A Brief History of Minerva (courtesy of ChatGPT)
So I have been playing around with ChatGPT and decided to see how well it would do writing some articles on watch brands and other related topics.
Here is the first of several that I will post. Some minor editing by me, but authorship of this potted history is entirely OpenAI's ChatGPT AI tool.
Enjoy!
***************************************************************
Minerva is a luxury watch company that has a long and storied history. The company was founded in 1858 in Villeret, Switzerland, by Charles-Yvan Robert and Hyppolite Robert. The Roberts were watchmakers, and they established a workshop in Villeret to produce high-quality timepieces. The company was initially known as "Robert Frères" or "Robert Brothers."
The company was successful, and by the early 1900s, it was producing a wide range of watches, including chronographs, alarms, and travel watches. In 1908, the company changed its name to "Minerva" after the Roman goddess of wisdom. This was a nod to the company's commitment to precision and accuracy, which was crucial in the development of accurate timepieces.
In the early 1900s, Minerva became known for its high-precision chronographs. These watches were used by pilots, soldiers, and scientists, and they quickly gained a reputation for accuracy and durability. During World War I, Minerva supplied watches to the French military, and after the war, the company continued to produce precision chronographs for civilian use.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Minerva continued to innovate, developing new chronograph movements and other high-precision watches. In 1934, the company introduced the Minerva Pythagore, a wristwatch that was named after the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras. The Pythagore was known for its slim profile and its elegant design, and it became a favorite of collectors and enthusiasts.
During World War II, Minerva produced watches for the military once again. The company supplied watches to the British and American militaries, and its chronographs were used by pilots and navigators. After the war, Minerva continued to produce high-precision watches, and the company became known for its expertise in chronographs and other complications.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Minerva continued to innovate, introducing new chronograph movements and other high-precision watches. The company's watches were popular with collectors and enthusiasts, and they were known for their accuracy, durability, and elegance.
In 2006, Minerva was acquired by Montblanc, a luxury goods company that also produces high-end watches. Montblanc has continued to produce watches under the Minerva name, and the company's watches are still highly prized by collectors and enthusiasts.
Today, Minerva is known for its high-precision watches, particularly its chronographs. The company's watches are handcrafted in Villeret, Switzerland, and they are known for their accuracy, durability, and elegant design. Minerva's watches are prized by collectors and enthusiasts, and they continue to be a testament to the company's commitment to precision and quality.
I really like chronographs especially vintage ones.
I thought that Montblanc had discarded the Minerva name and was producing everything under its own label, no?
Love that salmon dial.
That’s better writing than most of the adults I know are capable of. I truly fear for the future of humanity.
I thought that Montblanc had discarded the Minerva name and was producing everything under its own label, no?
No - as you can see the two Montblanc Minerva references above are cobranded with the Minerva name and with the Minerva logo.
Minerva is the premier brand for Montblanc and the watches are still made by hand by individual watchmakers in the Minerva maison in Villeret.
I will be able to share more in April after I visit the maison during Watches & Wonders this year.
More to come...
That’s better writing than most of the adults I know are capable of. I truly fear for the future of humanity.
It will just free us up to do bigger better things!
No need to fear. Remember the industrial revolution...all the farmers thought they would be put out of work. Instead they found new ways to use their ideas and imagination. And we actually could produce more food on significantly less land.
For pure information, AI tools like ChatGPT are invaluable. However, if you are seeking creativity that is still a bit out of reach for AI.
I did ask ChatGPT to write song lyrics and it did a pretty good job...good enough for something of the minimal caliber of a Taylor Swift. However, it didn't even approach the quality of a Bob Dylan or Tom Petty.
You forgot "yet". It doesn't write good peotry or song lyrics...yet. And I would note that, much like those farmers, I'm old and scared about what I'll do when a computer takes my job. Seeing this as an exciting advancement is for the young.
You forgot "yet". It doesn't write good peotry or song lyrics...yet. And I would note that, much like those farmers, I'm old and scared about what I'll do when a computer takes my job. Seeing this as an exciting advancement is for the young.
Hey my body is old too...I just don't let my mind get old.
I bet I'm more up-to-date than at least half of the recent college graduates.
You just have to have insatiable curiousity and a willingness to put in the time.
Don't let anyone tell you different...you can do whatever you want to do that is physically possible (i.e. like I will never dunk a basketball without using a trampoline as it isn't physically possible for me to do it).
Our brain was designed to beat any AI that can be developed by man or woman.
Hey my body is old too...I just don't let my mind get old.
I bet I'm more up-to-date than at least half of the recent college graduates.
You just have to have insatiable curiousity and a willingness to put in the time.
Don't let anyone tell you different...you can do whatever you want to do that is physically possible (i.e. like I will never dunk a basketball without using a trampoline as it isn't physically possible for me to do it).
Our brain was designed to beat any AI that can be developed by man or woman.
Bah humbug. And get off my lawn.
I’m not honestly worried, that was for humorous effect.
That said, I think it’s short sighted to talk about what it can’t do. Do you think Google and Microsoft aren’t spending millions of dollars a year to make these things better? Never underestimate what human ingenuity can accomplish when properly motivated. And the amount of money true AI could be worth is a hell of a motivator.
I’m not honestly worried, that was for humorous effect.
That said, I think it’s short sighted to talk about what it can’t do. Do you think Google and Microsoft aren’t spending millions of dollars a year to make these things better? Never underestimate what human ingenuity can accomplish when properly motivated. And the amount of money true AI could be worth is a hell of a motivator.
Exactly! Microsoft didn't just pump $10 billion into OpenAI thinking this was going to be a niche feature of its Bing search engine.
I expect it to be integrated into Teams in the next year and then comes the "Oh Crap!" from the IT information security team as they try to figure out how to navigate sensitive information being sent up to the public cloud to be consumed by ChatGPT.
Exactly! Microsoft didn't just pump $10 billion into OpenAI thinking this was going to be a niche feature of its Bing search engine.
I expect it to be integrated into Teams in the next year and then comes the "Oh Crap!" from the IT information security team as they try to figure out how to navigate sensitive information being sent up to the public cloud to be consumed by ChatGPT.
I’ve heard companies started trying to use “AI” in telephone customer service a few years ago. I imagine that if a truly viable AI could be created it would be worth billions in customer service alone. I think people might be surprised how few of their jobs couldn’t be taken over by AI.
For perspective, my job in healthcare won’t be taken by AI, but my decision making will be. Hospitals will eventually decide that AI should be making all the treatment choices. They can consider all the data, and reduce liability. People like me will be told what to do and how to do it by a computer. Added bonus, you can now pay people less as they won’t need so much school and training.
I’ve heard companies started trying to use “AI” in telephone customer service a few years ago. I imagine that if a truly viable AI could be created it would be worth billions in customer service alone. I think people might be surprised how few of their jobs couldn’t be taken over by AI.
For perspective, my job in healthcare won’t be taken by AI, but my decision making will be. Hospitals will eventually decide that AI should be making all the treatment choices. They can consider all the data, and reduce liability. People like me will be told what to do and how to do it by a computer. Added bonus, you can now pay people less as they won’t need so much school and training.
I would be horrified if AI became the primary decision-maker in healthcare. There is no substitute for the human brain and years of training and experience. Same with investment management. Yes you can purchase the index, but you will get a mediocre return because that is what the market returns when you get the market return.
Just like quality investment management which can only come from highly skilled, experienced and trained portfolio managers, I only want healthcare from highly skilled, experienced and trained nurses, doctors, and all the other critical care workers.
Both groups of professionals can benefit from using AI to enhance their ability, but we can not replace them with AI.