The arrival (or rather, the disruptive impact) of smartwatches, including the Apple Watch in 2014, marked the beginning of a technological and social revolution that seemed destined to engulf traditional watchmaking and leave it in misery. One example of what could have been but wasn't: In 2019, the entire Swiss watchmaking industry sold fewer watches combined than Apple did with just one model (30 million versus 40 million units). The first to react was Tag Heuer, which, with limited success, found a niche by combining the best of Swiss watchmaking with electronic components (you could even swap the "smart" module for one with a mechanical movement). Meanwhile, there was a contrast between the "Swiss watch" prices and the production increase of another major watchmaking power, the Japanese, who offered reasonable prices. The problem with the Swiss was that they had gone overboard with brand value, and fewer mid-range and low-end watches were being sold. In 2020, a disastrous year for humanity, there was an increased demand for classic watchmaking, mainly in the high-end segment, while the unanimous strategy of all watch factories and manufacturers in 2023 is to raise prices to compensate for minimal sales, even eliminating traditional specialized retailers from the market.

In the midst of all this chaos, Bolart continued his search for the perfect watch among the excellent portfolio of Japanese timepieces: G-SHOCK MR-G, Seiko Marinemaster, Grand Seiko, Citizen... Yes, not Swiss watches because he was no longer interested; he had discovered the GS Spring Drive or the Hi-Beat, which offered better prices and maximum performance.

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