NEWS
800 MILLION CHF
The estimated annual loss for the Swiss watch industry due to fake watches. Source: Yves Bugmann, Federation of Swiss watches.
Watch salon experts on way to conquering America
Buben & Zorweg, the Austrian duo responsible for exquisitely crafted interior design for watch storage including watch winders and watch salons for kings, sportsmen and some of the wealthiest watch collectors in the world, recently launched at Madison Avenue’s novel OC Concept store. Guests included Jimmy Choo president Tamara Mellon, Jacob & Co founder Jacob Arabov and hedge fund tycoon Steven Cohen. With boutiques and showrooms in Dubai, Moscow, Geneva, Hong Kong, Doha, Singapore, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur, and its Vanguard Time Mover system featuring humidor, high security safe, hand stitched Italian leather, LED lighting with fading technology and a two way glass mirror, there’s just one place Buben & Zorweg’s watch wonders remain to be seen. A James Bond movie, anyone? Price; Vanguard (EUR 59,800) and Solitaire Deluxe (EUR 134,000).
Baselworld’s big plans for 2013
In 2010, BaselWorld’s 1,915 exhibitors from 45 countries saw 100,700 visitors come through its turnstiles, hailing from 100 countries. Perhaps less well acknowledged were the 30 gardeners and florists responsible for the show’s 75,000 flowers and plants, including roses, tulips and amaryllis. Similar attendance figures are expected for BaselWorld 2011, and “all the important brands” have confirmed their participation, according to a BaselWorld spokesperson. A 430 million CHF modernisation project is underway for 2013, led by esteemed Basel architects Herzog & de Meuron, famed for converting a power station into London’s Tate Modern. Hall 1 will extend to the Exhibition Square, while Hall 3 will be revamped, with both connected by a two storey superstructure covering Exhibition Square.
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