Lecture by Pierre-Yves Donzé
The Institute for Mediterranean Studies and the Greek Economic History Association are organizing a lecture by Pierre-Yves Donzé (Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics) on "The globalisation of the watch industry (1950-2024): how Swiss companies strengthened their competitive advantage" to be held on Monday, November 11, 2024, at 17:00, in Athens at the event hall of the Historical Archive of the National Bank of Greece (Tritis Septemvriou 146, 3rd floor, 112 51 Athens).
Presentation and commentary: Gelina Harlaftis (Professor at the University of Crete, Director of IMS-FORTH)
Abstract:
After the Second World War, the watch industry became increasingly internationalised, with the emergence of multinationals in the United States and Japan, and of component manufacturers in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and China. Technological innovation, particularly in the field of electronics (quartz watches), allowed new players to enter the industry (including the Greek company Folli Follie). Competition became globalised and companies taking advantage of this international division of labour began to challenge the dominant companies, namely the Swiss watchmakers. Although they went through a deep crisis between 1975 and 1985, they were able to overcome this competition and strengthen their position on the world market. This conference, based on a book published in 2022 (The Business of Time: A global history of the watch industry, Manchester University Press), will discuss the specificities of globalisation in the watch industry and present the institutional and strategic responses of Swiss companies.
Short CV:
Pierre-Yves Donzé is a professor of business history at Osaka University, Japan, and a visiting professor at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. He is secretary of the European Business History Association (EBHA) and co-editor of Business History. He was the 2023 Thomas K. McCraw Fellow in U.S.
Business History at Harvard Business School. His research focuses on the global dynamics of creative industries (fashion, luxury, watchmaking) and the history of the healthcare business. His last publications include The Business of Time: A Global History of the Watch Industry (Manchester University Press, 2022), Japanese Capitalism and Entrepreneurship: A History of Business from the Tokugawa Era to the Present (Oxford University Press, co-authored with Julia Yongue), and The Making of a Status Symbol: A Business History of Rolex (to be published in 2025 by Manchester University Press).