which wristwatches are swiss wristwatches

It seemed just a few short weeks ago that you couldn't turn anywhere without finding a story about the renaissance of the Swiss watch industry. But the economic crisis means luxury items are just that in a time of restrained spending. That's got the attention of some analysts who say 2009 is shaping up to the be the worst year for watch sales in decades. For example, the National Post recently reported:The slowdown in demand for new expensive watches is causing a panic in Switzerland, where 2009 is threatening to be the worst year for the Swiss industry since the "quartz crisis" of the 1970s and 1980s, which made mechanical watches technologically obsolete and reduced industry employment to 30,000 from 90,000.What do you think? On target or hyperbole? Have you shelved that plan to buy a new Swiss watch?

Chronoswiss Zeitzeichen (Signs of the Times) collection by Jochen BenzingerThe German watch maker Chronoswiss together with a renowned engine turning specialist Jochen Benzinger have recently presented their new joint product — the fabulous Chronoswiss Zeitzeichen series of skeletonized watches.The Chronoswiss Zeitzeichen (Signs of the Times) collection of watches was initially revealed last year with each watch being a skillful exercise in skeletonizing, engraving and guilloche.Now, the collection has been extended with three new models –namely, Zeitzeichen V (floral theme, fully skeletonized), Zeitzeichen VI (also floral, but showing a partially intact dial), and Zeitzeichen VII (also fully skeletonized and featuring an impressive dragon made of solid silver)–, each available at an extremely limited lot of only 33 pieces.The watches are powered by the Swiss-made ETA 6498-1 pocket watch caliber, also ticking inside less extravagant Doxa Chateau des Monts 120th Anniversary and the state of the art Gustafsson & Sjögren Ice GoS 007 Damascus steel watch. Of course, as you can see even on the front-shot photos, these particular movements have also undergone a process of skeletonizing, engine turning and this sort of things.Although among the infinitude of different Swiss and German and Italian fine watches I definitely prefer sporty chronographs combining precious metals with caoutchouc or Cermet, or even forged carbon fiber material, I am also a sucker for the classic watches with hand-driven decoration called engine turning. I can hardly imagine myself wearing one of these beauties, but I would definitely love to have one in my modest collection of wrist watches.