Cartier has built a working prototype of an automatic watch that needs no adjusting, roughly cutting the need for watch maintenance in half, Tom Mulier reports. Cartier CEO Bernard Fornas compares the technology to the shift to electronic fuel-injection systems in cars versus carburetors and says the company will market it within three years. "This has got very important consequences for the future of the watchmaking industry," Fornas says. "Watchmakers take a lot of time to adjust watches. This is a very, very touchy thing to do. Our discovery is to take out all these difficulties." …

The familiar candy hearts from Necco that have been a Valentine's Day tradition since the Civil War will carry a new endearment this year: "Tweet Me." The move accelerates recent commercial tie-ins for the 145-year-old Sweetheart brand, Bruce Horovitz writes, while it's a freebie public relations coup for Twitter. Patricia Martin, author of Renaissance Generation: The Rise of the Cultural Consumer and What it Means to Your Business, sees the relationship as a harbinger of marketing hook-ups to come. "It's a new way of advertising when two brands get together to create cultural meaning," she …

Nike built its golf business around Tiger Woods; it will now see how well it plays a recession-wracked marketing course without his star power when it launches its Victory Red STR8-FIT Tour fairway woods line next week for $299. The name of the brand comes from Woods' tradition of wearing red shirts on the final day of golf tournaments, but he is not mentioned in any of the promotional materials for the line, Miguel Bustillo reports. The clubs were designed with input from 13 U.S. golf stars under contract to Nike, two of whom -- Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink …

GMC could drop TV commercials altogether in marketing its Granite compact crossover, according to Steve Rosenblum, Buick-GMC's director of advertising and promotions. A Granite concept was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show last week. Targeted to consumers younger than 35, Rosenblum says GMC needs new types of advertising for young shoppers. GMC has developed a brochure with bar-code-type designs called quick response codes that smartphones can read, Chrissie Thompson reports. Phones scan the codes and point consumers to Web pages that give details on the Granite's features, offer opportunities for social networking and discuss designers' inspirations …

Kraft isn't just taking on Cadbury shareholders in its hostile takeover bid for the venerable British confectioner, Henry Chu reports, it's also fighting the ingrained feelings and images that so many Brits have internalized for comfort foods such as the Cadbury Flake, Cadbury Creme Eggs or the Milk Tray assortment. "Chocolate is emotional in a way because it's so culturally specific," says Allyson Stewart-Allen, director of London-based International Marketing Partners. "It's one of those flavors and tastes that's imprinted on you from a young age." One fear, despite Kraft's reassurances to the …

Barry Silverstein examines the very successful seat-of-the-pants approach that Living Essentials founder Manoj Bhargava has taken in launching and expanding his energy drink -- the 2-ounce "liquid energy shot" dubbed "5-Hour Energy." "You can tell from the name, we didn't hire consultants to come up with it," says Bhargava. It also did not hire consultants for its distribution strategy, which has been to sell the tiny bottles at the cash register. A test that began at GNC outlets has expanded to such retail heavyweights as Home Depot, Kroger, Wal-Mart and Dick's Sporting Goods. Sales were north of $300 …

In a complaint filed in federal court in Boston on Friday, the U.S, Justice Department accused Johnson & Johnson of paying "tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks" to Omnicare, a nursing-home pharmacy company, to get it to boost sales of drugs such as the anti-psychotic Risperdal to nursing-home patients, Jonathan D. Rockoff reports. J&J says its conduct was "lawful and appropriate." The kickbacks took place from 1999 to 2004, the government says, and include payments for the pharmacy's physician prescriber data, which Omnicare had previously provided at no charge. It also accuses J&J of paying …