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fleuron horloger

English translation: jewel / pride and joy / feather in the cap

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:fleuron
English translation:jewel / pride and joy / feather in the cap
Entered by: Sandra Petch

16:03 Sep 3, 2008
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Journalism
French term or phrase: fleuron horloger
Hi

From a piece about a watch brand enjoying something of a revival:

"Les nouveaux propriétaires de la société [= the group that recently took over the company] sont prêts à investir davantage dans leur fleuron horloger."

My rough draft is "baby" - All suggestions are welcome and appreciated!
Sandra Petch
Local time: 00:11
the watchmaking jewel in their crown
Explanation:
Like Elizabeth, my first thought was 'jewel' (in crown). I hesitated before posting this suggestion, because of the jewel in watches. However, it looks like the metaphor has already been used in a similar (same?) context.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2008-09-03 19:03:00 GMT)
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Or the 'watchmaking feather in their cap'

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Note added at 17 hrs (2008-09-04 09:27:22 GMT)
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Watchmaking pride and joy?
Selected response from:

Emma Paulay
France
Local time: 00:11
Grading comment
Please don't hate me for this! I translated as "firm" (to invest more in the firm). Of course it's not as "imagé" as the French but I preferred to "keep it simple" rather than come up with sth contrived. I would have been happy dropping the "watchmaking" part which I often find clumsy as an adj in English and especially as it was well established that this firm does make watches but even then I couldn't find a translation that fitted smoothly into the sentence, hence I went for "firm". Thanks everyone for your ideas which I think will be useful for future "fleurons". I especially liked Emma's "pride and joy" and "feather in their cap". Thanks again :-)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2peerless timepiece
Jack Dunwell
3 +1watchmaking gem
Elizabeth Slaney
3 +1star/peerless watchmaker / watchmaker of treasures/jewels
Helen Shiner
3watch jewel
mohanv
3the watchmaking jewel in their crown
Emma Paulay
3the flagship of their watchmaking company
tradu-grace


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
watchmaking gem


Explanation:
I've seen "fleuron" translated as "jewel" but think the idea of their little gem might work here (especially given the jewellry aspect). Omitted "little" because it's probably a big concern!
Link below takes time to load.


    Reference: http://www.worldtempus.com/wt/2/11615/5150
Elizabeth Slaney
Netherlands
Local time: 00:11
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  B D Finch
1 hr
  -> Thank you B D.
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37 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
watch jewel


Explanation:
can it be - watch jewel

mohanv
India
Local time: 03:41
Native speaker of: Native in TamilTamil
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Mohan. A jewel is something very specific in watchmaking. Once rubies (hence rubis in French) and now synthetic, they serve to prevent friction from moving parts.

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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
peerless timepiece


Explanation:
Of many!

Jack Dunwell
France
Local time: 00:11
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
1 hr
  -> Thank you Bea RH
agree  madalina_ro
1 hr
  -> Thank you Madalina
neutral  Elizabeth Slaney: A timepiece is a watch itself, surely?
19 hrs
  -> Elizabeth! A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since this!!!
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
star/peerless watchmaker / watchmaker of treasures/jewels


Explanation:
I thought horloger was the watchmaker him/herself, not the piece. Maybe it can be employed in both senses?

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Note added at 2 hrs (2008-09-03 18:05:59 GMT)
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'peerless' with thanks to fourth, of course!

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Note added at 16 hrs (2008-09-04 08:23:29 GMT)
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Hi Sandra, yes, I realise - and should have amended my answer accordingly - that it can also be used for watchmaking, too. Hope you find a good answer.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs (2008-09-04 08:24:57 GMT)
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So 'peerless watchmaking' would be my answer if you wish to formulate it in that way.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs (2008-09-04 08:59:35 GMT)
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Perhaps in light of your clarification you could use 'watchmaking off-shoot', since it has botanical overtones!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2008-09-04 09:26:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Some more suggestions:
'star watchmaker'
'eminent watchmaker'
'élite "
'exquisite " '
"nonpareil watchmaker'

Hope something inspires you.

I don't have any problem with using 'watchmaker' to refer to the firm - it might make it easier if you swapped nouns/adjectives as is so often done.

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:11
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi Helen. The "horloger" is the watchmaker but "horloger / horlogère" is also the adjective for things relating to watchmaking, "une entreprise horlogère" for example.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Clair Pickworth: I also thought it was the watchmaker ! ... "its watch-making gem/treasure" ?
20 mins
  -> Thanks, Clair.
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the watchmaking jewel in their crown


Explanation:
Like Elizabeth, my first thought was 'jewel' (in crown). I hesitated before posting this suggestion, because of the jewel in watches. However, it looks like the metaphor has already been used in a similar (same?) context.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2008-09-03 19:03:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or the 'watchmaking feather in their cap'

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2008-09-04 09:27:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Watchmaking pride and joy?


    Reference: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B06EEDD123EF...
Emma Paulay
France
Local time: 00:11
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 48
Grading comment
Please don't hate me for this! I translated as "firm" (to invest more in the firm). Of course it's not as "imagé" as the French but I preferred to "keep it simple" rather than come up with sth contrived. I would have been happy dropping the "watchmaking" part which I often find clumsy as an adj in English and especially as it was well established that this firm does make watches but even then I couldn't find a translation that fitted smoothly into the sentence, hence I went for "firm". Thanks everyone for your ideas which I think will be useful for future "fleurons". I especially liked Emma's "pride and joy" and "feather in their cap". Thanks again :-)
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21 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the flagship of their watchmaking company


Explanation:
It just came to my mind

Guess it may be another option for you




    Reference: http://[email protected]
tradu-grace
Italy
Local time: 00:11
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian, Native in FrenchFrench
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