Linear and circular logos - what are your favourites?
There have been posts about disliked brand names, I think it's time we appreciated good logos. There are linear ones, which are elongated, mostly for the names, but also circular ones, which can fit into a circle or a square, and thus fit on a crown. And of course combinations thereof.
My favourite brands mostly use just plain text, i. e. linear logos: Casio, Seiko, Timex. But my favourite logo of all has to be Prim loaf logo. I'm not a huge patriot, I just love how it copies the shape of the dial. It's both curved and straight. Just lovely.
Prim was originally created to shield both by two national enterprises named Chronotechna: clocks and alarm clocks from Bohemian Starhill, and watches from New Town upon Middle River. In 1960's, both factories would produce devices with this logo, which looks like a loaf of bread.
Later the New Town factory gained some independence, renamed themselves to Elton and they simplified the Prim logo to plain block letters. (Elton comes from ELectric TONe, they shortly experimented with tuning fork movements). Chronotechna Starhill kept the loaf. Privatisation gave the factories new owners, and after enduring the turbulent 90's, two private enterprises kept hold of the name Prim: MPM Quality, which makes cheap and affordable watches with Japanese movements, owns the loaf logo and thus claims the rights to the name Prim as well. The other is privatised Elton, which makes expensive watches with Swiss or in-house movements, and claims the exclusive right to the Prim brand. There is a long-standing lawsuit between the two, which also resulted in more logos:
Elton came with new variations of the block letter logo, registering PRIM, PRIM Automatic and PRIM Manufacture 1949 (the latter for in-house movements), as well as my other favourite - New Town arches (exclusive to in-house). It reminds me of Patek Philippe.
MPM countered with doubling down - literally. Some watches now bear the newer block letter logo. It's a right old mess.
Moreover, some enterprising folks gained the rights to the name Chronotechna and started producing "Swiss made" watches with the old Chronotechna logo! Which doesn't look bad either. It's a stylised letter "Ch".
Images: ELTON Hodinářská, a.s. (prim.cz), antik-hovorka.cz
Casual cheapskate with a taste for both the classic and the colourful.
I like the now defunct retro space age Android logo (the text part)
The Soviets throttled the East German watch companies like Ruhle, and they were forced to use mostly pin pallet movements. Prim used lever escapement movements based on ETA calibers. Maybe it was their small size and regional reach that kept them safe. The Soviets were watch exporters and didn't want competition from fellow communist nations.
My Prim has the linear logo, but the original is my favorite.
The Soviets throttled the East German watch companies like Ruhle, and they were forced to use mostly pin pallet movements. Prim used lever escapement movements based on ETA calibers. Maybe it was their small size and regional reach that kept them safe. The Soviets were watch exporters and didn't want competition from fellow communist nations.
My Prim has the linear logo, but the original is my favorite.
I've read that Prim used Lip movements as a base for their own. 🤔Though that is the extent of my knowledge.
I've never heard of pin pallets, interesting stuff!
I like the now defunct retro space age Android logo (the text part)
Nice, it reminds me of the video game Halo. :)
I've read that Prim used Lip movements as a base for their own. 🤔Though that is the extent of my knowledge.
I've never heard of pin pallets, interesting stuff!
They started with the Lip 25 and eventually moved to ETA based movements in the 1960's.
No word but only design is always best whether circular or linear depends where is it placed
On crown maybe circles but in dail alway linear.
I'm enjoying the Clemence logo today: