Movado
Encyclopedia
Movado is a Swiss
luxury watch
company whose name is Esperanto
for "continuous movement". 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 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Movado Group, Inc. The North American President of Movado and ESQ by Movado is Alan Chinich.
Movado commissioned the design and installation of "Time Sculpture". This unique clock sculpture was designed by world renowned architect Philip Johnson
. It is located outside Lincoln Center in New York City
. In 2006, Movado celebrated its 125th year of watchmaking.
Movado Group, Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes Movado, Ebel
, Concord
, ESQ by Movado, Coach, Hugo Boss
, Lacoste, Juicy Couture
and Tommy Hilfiger
watches worldwide.
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.
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.
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".
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
luxury watch
Watch
A watch is a small timepiece, typically worn either on the wrist or attached on a chain and carried in a pocket, with wristwatches being the most common type of watch used today. They evolved in the 17th century from spring powered clocks, which appeared in the 15th century. The first watches were...
company whose name is Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
for "continuous movement". Movado was founded in 1881 in La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds is a Swiss city of the district of La Chaux-de-Fonds in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura mountains at an altitude of 1000 m, a few kilometres from the French border. After Geneva and Lausanne, it is the third largest city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
by Achilles Ditesheim.
The company was purchased by arts enthusiast Gedalio Grinberg
Gedalio Grinberg
Gedalio "Gerry" Grinberg was a Cuban American watchmaker who was the founder and chairman of the Movado Group, based in Paramus, New Jersey....
of New York in 1983. His son, Efraim Grinberg, is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Movado Group, Inc. The North American President of Movado and ESQ by Movado is Alan Chinich.
Movado commissioned the design and installation of "Time Sculpture". This unique clock sculpture was designed by world renowned architect Philip Johnson
Philip Johnson
Philip Cortelyou Johnson was an influential American architect.In 1930, he founded the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and later , as a trustee, he was awarded an American Institute of Architects Gold Medal and the first Pritzker Architecture...
. It is located outside Lincoln Center in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 2006, Movado celebrated its 125th year of watchmaking.
Movado Group, Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes Movado, Ebel
Ebel
Ebel is a famous Swiss luxury watch company, founded in 1911 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Neuchâtel, Switzerland by Eugene Blum and Alice Levy.-E.B.E.L.:...
, Concord
Concord watch
Concord Watch is part of the Movado group that owns Movado, Ebel, ESQ, Coach, Hugo Boss, Juicy Couture Watches, Lacoste, and Tommy Hilfiger watches.-History:...
, ESQ by Movado, Coach, Hugo Boss
Hugo Boss
Hugo Ferdinand Boss was the founder of clothing company Hugo Boss.-Early life:Boss was born in Metzingen, Germany. After completing his apprenticeship and one year of employment, he founded his own company in Metzingen in 1923.-Support of Nazism:Boss joined the Nazi Party in 1931, two years before...
, Lacoste, Juicy Couture
Juicy Couture
Juicy Couture is a contemporary line of both casual and dressy apparel based in Arleta, Los Angeles, California founded by Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor in 1996...
and Tommy Hilfiger
Tommy Hilfiger
Thomas Jacob "Tommy" Hilfiger is an American fashion designer and founder of the premium lifestyle brand Tommy Hilfiger.-Early life:...
watches worldwide.
The Museum Watch
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 original Museum Watch was the first wrist watch to be displayed at the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
and was designed by the American designer Nathan George Horwitt
Nathan George Horwitt
Nathan George Horwitt was an American industrial designer. He is most renowned for his Museum watch created for the Swiss watch company Movado, which featured a black dial with a single gold circle situated at 12 o'clock. The Museum watch is part of the permanent collection of New York's Museum...
in 1947, originally manufactured by Vacheron & Constantin-Le Coultre Watches, Inc.
Vacheron Constantin
Vacheron Constantin is a Swiss manufacture of prestige watches and a brand of the Richemont group. Considered by watch enthusiasts to be one of the finest traditional watch makers in the world along with Patek Philippe & Co., Jaeger-LeCoultre and Audemars Piguet.It employs around 400 people...
, Switzerland, and was added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in 1960.
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.
Edward Steichen
Edward Steichen
Edward J. Steichen was an American photographer, painter, and art gallery and museum curator. He was the most frequently featured photographer in Alfred Stieglitz' groundbreaking magazine Camera Work during its run from 1903 to 1917. Steichen also contributed the logo design and a custom typeface...
, 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".