago. Did they get so much right back then? You can't say that in general. People certainly didn't take such a radical approach in the past as they do today. We took things step by step and then analysed whether it was the right decision. Today, we also have a faster pace of management change - and this very often has a direct impact on the company's image: a new CEO wants to signal that a new person is at the helm. And it is not uncommon for him to do this externally with a new branding. Is it possible to say in general terms at what intervals the branding should be adapted? I would do it like ‘Nike’ and work continuously on the brand. That makes sense. After all, consumers don't appreciate big leaps. Take the Burger King logo as an extreme example. The company started out with an extremely reduced realisation. Halfway through the company's history, there was a complete change: with glossy effects, a blue colour and other elements that nobody understands. The result does not correspond to a provider that one would associate with enjoyable food. The company has now returned to the original design - which is almost identical to the initial logo. As a designer, would you dare to present such a proposal? It would immediately mean that nothing had been done except to transform the old one a little ... And that's exactly what retro is (laughs). But you know, behind ‘Burger King’ is one of the biggest branding agencies in the world. As a customer, you have a certain basic trust. And they explain to you on 47 presentation pages why it has to be back to the roots and nothing else. And it works for Burger King. The logo gives you the feeling that the buns are freshly prepared in the in-house bakery. Sometimes a step back is a big step into the future. And we all know that the bakery thing isn't true. So if I start a new company, is it best to equip it with a retro logo that gives the impression that the company has been around for over 100 years? Of course. That's the trick. I noticed a newly founded bakery chain in Barcelona. When you look at the logo, you get the feeling that it has been producing for 120 years. It makes sense here. But why are we finding favour again with old designs for telephones, hairdryers and toasters? Is this also about awakening old feelings? This is certainly a goal for the older generation. But you also want to appeal to the younger generation. And they like products from a ‘different world’. The toaster is a good example: Who wants to have to look at a dreary, angular design on a Sunday morning? The completely overpriced, shiny red toaster with its organic shape and beautiful fire is much nicer. In the 1950s and 1960s, a lot of fun designs were created. This was later followed by reduction and the disappearance of opulence.

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It is well known that Hansjörg Roshard, watchmaker and manager of the vintage department at Huber, had and still has a soft spot for beautiful watches. It is also no secret that the market for collector's watches has grown steadily over the last 15 years and that attention to them has increased around the globe due to digitalisation. In addition, the demand for vintage watches was obviously there, as more and more acquaintances from the Huber environment showed an interest in such watches. And last but not least, reports in the Financial Times, among others, fuelled interest in such treasures at Huber Fine Watches & Jewellery. These were all good reasons for Norman Huber to push ahead with this line of business in his traditional family company. After all, Huber is a factor in the world of special watches: the company has four locations in Vaduz, Lech am Arlberg, the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz and Bregenz. Norman Huber's uncle Roland, a watchmaker, ran the shop on Rathausplatz, where the "Huber World of Watches" is located today. His father Adrian, a goldsmith, was at home in Städtle 34, today's "Weisse Würfel". The "White Cube" The year 2015 marked a milestone in the story of Huber Fine Watches & Jewellery, when the "White Cube" was completed. After taking almost eight years to design and construct, this unique building has been adorning Vaduz city centre since May 2015. Huber set up its business premises here, with the new environment giving Norman Huber the idea of entering the vintage market. And so it was that Huber Vintage was born, with Hansjörg Roshard at its helm. When does a watch become vintage? On establishing this new line of business, certain criteria had to be defined, such as when exactly does a watch become vintage? The answer is that the timepieces must be at least 25 years old and in good condition, otherwise they are revised and refurbished in the workshop. Then in 2017 the first Vintage Lounge was set up next to the workshop on the first floor of the "World of Watches" and opened its doors to visitors. The first exhibition in the Huber Vintage Lounge also featured watches belonging to private collectors. The people who were involved look back fondly on a very special event that was memorable not only for the beautiful timepieces but also for some very special cars and the whole remarkable ambience. After some time, there were further alterations in the building. The new Lounge and the workshop were moved up to the third floor, where the Lounge opened after the pandemic on 21 November 2021. Tokenisation of the Royal Oak 14802ST Another milestone in Huber's vintage history was reached on 18 May 2022, when the VP Bank tokenised a watch in Liechtenstein for the first time. Now the "Royal Oak 14802ST", a vintage model from Norman Huber's collection, is represented on a blockchain. The showcasing for this tokenisation process took place in the Vintage Lounge of Huber's Vaduz watchmaking business. Tokenisation is the process of representing real-world rights on a digital blockchain. In the case of the watch, the tokens represent the right of ownership, which means that the owner of the token is also the legal owner of the underlying watch. The effect is that, for the first time, the right of ownership over real assets can be edited, transferred or shared. Vintage, to be continued.    

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Rolex and green – a happy symbiosis or one of history's bad jokes? That's a matter for endless debate, of course, because in the year when the colour green was introduced at Rolex, it was a highly contentious issue. Whatever happened to being elegant and understated? What's this froggy colour all about? And yes, the watch quickly acquired its nickname: the Rolex Submariner Rev. 16610LV was soon known as the Rolex "Kermit". That's right, the frog character from the Sesame Street show. And subsequent models in green were given similarly descriptive names such as "Hulk" or "Starbucks". But let's take one thing at a time. 2003 was a special year: Rolex was due to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the launch of its Submariner wristwatch. And, as is the way of these things, the people in charge at Rolex wanted to mark the occasion with something special. And there you are: the Rolex "Kermit" was born. It certainly caused some controversy, but history has taught us one thing: the colour green is here to stay at Rolex. Despite all the doomsaying (and croaking). In fact, Rolex's connection with this colour is ubiquitous: on logos, boxes, labels, if you have an eye for Rolex, you see green wherever you look. Or perhaps the use of this bright colour has to do with the market in China, where deep green traditionally stands for success? Perish the thought! "Kermit" and "Hulk" make their mark Be that as it may, the "Kermit" and "Hulk" and so on became big sellers and are now firmly established in the world of exclusive timepieces. The first green Submariner Rolex, the "Kermit", was made to mark the 50th anniversary. Until then, colour had been frowned upon for professional watches, but in 2003 the holy grail of sobriety was sacrificed on the altar of a new design statement. At least that's what the purists among Rolex enthusiasts thought. The look of the Submariner had been ruined, or so they believed. But today, if we consider the value of these timepieces with a degree of detachment, it can definitely be said that wearing a Rolex in green makes a statement. As we have said: they're here to stay. That has been demonstrated by the unstoppable success of other green versions like the "Hulk" and "Starbucks". There's certainly no end to the demand for these models on the vintage market. By the way, a snippet of additional information: LV stands for the French "lunette verte", meaning green lunette or bezel. Would you like to know more about Rolex's in green – or any other kind? We look forward to hearing from you and will be pleased to help.

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Simply different – Huber Vintage Timepieces at the VP Bank Rally 2021 An occasion to set your pulse racing if you love beautiful things. The event is a rally that took place in 2021 for the second time and followed an entirely new and breathtaking route from Bad Ragaz through some of the most beautiful parts of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. After the Opening Party on August 27th, on Saturday 28th the classic cars drove over the Albula and Flüela passes in Graubünden. On the Sunday, after a drive through the picture-perfect scenery of eastern Switzerland, the destination for the day was the new aviation and vehicle museum, FFA Altenrhein. A Huber vintage watch as the prize Fine watches and jewellery simply belong at a stylish rally. That's why the historic vintage watches from Huber Vintage Timepieces are the perfect match for classic cars. Huber introduced the fascinating world of the company with some of the watches that our specialists have acquired from collectors or at auction. Then the historic objects are fully overhauled in the Huber watch workshop, some of which were available to admire during the VP Bank Rally. Later, when it came to the prize-giving, the winner was presented with an Omega Speedmaster Mk 4.5. Roshard and Pergolini During the event, the head of the Vintage Lounge, Hansjörg Roshard, and Dario Pergolini, who was part of the team responsible for the technical acceptance testing of the vehicles, got talking. The watch specialist and the car expert were soon engaged in a lively conversation in which both gave free rein to their love of both cars and watches. The result was that the two technophiles arranged to have a coffee together, they kept in contact and now Dario Pergolini is a brand ambassador for Huber Vintage Timepieces. New brand ambassador The two men's first joint project was a photo shoot featuring vintage watches and Pergolini's 1929 Ford Boattail Speedster. They drove in terrible weather conditions from Nendeln to Bad Ragaz, where they had permission to film on the local airfield with, and in, an Antonov AN-2. Even the weather gods reached an understanding with the pair and they were able to drive back to Nendeln in fantastic weather, with a few photo stops. Find out more on Instagram about how well the two men got on together and how much their worlds have in common.

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