I have myself well oriented by now, and things are going very smoothly. I haven't done much recreational touring yet, other than to find some fantastic restaurants for dinner, which is my main meal of the day, and the walks to and from the restaurants along cobblestone streets are very pleasant.
I've spent full days at the show since arriving. This is the closest I've come to a "real" job (i.e., wearing a suit and tie, writing, conducting and then transcribing interviews) in 23 years!
I spent part of Saturday in the lower level of one of the halls among the "moles and trolls" in the tools/supplies/machinery departments. This is just to see what is going on behind the scenes, where the real magic occurs in making the part of the watch that actually makes it work. Both Grobet and Bergeron are here with beautiful hand tools and smaller electrics. The fabrication tools are also here. From a company called Bumotec, I saw a marvelous "Milling Center" machine that turns a brass blank into a fully milled plate (both sides) with all screw, jewel, and stem holes, in 45 minutes. The machine is fully computerized and robotized, so it can run 24 hours per day. Cost? A mere 500,000 Euros! In the old days, a human operator had to stand by the milling machine, turning cranks and pulling levers for each of the 100 or so individual holes and cutouts that comprise the plate, which is essentially the "backbone" of the watch movement upon which all the moving components are mounted.
Saturday night, I had a marvelous dinner at a Thai restaurant of all places, which I guess are pretty big in the larger urban areas of Germany. This place is called "Chang," and was another "Lonely Planet" best pick. I am not a huge fan of the traditional yellow curry, so I went with something called a green curry, where the base or broth of the mixture is made with Thai basil and green chiles, which gives it the namesake color. Coconut milk is then added to give it that essential "Thai-ness" (Sorry, Dawn, I can hear your stomach lurching from across the Atlantic!), as well as lemon grass. So the broth does have some "heat," but not so much that it overpowers the delicate flavors of the flash-fried veggies that are added, as well as your meat choice, which in my case was prawns (shrimp). The other veggies included sweet red pepper, zucchini, asparagus, and green beans. The concoction comes in a large soup bowl, and is served with steamed rice on the side. It was one of most flavorful dishes of any kind I've had in a long time. I also had an appetizer of Thai spring rolls which were very good. With 2 beers and tip, the bill came to 17 Euro, which I thought was a bargain. For dessert, I stopped at an Italian gelato parlor, and had a warm waffle topped with vanilla gelato and fresh strawberries in a glaze. Mmmm.
Today was my busiest interview day, with two interviews nearly back to back. One was with Shinola, and I got to talk directly with Steve Bock, the CEO of the company, which I thought was quite an honor. I thought I would merely get to speak with one of their PR flacks, but here I was speaking with the head honcho! I spent most of the 15-20 minute interview talking to him about the possibility of Shinola making a mechanical watch (they only make quartz now) and there were generous "hints" that a mechanical watch is on the radar screen, and Steve said to check back with him in 3-4 months and he might have some specifics.
My other interview was with Eberhard, which makes absolutely fantastic mechanical chronographs for a very small and discriminating niche market for people who recognize quality, but don't necessarily need to flaunt their wealth. For this interview, I got to speak with Mario Peserico, general manager of the company, who I found to be an absolutely fascinating gentleman. We got into a discussion on what exactly defines "luxury," and I think it will make a great story if I can get through the transcription (he has a very pronounced Italian accent). The gist of his philosophy is that you don't have to be rich to have "luxury." Some of the wealthiest people in the world are the most "poor" when it comes to enjoying the true "luxuries" of life.
Tonight I enjoyed a pizza with artichokes, mushroom, ham, and salami, accompanied by a small salad and a draft of Ganter. The bill was 10.80 Euro, making it the cheapest meal I have had so far here! I stopped at the Gelato place again, and got one scoop of coffee/mocha gelato in a wafer cone for 0.80 Euro. Just enough for a small treat.
I think tomorrow (Monday) will be my last day at the fair. My brain is overloaded with so much information, I don't think I can take any more! I will spend the next couple of days after that(Tues./Wed.) exploring Freiburg with the free city transportation pass the hotel gave me, and/or taking a day trip to one of the other region's more famous cities, like Stuttgart or Baden-Baden. We will see. I'm booked here in Freiburg until Thursday morning, but like I said I think by tomorrow I will have had all the Baselworld I can possibly consume!
Take care everyone,
Bruce
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