A sad day yesterday (June 28, 2010) in the watch world. The most notable figure in the world of Swiss watches died. Nicolas Hayek died suddenly while he was in his office at work of heart failure. He was 82 years old, and worked diligently until his last moments – doing what he loved. We should all be so lucky. He saved the Swiss watch industry in the 1980s, and carried it through to today. His legacy is massive, and his current work was to further protect and devise ways to invigorate his beloved industry. A genius, no person can fill his shoes. No one can further his work in the same way. He was the father of the modern horology scene as we know it. Only time will tell how things will proceed without his guidance and learned (though often unorthodox) views and methods.

Read more in my notice on Nicolas Hayek’s passing here on Luxist.com.