Legendary Formula One Drivers Put Stefan Johansson Timepieces To The Ultimate Test.
- Legends of Motorsports drivers Eddie Cheever, Stefan Johansson, Mark Blundell, and Johnny Herbert
Stefan Johansson and his teammates at United Autosports achieved hard-earned 13th and 19th overall placings – sixth and eighth in the Pro-Am category – in the 63rd running of the ultra-competitive Total 24 Hours of Spa which finished in Belgium on Sunday, July 31st and was won by Audi.
Jan Tegler interviews Stefan Johansson. Part V
1) What are your thoughts on the recent controversial IndyCar round at Loudon, New Hampshire?
SJ – It’s a real pity it ended up being such a disaster as they for once had a chance to really shine, being on the ABC network and with the NASCAR race (from Watkins Glen) being postponed but unfortunately the whole thing was a mockery. If they had been able to put on a good show, maybe some of the viewers that I am sure switched over could have been converted to open wheel fans or at least become interested in it.
Jan Tegler interviews Stefan Johansson. Part IV
1) How do you feel about the case shapes we commonly see today in the watch industry and current trends in that facet of watch-making?
SJ – I feel that a lot of the recent trends in case design are very testosterone-driven. That’s bound to change, and I think it is changing already. Actually, I have two new case designs that will be ready very soon, hopefully by autumn. They are special and different yet classic. I approached them with the same ideology that I’ve applied to all my other work. They are different enough that you can immediately tell they’re my designs but I try to make them as timeless as possible so that they’re not simply examples of the latest trends.
The two new case designs are different from what I’ve done previously. They both follow a unique concept, designed around their pushers and crown. The first has a round-shaped case that will come in two sizes – 41 mm and 45 mm. The second has a Tonneau-shaped case that is turned on its side, a lay-down Tonneau. That will be larger in size than the first.
Jan Tegler interviews Stefan Johansson. Part III
1) What do you think of the large number of independent brands that exist today?
SJ – It is incredible how many different brands there are today and the list keeps growing. When I went to Basel (Baselworld 2011 – the World Watch & Jewelry Show) this year it was overwhelming how many independent brands were showing. I’m in the industry and I’ve never heard of half of them. It’s interesting to wonder where the money to support these brands is coming from.
To do what they all do takes a fairly substantial investment. And you see brands that come out of the blocks with guns blazing. Many of them seem to be around for about three to maybe four years and then they slowly disappear, and some have made quite an impact.
Jan Tegler interviews Stefan Johansson. Part II
In our second installment, Jan Tegler interviews Stefan Johansson about the many facets of his business, including professional racing, developing his watch line, and consulting on film projects.
JT - SJ Watches new model with a carbon-fiber case seems to be coming along nicely. This is a very cool component with great links both materially and figuratively to motor sport. It’s also technically challenging – rendering a case in carbon-fiber is difficult. Are you pleased with progress?
SJ – I’ve been wearing a prototype for a while now which differs a bit from what we’ll have when we go to production and we did run into a small snag. I’ve been in Europe for a few weeks recently and while I was there one of the lugs failed right where the spring bars for the strap sit. But this prototype didn’t have the titanium inserts, which would be there in a production example.
We’ll go back to the drawing board and strengthen it in those areas. The testing is all part of the development cycle and we want to make sure there are no issues before we release this special case.
Jan Tegler interviews Stefan Johansson. Part I
In the first of a multi-part series, acclaimed journalist Jan Tegler interviews Stefan Johansson on his multi-faceted business ventures in the horology, professional racing, sports management, and art industries.
JT - You visited the recent Baselworld 2011 and the SIHH Salon in January. What were your overall impressions of the shows and the industry as the 2012 collections debuted?
SJ - The design trend is definitely going toward the much more understated and traditional, more so at SIHH I thought than at Baselworld. The dial designs in particular are much more subdued, getting back to simpler metals, fewer machined finishes and basic black as opposed to a lot of very strong colors. Having said that, some of the pieces were very beautifully done. I think the whole Cartier line was very attractive. Likewise, I thought the Zenith line at Basel was very nice.
