2000 – 2016 United States of America

Dallas, Texas
In November 2000, we moved into our new home in Southlake, an upscale suburb of Dallas. A new chapter of our American life had begun. And Texas didn’t waste any time making a splash—literally. On move-in day, the main water line in the front yard burst, shooting a water jet 16 feet into the air. Welcome to Texas!

Family Moves
In January 2001, Andreas returned to New York, reconnected with his girlfriend, and later enrolled at Ulster County Community College in Kingston. Meanwhile, Anina faced the “new kid” challenge at Southlake High School. She was the only student who didn’t drive and had to walk to school, but she quickly found friends and graduated two years later.

Rolex USA
My new role at Rolex was exciting… and intense. An 8-story office tower was under construction, and the Service Operation, counting 112 employees, had a serious problem: watch repairs took 16 weeks. My mandate? Bring it down to 15 days.

When the Managing Director asked how many extra employees I’d need, I replied, “Maybe none.” The reason? Based on my initial evaluation, staffing wasn’t the issue; instead, it was processes and teamwork.

In week one, I introduced an open-door policy and invited small groups for a chat and coffee. What I found was low morale, a lack of teamwork, and a limited understanding of the benefits of meetings. Department managers micromanaged, and employees rarely took initiative.

Step by step, I reshaped the culture: I broke large teams into smaller groups, set up regular meetings, and created focus groups to tackle specific problems. We introduced clear production and performance standards and began semi-annual evaluations. Every Wednesday, we held a manager’s lunch meeting—a great chance to share updates, exchange ideas, and for me to provide direction so that everyone stayed aligned and moving together.

Gradually, the team began “wearing their thinking hats.” Pride returned. Team spirit grew. Flex-time solved punctuality issues overnight. I also organized annual family picnics, and we had a Rolex indoor soccer team. Slowly, the Dallas team bonded, and headquarters in New York noticed. The support from my boss and the cooperation from colleagues at headquarters also contributed to the progress.

Two years later, IT rolled out a long-overdue scanning system that tracked every watch throughout the repair process. For the first time, bottlenecks became visible and could be addressed right away. Weekly progress reports soon turned into a friendly competition among our centers. In 2003, we reached our goal: a 15-day turnaround. Walter Fischer was delighted, and the team celebrated the success—a career highlight I’ll never forget. My deepest thanks to Chuck, Bernhard, and everyone who helped make this remarkable achievement possible. It was teamwork at its very best!

Back to Family
In 2002, Anina graduated from high school. Andreas returned to Texas, determined to become a chef. While waiting for admission to the Culinary Institute in Austin, he apprenticed at Sushi-Sam under our friend and owner, Sean. Six months later, both kids moved to Austin—Andreas for culinary school, Anina for the University of Texas.

In 2004, we embarked on a family adventure in Russia, taking a river cruise from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Along the way, we explored villages, visited historic sites, enjoyed folklore shows and circus performances, and even sampled vodka. Later that year, longtime friends Kurt and Renata invited us to Sanibel Island, Florida. A week of beach walks, swimming, and cycling planted the idea of owning a timeshare ourselves. (https://youtu.be/azzhS-N2ivI)

Family Gatherings
In 2005, my sister organized a family reunion in Germany’s Black Forest. Mom and Dad, in their early 80s, were overjoyed to see all the children and grandchildren together. Afterward, Ursula and Anina continued traveling to visit Kurt & Renata and Paris in France with Wally.

That same year brought a few milestones. Andreas graduated from the Texas Culinary Institute. Ursula launched a new home business and became a shareholder in LoveThePearls. Anina moved to Denton to study at the University of North Texas, where she soon met her future husband, Jeremy.

Loss and Change
In 2006, while visiting my parents in Switzerland, I learned Dad needed prostate surgery. Though the operation went well, he tragically passed days later from blood clots and complications—a profound shock.

Meanwhile, Anina graduated with a degree in Geography and GIS, and celebrated her achievement with Jeremy on a trip to Belize & Tikal. She later started working for Manpower and worked for BNSF in Fort Worth.

Challenging Times
The 2008 financial crisis hit hard. Anina lost her job, and Rolex USA imposed cuts, including salary reductions, the closure of retail accounts, and, in 2009, the Beverly Hills service center was shut down. When the Managing Director was relocated to Dallas, I was forced into early retirement at the age of 64. Geneva never sanctioned these drastic measures, and in time, the culprit executives lost their roles. Still, it left me unprepared and unsettled.

Travel & Consulting
Despite the setbacks, I stayed active. I hiked Mexico’s Copper Canyons, trekked the Swiss Alps with Anina, and together, we reflected on her career doubts. Soon after, I launched HI-Consulting. And what do you know: Rolex Mexico became my first client, and I started learning Spanish—an invaluable skill. (https://youtu.be/85ow-jwvXc0)

By 2009, Ursula and I downsized to a new home in Colleyville. I joined Anina on a backpacking trip in Costa Rica, including an extreme rainforest hike. Later, Ursula fell gravely ill with a fungal lung infection. She was in intensive care for weeks, and thanks to modern medicine, she made a full recovery.

Adventure Years
From 2010 onward, life was full: family, hiking, and friendships. Trips spanned Colorado, Idaho, Switzerland, Big Bend, Zion, and more. I biked the RAGBRAI three times, learned woodturning from my dear neighbor Dean, and became obsessed with making pepper mills. (https://youtu.be/RGaaK7lbmvc)

Anina and Jeremy bought their first home and married in a beautiful, low-key vineyard wedding in 2013. Ursula baked the cake, Jeremy’s mom acted as the photographer, and I had the honor of leading the vows—a truly joyful and memorable day. (https://youtu.be/y-NHbazLq4I)

By 2014, Anina pursued her doctorate in Physical Therapy at TWU. Ursula and I celebrated our 44th anniversary in Punta Cana. After recovering from a nasty prostate infection, I built a chicken coop for Anina and Jeremy and enjoyed many hikes with my friend Bernhard Schafroth in Colorado. (https://youtu.be/cTWYMBZFbwc)

Final Chapter at Work
In late 2014, I concluded my consulting role with Rolex Mexico. The team was adequately trained to function without my assistance. At the same time, Mexico’s security situation was worsening, and I finally decided to retire at age 69 with peace of mind.

Retirement Adventures
Ursula and I embraced travel and new experiences, including beach holidays in Antigua, timeshare stays at Sanibel Island, and countless hikes. In 2015, we moved to a new home with a backyard pool in Keller, Texas. (https://youtu.be/2d9XbLD8lJA)

2016 fulfilled two lifelong dreams: a nine-day trek across the Sahara Desert—far from monotonous, with ever-changing colors and textures—and, just ten days later, snowboarding in Zermatt with my brother Herbert. What a contrast! (https://youtu.be/yMe53HDrk20)

I also signed up for a trek in the Himalayas. Starting in Kathmandu, our Swiss team spent 13 days with Sherpas and porters, reaching 16,756 feet at Larkya-La Pass. The views, the thin air, the endurance—it was extraordinary. (https://youtu.be/yHFPGq_vtt0)

Meanwhile, Anina prepared to join Jeremy in California with their daughters, Avery and Nina. While their house in Shady Shores underwent final repairs, Anina stayed with us in Keller—a wonderful reminder of how family threads weave through every chapter of our lives.

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