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7 WATCH BUSINESS MAGAZINE EUROPEAN EDITION N°325 3/2014 JUNE / JULY 06
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THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL WATCH MAGAZINE EUROPE
BACK FROM BASEL: EVERYTHING AND ITS OPPOSITE Tendencies • Strategies • Analyses 100 brands under the loupe
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EDITORIAL
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Pierre M. Maillard Editor-in-chief
In Italy and elsewhere it is common to see advertisements proclaiming: “We buy gold, silver, Rolex.” A Rolex is more than just a watch. Over and above its value as a status symbol, Rolex has long been seen as a safe-haven investment, something that can be kept for a “rainy day”. There are plenty of testimonials, like this one from an online forum: “For me, a Rolex isn’t a status symbol; it’s a guarantee that I have on my wrist an instrument that has been carefully crafted down to the last detail, that I own a watch that will still be in style 40 years from now. Another point in its favour is that Rolex is the only brand you can sell immediately if you need the money, without losing too much of its value. I know this from personal experience.”
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This unique status did not come about by chance; it is the result of continually improving product quality, combined with a pioneering marketing strategy that, from the brand’s earliest days, has gradually built up an image of solidity, reliability and professionalism. Conceived as an avant-garde piece of technology (being both automatic and waterproof), it was only gradually that Rolex acquired its status as a symbol of success and social standing. The risk, of course, is that this image is turned against it, as we saw in France a few years ago, when a sunbed-tanned publicity mogul with more money than sense declared: “If you haven’t got a Rolex by the age of 50 your life is a failure,” sparking a national outcry.
8 EDITORIAL / europa star
Through no will of its own, Rolex has come to represent the epitome of luxury, even though products bearing the famous crown probably offer some of the best value in the entire watchmaking industry. The risk that this image of excellence might begin to crumble under the weight of continuing attacks and scandals, that the desirable icon could become a hated symbol, cannot be brushed off lightly. Up to now Rolex, true to its reputation for discretion, has appeared to be keeping a low profile. The recent surprise appointment of Jean-Frédéric Dufour as managing director certainly marks a change in direction or, at the very least, an adjustment of strategy. It was crucial to counter the risk of a gradual fall from grace, and show that Rolex is not just the Fort Knox of watchmaking, but a powerful and living enterprise, creative, dynamic, and with its sights set firmly on the future. To see a young and charismatic figure (Jean-Frédéric Dufour is just 45 years old) installed as MD of the watchmaking giant, one who moreover earned
his spurs outside the Rolex stable (he was CEO of Zenith after working for Chopard, among others) is in itself a minor revolution. And it sends a clear signal that the “Empire” is about to strike back. But if there is to be a counter-strike, it probably won’t be a terribly spectacular one. There is no reason to expect a radical change of attitude, to believe that Rolex, that paragon of media reticence, will start shouting from the rooftops. No, what we shall see is an unhurried, measured effort to reaffirm the relevance of Rolex’s watchmaking approach, particularly with the newer generations for whom Rolex watches reflect a somewhat conservative image. Paradoxically, then, Jean-Frédéric Dufour will do for Rolex the opposite of what he successfully achieved for Zenith. Appointed to replace the overly flamboyant Thierry Nataf, at Zenith his task was to calm things down, restore reason and return the firm to more serious watchmaking. As MD of Rolex, on the other hand, he will need to temper the brand’s staid horological image with a dash of youthful flamboyance. But the great advantage of working for such a stable “empire” is that he knows he can take all the time he needs. p
ONE ADJUSTMENT EVERY 100 YEARS. T HE KIND OF COMPLICATION THAT MAKES LIFE EASIER.
Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Cylindrique à Quantième Perpétuel Jubilee. Limited series of 180. Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 985. The all-mechanical programming of the perpetual calendar means the next time this watch needs adjustment will be at the turn of the century in 2100. To ensure its perfect precision throughout the many years to come, Jaeger-LeCoultre has equipped this model with a flying tourbillon featuring a cylindrical balance-spring. The oscillating weight is finely engraved with a gold medal received in 1889 – a symbol of the pioneering spirit that has been driving the Inventors of the Vallée de Joux for 180 years.
www.jaeger-lecoultre.com
YO U D E S E RV E A R E A L WATC H.
CONTENTS
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THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL WATCH MAGAZINE
Baselworld
EDITORIAL 8
The Empire Strikes Back
COVER STORY UR-105M IRON KNIGHT by URWERK Titanium and steel watch equipped with a Calibre UR 5.01 manual-winding mechanical movement with 42-hour power reserve. Hours, minutes and 10 seconds indications, lateral seconds and power reserve indications, control board: ‘Oil Change’ and power reserve indications, timing adjustment screw. Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, waterresistant to 30 metres.
URWERK 114 Rue du Rhône CH-1204 Geneva Switzerland Tel. : +41 (0)22 900 20 27 info@urwerk.com www.urwerk.com
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URWERK – Past and Future clash in the Dark Knight and Iron Knight
16 Everything and its Opposite +DUU\ :LQVWRQ
BASELWORLD 16
Everything and its Opposite
34
WorldWatchWeb – Social Media & Baselworld
38
The Kaleidoscopic World of Jewellery Watches
44
The Beautiful Game comes to Baselworld
48
The Sports Watch Segment continues to be Popular
56
Getting a Handle on Fashion watches
61
The Basel Marathon
72
Ice, Jungle, Savannah and a US General come to Switzerland
38 Jewellery
34 Social Media 48 Sport
Football 44 RETAILER CORNER 78
Basel
Retailers under Pressure from Watchmakers as never before
LAKIN@LARGE 80
After-Sales What?
75
EDITORIAL & ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
56 Fashion
61 Marathon
78 Retailer
DIGITAL PARTNER
61 WorldWatchReport
The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily Europa Star.
www.worldwatchreport.com / www.digital-luxury.com
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10 CONTENTS / europa star
THE WHOLE WORLD TO THE NEAREST MINUTE.
Duomètre Unique Travel Time. Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 383. Paris, New York, Tokyo, New Delhi… Swiss precision around the globe. The Duomètre Unique Travel Time is the world-time watch offering dual-time adjustment to the nearest minute. A feat made possible by the patented Dual-Wing movement. With 180 skills united under one roof, the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre consistently contributes to driving advances in the field of Fine Watchmaking.
www.jaeger-lecoultre.com
YOU DE S E RVE A R E A L WATC H.
COVER STORY
URWERK – PAST AND FUTURE clash in the DARK KNIGHT and IRON KNIGHT Pierre Maillard
The new school of watchmaking owes a great deal to the URWERK company, which has captured imaginations since 1997 with a string of pioneering creations. URWERK has indeed appeared to break decisively from the conventional round dial with central hands by proposing innovative indications of the hours and minutes with revolving satellites. Although this style of watchmaking was immediately hailed as being at the forefront of modernity or even as decidedly futuristic, it is too easy to forget that it is in fact rooted in the past with its origins in 17th century. URWERK’s watchmaking, however much apparently at odds with tradition, owes much to ancient watchmaking and more precisely to the Campani (or Campanus) brothers who, in 1682, presented Pope Innocent XI with a revolutionary night clock. The pope wanted to be able to tell the time at night without having to light a candle or a lamp. The innovation, signed
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12 COVER STORY / europa star
Petrus Thomas Campanus inventor Romae 1682, consisted of an oil lamp placed inside a wooden clock case. The lamp lit up transparent hours numerals in rotating discs. The hour travelled along a semi-circular arc in an aperture in the dial, its position indicating the minutes. When the hour numeral disappeared on the right of the arc, the following hour rose on the left, imitating the passage of the sun from horizon to horizon. The watchmakers of the 18th century took up his brilliant idea by developing a system of satellite hours known as wandering hours, which had their moment of glory in pocketwatches. In its usual configuration, the 12 hours are divided into three sets of four hours (1,4,7,10; 2,5,8,11; 3,6,9,12) appearing on three different discs. The hours follow one another in turn along an arc graduated in minutes. The system thus combines a digital display and an analogue indication in an intuitive way of telling the time.
“If the appearance of the satellite displaying the correct hour seems like technical magic, the force required by the rotation of the satellite is a specific action taking place every hour,” explains Felix Baumgartner. “Watchmakers, of course don’t like this temporary demand for extra energy since it results in a periodic loss of amplitude, which makes the mechanism more difficult to manage over the long term.”
A FORMAL AND TECHNICAL REINTERPRETATION URWERK reinterprets this principle in a radical and contemporary manner, adding sophistication and a level of technicality and precision that the wandering-hour watches could never achieve. The satellite system was first applied in the UR-103, launched in 2003, and “the first URWERK watch that won the respect and understanding of the market” according to Felix Baumgartner, the watchmaking soul of URWERK which he founded with the designer, Martin Frei. In the UR-103, the 12 hours are in groups of three, each on the satellites at the end of four arms of a central carrousel. As the carrousel goes around, the four satellites pass successively over four Maltese crosses that turn the satellites so as to display the right hour. The turning of the satellite in the UR-103 takes around five minutes and is hidden beneath a wide central strip that divides the dial.
UR-103
Another tricky issue is that the central carrousel of the UR103 turns on a tiny ball race in order to reduce friction. “However with time and the shocks that a watch on the wrist must endure during its existence, a certain amount of looseness can occur,” continues Felix Baumgartner. “We became aware of this through our after-sales service.” These technical reasons and also the stylistic considerations that we describe below led URWERK’s creators to come up with a new approach to the same satellite indications in the UR-105M (M for manual).
THE NEW UR-105M The new UR-105M lacks the central band that hides the change in the satellite’s position from view. Instead the dial is completely open, concealing nothing of the satellite ballet. This takes place progressively and in full view, eliminating the bursts of energy that are detrimental to the constant amplitude of the balance. The four satellites fashioned from aluminium for the sake of reducing weight are attached to u polymer called PEEK a structure made of a biocompatible (polyether ether ketone) used in surgery. PEEK is very hard, hardwearing and light. It can be machined, needs no surface treatment and can be decorated almost as if it were a metal. The carrousel protecting his structure in PEEK is no longer on ball bearings but on a long central shaft for precision, held by two jewels and a bolt that is visible in the centre of the watch. The aluminium satellites are coated with black diamond-like carbon (DLC). The entire construction is no longer held from on top as in the UR-103, but from beneath. The complex central component on which the four satellites are attached (see diagram opposite) is machined out of noncorrosive copper-nickel alloy (ARCAP) while the four Maltese crosses that turn the satellites are machined out of a selflubricating bronze-beryllium alloy. The entire operation of this astonishing mechanism is progressive without recourse to an additional supply of energy. Setting the time brings the continuous motion of the satellites into play with appreciable elegance and exactitude.
u europa star / COVER STORY 13
T UR-105M IRON KNIGHT
“Technical challenges are at the heart of our watchmaking, but the performance is elusive,” says Felix Baumgartner, “since it’s a matter of moving complex but very light structures with horological precision. The other challenge posed by the UR-105M is quite different,” he adds. “It involves the openworked small seconds hand that indicates 10second periods on the bottom right of the dial, which has to be synchronised with another seconds hand that can be seen on the right side of the watch.” This lateral seconds indication on a red anodised aluminium cylinder is placed under a fitted lens. Next to it, also under a lens, is a horizontal power-reserve indicator. If you turn the watch over, you’ll find URWERK’s characteristic control board as evidence of the company’s concern with precision timekeeping. It includes a 42-hour powerreserve indicator, which is more exact than the warning indicator on the side of the watch, a five-year gauge that tells the owner when it’s time to service the watch (humorously referred to as an oil-change indicator), as well as a fine-tuning screw to adjust the rate, with its scale in a small arched aperture.
A STEEL SHIELD ON A TITANIUM BODY This delicate and effective satellite mechanism driven by a Zenith calibre is resolutely guarded by a tough and purposeful case topped by a big crown at 12 o’clock. The designer and URWERK’s co-founder, Martin Frei, is well known for his Star Trek-inspired futuristic imagination. Less well known, however, is that another of his muses comes from the past — medieval armour. This extraordinary idea had already been seen in another URWERK timepiece, the very complicated UR-110, but it takes a different dimension in the new watch. As Martin Frei points out, “the case of the UR-105M was entirely conceived as a suit of armour. The visible screws on the face of the watch, protected by covers, are not just stylistic features; they are there to hold a proper steel shield against the titanium body. The parallel with knightly armour is obvious to me: you have this force emanating from the armoured bezel that protects an ostensibly fragile mechanism from the violence of the outside world.” This analogy is not altogether obvious to those who can only spare a glance at a watch that seems more futuristic than medieval. But the potency and aptness of the inspiration become apparent if the watch and a suit of armour can be directly associated. Martin Frei therefore took Felix Baumgartner to see one of the remaining traditional armourmaking families who are still at work in the Austrian alps.
14 COVER STORY / europa star
These heirs to a 600-year-old craft had just received an unusual order: to replace the 120 antique suits of armour worn by the Vatican’s Swiss Guard. Put side by side, the UR-105M and a traditional suit of armour reveal a remarkable formal and functional family resemblance. It therefore seems logical for the two versions of the UR105M to be dubbed Iron Knight and Dark Knight. Both have titanium cases with shot-blasted steel bezels, but the former has a circular and vertical brushed finish while the latter has an aluminium titanium nitride (AlTiN) surface coating. The cases do not have screw-held backs because the movement
is fitted from the top, but their taut lines mean hat they are complex to machine and to make water resistant, for there are nine openings and as many critical points in the cases. Just as the wandering hours are directly descended from a 17th century clock, the UR-105M is rooted in the old days of chivalry. Who would have guessed that the most decidedly avant-garde watchmaking would be so much inspired by age-old techniques and practices? In fact it’s not surprising once you realise that Felix Baumgartner grew up in the workshops in Schaffhausen where his father restored antique clocks and watches, and that he had a close-
up view of the fabulous mechanical interiors of many a venerable and historic clock. One can imagine the child fascinated by these scientific and mechanical playthings. This genuine and deep-seated horological culture is combined with the fantasies of Martin Frei, engendered not by watchmaking but by art schools. He is free to deploy its effects and inspirations beyond the watchmaking mould, giving URWERK’s products a depth, originality and a liberty that are undoubtedly unique in their kind. p
I UR-105M DARK KNIGHT
Discover more at www.europastar.BIZ/Urwerk
europa star / COVER STORY 15
BASELWORLD
EVERYTHING AND ITS OPPOSITE THROUGH THE AISLES OF BASEL, LINED WITH CHAPELS AND CATHEDRALS Pierre Maillard
Baselworld: mile upon mile of aisles, lined with hundreds and hundreds of booths looking every inch like places of worship, each dedicated to its own particular divinity. Whether the symbol is a crown, any number of crosses, an alpha or an omega, every brand, large or small, is hoping to attract new converts. It would be impossible for anyone hoping to join the ranks of the faithful to investigate them all, even if they share the task, as Europa Star has done in this issue. The visit is thus necessarily subjective, leaving plenty of room for chance encounters and serendipitous events. We therefore propose three different routes, respectively taken by yours truly in this article, by D. Malcolm Lakin (The Kaleidoscopic World of Jewellery Watches – pages 38 - 42; The Beautiful game comes to Baselworld – pages 44 - 47; The Basel Marathon – pages 61 - 71; Ice, Jungle, Savannah and a US General comes to Switzerland – pages 72 - 74) and by Keith Strandberg (The Sports Watch Segment – pages 48 – 52; Getting a Handle on Fashion Watches – pages 56 – 60). Without forgetting the DLG analysis on the effects and aftermath of this horological Mass on the social networks.
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REFLECTING THE PARADIGM SHIFT In her opening address Sylvie Ritter, Managing Director of Baselworld, stated loudly and clearly that it was the aim of the international watch fair “to provide a faithful reflection of the upheavals the sector has experienced over the last ten years.” In terms of those “upheavals”, two major phenomena have converged and accelerated over the last decade. The inexorable rise to power of the big groups, which today are more dominant than ever, has coincided (by chance?) with an astonishing media infatuation (nurtured at great expense, admittedly) with the world of watchmaking and which shows no signs of diminishing. More than 4,000 journalists attended the fair, almost as many as the über-famous Cannes Film Festival - 3,907 in 2013, according to official figures – although still well short of the Sochi Olympic Games at 13,000! In ten years the watch itself has undergone an astonishing transformation. Initially a nice-looking, more or less disposable utilitarian object, it has now achieved star status, becoming virtually a cult object, invested with enormous symbolic weight and value. We often hear the word “icon” being used about certain watches that have achieved cult status. But perhaps the word “cult” is appropriate on more than one level. After all, it is very tempting to read Baselworld and its booths (from the smallest at 6m2 to the largest at 1,625m2) as so many chapels, lined up next to one other; temples, cathedrals even, dedicated to an array of different forms of worship. There are the great monotheistic religions that continue to dominate, such as Rolex, whose tem-
ple is an impenetrable mausoleum (its “religion” continues to hold sway but, like the Vatican, it risks losing its influential position unless some way is found to revitalise and rejuvenate its message - see our editorial,“The Empire Strikes Back”). Opposite, Patek Philippe, another pillar of monotheism, has built itself a new altar, at the foot of which we are invited to worship the cult of transferable perfection: a white cloud is suspended in the centre of a glass cube. Both these monotheist establishments (although Rolex has successfully launched a new cult named Tudor) are surrounded on all sides by active pantheistic religions that encourage a multiplicity of different branches and schools, which may or may not be strictly fundamentalist, in the name of “authentic watchmaking”. Thus, LouisVuitton-Moët-Hennessy (LVMH), which is stationed at the entrance, lines up its various and varied tributaries side-by-side, from the Roman Bvlgari to the severely Protestant Zenith, not forgetting the charismatic Hublot or the methodical and unstoppable TAG Heuer. Louis Vuitton, the eponymous brand whose worshippers are notoriously faithful, hosts its congregation outside the walls, in the Wildt’sches Haus, an 18thcentury villa named after a manufacturer of silk ribbons (as fashionable in their day as watches are today). At the geographical heart of the Baselworld compound sit the tentacular headquarters of the most pantheistic of watchmaking religions, whose name resonates around the world: Swatch (Group). Swatch promulgates a polychromatic faith, welcoming all congregations with open arms – populist, elitist, and all shades in between – embracing the world in all its contradictions. All around these giants, up stairs and around corners, myriad smaller cults attempt to reach out, to grow, or simply to survive, to win over some new converts, to be reborn from their ashes, or to break through ex nihilo. In the wonderful polyglot bazaar of Baselworld (which could as aptly be named Babelworld...) you can find everything, and its opposite. But let us put aside the religious metaphor and look at the facts: what did they all have to offer?
In ten years the watch itself is becoming virtually a cult object, invested with enormous symbolic weight and value. Journalists returning home from the great annual watchmaking fair are ritually asked the same question: so, what’s new? What are the trends? Well, watchmaking has always been a faithful reflection of its time. In 2014, it is absolutely anything you want it to be, and its opposite. There is truly something for everyone, from the enormous musclebound timepiece for the chiselled hero returning from a dangerous mission (the award for this category goes to U-Boat and its monumental watch whose thick glass is deliberately smashed before sale, a little like those ripped jeans that cost more than an unblemished pair...) to the Saxon ultra-purity of three hands against a white dial (the award here goes to Moritz Grossmann with its balance wheel stop-mechanism made of human hair: that of the CEO). Let us nevertheless attempt an analysis.
WHEN HOROLOGY REDISCOVERS THE VIRTUES OF TEMPERANCE Out of all these contradictory currents, one “trend” nevertheless stands out. But is it really a trend? Or is it just a reflection of the zeitgeist, and perhaps a foretaste of things to come? After the excesses we witnessed before the subprime crisis, and following the modest return to sanity in 2008-2009, watchmaking has taken off again with renewed vigour, just as if nothing untoward had happened. It lay low for a while, the better to resume its wild flights of indulgence. In short, the “crisis” (first a financial crisis, which led to an economic crisis, then a social crisis and finally a political crisis) was not just a simple event; more profoundly, it signalled a paradigm shift. Watchmaking unintentionally
ended up paying for its own excesses. The case of China is probably the most instructive in this regard, although it is certainly not the only one. In China, the Swiss watch became the emblem, and sometimes the actual legal proof, of corruption. This time, it was not just a warning tremor, it was a full-on earthquake. Like the end of banking secrecy in Switzerland, there will be no turning back the clock. Most watchmakers seem to have understood this, and in consequence, the most notable “trends” from BaselWorld 2014 are an understated appearance and a return to smaller sizes. Suddenly, watchmaking has rediscovered the virtues of temperance and the beauty of moderation. But it continues to learn from the amazing creativity that fed its excesses.
u europa star / BASELWORLD 17
ENDEAVOUR by H. Moser & Cie
In this respect, one example seems perfectly apt: the takeover of H. Moser & Cie by family-owned MELB Holding. As Edouard Meylan, who was appointed to head up the Schaffhausen firm, explains, “We want to offer innovative but very discreet products. It’s all in the details.” By way of demonstration, the new collection, Endeavour, is presented in the form of a round two-hand watch with small seconds, measuring 39 mm in diameter and 12.5 mm deep, which is quite simply perfectly designed. Faultlessly elegant, its design owes something to the strict codes of 1920s Bauhaus, tempered with an inspired 60s touch: wide bezel, long, slim, faceted hands, a fumé rose gold, ardoise or argenté dial with a subtle sunburst effect, and a smoothly curved, aerodynamic case, topped with a domed glass... It seems very simple, obvious even, and yet the result is perfectly, exquisitely proportioned. Detail, detail, detail; a far cry from raucous advertising. A new in-house movement, the HMC 327 calibre, offers some innovative and avant-garde features. The
calibre with its traditional finish has a minimum three-day power reserve and a stop seconds function, but also features a silicon lever with ruby pallets and a silicon escape wheel. In our opinion, this watch is emblematic of a style of watchmaking that seeks to rediscover the elegance and discretion of the past, while embracing the most useful technological advances of the present day. This “neo-purism”, which is not about breaking records but about refining the concept of understatement and rediscovering the sensuousness of simplicity, is now looking distinctly avant-garde. It is, in any case, in tune with a rediscovered taste for discretion that in no way excludes sophistication.
ULTRA-THIN METHODOLOGIES This taste seems to be fully shared by Marc Hayek, at the head of Breguet, Blancpain and Jaquet Droz. In his eyes, “Clearly, slim, classic watches are back. In terms of ultra-thin, for example, no one is interested in records any more, it’s the performance and the beauty of the piece that count. What’s important is finding a way to gain more freedom in the architecture and decoration of the movement. Technically, you can always take it further, but beyond a certain point, not only do reliability and performance reach a critical level, but the possibilities for decoration become more limited.” This assertion is corroborated by Nakis Karapatis and Alain Zaugg of Breguet, head of R&D and the technical department respectively, in their exhaustive study of the history of ultra-thin movements. Building up a timeline of ultra-thin watches, from “the first idea for an ultra-thin watch, attributed to Geneva watchmaker Jean-François Bautte,
I CLASSIQUE TOURBILLON QUANTIÈME PERPÉTUEL 3797 and EXTRA-THIN SELF-WINDING CLASSIQUE TOURBILLON by Breguet
a supplier of movement blanks to Breguet, in 1820,” to the examples of the famous Delirium (ultra-thin quartz movement used in the 0.98 mm Eterna Museum watch), not forgetting the Altiplano Piaget 900P, measuring 3.65 mm, and various movements that Breguet has designed throughout its history, the two researchers conclude that anything over 8 mm is no longer considered ultra-thin, and that below certain minimum dimensions there are insuperable difficulties with assembly, leading to unreliable performance. The historic Breguet 1210 movement, measuring 1.2 mm, and the automatic Breguet 2100, measuring 2.10 mm, were both discontinued for these reasons. “It is vital to find a compromise between thinness and the rules of horology,” state the two experts, who mention in passing the 502 (2.40 mm) and 591 (automatic, 3.05 mm) movements, which have been in regular production since 1971 and 1980 respectively. What does this compromise mean in practice? It means a whole series of optimised features – starting with the
u 18 BASELWORLD / europa star
Explore a world of higher technology, the new world of Tambour eVolution. Its architectural design and bi material components combine steel and Black Metal Matrix Composite, a technology which is derived from aeronautics and allows it to add durability to lightness. Endowed with an automatic chronograph and GMT, Tambour eVolution takes you on a journey to the future.
power reserve and with twin barrels which may be either open or fitted on ball bearings. Such enhancements also stem from an architecture that avoids overlapping functions and seeks a balance between performance, safety and thinness in terms of the escapement, a balance without a double roller, a flat balance-spring, an escapement with no index; and last but not least, a few “aesthetic” tricks... In fact, the idea of ultra-thin is more a matter of perception than objective measurement. And, of course, it must work. “It must be possible to consistently reproduce the same performance,” insists Marc Hayek, “and to do that, we need high-tech. Each component is therefore computerised, and its production is scheduled. As I said before, we’re not interested in breaking records: reliability in wear, compatibility with our stylistic codes, the care and detail of decoration: this is how we design our ultra-thin watches.” Coming from the lips of the man who, at the head of Breguet, presides over the production of 1,000 tourbillons a year – an enormous figure – it would be foolish not to take note.
CONTINUITY “Consistently reproducing the same performance,” says Marc Hayek, “the art of constant evolution,” as they say at Patek Philippe or, in other words, the art of “evolving, optimising and reinterpreting models in the current collection.” This focus on ongoing optimisation – a painstaking process that we find also at Rolex – does not however preclude a “spectacular launch”, to be unveiled this autumn to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Geneva-based Manufacture. But in the expectation of what will certainly be a timepiece of great prestige, let us consider for a moment some of 20 BASELWORLD / europa star
the new models representing examples of optimisation, beginning with the Annual Calendar Chronograph ref. 5960/1A (A stands for acier – steel in French), one of the rare models to combine a complicated movement with a steel case. This model, “which replaces all the gold and platinum models that have made the Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph one of the manufacture’s best-sellers since its launch in 2006,” has an
I Form left to right: ANNUAL CALENDAR CHRONOGRAPH REF. 5960/1A and NAUTILUS TRAVEL TIME CHRONOGRAPH REF. 5990/1A by Patek Philippe
“The art of constant evolution” unapologetically graphic face: black applied hour-markers, touches of red, a contrasting monocounter, as well as a flexible and comfortable bracelet with “drop” links... all giving it an undeniably sporty feel. All the ingredients to make what was already a best-seller one of the most understated prestige steel watches on the market. Another major new launch, again in steel, is the Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph Ref. 5990/1A, which we reviewed at length in our previous issue (see Europa Star 2/2014 BaselWorld
Special). Here, the concept of continuity is fully embodied, both technically – by combining two useful complications – and in terms of its design, which makes excellent use of the porthole shape, with its two ear-like lateral hinges, so characteristic of this cult watch. Here, the right hinge acts as extra protection for the crown and chronograph pushers, and the left hinge, which previously was merely decorative, has been reinterpreted to contain the plus and minus correctors to move the local hour hand forward or backward in one-hour increments. Users can therefore continuously display local time (with the the full luminous hand), while keeping an eye on home time (via the skeletonised hand). At 12 o’clock is a pointer-type date display indexed to local time, with the 60-minute chronograph monocounter at 6 o’clock. Complete the picture with a new automatic movement featuring column wheel, vertical disc clutch, Gyromax® balance and patented Spiromax® hairspring (CH 28-250 C FUS), and you have a perfect example of what Patek Philippe means by “constant evolution”.
O DRESSAGE L’HEURE MASQUÉE by Hermès
CONTINUITY OF IMAGINATION This idea of continuity is not just about technical advances and design: it can take other forms too. For instance, it may be a continuity of imagination, as we see with Hermès. Guillaume de Seynes, a member of the founding family, whose exact titles are Deputy CEO of Hermès, Chairman of the Board of Directors of La Montre Hermès SA and President of John Lobb, has always made longevity the main tenet of watchmaking according to Hermès. Without ever claiming to be something it is not, or is not yet, Hermès has slowly but surely raised the bar. Over the last three or four years, as it reached a critical threshold of vertical integration into the watchmaking inner circle, things have accelerated. Guillaume de Seynes explains: “The driving concept is to bring to watchmaking a totally different spirit of complication, something that’s ours, something that no one else has even thought of: a suspension of time, a rewinding of time. It’s no coincidence that we were able to think of this, since it’s a direct translation of a particular relationship with time.
As a family company we think in the long term – we are after all in our sixth generation – and we stake our reputation on the transmission of knowledge and the refinement of our craft. The concept of longevity is extremely strong, it comes from our saddle-making roots, when our products had to be practical, rugged, supple and durable. The Hermès object is a companion for life, it gradually becomes imbued with sensations and emotions over time. This relationship with time is what our watchmaking is all about.” Under the umbrella of Time Suspended, Hermès’ whimsical complications define a range that is both poetic and philosophical. The new Dressage L’Heure Masquée is one such. “We got the idea from the regulator display,” explains Philippe Delhotal, creative director of La Montre Hermès. In the first Le temps suspendu watch, the idea was to mask or blur the hour display on demand, whereas here it’s the opposite: in ‘normal’ mode, only the minute hand is visible, with just the initials GMT appearing in the lower aperture. Not very readable, in fact. It is only on demand, by activating the crown-integrated
push-button, that the hour hand instantly appears and moves to the correct position, while the home time is simultaneously displayed through the GMT aperture. Another heading, “Le temps à l’oeuvre” (translated in English as “Of Mastery and Time”) brings together its watches involving specific skills exercised by artisans. At Hermès they have banished the term “Métiers d’Art” (artistic crafts), perhaps considered too overdone, and now prefer to speak “Of Mastery and Time”. Showcasing other métiers within the Hermès stable, such as the Cristalleries de Saint-Louis, Hermès continues to innovate just as poetically in the art of decoration. Take, for example, the highly unusual Arceau Millefiori watches. We have not the space here to go into detail about this complex and unique technique, which is carried out by master glassmakers. Briefly, however, it consists of assembling bundles of extraordinarily delicate rods of crystal and enamel that look like multi-coloured candy canes. The result is a luminous carpet of tightly-packed flowers and stars which, once cut into wafer-thin 0.6 mm slices, are transformed into stunning polychromatic watch dials. A feast for the eyes. (Europa Star will come back to this fascinating technique in a future issue.)
BREAKAWAY STRATEGIES
I LE TEMPS À L’OEUVRE by Hermès
Sometimes, however, it’s less about continuity and more about breaking out to conquer new territory. Louis Vuitton springs to mind. L’Escale Worldtime is probably one of the most astonishing watches we had the opportunity to discover in Basel this year. This world time watch represents a break, not only with other universal time watches on the market, but also
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with the Louis Vuitton style, hitherto dominated by the “tambour” or drum shape, a somewhat polarising design with the general public. Since his appointment as head of watchmaking and jewellery at Louis Vuitton, Hamdi Chatti has been tinkering with the house style codes, beginning by inverting the famous drum. This year, the brand has implicitly distanced itself from this theme (without abandoning the drum motif completely), notably with the Escale Worldtime and its brilliantly-coloured and ingenious display: the only stationary element, a dark central triangle, points to the chosen city. The hour there (on a 24-hour clock) and the minute, each on their own rotating ring, position themselves automatically. To change time zone, you simply turn the city ring. Ingenious, colourful and playful, it nevertheless remains perfectly readable. But despite its rebellious appearance, the watch draws its chromatic inspiration from Louis Vuitton’s history as a maker of personalised luggage, customised with coloured geometric signs, which are reinterpreted here. Another sty-
BALL OF COLOURS AND BALLET OF MATERIALS
I Form left to right: DIOR GRAND SOIR N°27 ORIGAMI DIOR VIII GRAND BAL FIL DE SOIE CHIFFRE ROUGE MOONPHASE by Dior
listic wink towards the past, the case echoes the shape of the metal corners of Vuitton trunks, transformed here into “horns” that protect and support the case. The same horn detailing in the shape of trunk corners can be found in the exquisite and subtle Emprise watch. Its design, the epitome of Parisian chic, a
Let us leave the salons of Louis Vuitton and head over to Dior, which is part of the LVMH stable. The Parisian house is throwing one of its Grand Balls, and we are transported in a whirlwind of colours, a rustle of luxurious materials and the sensuous thrill of rich textures. “We’re looking to bring the worlds of couture and watchmaking together,” confides one of the brand’s representatives. The effect is striking, as if one had been transported into a shop full of exquisite and tremendously expensive delicacies. Inverted oscillating weights are covered in strips of mother-of-pearl depicting a “sunray pleat” or are dressed in blue feathers mounted on gold ribs. D for Dior is embossed on the dial in gold-plated alligator, a texture that extends onto the bracelet. Ox-eye or tiger’s-eye quartz painted with delicate leopard spots catch the eye. Mother-of-pearl is embroidered with silken thread over a tungsten lattice. For Homme Dior – a rarer breed – there is a Chiffre Rouge Moonphase watch, measuring a modest 38 mm, equipped with a Zenith Elite 691 movement, noteworthy for its perfectly minimalist design, but also for the sophistication of its stunning dial in metallic mother-of-pearl.
“simple” square measuring 23 mm by 23 mm, is based on “all the structural elements of the trunk, those that give it strength and solidity: the metallic corner pieces, the locks, the nails, are transformed into decorative leitmotifs repeated ad infinitum.” Innocent of numbers or indices, protected by a double-bevelled glass, fitted with powdered dials reminiscent of the padded interior of a Vuitton trunk, and featuring simple lines evoking the panelling of a grand Parisian apartment, the Emprise is a complete and utter triumph. To our taste, it was the most beautiful women’s watch at Baselworld.
ESCALE WORLDTIME by Louis Vuitton
I EMPRISE WATCH by Louis Vuitton
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T I S S OT L U X U RY AU TO M AT I C . P OW E R M AT I C 8 0 M OV E M E N T, O F F I C I A L LY C H R O N O M E T E R - C E R T I F I E D BY T H E C O S C (CONTRÔLE OFFICIEL SUISSE DES CHRONOMÈTRES), O F F E R I N G U P TO 8 0 HOU RS O F P OW E R R E S E RV E W IT H A 3 16 L STA I N L E S S ST E E L C AS E . I N N OVATO RS BY T R A D I T I O N .
T I S S OT. C H
Calibre 110
MID-RANGE ON THE OFFENSIVE Another major “trend”, if we can call it that, of which we have seen glimpses since the beginning of the year, was confirmed at Baselworld 2014: the mid-range is back! Several factors confirm it: a general lowering of prices affecting almost all brands (the eyewatering but attention-grabbing price of 50 million US dollars for Graff’s highcalibre tutti-frutti concoction is merely the “tree that hides the forest”); the début in the ‘Swiss made’ arena of several fashion names; and the renewed vigour of the Swiss brands operating essentially in the mid-range sector. A very good example of this is Oris, one of whose leitmotivs is to provide “added value at democratic prices.” Having always worked exclusively in the affordable mechanical watch category, Oris had an important an-
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nouncement to make. Its spokesman, vice-president Rolf Studer, did not beat about the bush. “I would like to point out that ETA was built from the rubble of the Swiss industry; initially it was a joint project. It’s too easy to say that the others, who were destroyed previously, ‘are now helping themselves at ETA as if it were a supermarket’,” he stated, referring to some pointed remarks made earlier by Nick Hayek. He noted that until 1982 Oris, which was founded in 1904, was producing up to
I Form left to right: ORIS 110 YEARS LIMITED EDITION and ARTIX POINTER MOON by Oris
Until 1982 Oris was producing up to 1.2 million watches per year, and was the proprietor of 279 in-house calibres. 1.2 million watches per year, and was the proprietor of 279 in-house calibres. In 1982, he explained, the ASUAG – the consortium that predated ETA – which had been mandated to bring some order to the production of movements in Switzerland, had simply decided to close down Oris’s movement production, after which Oris was bought by its own management. On its 110th anniversary, Oris there-
fore decided to relaunch the production of in-house movements with the Calibre 110, a hand-wound movement with a 10-day power reserve and a non-linear power reserve indicator (an interesting patented display). Developed over ten years in collaboration with the Ecole Technique du Locle, production of this base movement was fully industrialised in order to achieve the low production costs for which the Oris range, which comes in at less than 5,000 Swiss francs, is known. (Europa Star will look in greater depth at Oris and the rebirth of its movement production capacity in the next issue, ES 4/14). On its launch, the new Calibre 110 was fitted into the “Oris 110 Years Limited Edition” watch, produced in a limited run of 110 in steel (CHF 5,500) and 110 in 18K rose gold (CHF 14,800). In addition to this important announcement, Oris presented a series of new models demonstrating its philosophy of “democratisation” of prices, including a very handsome WorldTime with an original module (CHF 3,400), the Artix Pointer Moon which, thanks also to an in-house module, indicates
the day of the moon phase (CHF 1,900), the Chrono Aquis with ceramic rotating bezel and helium valve (CHF 3,600), and last but not least, a new version of the famous Big Crown Timer, fitted with a Valijoux movement, for CHF 3,300. Who could ask for more?
MAURICE LACROIX IN MOTION At Maurice Lacroix, another major player in the Swiss mid-range sector, they are also very proud to present a new completely in-house movement, the ML 230. Developed by Michel Vermot, head of movement production at Maurice Lacroix, which was the first to develop and produce an all-silicon escapement in collaboration with the Haute Ecole Arc Ingénierie based in Le Locle, this automatic movement is equipped with a complete set of escapement parts – balance, balance staff, lever, pallet-staff, escape wheel and escapement pinion – entirely made of silicon. The frequency of its large balance is 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz), a more gentle cadence than some, which is particularly suited to silicon. The movement has 188 components, a deliberate choice
I MASTERPIECE GRAVITY by Maurice Lacroix
that delivers a stripped-down aesthetic while increasing reliability. When asked about the possibility of making this movement available to other watchmakers Sandro Reginelli, director of production, development and design for Maurice Lacroix, responded cautiously: “We’re thinking about it...”
For the time being, this movement can be found in the new Masterpiece Gravity watch (limited edition of 2 x 250, in polished and satin-finished stainless steel, or fully sandblasted and PVD coated steel), which is designed to showcase its features to the full. Sandro Reginelli explains: “From the designs standpoint, this piece sends an important message to everyone: it shows that after 38 years in existence, Maurice Lacroix is now a fully-fledged member of the Swiss Haute Horlogerie tradition, combining this with an avant-garde aesthetic of which we are very proud, and which sets us apart.” Indeed, the Masterpiece Gravity is a collision of two worlds, its off-centre dial in lacquered enamel on a wide and thick Clou de Paris-decorated bridge contrasting sharply with the left side of the watch, which is completely open to the beating heart within. This watch, in its three-dimensionality, is a contemporary echo of Breguet’s celebrated Tradition collection. Price: CHF 10,500.
u SINO-HELVETIC CULTURE SHOCK I met up with Antonio Calce on the final day of Baselworld. Rumours were circulating in the corridors and lounges of the fair. What was going on at Corum, which had been bought exactly one year ago by China Haidian? China Haidian, the Chinese proprietor of Ebhor and Rossini, representing “approximately 43% of the Chinese watchmaking industry” according to the group itself, bought not only top-drawer Corum, but also Eterna (largely for its industrial movement production capacities, an area that China Haidian has recently hived off from its finished watch activities - read more about Eterna and Eterna Movements in our next issue, ES 4/14, out in August), followed by the recent acquisition of the Dreyfuss Group. The latter is particularly active in Great Britain but is developing its Rotary and Dreyfuss & Co brands internationally. China Haidian shelled out CHF 40.8 million in order to “complete the group’s portfolio with a mid-range product.” On the last day of Baselworld, Antonio Calce seemed sincere. And he was. Clearly, he was unaware that barely a week later he would be unceremoniously ousted from his position as CEO of Corum, a brand he pulled back from the brink of the abyss. This is the second time the brand has risen from the ashes. Antonio Calce admitted that the Chinese shareholders needed to be made aware that “returns on investment are calculated over the mid-term; watchmaking as we practise it offers no immediate gains. It’s a culture shock. Everyone has to adapt.” Nevertheless, in the final hours of Baselworld he remained totally confident and fully committed. As a shareholder himself, albeit a small one, he gave himself a further three years to completely turn the brand around. He also said he now had “a safe, long-term partner,” noting that he had “never known such a stable situation.” He showed me (off the record - although it scarcely matters now) a luxury bronze Bubble, “very exclusive, reserved for 15 retailers worldwide. Who would have thought that originally this was a low-end product, a flash in the pan that almost sank Corum...” he mused, still off the record. It was a rude awakening, his disappointment on a par with the passion with which he was in the process of turning Corum around and reasserting its position among the brands that matter. Let us hope that his considerable work will not be in vain. (PM) © Stéphane de Bourgies
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JAPANESE STRATEGY And now, a change of style. Japan, konnichiwa! Who would have thought that Seiko would stage the funniest and most amusing press conference at BaselWorld? It was all down to the witty and multilingual Shu Yoshino, who made the most of his small stature in a brilliant piece of showmanship. To illustrate the 30% reduction in the diameter of the Astron GPS Solar, he called up one of his colleagues, who had a considerable height advantage, and asked the audience to guess the percentage difference between them. When it came to demonstrating the ease of use of the watch, he
I HI-BEAT 36000 GMT by Grand Seiko
“Surely the most advanced quartz watch ever created, with its hightorque, super-sealed movement.” switched between the different time zones, changing his hat at the same time, from samurai headdress to the feathered cap that is supposedly the traditional headgear of Basel... But on a more serious note, Seiko’s big statement this year is known as Grand Seiko.
This is Seiko’s high-end brand, a showcase of the company’s ancestral mechanical expertise and mastery of horological finishing techniques. Up to now Grand Seiko watches have only been distributed – and appreciated – inside Japan. Lest there be any doubt as to its newfound international ambitions, Seiko divided its imposing booth into two distinct buildings: the white Seiko and the black Grand Seiko, the latter having at its entrance a bench with a master engraver at work. Considerable effort will no doubt be needed to position Grand Seiko as a reference in international watchmaking, which it clearly is in view of the history of watchmaking in Japan. The collections presented evinced a functional minimalism that was distinctly Japanese rather than Saxon: a measured and painstaking form of perfectionism with a soberly understated appearance, requiring an extensive understanding of watchmaking culture to be truly appreciated. The spearhead in this offensive, the Hi-Beat 36000 GMT, encloses the new high-precision 9S86 calibre (-5/+3 sec/ day), an automatic movement beating at 36,000 vph, with a gilt titanium
oscillating weight, which displays a GMT function and has a 55-hour power reserve. However, the new Grand Seiko collection also has five new versions of the Self-Dater, a date-aperture watch from 1964, reworked and equipped with a choice of Grand Seiko’s two most exclusive top-of-the-range calibres, the famous Spring Drive 9R15 or the 9F calibre with instantaneous date change, marketed by Seiko as being “surely the most advanced quartz watch ever created, with its high-torque, super-sealed movement.” Seiko’s ambitions for its high-end Grand Seiko are entirely in line with the average price of this collection: €6,000, with a high of €31,900 for the Spring Drive in platinum.
CASIO EMBRACES ANALOGUE Casio, too, has taken an important strategic decision, but one of an entirely different kind. No, the champion of electronic complications has not decided to launch into mechanical Haute Horlogerie (that really would be something!). Significantly, the brand that built its worldwide reputation
Edifice EFR-540BK by Casio
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I G-SHOCK GRAVITY MASTER by Casio
on digital technology is increasingly moving towards analogue: analogue technology that retains all the multifunctional abilities of digital, while offering the simplicity and graphical clarity of good old hands. Hiroshi Nakamura, the elegant managing director and director of Casio’s watchmaking division, readily agrees. “We are selling more and more analogue watches, whether G-Shocks or watches from our other collections such as Edifice or Oceanus, for example.” Clearly, Casio is putting its money on Edifice to expand its international clientele to include a circle of aficionados who are sensitive to the appearance
and horological qualities of the products they buy. A convincing example of this marriage between electronic and analogue can be seen in the Edifice EFR-540BK, a powerful chronograph with 20th-of-a-second capabilities, whose arrestingly three-dimensional dial is very comfortable to read. With a highly vibration-resistant structure, thanks in particular to the use of a special polyurethane hybrid gel, this chronograph has all the ingredients of a brand classic. But Casio’s analogue ambitions go even further, notably with another Edifice, the Bluetooth Controlled, whose time display for 300 cities around the world is automatically
u PORTRAIT TURNING EQUATIONS INTO CASH Meeting Guy Semon is always an interesting experience. The head of R&D for TAG Heuer is not typical of his breed. First of all, he’s not your regular “company man”: he’s a scientist, a mathematician, a physicist and a university professor. And he is also ex-army. A surprising giant who is equally capable of reconstructing stone-by-stone an old castle in the heart of the forest, or conducting an animated discussion on another of his favourite subjects: the peony. But today, we are celebrating a double anniversary: the 10th anniversary of the V4 and Guy Semon’s 10th year in watchmaking. “In 2004, everyone told Jean-Christophe Babin, then CEO of TAG Heuer, that it would be impossible to bring the V4 – the belt-driven watch whose design was sold to him by Jean-François Ruchonnet – to market,” says Guy Semon. “To date, we’ve sold 400!” At a price of around CHF 100,000 each, this sales volume and revenue are the dream of many a small, independent firm in Haute Horlogerie. But the journey was a long and gruelling one, which Guy Semon describes as if it were a military campaign, conducted with daring and determination. In 2004 he was given two years to “make the thing work”, he explains in direct and colourful language. By December 2006, he’d done it. Stage two: the V4 should not only be a marketing coup, it should also be a sound commercial proposition. Was that even possible? Fifteen more months went by before the “thing” was deemed reliable. At the end of 2007 Guy Semon, who had been working as a consultant up to that point, was officially made head of R&D and put in charge of a team that today boasts “52 guys”. Next stop, industrialisation. But behind the V4 mission another, even more important mission, was emerging: to position the brand on its own summit – extremely technologically innovative Haute Horlogerie offering unique solutions to unique problems. “It was the V4 and the determination that went into making it a success that led to all the rest,” he explains. The rest? He is referring to TAG Heuer’s various landmark achievements in
V4 by TAG Heuer
terms of measuring time, mechanically indicated 100ths and then 1000ths of a second. The company also brought out two totally revolutionary escapements, the Pendulum and the Girder, which are still being talked about today. The resolutely scientific and mathematical approach of Guy Semon, as he conducted an orchestra of research laboratory technicians made up of “musicians” of every style, was crucial to these technical improvements, which no traditional watchmaker, no matter how gifted, could ever have imagined. “The thing I love most of all,” he admits, “is turning an equation into cash.” “TAG Heuer, with an average price for the current collection of CHF 3,200, was absent from the most juicy slice of Swiss exports, the 45% represented by watches priced above CHF 10,000. What were we going to do? Gold-plate them? Add the same traditional complications as all the other major manufacturers? No, the V4 was on the table, we had to do
something different, but with the same basic ingredients: quality, precision, design.” To celebrate the V4’s 10th birthday, something special was needed. So, cocking a snook at watchmaking orthodoxy, Guy Semon asked himself: why not drive a tourbillon with a belt transmission? “Who would have thought of that ten years ago? We’ve opened a new chapter in watchmaking history.” “I’m crazy about my job,” he continues. “I’m madly in love with transmission, in all senses of the term.” At Baselworld, for the first time, he met the new Mr Big of LVMH watchmaking, Jean-Claude Biver. Another big personality. The two men appear to have got along like a house on fire. True, they have a lot in common. They are terribly passionate, fiendishly clever, outspoken, charming, lovers of fine wines, the countryside and the open air. And watchmaking. (For more technical details about the V4 Tourbillon, see the previous issue of Europa Star - ES2/14)
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synchronised via a smartphone. Nevertheless, Casio’s watch of the moment remains the G-Shock Gravity Master, a world first that combines GPS reception and radio control (reviewed in the previous issue of Europa Star, ES 2/14). The launch of this universally accurate watch is scheduled for this September. Competition will be fierce: at the same time, the other two Japanese giants, Seiko and Citizen, will be launching their own GPS watches.
ABSOLUTE CLUTCH This year’s re-adjustment to the mid-range and the general lowering of prices has somewhat eclipsed the technical and aesthetic enhancements proposed by the independent brands working in Haute Horlogerie. There has also been a shakeout of sorts; only the most consistent and dedicated will remain in the game, to the detriment of the outliers that until fairly recently constituted the bread and butter of any number of watchmaking blogs. Among these brands, De Bethune clearly stands out from the crowd as a result of the depth of its watchmak-
“The absolute clutch operates in a system engaging the two traditional clutch methods to allow the different chronograph counters to function semi-autonomously” ing work as well as the exceptional quality of its aesthetics, which successfully blend the codes of classical fine watchmaking with an innovative and faultlessly executed modernity. Throwing itself rigorously into the domain of chronographs (the fact that this is a true complication, more complex than many others considered more “noble” is often overlooked), De Bethune has radically rethought the techniques as well as the aesthetics involved. A glance at the DB28 Maxichrono is enough to understand that this is a chronograph of incomparable elegance, whose readability is genuinely second to none. The hour is indicated by polished openwork hands in black oxidised steel, pointing to black numerals in a contemporary font. Elapsed time is indicated by slim, flame-blued hands that point to numerals of exemplary clarity,
I DB29 MAXICHRONO TOURBILLON and O DB28 MAXICHRONO by De Bethune
inspired by marine chronometers. Technically speaking, the expertise is doubly breathtaking. These five co-axial central hands demanded totally a new construction technique “stacked wheels with their shafts fitting inside each other took real technical prowess to achieve”. Nor does the feat stop there, since most of the horological research is centred on the clutch system. Denis Flageollet explains: “The De Bethune absolute clutch system aims to improve the performance of chronographs by correcting the faults identified in current mechanisms. This mechanism makes the most of the advantages of the horizontal and vertical clutch systems while eliminating their faults. It thus benefits from a marked reduction in the friction that affects the movement both when the chronograph is running and when it is functioning without the chronograph engaged. The absolute clutch operates in a system engaging the two traditional clutch methods to allow the different chronograph counters to function semi-autonomously: - The chronograph seconds are governed by the new absolute clutch system; - The minutes counter is controlled by a shifting pinion; - The hours counter is engaged by a horizontal clutch. Three different types of clutch behind three semi-independent systems controlled by three column-wheels thus govern the different chronograph elapsed-time counters.” But over and above its horological performance, our bet is that the DB28 Maxichrono, along with its alter ego, the DB29 Maxichrono Tourbillon (a technically sophisticated tourbillon, since it is hidden in the back of the movement, whose astonishing architecture is revealed by opening a double case back on an invisible hinge) will make their mark on the history of the chronograph.
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Embrace your inner princess MISS LOVELY
www.titoni.ch
HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT... For those whose fancy is tickled by mechanical follies, there was one obligatory stop: Christophe Claret. The man who has built and produced 70 different calibres in 25 years never stops experimenting with the mechanics of chance and happy juxtaposition, with strikes, rings and gongs, while revisiting the most complex escapements. Fresh from presenting his Poker Watch in Geneva in January, here he was again at Baselworld with two stunning new calibres, in his own inimitable style. The most visually striking new release was the Margot, an unparalleled romantic complication. Imagine picking the petals off a daisy, in the most random way possible. “He loves me, he loves me not... one by one, or two by two, it just depends. The twelve petals of the central flower disappear before your eyes as if by magic, accompanied by a soft tinkling sound (75 combinations are theoretically possible). Similarly, inscriptions cataloguing the extent of the unknown lover’s devotion appear in a window at four o’clock. If you should end up with “... not at all” a discreet pushbutton brings
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the message back to “... madly.” With the push of a different button, the petals instantly reappear around the glittering central corolla. Stunning! On a strictly horological level, the ingenious Mr Claret has turned his attention to the detent escapement with another watch, the Maestoso. Seven years of development were required to perfect its pivoted detent escapement, whose origin harks back to marine chronometers but whose great weakness lies – or at least used to lie – in its sensitivity to shocks, particularly lateral shocks. They can easily cause the escape wheel to catch, with the risk of breaking, while shocks can increase the amplitude of the balance, leading to excess energy that accelerates the escape wheel. Unfortunately, it is impossible to explain in detail within the confines of a general article such as this the mechanical solutions perfected by Christopher Claret. Let us simply note that two distinct systems have been added, namely an anti-pivot cam integral to the sprung balance and a flexible thrust bearing fitted on the wheel and connected to the balance, which absorbs any excess energy (in other words, an original constant-force system).
(Europa Star will look at different types of escapement mechanisms in its next issue, ES 4/14, to be published at the end of August). Aesthetically, the Maestoso, whose depth of field gives an unparalleled view of the detent escapement and its workings, has “royal” leanings, with its Louis XIV style Grand Siècle sculpted pillars and Charles X-inspired bridges. “Châtelain” Christopher Claret (the Margot advertising spot was shot in front of the château he restored), master of the Soleil d’Or Manufacture, is not just a one-trick pony.
PARTING (SNAP)SHOTS
I Form left to right: MARGOT and MAESTOSO by Christophe Claret
Unfortunately, it is impossible to report on everything that caught our eye at Baselworld. There are many other watchmakers, design houses and initiatives we would have like to mention in addition to the hundred or so mentioned in the following pages. However, we will continue to revisit them in forthcoming issues. After all, watchmaking is known for taking the long view! In the meantime, I will leave you with a few final snapshots. It was extremely gratifying to witness the buoyant enthusiasm and spirit of curiosity of the watchmakers within the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs
Indépendents, the Horological Academy of Independent Creators or AHCI. At the centre of this metaphorical hive of watchmakers from all over the world, each standing in front of their own showcase (they were the only standing watchmakers in Baselworld!), I met Vincent Calabrese, keen to share his enthusiasm. He took me by the arm to show me the incredible work of his colleagues, going so far as to lead me over to the neighbouring stand of L’Epée, urging me to admire the latest Starfleet Machine engineered by them for MB&F, in his eagerness almost forgetting his own product for that brand, which is the last remaining specialised producer of high-end clocks in Switzerland. (Read Malcolm Lakin’s report in this issue) It was remarkable to experience the energy that “outsider” Alexander Shorokhoff, a Russian-born designer
IThe Horological Academy of Independent Creators or AHCI
T Form left to right: MISS AVANT-GARDE by Alexander Shorokhoff JORDI SWISS ICON and ICON OF THE WORLD by Michel Jordi
who has worked in Germany for the last thirty years, has put into his constructivist-inspired watches. In the breathtaking setting of the pavilion designed by Zaha Hadid and discreetly located just a few kilometres from Baselworld on German soil, he told me he was not afraid to try out the unusual; he said he offered watches that were a little outside the mainstream, demonstrated his talents as an engraver and said he hoped to be able to launch his own calibre soon. Watchmaking certainly exercises a powerful hold over those who have fallen under its spell. It was also delightful to meet Michel Jordi, the standard-bearer of Swissness, who in 1986, nearly thirty years ago, sent a number of young girls out among the crowds of the Basel Messe (as Baselworld was then known) pushing wheelbarrows filled with old wristwatch-
es; they harassed the delegates to get rid of these old relics in favour of the ClipWatch. Three years later he launched the “Swiss Ethno”, half a million of which were sold (at CHF 395 each). He has lost nothing of his appetite, his vivacity or his obsession. Despite some bumps along the road, he has enjoyed a number of successful comebacks. He attended Baselworld with his wife, who has been his longstanding lieutenant, and his son. Together they presented the Jordi Swiss Icon collection: a watch like a pebble polished in an Alpine stream, a dial decorated with traditional motifs from the folk art of paper-cutting, in a full range of styles from the simple watch to an automatic chronograph. The collection is being positioned as affordable luxury. Further up the range we find complications gathered under the label Icon of the World: twin-barrelled models with alarm function. A window at 10 o’clock reveals landscapes, skylines and landmarks from around the world against a disc painted in the colours of the sky, marking the transition from day to night. Ah, the joys of watchmaking! p
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SPOTLIGHT
REVIVAL OF OUR HERITAGE DIVER WATCH
TITONI SEASCOPER Titoni proudly introduces the revived model Seascoper, which is based on the company’s historic diving model from 1970s. Handcrafted to technical perfection, this masculine timepiece is a reliable companion for sea adventures and a fine watch with elegant design for every day.
black dial, decorated with luminous hour-and minute hands, as well as twelve exceptionally framed indexes. The date indicator at 3 o’clock completes the exquisite interior, which is covered by scratch resistant and anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass. The watch is presented on an elegant black rubber strap with a single fold over buckle with pushers.
Water resistance to 200m (20 ATM) and a bracelet with diver extension make the Seascoper the perfect watch for underwater expeditions. Enthralling red details in the unidirectional rotating bezel, the screw-down stainless steel crown and the second hand, discreetly give the watch its unique character. The exclusive stainless steel watchcase holds the elegant
Revived by the dreams of passionate explorers at heart, the Seascoper is a fine and precise companion for everyday adventures. The harmonious symbiosis of elegant design and sportive functionality reflect Titoni’s dedication and craftsmanship towards watchmaking, as it has been practiced by the family business for generations.
Seascoper of the 1970s
SPOTLIGHT / europa star
www.titoni.ch TITONI LTD. / Sch端tzengasse 18 / 2540 Grenchen / Switzerland
WORLDWATCHWEB
SOCIAL MEDIA From Education to Sales Generation, Watch Brands’ Digital Presence Peaks at Baselworld 2014 Eric Roditi, International Social Media Manager for DLG
Social Media has altered the way brands are communicating with their customers, rapidly becoming a tool of choice to reach out and interact with them efficiently. Product launches, event coverage and celebrity endorsements are some of the key marketing techniques that are featured daily on all main social channels.
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U Rolex Facebook page cover picture posted on March 22nd 2014
U Maurice Lacroix unveiled one model per day with several curated posts and updated their cover photo daily to ensure recurrent interest and interactions on the page
Baselworld has the unique ability (with SIHH) to unify all these elements in order to convey a clear brand value that is shared with the world. Even the most traditional of watch and jewellery brands are leveraging on social media to ensure the highest visibility possible and be desired by their aspirational clientele during the most important watch fair of the year. The digital world is gradually becoming a medium to touch base with professionals (even watch dealers.) Brand marketers are more and more conscious of this reality and are seriously investing in their digital presence (website, email marketing, banner advertising and social media). Their ultimate objectives being to differentiate themselves, to increase brand awareness and their reach. A few weeks before the world’s largest watch and jewellery trade show started, the social war had already begun on your screens. At Digital Luxury Group, we noticed (and managed), starting early March, numerous advertisements on Facebook’s News Feed by promoting watch and jewellery brands. They were hard to miss because of their frequency, creativity and precise audience targeting. In fact, if you came across one yourself, it was not a coincidence! Brands are targeting their audience by market (ie: USA, Russia, etc.) and by interest (ie: Hublot, Harry Winston, etc.). Social Media offers unique and cost effective techniques to reach markets in both B2B and B2C audiences. Once again, visual content has proven itself the most efficient way to raise awareness during Baselworld. Facebook and Instagram have remained the most used platforms by brands during the fair.
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Until last year, Patek Philippe and Rolex were the only two major watchmakers lacking a presence on Facebook. In April 2013, Rolex finally started an official page and accumulated nearly half a million fans in just a couple of weeks. Today, the Rolex page counts more than 2 million likes, a much wider audience than brands such as Omega (600,000 fans), IWC (700,000 fans) and TAG Heuer (1.8m fans), which have been present on Facebook for several years. Although Rolex still uses Facebook extremely carefully (not more than 3 posts per month), during Baselworld 2014 the brand posted, on a daily basis, its novelties. This very basic indicator illustrates the industry traction generated at this very special time of the year and how strategic Facebook remains, even for the most iconic brand of the industry.
All brands present at Baselworld did their best to engage with their audience and ensure their fans were “educated” directly from their Facebook pages. While watch aficionados preferred to refer to unbiased media sources such as Hodinkee and aBlogtoWatch, the aspirational clientele mainly used Facebook and Instagram to follow brands and discover the novelties.
Modern times, eternal elegance.
Ernest Borel S.A. +41 32 926 17 26 / info@ernestborel.ch www.ernestborel.ch
© Digital Luxury Group, DLG SA, 2014
ENGAGEMENT RATE
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INSTAGRAM VOLUME OF FANS
n Brands regrouped nearly 3.4 million fans on Instagram. n Audemars Piguet generated the highest engagement with an average of 5.7% whilst Hublot led with the highest number of fans (117K) n Instagram thoroughly defeated Facebook with nearly 3 times the average engagement rate. Jan.2013 – Dec. 2013 Not taking into account Couture category brands and Tiffany & Co
Although Facebook remains the most used social platform, its younger sister Instagram (the mobile application designed for easy photo sharing and acquired by Facebook in 2012,) has grown significantly over the last year, counting, as of April 2014, more than 200 million active users. The top 40 watch brands regrouped nearly 4 million followers on Instagram and engagement is considerably higher than on Facebook (1.77% vs. 0.6%). On Instagram, brands are communicating through pictures and engaging their audiences through hashtags (#). The purpose of hashtags is to categorize images and make them searchable to increase association with a topic and/or an interest. The first time the #Baselworld hashtag was used was on March 25th, 2011. The hashtag now counts more than 27,000 publications. We have noticed an exponential growth of usage within the last 3 editions: - #Baselworld2012 = 139 publications - #Baselworld2013 = 3,983 publications - #Baselworld2014 = 12,068 publications
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How many publications will there be next year for #Baselworld2015? 40,000? More? A brand is built by people talking and sharing, which is exactly what social media is about. All brands need to be part of the conversation especially when it comes to promoting themselves and ensure they reach a qualified audience. Most European companies have generated new customers via social platforms and this will not stop. “Social Media has become a priority tool to create desirability among new customers and reinforce the emotional link with existing clients. The correlation between a brand’s social 10 performance, its story-telling and sales is now indisputable.” Xavier Robert, International Brand Manager at Maurice Lacroix. 8
7
The main questions raised from 6a professional standpoint are: What will be, in the coming years, the most efficient platforms when it comes to generating sales? Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Foursquare, Tumblr, LinkedIn, etc. without mentioning the Chinese platforms! How many of them can a single brand effectively handle? Stay tuned! p
www.patton-watch.com
MADE
BASELWORLD
THE KALEIDOSCOPIC WORLD OF JEWELLERY WATCHES A look at what some of the brands are creating to entice the ladies D. Malcolm Lakin
I have always been a sucker for colour. I’m not talking about the shocking pinks, reds and mauves that the trendy young females of the species use to dye their hair or paint their toenails, no, I’m talking about the delicate and subtle colours found in nature, painting, mosaics and enamelling along with those vibrant colours that emanate from rubies, emeralds, sapphires and diamonds, the natural lustrous colours of the precious stones that we inevitably associate with the finest jewellery, but are now seeing more and more of in the watch industry.
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GRAFF I was looking forward to feasting my eyes on the Graff watch that seemed to be on everybody’s lips during Baselworld. I had already heard rumblings and rumours concerning their Hallucination timepiece, imagining that it would somehow resemble Cartier’s 1929 Art Deco tutti frutti platinum bracelet watch that was set with diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies. But nothing could have been further from the truth. When I actually set eyes on the kaleidoscope of rare coloured diamonds that make up this unique piece, I realized that it came from a different world, a place of dreams, of fantasies, perhaps even an hallucination. “The Graff Hallucination is a sculptural masterpiece;” Laurence Graff, the Chairman and founder of Graff Diamonds said of the timepiece, “a celebration of the miracle of coloured diamonds. For many years I have thought about creating a truly remarkable watch that illustrates our all-consuming passion for diamonds. The Hallucination has made my diamond dream a reality.” But this dream, this quite exquisite combination of 110 carats of multiO HALLUCINATION by Graff 38 BASELWORLD / europa star
coloured diamonds that somehow blend together, that shimmer and shine from every angle, that took thousands of hours to create, is like nothing you have ever seen in a watch before – or, probably, will never see again. The delicate colouring of these rare diamonds bears no relation to the obscene ‘in-your-face’ multi-carat single gemstones that Sotheby’s and Christies are more than happy to auction, these gemstones subtly fuse into a white gold bracelet with, at its centre, a miniature Swiss watch with a quartz movement showing, rather discreetly, hours and minutes. As a piece of art it is exquisite. As a personal adornment it works. As a watch, let’s be honest, it leaves something to be desired - the movement is quartz and reading the time on a miniature dial in a maze of colour is a little bit of a challenge unless you’ve been at the kryptonite – but if you have that price tag of 55 million dollars won’t be a deterrent! Graff’s participation at Baselworld wasn’t only about the Hallucination though. In addition to the complicated timepieces mentioned elsewhere in the magazine, there were other quite remarkable jewellery watches. The Floralgraff, the brand’s latest floral evolution, is a stunning watch with a mosaic inspired pattern with pavé set diamonds and eight cabochon rubies that is not only a striking representation of a flower in bloom, but also a nod, albeit distant, to the Art Deco period.
Deliciously feminine, this quartz watch has 120 diamonds (2.34 carats), a mother-of-pearl dial with a radial motif inlaid with a further eight rubies and is completed by a black or blue satin strap with a diamond-set buckle. The Floralgraff also comes with either emeralds or blue sapphires and the possibility of a fully set diamond and gemstone bracelet. Another brilliantly conceived jewellery timepiece is the Secret Carved Emerald Watch. This chef-d’oeuvres is a more obvious ‘up and at them’ piece beautifully constructed around a trapezoidal carved emerald enhanced by scrolls of round and pearshaped diamonds, which conceals a mother-of-pearl dial with a charming and intricate floral motif design. The bracelet comprises five rows of matching emerald beads connected by a diamond-set clasp. In total, there are 400 diamonds weighing 26.71 carats and 134 emeralds totalling 134.00 carats. The watch is equipped with a quartz movement, but time is hardly the raison d’être for the Secret Carved Emerald Watch’s existence.
JACOB & CO. Although Jacob Arabo started his own company in New York when he was twenty-one years old, the brand really only took off in the 1990s when his striking jewellery and watch creations caught the attention of actors, actresses, singers and rap artists. It was at this point in time that ‘Jacob the Jeweller’ became the talk of the town. Since then the brand has not been out of the news, but as for what concerns the watch industry, it was the launch of the multi-faced, multi-coloured five time zone watches that caught people’s attention and got Jacob the sobriquet of the ‘Master of World Time’. The watches not only challenged the traditional and conservative approach to watchmaking, but also pushed the boundaries of design and aestheticism because the opulent gem-set five time zone timepieces that measured 47 mm appeared to be twice that size due of their colourful dials and lavish use of diamonds. Today, with its watchmaking operation based in Geneva, Jacob & Co has developed into a bona fide watch company producing both technically exciting pieces and luxurious jewellery watches.
I From left to right: FLORAGRAFF and SECRET CARVED EMERALD Watch by Graff
T ASTRONOMIA TOURBILLON by Jacob & Co.
An example of its dedication to the art of horology, one needs look no further than the Astronomia Tourbillon. This celestial-inspired four-armed rose gold watch has on one arm the tourbillon, which in addition to rotating once around the dial every twenty minutes, also rotates around the axis of the arm once every five minutes, and around its own axis once every 60 seconds. The skeleton dial with its Roman numerals is aesthetically balanced opposite the revolving tourbillon carriage and rotates as the central carrier turns. The Moon is on a third arm and is represented by a spherical, briolettecut diamond which, in addition to rotating around the dial once every 20 minutes on the carrier, also rotates on its own axis once every sixty seconds, with the 56 facets sparkling in the refractive light. The Earth arm, which rotates once every sixty seconds on its own axis, is represented by a globe made of white gold, with the oceans
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horlogerie with its innovative use of tourbillons, the brand maintains its fundamental desire to surprise the hierarchy of the jewellery watch sector with its masterful use of coloured gemstones.
ROLEX
represented by a deep blue, translucent grand feu enamel. This absorbing display ‘floats’ above a dial of deep blue aventurine. The Astronomia Tourbillon is a technical tour de force that suggests Jacob & Co is a genuine player in the competitive universe of horological complications. As eye-catching as the Astronomia but for more brazen reasons, the Arlequino Flying Tourbillon is a sumptuous combination of diamonds and sapphires set around the tourbillon. The dial comprises 160 invisibly set white baguette diamonds and pink, blue, green and orange sapphires. The crown, in rose gold, is set with a rose cut yellow sapphire. The functions are hours, minutes and a 100-hour power reserve indicator supplied by a manually wound Jacob & Co. Caliber JCBM01 movement with a titanium balance with a gold timing screw and a one-minute flying tourbillon. The 47 mm case is in 18 carat white gold with a white alligator strap and either a white, rose or yellow gold buckle set with 24 baguette white diamonds and multi-coloured sapphires. With these important timepieces, Jacob & Co is, in naval terms, showing its colours, and whilst clearly embarking on establishing itself as a player in haute
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I ARLEQUINO FLYING TOURBILLON by Jacob & Co.
T From left to right: OYSTER PERPETUAL COSMOGRAPH DAYTONA and OYSTER PERPETUAL DATEJUST PEARLMASTER 34 by Rolex.
No need for an introduction to this brand, except to say that since its launch of the first Oyster wristwatch in 1926, it has remained at the forefront of Swiss watchmaking. In keeping with their image of sophisticated elegance, this year Rolex introduced two versions of the Oyster: the Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona and the Perpetual Datejust Pearlmaster 34. With its classical case and 100 metres water-resistance, these timepieces combine precision with an understated use of gemstones. The 40 mm Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona is in 950 platinum and is equipped with the Rolex 4130 mechanical chronograph self-winding movement with a power reserve of 72 hours. There are the usual central hour and minutes hands, small seconds at 6 o’clock, a central
chronograph centre hand accurate to 1/8th of a second, a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and a 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock, both in ice blue with a white gold border. There is a stop-seconds feature for precise time setting. What makes this watch different is that the dial is set with 437 diamonds and the bezel is set with 36 baguette diamonds and completing the contrast, the hands are in blued white gold. The Oyster three-piece solid link bracelet is also in 950 platinum with polished centre links and satin-finished outer links with polished edges. In contrast to the larger sized Daytona the Oyster Perpetual Datejust Pearlmaster 34 is in 18 carat yellow gold and has a bezel set with 12 pink baguette-cut sapphires and 24 light pink sapphires. The dial is in 18 carat gold paved with 455 diamonds and has appliqué gold Roman numerals and gold hands. The 34 mm watch is equipped with a 2236 Rolex movement featuring central hour, minute and second hands with an instantaneous date at 3 o’clock with rapid setting and a
I BERRIES TOURBILLON RETROGRADE HOURS EMERALDS and U LUCEA by Bulgari.
tures a 22 carat gold oscillating weight set with 13 brilliant-cut diamonds. The movement has a 64-hour power reserve and a transparent caseback. To complete the 40 mm watch there is an elegant black satin strap with a white gold folding clasp and the Berries Tourbillon Retrograde Hours Emeralds is water-resistant to 30 metres. The understated and elegant Lucea is a complete contrast to the Berries watch. In 18 carat rose gold, the bezel is set with 43 brilliant-cut diamonds and the bracelet comes set with another 117 brilliant-cut diamonds. Brilliantly contrasting the rose gold case and bracelet is an opaline black dial with a sunburst guilloché pattern, 11 diamond indices with a date window at 3 o’clock and rose gold-plated hands and a pink gold crown with a cabochon-cut pink stone set with a diamond. The watch is equipped with a Calibre B77 mechanical self-winding movement featuring hours, minutes and seconds and is water-resistant to 30 metres. Two very different contrasting timepieces that underline the brand’s dedication to combining sophisticated styling with intricate watchmaking complications.
stop-seconds feature for precise time setting. To complete the jewellery ‘look’, the 18 carat yellow gold fivepiece solid link bracelet is set with 186 brilliant-cut diamonds. And so, the Rolex crown remains in place.
BVLGARI The name Bulgari conjures up all sorts of images of Italian culture, sophisticated design, exquisite jewellery and, not surprisingly, jewellery watches. Amongst the many new timepieces that Guido Terreni, the Managing Director of the Watch Business Unit and Pascal Brandt, the Brand Ambassador, introduced me to, there are two very different jewellery watches that I personally liked: the Berries Tourbillon Retrograde Hours Emeralds and the Lucea. The Berries Tourbillon Retrograde Hours Emeralds watch is an adventurous, yet elegant combination of 18 carat white gold set with 129 brilliant-cut diamonds and, as the name suggests, emeralds. Needless to say, the focal point of the timepiece is the tourbillon at six o’clock
DE GRISOGONO
encircled by a fascinating swirl of diamonds and seven emeralds evocative in shape of an ammonite fossil and set into a white marquetry-styled mother-of-pearl dial with 7 brilliant-cut hour markers. The crown is also set with an emerald. The watch is equipped with a mechanical self-winding hand-decorated Manufacture-made movement with jumping Retrograde Hours on a 240-degree segment and blued hands and fea-
The Allegra Collection is named after Fawaz Gruosi’s daughter Allegra. He explains the raison d’être of the collection as a showpiece which emerges out of the complex relationships between father and daughter and ‘the boiling mass of ideas and feelings … my symbol of life and love, made of all sorts of ties, some more important than others, but all forever united and entwined.” The multi-coloured square watches are jewels that tell the time, emanating ‘dazzling fire, light and the energy of precious stones’ and are completed by custom fitted straps of intertwined leather cords of various colours.
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Available in PVD stainless steel, pink or white gold and a diamond-set white gold, the vibrant sparkle is brought to the watches by bezels set with white diamonds, emeralds, pink or red spinels, yellow sapphires and tsavorites, orange sapphires, pink sapphires and diamonds and amethysts, sapphires, spinels and diamonds.
The dials are lacquered black, white, or pink, orange, red or black motherof-pearl and there are gold dauphine hands. The crown is set with a signature de Grisogono black diamond and the watch is equipped with a Swiss quartz movement. Quintessentially feminine, these vivacious watches emanate a spirit full of joie de vivre.
I ALLEGRA COLLECTION
T From left to right: GRAPPOLI and TONDO TOURBILLON GIOIELLO by de Grisogono.
Another very feminine watch is the floral-styled Grappoli. The 18 carat pink gold version is set with beautifully set orange sapphires with a matching galuchat strap with an 18 carat gold clasp also set with orange sapphires. Finally, there is the Tondo Tourbillon Gioiello in white gold set with 529 white diamonds weighing 7.80 carats around the bezel and case. The skeleton dial, revealing the manually wound tourbillon movement, is enhanced by purple enamelling and the watch is completed by a purple galuchat strap that augment the purity of the white diamonds.
CONCLUSION A fascinating and colourful year for jewellery watches. What is interesting to note is that not only are the leading watch brands no longer inhibited in their use of dazzling and highly decorative coloured gemstones, but also they dare to include complex complications in their timepieces for ladies that hitherto were previously confined to the realm of watches designed to keep the male of the species happy. p
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BASELWORLD
“Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.” Bill Shankly, Liverpool Manager, 1959 – 1964
THE BEAUTIFUL GAME COMES TO BASELWORLD D. Malcolm Lakin PHOTO COURTESY OF HUBLOT
Football is unquestionably the world’s most popular sport, watched and played by millions in nearly every country in the world and, according to Bill Shankly’s remark, more important than life itself. It is not surprising therefore, that watch brands get involved not only as sponsors, but also as manufacturers of watches for the managers, players and those fans rich or fanatical enough to want one.
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At Baselworld this year, I counted six brands that were caught up in the all-consuming world of soccer: JeanRichard and Arsenal; Hublot and Chelsea’s Mourinho and the 2014 FIFA World Cup; Maurice Lacroix and Barcelona; Rotary and Chelsea; Ritmo Mundo and Brazil players and Breitling for Bentley and David Beckham. Football or soccer, depending on your continent, is a spectator sport, so this particular article, although it introduces you to the relationship between watch companies and the world of football, it is as much for your visual enjoyment (see Ritmo
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Mundo) as for your appreciation of the horological values of the illustrated timepieces.
JEANRICHARD AND ARSENAL Launching the Arsenal watches in the presence of Tom Fox, the Arsenal Chief Operating officer and one of the team’s great players, the affable Robert Pires, Bruno Grande, the Managing Director of JeanRichard, talked about how football and watchmaking are linked through both passion and team spirit. “We share the same philosophy of life, based on a determination to take on a challenge, a
Arsenal legend Robert Pires at Baselworld
belief in the dignity of hard work and the desire to go one step further each time.” Robert Pires replied with, “In 2003, JeanRichard was one of the first luxury watchmakers to support football at an international level [in Italy]. On behalf of Arsenal, I am delighted to be here today with Tom Fox to launch these two exclusive watches in the Gunners’ colours.” JeanRichard signed a new global agreement with Arsenal FC earlier in the year and is now the Official Watch Partner of the club, which means that JeanRichard will enjoy significant exposure within London’s Emirates Stadium on match days and the right to create and distribute licensed products through both Arsenal and its own retail channels. What was patently obvious for anyone present, was that Bruno Grande was excited by the idea of teaming up
Bruno Grande with Arsenal’s long-time manager, Arsene Wenger.
with Arsenal and Tom Fox and Robert Pires were delighted to be associated with JeanRichard and more than happy to wear the Terrascope and the Aeroscope models. So to the watches. The first is a unique version of the Terrascope in a stainless steel case water-resistant to 100 metres. It is equipped with a JR60 self-winding movement with a 38hour power reserve and has a vertical satin-finished grey dial with touches of red on the dial and hands – the colour of Arsenal’s emblem - and the Arsenal cannon logo is printed at 6 o’clock. The second watch is a Limited Edition of 250 Aeroscope Chronographs equipped with a JR66 self-winding
chronograph movement and a micro beaded and sand blasted black titanium watch case water-resistant to 100 metres. There is a red dial with a small seconds hand at 3 o’clock in the shape of the club’s iconic cannon, 30minute and twelve-hour counters, date aperture between 4 and 5 o’clock, with a tachometric scale on the bezel. After the presentation, a smiling Robert Pires signed Arsenal shirts for fans and press alike and posed for many a selfie (yes, I’ve got one).
HUBLOT AND MOURINHO The Hublot booth was also geared up for its involvement in football, to the extent that the area around the booth’s entrance was covered in Astroturf – as was the stage in the conference room on the upper floor. It was there that the press conference with Jose Mourinho, the Chelsea Football Club manager, was held and the Hublot watch called the King Power Special One was presented. For those of you who have been living on a different planet for the past few years, ‘The special one’ is the nickname Jose Mourinho has been given
I KING POWER SPECIAL ONE by Hublot
Jean-Claude Biver
O Left to right: ARSENAL AEROSCOPE WATCH and ARSENAL TERRASCOPE WATCH by JeanRichard
by the British press after he called himself that in 2004 when he joined Chelsea for the first time. The conference began with a particularly effervescent Jean-Claude Biver, the head of the LVMH watchmaking group, giving an impassioned talk about Hublot’s involvement in sport and in particular with football. “I love sport, I love football,” and pointing to the sign on the wall cried, “Hublot loves football,” and with a huge smile broke into song, the Beatles ‘All you need is love.’ Proud of Hublot’s continuing technical innovations, Biver added, “Innovation is more powerful than knowledge. Innovation is the creation of tomorrow!” By this time, Hublot’s CEO, Ricardo Guadalupe had joined the stage with Jose Mourinho and after a brief introduction full of bonhomie and smiles gave Mourinho a King Power Special One timepiece and passed the microphone to ‘The special one’. And special he was. Compared to the good humour of the Hublot management representatives, Jose Mourinho was a picture of gloom. Effusing total boredom, he said nothing of interest, replied abruptly to a couple questions
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concerning Chelsea from the massed journalists and with a sour expression on his face said he’d only come to Baselworld for the watch. From where I was standing, which was in the front of the crowd, Ricardo Guadalupe somehow maintained a smile on his face, but I had the impression that he cringed internally. In my opinion, if you’re going to accept the kudos of being an ambassador to a innovative brand like Hublot, you play the game with good humour, you don’t simply take the money and run. My criticism of Mourinho may seem harsh, but I only have praise for the new Hublot watches that were presented. The King Power Special One is a flyback chronograph equipped with the brand’s self-winding manufacture Unico movement with a 72-hour power reserve. There is a central 60-second counter and a small minute counter at 3 o’clock with a date window at 4 o’clock. The 48 mm case is available in either titanium or 18 carat ‘King Gold’ with a Jose Mourinho signature and it is water-resistant to 100 metres. More importantly, Hublot has also developed an Official Watch specifically for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and is also its Official Timekeeper. The stunning looking watch is the 45 mm Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chrono in 18 carat King Gold (also available in black ceramic). Equipped with the new automatic HUB1260 manufacture movement with central chrono (patent pending), the chronograph is started and the chronograph’s second hand and minute hand move from left to right in an arc of 45 minutes – with an area for 15 minutes of added time up to 60 minutes (for the uninitiated, a match is two halves of 45 minutes with a 15-minute break between them). The push button at 2 o’clock is also used to indicate one of four options: 1st
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MAURICE LACROIX AND BARCELONA
half, half time, 2nd half and the end of the match, all indicated in the aperture at 12 o’clock. There are also two permanently rotating hands in a counter at 6 o’clock that display the passing hours and minutes with the seconds shown in a small sector-shaped counter at 9 o’clock with a three-spoke hand that rotates permanently. The watch has a carbon fibre bezel and an 18 carat King Gold crown with moulded rubber bearing the Hublot logo. The black dial carries the national colours of Brazil, the World Cup’s host country, with a yellow retrograde display and a yellow minute hand and a green retrograde seconds hand. The watch, which is water-resistant to 100 metres, has a power reserve of 72 hours and comes with a ribbed natural black rubber strap. Without question, it is the perfect partner for football fans, whether you attend the matches in Brazil or play the couch potato at home.
I BIG BANG UNICO BI-RETROGRADE CHRONO by Hublot T Barcelona’s Vice-President Javier Faus and the Managing Director of Maurice Lacroix, Marc Gläser with a Barcelona shirt.
Maurice Lacroix had a huge screen on the exterior of its booth showing footage of Barcelona’s gigantic Campo Nou stadium and many of its footballers during a game. It was here that the brand announced its three-year partnership with the Barcelona FC club, which has a global fan base of 300 million people and a 100 million social media followers. Although Maurice Lacroix didn’t yet have a special Barcelona watch, the management said it will be ‘an affordable fan’s watch and will provide an entry-level opportunity for Swiss timepiece ownership. For lover’s of mechanical timepieces or for those wishing to make the big jump, a stunning player’s watch and a sophisticated executive model will be sold in all Barcelona FC boutiques and in the extensive worldwide network of official Maurice Lacroix retailers.’ Additionally there will giant clocks in Europe’s largest stadium and the name now appears on the 4th referee’s LCD screen on the touchline. Marc Gläser said of the sponsoship
agreement, “The Maurice Lacroix company is proud and enthusiastic about this exceptional deal. Our brands have the same desire for perfection and together we will create an impressive, powerful and successful team”.
players wearing eye-catching Ritmo Mundo timepieces in professional environments along with Reflex watches in their respective sports world. Ali Soltani, the President and founder of the brand said, “I am delighted to announce our partnership with not one but several of the top Brazil football players in the world in the year the World Cup is hosted in that country. These players are committed to excellence and achievement in their field with a passion to win; which are values we share at Ritmo Mundo.” The Reflex silicone LED slap watches are available in a full palette of colours and cater to an audience looking for the simplicity of telling the time and date both functionally and stylistically and with the versatility of usage from the sports club to the night club, and a swimming pool to surfing.
ROTARY AND CHELSEA Rotary announced last October that they had signed an exclusive four-year sponsorship deal as the Global Official Timekeeper of Chelsea FC. As the team’s Official Timekeeper, Rotary branding will be prominent within the Club’s ground at Stamford Bridge (London) and Chelsea’s star midfielder Frank Lampard was named as the Rotary brand ambassador for the 2013-14 season. Chelsea FC’s Chief Executive, Ron Gourlay, said: “We have never partnered with a watch company until now, but believe Rotary are a perfect fit as we share a similar outlook and goals. We are very pleased to be joining forces with a Swiss watch brand which has a worldwide name.” The Chelsea watch is a tribute to the European champions of 2012: a numbered quartz chronograph, it has the
Chelsea Lion crest on the dial in the middle of the small seconds counter at 3 o’clock, with a blue-tipped central chronograph seconds hand, a date aperture at 6 o’clock and the Chelsea blue colour running around the inside of the tachymeter bezel. The Chelsea watch comes with either a stainless steel bracelet or a leather strap.
RITMO MUNDO AND BRAZILIAN PLAYERS The Beverly Hills based company, Ritmo Mundo, recently announced a multi-year sponsorship agreement with several footballers in the Brazilian national team. The players are Paulihmio who plays for Tottenham Hotspur (London) and Willian and Ramires of Chelsea (London), Dante who plays for Bayern Munich and Bernard the Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) player. They will be involved in a global marketing campaign, which will be launched this summer featuring the
I A Brazilian-styled Reflex advertisement for the male of the species. A Reflex watch in the Brazil colours.
BREITLING FOR BENTLEY Last but not least, Breitling for Bentley have one of football’s most iconic stars, David Beckham as their ambassador. One of England’s most capped footballers and now building a stadium and a team in the USA, he
U David Beckham advertising the BENTLEY GMT LIGHT BODY B04 WATCH by Breitling.
appears in the Breitling for Bentley advertisements. Here he is seen with the Bentley GMT Light Body B04, a titanium watch with the brand’s B04 Manufacture Breitling Calibre movement. For the watch details see ‘The Basel Marathon’. p
CHELSEA CHRONOGRAPH by Rotary europa star / BASELWORLD 47
BASELWORLD
THE SPORTS WATCH SEGMENT continues to be popular Keith W. Strandberg
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The sports watch is moving in three distinct directions: Sports Style. General Sports. Sports-Specific/Professional. These three very diverse groups demonstrate how popular “sports watches” truly are. SPORTS STYLE Entry level and fashion brands have appropriated the look of sports watches, without the high specifications. This way, the consumer can look sporty without having to spend the money to actually own a sports watch. This is a big segment of watches, as the look is a strong one and the price can be quite modest, it doesn’t require a manufacturer to do any real sports testing nor to make it
highly shockproof or water resistant. “We find ourselves in sport-inspired watches featuring design elements such as: pure shapes with a sport-chic touch, structured and coloured silicone straps, perforated leather straps, iconic dials, over-sized cases, multi-eye function movements,” says Andreas Schwörer, Sales Director Tommy Hilfiger Watches & Jewelry & Juicy Couture Timepieces for Europe, Middle East & Africa.
Tommy Hilfiger
A company like TAG Heuer is an interesting study, as the brand started with sports-specific timepieces and has evolved into having collections that are truly sports watches and having collections that are, as Stephane Linder, president, says, “sports-inspired. We are not just a sports watch brand, we are a brand inspired by the value of sports,” he notes. “We have real sports watches and we have sports inspired watches. These timepieces still have character, but they are elegant and upscale watches. We have moved from professional sports watches to a prestige company that has sports watches, and much more.”
Ferragamo
Juicy Couture
TAG Heuer
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Maurice Lacroix
Panerai
Shinola
Rolex
Tudor
GENERAL SPORTS A strong category in sports watches is the general sports watch, one that is robust and has strong styling and sports features (chronographs, water resistance, visibility, luminosity, etc.). These watches are designed to take a beating from any number of different activities – running, lifting, swimming, etc., but they aren’t dive watches and they aren’t pilot watches. They can go to the gym, the beach and the office, and look good doing it all. Reactor is a brand that made its name making the best sports watches possible, and president Jimmy Olmes bemoans the increased competition in the sports watch world. “It seems as if every company is now jumping into the sports watch market, even companies that have never had a history or culture for sport
watches,” he says. “There are more and more 500 metre to 1000 metre watches on the market, with helium release valves (even though they are not necessary for anyone other than industrial divers or submersibles). We are also seeing integrated depth gauges, and much more. With more and more companies trying to produce ‘real’ performance sport watches, we continue to try to keep ahead of them. Part of our culture is trying to do things that no other company has done in the past. And as we build more and more expertise, we can build on our past successes. “Many of our customers buy our product first on looks and then second on features and benefits,” he continues. “Over 65 per cent of our customers own more than one Reactor watch. We believe they get hooked on the feel and overall func-
Citizen
Reactor
tions and come back for more, especially since we have unique looks and we are a very good value. I think the only category that is really specific is for avid divers – they are looking for highly luminous watches with a high depth rating.” Certina has been steadily growing in general sports watches with high specifications and impressive features. “In the Certina history, the brand always had the philosophy to offer highest quality and precision possible,” says Adrian Bosshard, President of Certina. “Therefore we’re proud to be able to offer, thanks to the huge Research and Development resources of the Swatch Group, a lot of new technologies and features to our customers. The key point is that we are able to offer such additional values without leaving our price segment which is between CHF 300 and 2000.”
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SPORTS-SPECIFIC / PROFESSIONAL A number of companies, like Breitling, Panerai, Bremont, Seiko, Bell & Ross and others that made their names in sports-specific or professional arenas, then moved as close to the mainstream as they could. “Bell & Ross has always created watches for professional use catering to specific needs, like our BR03-94 Type Aviation for the Armée de l’Air Française, but each year we try to bring something new and different,” says Alexandra Castro, director of communications, Bell & Ross. “In 2014 we released our Vintage Sport GMT, which has a chronograph plus a GMT complication. “There has always been a good de-
JeanRichard
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mand for sport watches in the United States,” she continues. “Before people were happy owning a quartz watch that had the look & features they wanted, but more and more we are seeing that there is a culture for luxury mechanism watches. People who require a sports performing watch have an understanding and are looking for luxury and performance.” Sports watches continue to play a very important role in the markets for Hamilton, according to the brand. Hamilton boasts two main lines– Khaki and American Classic. The Khaki Line is seen as the more sporty execution of Hamilton watches divided into Field, Navy and Aviation. The special technical functions in this line play an important
role and the focus lies mainly on the chronographs. The Khaki chronographs are very advanced in design and are becoming more and more sophisticated. Over the past years Hamilton has observed that its customers have been inspired by its aviation references and are, therefore, clearly buying sportsspecific watches. For the new collection, Hamilton has completely reworked and upped the specifications of its bestseller the X-Wind. It has a sophisticated design and a drift-angle calculator to satisfy technical and aesthetic demands of aviation enthusiasts. Other features include the multi-level dial with a 3D effect, bigger case, lighter weight as well as rubber reinforced pushers, crown and bezel.
Hamilton
Zenith
Bell & Ross
Bremont
Bremont has been making pilots watches for squadrons and groups of professional pilots since they began, including the watch for survivors of Martin Baker ejector seats. This year, Bremont announced its partnership with Boeing, becoming the first watch to work with Boeing in its long history. “All of our partnerships with squadrons got back to them,” says Nick English, co-founder, Bremont. “Boeing is a very powerful organization, their work in the military is massive, and they are the best in the world in material search (composites, strength, lightness). We want to be the mechanical watch of choice for the aviation market, and this partnership with Boeing has set us up for just that.”
Nixon is driven by the high demands of pro surfers to set the specs of its range of watches. “In general, the biggest change is the user’s ability and/or desire to track their sporting activities on a macro or micro level,” says Joe Babcock, Category Manager of Technical Products for Nixon. “For Nixon the demands have changed in a sense that our consumer lives a more recreational (or rugged) life than most, therefore, we need to up the ante by assuring our watches are built to withstand the rigorous abuse the Nixon pro team dishes out. “The majority of our performance watches are surf watches focusing on tide forecasting,” continues Babcock. “For our tide watches we increased the number of global tide locations
pre-programmed in all of our digital tide watches (The Supertide, Lodown II, Lodown S and Rhythm). We‘ve also added a high-resolution display to the Supertide to make it more legible in and out of the water. The reasoning behind these advancements stems from our drive to make the best product possible. Technology is moving at a rapid pace and when we unearth a new component that allows us to house more tide than any other brand we focus on being the brand to use it first. Our consumers like this about Nixon. For Nixon, this segment is a strong category. We have yet to branch into the fitness sport category but have some interesting ideas in orbit that we may move on.” u
Ball
Blancpain
Certina
Graham
Casio
Tissot
GTO
Jacob & Co
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T This year at BaselWorld, a number of great dive watches were introduced, ranging in water resistance from 200 metres (the Seiko Prospex Kinetic GMT Diver, $450 - $695, www.seiko. com), 300 metres (Ulysse Nardin Marine Diver, $9,700 on bracelet/$8,500 on rubber strap, www.ulysse-nardin. com, and the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback, $17,200 in ceramic/$14,800 in steel, www.blancpain. com), 500 metres (the Carl F. Bucherer Scubatec, $6,400, www.carl-f-bucherer.com, and the Victorinox Swiss Army Divemaster 500, $3,295, www.swissarmy. com) and 1220 metres (Rolex Sea Dweller, $10,400, www.rolex.com).
THE FUTURE FOR SPORTS WATCHES Across the board, people believe that sports watches will continue to be popular, as long as they continue to tap into what makes customers tick. “The sports watch segment is absolutely here to stay,” says Barry Cohen, president, Luminox. “We went from a more formal world a few decades ago, where all guys wore suits and ties daily, to casual Friday, to what is now a more casual lifestyle in general. With this comes the need to accessorize our more casual outfits with a more relaxed and sporty timepiece so it’s just a natural fit.” Sports watches are the most versatile watches in any collection, so often they become the standard bearers for the brands. “The sports segment is very strong, as it allows greater visibility for faster brand recognition,” says Sandra Martial, general manager, GTO Watches. “Your reputation can be at risk if you are pursuing the wrong target, however. GTO Watches benefits from the experience and the know-how of experts
working daily on the time measuring instruments in car racing.” For some brands, the sports watch with the highest spec has become its best seller. “Our most popular watch is the 51-30 Tide,” says Babcock from Nixon. “The idea for the watch came from wanting a big watch with bright bold numbers to be visible when diving and a crown moved to the left side of the dial so there’s no ‘wrist bite’ when paddling into waves, duck-diving (in surfing) and when you’re wearing a wetsuit. We then combined this oversized and unique design with a custom-built Swiss made analogue tide movement. When you see the 51-30 Tide, it’s far from what a conventional sports watch looks like. Sometimes, breaking the mould and going against the grain pays off.” In addition, sports watches are catching on all over the world, including China, which has historically shown little interest in sports watches. Hamilton is convinced that the future of sports watches is very promising for Hamilton and in more traditional markets like Greater China, the brand is noticing a growing interest
in chronographs and bigger watches. All in all, the future for sports watches looks bright. “I hope the future for sports watches is robust, since all we make are sport performance watches,” says Reactor’s Olmes. “I do not see them going away as long as they perform and are comfortable to wear, but they must be comfortable.” “Due to the globalization, I believe that customers will be more and more attracted by sport watches,” confirms Certina’s Bosshard. “And with that sport watches will gain market share in the Chinese market and Chinese tourist areas as well.” Performance is the key – there has to be some real value in sports watches to help them stand out. “There will always be a market for sport watches because there will always be people who have a passion/interest to perform,” says Bell & Ross’s Castro. “These days people want a watch that is elegant and compliments their style, but also works as a precise instrument ensuring reliability, performance and resistance – we strive to provide that.” p
Carl F. Bucherer
Blancpain
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a danish fairytale In the past few years Danish watch brand, Obaku, has grown exponentially. The secret lies in having found a niche that works. From the land of famous fairytale author, Hans Christian Andersen, come the designers of Obaku. The two Danish gentlemen behind the Obaku watches are at the root of what has spiraled the established brand into a great upwards trend, creating their own fairytale to be told. The clean, minimalist core of the brand is expressed in its watch collection which, especially ladies, around the world cannot seem to resist. “When you walk around the Basel fair you see many brands offering large, bulky watches to men and women”, says Obaku brand manager, Henriette Arvin. “Obaku watches really stand out from this crowd. We offer minimalist designs and people find it refreshing”.
A niche in designer watches Christian Mikkelsen and Lau Liengaard Ruge are the Danish designers behind every Obaku watch. “Within the past few years especially, we have really found our niche and honed in on designs that work for us”, says Obaku brand manager, Henriette Arvin. “Thanks to some genius and simple designs from Christian and Lau we now have a core collection, which is really fuelling our growth”. The core collection, which Obaku’s brand manager is referring to, is essentially a line of very feminine, minimalist designer watches. “All our watches have the identity of Obaku engrained in them”, says Henriette Arvin. “They will not go out of fashion next year, and because of their simplicity their beauty will last. Also ten years from now”. According to the Danish brand manager, this is exactly the trademark of Danish designs – that they will stand the test of time. “If you look at the Opera house in Sydney or a Swan chair designed by Arne Jacobsen, these look as modern today as they did fifty years ago. The same will go for an Obaku watch.”
A world wide success “It is funny what happens when you hit something that is just right”, says Henriette Arvin. “It is the same designs that are popular from Cape Town to Tel Aviv to Sydney. Apparently people across the world can all agree on what is beautiful”. Obaku is represented in more than fifty countries world wide and opening up many new markets. “We are still looking for the right partners in some markets”, says Henriette Arvin. “It is an exciting process to be in; because we can see that any markets we open up, with our core collection, have success”.
V149LXVNMN
V110LGBRB
V150LABRB
V146LCIMC2
V129LVWRW
V159LEGIRW
BASELWORLD
GETTING A HANDLE ON FASHION WATCHES Fashion Watches at Every Level of the Watch Industry Keith W. Strandberg
If you thought dealing with the tremendous number of watches introduced at Baselworld this year was challenging, consider what the watch industry’s fashion brands have to contend with. Instead of product introductions once a year, they have four major introductions, one a season, and for some companies, this can be hundreds of new products each time. It’s a big challenge, but the volume of watches fashion companies move is a big enough reward to make it all worthwhile.
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$500 and even more if the product DNA is concentrated on fashion versus technical and/or pure design.”
ENTRY LEVEL FASHION BRAND NAMES The fashion industry is driven by brand names like Gucci, Chanel, Dior, Ferragamo and others. There are also fashion elements to many mainstream brands and fashion watches that follow the trends established by the bigger brands. In fact, it’s a bit difficult to define the fashion watch segment of the industry, as there are so many players at so many different levels. As Ali Soltani, owner of Ritmo Mundo, explains it, “I feel that there is a merging of fashion luxury brands versus purely fashion watches. In my world, ‘fashion watches’ can range from $50-
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At its most basic, fashion watches are considered trendy, low-priced items that are by nature seasonal, using the “now” colours and styles. This is quite a burden on fashion watch companies, because they always have to be working on the next collection, the next trend, the next hot style. The watches these companies offer don’t have a long shelf life, but a hit is still a hit and can result in incredible volume. At the same time, some watches stay in the collection longer than just one season. “The demands for newness are being driven more and more rapidly because the fashion consumer is so influenced
I From left to right: NANTUCKET COLLECTION by Hermès DIOR VIII GRAND BAL
T BUCKLE and 1898 by Ferragamo
by trends in the marketplace that are now published daily through social media outlets.” says Andreas Schwörer, Sales Director Tommy Hilfiger Watches & Jewelry & Juicy Couture Timepieces for Europe, Middle East & Africa. “Watches are more about fashion than function in the women’s market. “Fashion watches have maintained a strong position in the market through the advent of digital phones and other mediums for time,” he adds. “Most customers use the watch much like any other accessory to make a fashion statement whether it is layering an arm party or focusing on a colour trend like
coloured dials or rose gold metals.” Many people in the industry hear “fashion” and immediately think low-end, but that doesn’t mean the business isn’t successful. “Some of the strongest groups in the watch world are the ‘fashion’ orientated groups,” says Ritmo Mundo’s Soltani. “I think their strength is more stable than the pure luxury market that always is looking for new ways to increase revenue streams. Often that methodology is through new markets or price increase. The fashion world is successful when product and volume are coupled together.” Fashion has evolved into something that
“Most customers use the watch much like any other accessory to make a fashion statement whether it is layering an arm party or focusing on a colour trend like coloured dials or rose gold metals.” Andreas Schwörer transcends normal industry categorization. “The fashion segment has evolved very quickly in the last 15 years,” says Ibrahim Tetik, Managing Partner, LC Int. Watch Company (Lee Cooper Watches and Kappa Watches). “Particularly, the different designs and accessible price
I From left to right: PREPPY SPORT by Tommy Hilfiger BARLETTA by Kappa DERBY by Lee Cooper
T ALLIANCE by Victorinox Swiss Army
ranges of strong fashion brands have increased the number of choices for consumers. Consumers search for watches according to their personal image and combine them with different outfits, because watches are not only tools to show the time, but also now are very important accessories. When we look at things like this, fashion brands meet this need. Because of this, the segment is still very important for fashion brands and it’s still growing.” Nixon, as another example, straddles several worlds, from sport to fashion, according to Tyson White, vice president of product for Nixon. “The demand for stylish fashion watches with a unique point of view is a constant for us,” he says. “What we see are trend shifts; in style, size, popular colour combinations, materials, etc. We’re seeing a general shift downward in size, more demand for leather bands, more elegant and sophisticated shapes and executions at the moment. “Nixon has always had its own unique style and attention to detail,” White adds. “And we’ve always intended to think outside the box, do things differently, take risks, be different, etc. We combine classic design with contemporary attitude and add functionality that is relevant to our core customer and his lifestyle. That’s what makes us different.” As consumers become more aware of watches, and watch wardrobing continues, fashion watches are becoming much more important. “In the past few years a shift towards fashion watches has been noted,” says George Koutsolioutsos, CEO of Folli Follie Group. “This shift stems from the trend to own a watch not merely as a lifetime piece, but as an accessory to match your style, the occasion, the current trend. However, consumers, who are very savvy and demanding, do not simply opt for fashion, colours
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I From left to right:
and on-trend elements, but also look for quality, innovation, premium design and all those characteristics that elevate a watch. Folli Follie, having pinpointed this niche in the watch market quite early, has invested dearly in developing this sector, infusing at the same time the unparalleled Folli Follie quality and innovative design in each watch collection.”
MID LEVEL FASHION There are plenty of big brands at this level, like Gucci, Ferragamo, Dior and others. The watches they offer are not as trendy but are meant to be longer lasting, though still fuelled by the fashion trends embraced by the companies. “Gucci Timepieces & Jewelry has a clear image and a legitimate Brand history,” says Michele Sofisti, CEO of Gucci Watches and Jewelry. “We were the first fashion brand to enter the watch segment, and our history dates back 42 years. Our collections are Swiss Made and of an unbeatable quality. Furthermore, the fact that we have worldwide distribution has helped us become a key player in the industry. Our timepieces are inspiring and feature many of Gucci’s iconic design elements; this helps us to be different from other brands and to be very iden-
TIMELESS SLIM by Gucci SWEETIE DOUBLE PINK by Links of London
tifiable to customers the world over.” Brand names are important in any segment of fashion. “The name is important because clients tend to gravitate toward a brand that shares their values and makes a statement they are comfortable with,” says Paul Ziff, president, Ferragamo Watches. “That’s true whether one is shopping for a car, a pair of shoes or a watch. They also feel confident in the quality and service when it’s a well-respected brand. The styling also must appeal to them. No one buys a watch if they don’t like the style. So both components are necessary to succeed.”
“The name is important because clients tend to gravitate toward a brand that shares their values and makes a statement they are comfortable with.” Paul Ziff WATCHALICIOUS by Follie Follie
HIGH FASHION, HIGH WATCHMAKING Then, there are the companies that are considered high fashion and create timepieces in the higher price ranges, often including diamonds, complications or métier d’art (or all three) – companies like Chanel and Dior to name just two. “There are two different markets under the word Fashion: fashion watches that are easy to wear accessories, not very expensive ones and not focused on Swiss watchmaking and modern timepieces made by luxury and/or Haute Couture houses made in Switzerland (where we are since 2008).” says Laurence Nicolas, CEO of Dior Montres. “I cannot speak for the first ones but for the second, the strong demand comes from women who were until recently the forgotten customers. Thanks to our input, they are now able to find, on the market, creations that have been made for them and that are not masculine timepieces adapted to women. “Dior watchmaking’s vocation is to draw inspiration from the heritage of an Haute Couture house, that is to say, timeless elegance, femininity, creativity, know-how, quality and excellence in the making as well as refined materi-
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“There There are two different markets under the word Fashion: fashion watches that are easy to wear accessories, not focused on Swiss watchmaking and modern timepieces made by luxury and/or Haute Couture houses made in Switzerland.” Laurence Nicolas
als and details,” she continues. “We convey a message of Parisian luxury, refined down to the last detail, combined with Swiss expertise. Dior watchmaking might well be the marriage of an elegant Parisian from Avenue Montaigne with a Swiss watchmaker.”
THE MOVE TO SWISS MADE Some companies are content with making entry-level watches that are affordable and make entrée to the brand easy, while others want to make the best possible product and charge a little more along the way. One key move that several fashion companies have made in the past and more made this year is towards the use of Swiss Made movements. Gc has been Swiss Made (and one of the largest watch exporters in Switzerland) for some time, and this year at Baselworld Giorgio Armani announced its Swiss Made collection. Gucci, Dior, Burberry, Ferragamo, Chanel and others are also Swiss Made. “Since Ferragamo is associated with high quality in the world of luxury, it
I DECOR COROMANDEL MUSICIENNE by Chanel
U DIOR VIII GRAND BAL PLISSE SOLEIL
T From left to right: AR1818 by Emporio Armani URBAN DIAMOND DIAL by Michele Watches
is natural that our clients expect an excellent quality watch from the same name,” Ferragamo’s Ziff says. “In that regard, we don’t disappoint as all of our watches are Swiss Made. So the fact that we target to offer very good value does not mitigate our responsibility to also ensure that the quality lives up to the expectations of the brand. Today’s consumer demands excellent quality along with value in addition to a styling statement that they are attracted to.”
THE FUTURE OF FASHION Fashion watches are here to stay, that’s for sure, as they drive a significant amount of volume in the watch industry. Fashion watches can also be an in-road to finer watches, as customers get used to wearing a watch and become more interested in timepieces in general. When Fossil introduced its mechanical range of timepieces, with Chinese movements, the hope was that a whole new generation of young people would become enamoured with mechanical movements and move up to higher priced timepieces. Gucci’s Sofisti sees success for fashion watches continuing in 2014 and beyond. “There’s strong demand coming from markets all over the world,” he says. “Fashion brands are very interested in the watch industry, as these accessories
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are powerful vehicles for conveying the brand message. There are many examples of this. Watches are pretty powerful: sometimes the watches linked to a fashion brand have helped reposition or even helped boost the growth of that brand. “The fashion watch segment is very strong and holds great potential in all key world markets,” he continues. “I feel that it will grow even further across the three major price segments within the fashion sector, namely high-end, mid-end and low-end categories.” The variety available in fashion watches, particularly at affordable prices, is a key to this success. “The demand for fashion watches has increased over the past years,” says Juicy Couture and Tommy Hilfiger’s Schwörer. “Instead of buying one expensive watch, the consumer tends to invest in several fashion watches which feature different styles and designs corresponding to their outfits and daily moods. “Fashion watches will remain a strong segment,” he concludes. “Due to their variety they can easily be matched with actual trends in the apparel world. Fashion watches attract a young consumer segment which are open for new designs, materials and ways of distribution.”
“The fashion segment is adaptable, mobile and has the agility to move in a number of directions.” Tyson White Fashion watches do well in every economy, and thrive in downturns because of their affordability. “The fashion watches scene is growing strongly,” says Folli Follie’s Koutsolioutsos. “Especially in time of financial turmoil, we have noticed a pattern where entry level luxury consumers are encouraged to opt for brands like Folli Follie, thanks to its competitive positioning. Furthermore, the product strength, the innovative designs and the excellent customer service are factors, which contributed essentially to our
I From left to right: 43-20 CRONO and TIME TELLER by Nixon
O From left to right: SHEEN by Casio BIRDY by Shinola
success. Our loyal fans across the world truly enjoy the ‘Folli Follie world,’ thanks to the alternative and fresh shopping experience it provides them. “We strongly feel that the market will evolve significantly,” he continues. “We expect to see more fashion houses turning to watches and invest in developing this section of their business. In Folli Follie we are entering this new era of the watch industry stronger than ever, as we have an established brand in the market that will be further empowered with exciting collections to be announced soon.” Many companies bristle at the word “fashion.” “Fashion watches will continue to be strong sellers, but for Nixon, it depends on how you define fashion,” says Nixon’s White. “We prefer to use the word style. Style lasts, while fashion is fleeting. But if the word fashion can be substituted with “style”, then watches that make a statement on your wrist are still a strong segment. The fashion segment is like an all terrain vehicle,” he continues. “It is adaptable, mobile and has the agility to move in a number of directions while maintaining traction and grip. Fashion segment has the ability to capture a broad audience by offering unique products at affordable prices. By comparison, the luxury segment is like a first class train...it’s powerful but has a tendency to stay on the tracks and go in a specific direction... plus, the seating in first class is limited.” Fashion watches are an interesting segment, following no rules to speak of. There are entry-level timepieces, but there are also high watchmaking pieces using Swiss Made as a major selling point, and everything in between. Though some people consider fashion watches trendy, the best fashion brands have transformed themselves into watch brands that are fashionable. p
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BASELWORLD
THE BASEL MARATHON Discovering the soul of Baselworld requires more than two sturdy soles D. Malcolm Lakin
A somewhat tired looking exhibitor at Baselworld confided in me that he had calculated he and his staff each cover around three kilometres a day just walking around their booth. I smiled and explained that the average journalist probably covered the equivalent of at least one marathon (42.195 kilometres) as we trudge around the various halls attending press conferences and then probably complete another in our annual quest for the watch of watches. Because it is impossible to organize meetings in a methodical manner, you need a Herculean stamina since staying on one level of a Hall a day is impossible, you have to dart from a meeting at the far end of Hall 1 to The Palace on the other side of the road then afterwards return to the far end of level 2 in Hall 1 for the next rendezvous. My feet have recovered but now it’s the turn of my fingers turn to type the marathon ...
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FREDERIQUE CONSTANT & ALPINA Frederique Constant launched its successful Worldtimer two years ago. This year, using its FC-718 manufacture movement, in addition to the hour, minute and seconds displays, a large date counter at six o’clock and a 24-hour disc with day/night indicators circling the hour and minute indices and a 24-city display around the dial, all the functions are activated via the crown. A second model with the same technical features has a detailed silver world map decorating the dial giving what the brand calls its ‘wow’ factor. It’s a fine looking watch, elegant, sporty, easy to use and it has that allimportant attribute of excellent readability. The Worldtimer comes with a beautiful stainless steel bracelet with a width of five links and a butterfly clasp. On the philanthropic side, Frederique Constant is involved with the World
I WORLDTIMER by Frédérique Constant
Heart Foundation (WHF) and in particular the WHF’s ‘Hearts of Children’ campaign, for which they have created a collection. There are four new models in the World Heart Federation collection. The watch I have chosen to illustrate it is in stainless steel with a diamond-set bezel (48 diamonds weighing 0.74
carats), a vanilla dial with diamond indices and guilloché WHF logos at its centre surrounded by a motherof-pearl outer ring. There is a Double Heart Beat aperture at 12 o’clock, an automatic movement with a power reserve of 38 hours, a sapphire crystal caseback and the watch is waterresistant to 60 metres. The two-tone bracelet – polished steel and rose gold plating – comes with a folding butterfly clasp. As most readers will be aware, Alpina watches were, in the early part of the last century, manufacturers of military aviation watches. Needless to say, precision was essential as were oversized luminous numerals and luminous hands for easy reading. Maintaining this philosophy with the brand’s modern manufacturing technology, Alpina watches continue to appeal to pilots and sports enthusiasts and the new 44 mm Startimer Black
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Star Automatic Chronograph will be a welcome addition. This model has a ‘stealth’ black PVD coating on a stainless steel case and is equipped with the Alpina AL-860 Automatic Chronograph movement with a 46-hour power reserve and a Bi-Compax 60 seconds and 30 minutes small counter layout. It has a grey sunray dial with a domed sapphire crystal, luminescent numerals, hour and minute hands, a transparent caseback and the watch is water-resistant to 100 metres. With its elegant ‘stealth’ look and the high quality of the finish, this chronograph will meet the demands of most aficionados. I say most because I would have liked to see a date function at 6 o’clock, but then, I’m not a pilot.
EBERHARD & CO. In 2001, Eberhard & Co. caught many people’s attention when the it launched its Chrono 4, the first chronograph in watchmaking history to present a linear reading of minutes, hours, 24 hours and seconds. This year the four counters were still dominant in a 40 mm timepiece but with the additional choice of white or black dials. Perhaps the most impressive is the all-black version with silver outlines around the black counters and
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I WORLD HEART FEDERATION by Frédérique Constant and STARTIMER BLACK STAR CHRONOGRAPH by Alpina
T EXTRA-FORT ‘ARDISCO NON ORDISCO’ and GILDA FLORAL by Eberhard & Co.
a red hand for the 24-hour counter. There are two other watches that deserve more than a passing glance: a Limited Edition entitled Extra-Fort ‘Ardisco non ordisco’, and the Gilda Floral watch. The unusually named Extra-fort ‘Ardisco non ordisco’, is a timepiece that celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Gabriele D’Annunzio, an Italian poet, novelist and playwright born in 1863. A fervent interventionist during the First World War when he was over fifty years old, he participated in many daring actions and one of his most famous sayings was ‘Ardisco non ordisco’ – I don’t plot, I dare – the expression of a man with firm convictions that dominated the literary and political scene of the period.
The link between Eberhard & Co. and Gabriele D’Annunzio comes via Tazio Nuvolari, a racing driver who became a close friend of the author after they met in 1932. To pay their tribute the brand introduced a new Limited Edition of 150 pieces of the Extra-fort model, a 41 mm automatic chronograph with a black dial with the ‘Ardisco non ordisco’ motto surrounding the 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, a 60-second counter at 9 o’clock and D’Annunzio’s signature on the dial which is also etched on the caseback. Water-resistant to 50 metres, this commemorative timepiece comes with either a crocodile strap or a stainless steel ‘chalin’ bracelet. The other watch is the Gilda Floral, a charming ladies’ watch in white gold with sixty-six sapphires set into the bezel and a further 112 blue sapphires and diamonds set onto an elliptical dial. This eye-catching watch is equipped with a quartz movement, has a sapphire crystal with a patented spherical dome with anti-reflective treatment and a white crocodile strap with elegant blue stitching and a white gold clasp engraved with the letter E. There is also a stainless steel version of the Gilda Floral and a Limited Edition with a special bracelet with 12 diamonds and 380 blue sapphires.
Two views of the STARFLEET MACHINE by MB&F and L’Epée
THE STARFLEET MACHINE James Tiberius Kirk was the famous Starship captain in the television series Star Trek. The show impressed the young Maximilian Büsser and Kirk was one of his boyhood heroes, so much so that some, if not all of his horological creations have been inspired by it. Space travel is no longer a fantasy nor is the latest offering from the combined team of MB&F, Ecal design graduate Xin Wang and the high-end clock manufacturer L’Epée: the Starfleet Machine. Maximilian Büsser and L’Epée’s CEO, Arnaud Nicolas, launched their amazing creation at a breakfast presentation at Baselworld. Between croissants and coffee we discovered a magnificent clock that looked as if it had joined the event from outer space and had landed gracefully on a table for all to inspect and admire its complexity and the valiant efforts of the manufacturing team to assemble such a futuristic looking clock. At eye level it has the aspect of a spaceship, standing above it you can only marvel at the complex mechanism that is not only the result of exquisite workmanship, but also a visual feast of horological components that appear more like the workings of an intricate bomb that James Bond must deactivate in order to save the world.
The Starfleet Machine is classified by the MB & F and L’Epée teams as ‘an intergalactic spaceship-cum-table clock, featuring hours and minutes, double retrograde seconds and power reserve indicator.’ Here is the official explanation of the Machine: ‘Hours and minutes are indicated on the central black dome and behind that, a smaller rotating dome, accompanied by a revolving radar dish, provides an intuitive view of remaining energy: five bars indicates the movement is fully wound (40 days of power); one bar means Starfleet Machine is running low on propellant (eight days of remaining power) – it’s all relative – most table clocks have a maximum power reserve of only eight days. The extraordinary in-house movement boasts an exceptional power reserve of 40 days. Below 12 o’clock on the central hourminute dome are the double retrograde seconds in the form of turret-mounted laser cannons. The cannons start in parallel and cross over one another before rapidly flying out again, an action marking off 20-second intervals. The red-tipped cannons provide eye-catching visual animation, and perhaps just as importantly, fend off enemy attacks against the core of the craft just underneath: the
Maximilian Büsser (MB&F) and Arnaud Nicolas (L’Epée)
regulator, which has deliberately been placed in full view for all to admire. One of the biggest challenges for L’Epée was respecting the movement configuration required by MB&F’s spacecraft design. L’Epée’s calibre – featuring five main spring barrels (in series for optimal performance) – usually equips vertically standing clocks, but here it is laid flat. The escapement platform also had to be set horizontally to be protected by the turret-mounted laser cannons. Naturally, the movement beats with a precision that Starfleet would be proud of, for an impressive accuracy of -2 to +2 minutes over 40 days! The Starfleet Machine (21 cm high x 29 cm diameter) is a Limited Edition clock of 175 pieces in two versions, a light colour – stainless steel - or a dark colour - ruthenium-treated stainless steel. It is completed by a polished plexiglass ‘biosphere’ dome (25 cm high x 50 cm diameter).
GRAFF Returning from my trip in the rarefied atmosphere of the spatial Starfleet clock into the complex and crowded world of miniature marvels that one wears on the wrist, I was immediately elevated into what can only be described as the stratosphere of Graff (perhaps Graffosphere would be more appropriate), where scintillating diamonds of every colour and size appear in both jewellery and timepieces (to read about the mind-blowing Graff Hallucination see page 38). However, Graff hasn’t limited itself to producing diamond-laden timepieces – although that is certainly their forte. The company has a workshop in Geneva but they are not a ‘manufacture’ and work closely with partners that help create exclusive movements for them, which is what MHC did on the striking GyroGraff.
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O GYROGRAFF and CHRONOGRAFF 45 MM by Graff
This watch in facetted white gold shows hours and minutes and has a double axis tourbillon at 5 o’clock, a three-dimensional gyrograph moon phase indicator at 7 o’clock showing the daily progression of the moon, a 60-hour power reserve at 11 o’clock and a diamond-set crown is placed at 2 o’clock to ensure the timepiece has a balanced appearance. The multi-level black dial has guilloché work at the centre with a triangular-cut emerald at the 12 o’clock position. Water-resistant to 30 metres, the GyroGraff comes with either a black or white dial, has a black alligator strap and is also available in rose gold. There is also a version with a diamond-set bezel with 72 diamonds (8.03 carats). If its a high-end diamond-set chronograph you require, then you need look no further then the ChronoGraff 45 mm from the Graff Sport watches collection. Originally launched in gold and DLC versions, the striking facetted case now has Graff’s patented diamond mosaic setting and various combinations of coloured DLC, alligator and facetted rubber straps. With its white multi-level dial with sunray guilloché pattern that highlights the white gold discs of the chronograph’s indicators and the 60-second
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dial at 6 o’clock into which the date window is set, reading the functions of the watch is almost like looking into a three-dimensional hologram. The ChronoGraff 45 has a self-winding movement with a 120-hour power reserve, and is available in various combinations of white and rose gold, DLC and black or white dials. With their dazzling watch collections and impressive 500 square metre stand, Graff certainly made an auspicious first appearance at Baselworld.
BELL & ROSS I arrived early on the Bell & Ross booth for the presentation of the B-Rocket – which was how I discovered how a
T The B-Rocket motrobike BR01 B-ROCKET and BR03 B-ROCKET by Bell & Ross
tinned sardine feels. All the motorbike enthusiasts amongst the press corps were there along with many a watch aficionado to catch a glimpse of the concept bike the brand commissioned Shaw Harley-Davidson to design. I’m neither a speed merchant nor a motorbike fanatic, but I have to admit that this extraordinary looking aerodynamic machine was something to behold. What I didn’t discover until my one-to-one presentation a couple of days later was that Bell & Ross had also created two models of watches the BR 01 and BR 03 B-Rocket. Great looking timepieces and far less noisy than their two-wheeled namesake. The BR 01 is a 46mm polished stainless steel automatic watch with hours, minutes, small seconds, date aperture, chronograph and tachymeter scale functions. The dial is black with white indicators and indices and the hands are skeletonized and filled with SuperLuminova. It comes with a padded black leather strap edged in red to match the chronograph push-button and the 12 o’clock triangular pointer. The watch is water-resistant to 100 metres. The 42mm BR 03 version has a big date at 12 o’clock and a power reserve indicator at 6 o’clock and its functions are hours, minutes and seconds – but no chronograph. The other watch that caught my attention was, in comparison, quite simplistic: the Vintage WW1 Guynemer, a tribute to the legendary French pilot Georges Guynemer. Inspired by the wristwatches worn during World War I, the 45mm watch, which is water-resistant to 50 metres, has a red flying Cigogne (stork) on the opaline dial – Cigognes is the name of the pilot’s squadron – and has hours, minutes and seconds functions. The case is in shot-peened steel with a grey PVD finish. The skeletonized blued hours and minutes hands are filled with
SuperLuminova and the sand-coloured Arabic numerals match the calfskin leather strap. The watch is a fitting tribute to Captain Georges Guynemer, who downed 53 enemy planes and a further 35 probables but was killed in action when he was just 22 years of age.
BREITLING One of the great names in aviation timepieces is, of course, Breitling, now celebrating its 130th anniversary. As is the Baselworld custom, Jean-Paul Girardin, the brand’s Vice-President, introduced me to the latest additions to two of their iconic collections: the Chronomat and the Navitimer. In the early 1980s, Ernest Schneider – to whom Willy Breitling had just sold his firm – learned that the Frecce Tricolori, the Italian airforce aerobatics team, wanted to create an official watch. Accordingly, he decided to create a brand-new chronograph specifically designed for pilots’ needs. Developed in close cooperation with the squadron, the Chronomat was designed in particular for its readability and precision functions and the resulting Frecce Tricolori chronograph was launched in 1983. In 1984, the firm celebrated its
100th anniversary by launching its Chronomat collection and over the past three decades, this exceptional chronograph has enjoyed an aesthetic evolution whilst maintaining its iconic characteristics. In 2009, the Chronomat was the first model in the range to host the new Manufacture Breitling calibres and has become an horological classic. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of its flagship Chronomat model, Breitling is now launching a special series of this legendary pilot’s chronograph, the Chronomat Airborne. Designed in the spirit of the original Frecce Tricolori chronograph, this model has a satin-brushed rotating bezel equipped with four raised rider tabs serving to count off flight times, while facilitating rotation even with gloved hands. The stainless steel case with its polished finish is available in two sizes, 41 and 44 mm, with either an onyx black dial with silver-toned counters or Sierra silver dial with black counters. The caseback is engraved with the inscription Edition Spéciale 30e Anniversaire and has the outline of an Aermacchi, one of the ten planes flown by the Italian flight squadron. The watch is equipped with a Manufacture Breitling Calibre 01
O VINTAGE WW1 GUYNEMER by Bell & Ross
T CHRONOMAT AIRBORNE and NAVITIMER GMT by Breitling
self-winding movement, chronometercertified by the COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute) with a 70-hour power reserve, 1/4th of a second chronograph and 30-minute and 12-hour totalizers. The date aperture is set between 4 and 5 o’clock, there is a unidirectional ratcheted rotating bezel, screw-locked crown and pushbuttons, a cambered sapphire crystal glareproofed on both sides and has an ultra-sturdy strap in black military-type fabric, secured by a folding clasp. The 41 mm model is water-resistant to 300 metres and the 44 mm model is waterresistant to 500 metres. There are two new variations on the legendary Navitimer, the ‘wrist instrument’ purpose-built for pilots and other aviation professionals in 1952. The new 46 mm Navitimer comes in either stainless steel or a Limited Edition of 200 pieces in 18 carat red gold equipped with an automatic, high-frequency (28,800 vibrations per hour), Manufacture Breitling Calibre 01 COSC movement with a 70-hour power reserve. The dial is black or Aurora blue , there are 1/4th of a second chronograph, 30-minute and 12-hour totalizers, a date aperture between 4 and 5 o’clock, a rotating bezel with circular slide rule, a cambered sapphire
u
crystal, glare-proofed on both sides. There is a transparent sapphire crystal caseback and this Navitimer comes with either a leather or crocodile strap or a stainless steel bracelet. The watch is water-resistant to 30 metres. The Navitimer GMT is an imposing 48 mm and comes with a Manufacture Breitling Calibre B04 self-winding, highfrequency (28,800 vibrations per hour) movement certified by the COSC, visible through the transparent caseback and equipped with a dual timezone system. User-friendly, the GMT system is ingenious: by simply pulling out the crown and turning it forwards or backwards in one-hour increments enables the instant setting of the travel time zone date and hour – while maintaining a home-time display in 24-hour mode and without losing any precision in terms of the minutes. The large-format dial offers a very readable instrument panel either on a classic dial in black with silver counters or an all silver version. There is a 70-hour power reserve, a 24-hour 2nd time zone display, 1/4th of a second chronograph, 30-minute and 12-hour totalizers, a date aperture between 4 and 6 o’clock, a cambered sapphire crystal, glare-proofed on both sides, a rotating bezel with circular slide rule and the watch is water-resistant to 30 metres. The Navitimer GMT is completed by a steel bracelet or a leather or crocodile strap. A Limited Edition of 200 pieces in 18 carat red gold with a black dial is also available. For Bentley aficionados, the Breitling for Bentley collection now has a its own Light Body GMT. In titanium, it has a Breitling Calibre B04 self-winding movement and the same chronographic features of the previous watches. However, added to this is a rotating inner bezel with the names of 24 cities thus enabling the user to have readings of all the time zones via the 24-hour
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hand. The watch is water-resistant to 100 metres and has that familiar broad bezel with a knurled motif inspired by Bentley radiator grilles. The fish were happily swimming around in the gigantic fish tank that sits above the Breitling booth when I left and the sun was shining outside, making it a very pleasant year for their aficionados.
PILO & CO. Since its creation in 2001, Pilo & Co. has established itself as a watch company par excellence of quality watches at highly competitive prices. Modern and striking in appearance with intriguing names such as Corleone, Doppio Orario, Invidia, Capone and Stravaganza, it came as quite a surprise when I ventured onto the brand’s booth, there, standing out like a sore thumb in the midst of the
I The exclusive set of six Pilo & Co. watches with their exquisitely hand-painted dials.
handsome standards, was a set of six sublimely unique timepieces that broke completely with the Pilo tradition. This exclusive set of 39 mm white gold watches immediately catches the eye because of the impact of the kaleidoscope of colour: Polynesian mother-of-pearl dials hand-painted in Switzerland by André Martinez of La Locle, enhanced by the sparkle of the diamond-set bezels. The watches are equipped with an automatic movement and completed by a handstitched alligator strap. The multi-coloured dials took between sixty to seventy hours to produce and they portray the six Gods of Tibet from the Buddhist religion. The small seconds enamelled dial, set slightly higher than the normal position at six o’clock, rotates in its floral settings and features an inscribed prayer pertaining to the God.
With an estimated retail value of 150,000 Swiss francs, these six unique works of art are a steal when one considers the work involved and the originality of the timepieces – and they have already been acquired by a lucky collector. For once I’m letting the illustrations speak for themselves – except to add that the watches were one of my Baselworld highlights.
OMEGA This year I was treated to a presentation of the latest Men’s collections of Omega watches by Jean-Claude Monochon, the Brand’s Vice President Product & Customer Service. Perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing was the Seamaster Aqua Terra in stainless steel which is equipped with the Master Co-Axial chronometer movement and has a powerful blue dial decorated with ‘Teak Concept’ vertical lines. The facetted hands have diamond polished sides that contrast pleasantly with the combination of a brushed and polished case and the domed sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective treatment on both sides for a better readability. The watch is water-resistant to 150 metres and comes in two sizes: 38.5 and 41.5 mm.
I SEAMASTER AQUA TERRA by Omega
T SPEEDMASTER MARK II and SPEEDMASTER PROFESSIONAL APOLLO 11 by Omega
Another gem in the 2014 collection is the re-appearance of the Speedmaster Mark II, originally introduced way back in 1969. It is now equipped with the Co-Axial Calibre 3330 selfwinding movement that has a silicone balance spring and a column-wheel chronograph mechanism. There are the classic three sub-dials: 30-minutes at 3 o’clock, 12-hours at 6 o’clock and small seconds at 9 o’clock and it still has that flat scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with a transparent tachymetric scale illuminated by an aluminium ring coated with SuperLuminova. The dial is grey and has a fluorescent orange central chronograph seconds hand with matching minute track on the
dial. The watch is water-resistant to 100 metres. And if you’re planning a trip to the moon in the near future, you could do a lot worse than kitting yourself out with the Limited Edition of the Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th Anniversary model, a 42 mm brushed titanium watch with a ‘touch of gold’ around the bezel and on the hands and hour markers. The unusual feature of this classic is the 30-minute, 12-hour and small seconds sub-dials have been produced by laser thus eliminating the material surrounding the name, sub-dials and hour markers. Equipped with a Calibre 1861 manual-winding movement, the watch is water-resistant to 50 metres – although I doubt you’ll find much water on this or the far side of the moon.
GC And now for something completely different … a charity auction. Gc held a special ‘American auction’ in which 250 numbered and signed prints by wildlife artist Stella Mays served as raffle tickets to win a specially commissioned work of art called ‘African Drama’. This spectacular creation in pastel portrays a magnificent leopard in a savage savannah setting with a herd of fleeing wildebeest in the background. The 100 Swiss franc prints/raffle tickets were all sold and a cheque for 25,000 francs was presented to the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF), a small non-profit making charity supported by artists for the conservation of wildlife around the world. In keeping with the theme, Gc launched its African Dream watch Collection, using the magnificent colouring and composition of the leopard’s coat as the motif. As Cindy Livingston, the brand’s CEO said, “It’s time to give the leopard back its spots.” David Shepherd, the
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charity’s founder added, “Since time immemorial, one species became extinct every century. Today, one becomes extinct every hour. People have slaughtered 98% of the world’s black rhinos… wiped out more than half of Africa’s elephants and three sub-species of tiger have disappeared forever. We need your help today - tomorrow will be too late.”
ROLEX Visiting the Rolex booth is really quite something, it’s the classic 4-S configuration: spacious, sophisticated, stylish and serviceable. The year’s collections were also well in keeping with their surroundings. There was the return of a classic oldie – the Oyster perpetual GMT-Master II – or perhaps it would be more correct to say the updating of a Rolex icon. No longer a 38 mm timepiece in stainless steel with its hollow links, but a 40 mm version in white gold with that eye-catching red and blue bezel in Cerachrom, a patented process that creates a single bulk-coloured component in two colours. This innovative process produces a scratch-resistant red ceramic disc and then modifies the chemical composition of each grain
I Africa Drama painting for the Gc Auction
T OYSTER PERPETUAL GMT-MASTER II and CELLINI DUAL TIME by Rolex
to change the red to blue over half of the bezel with a distinct separation of the two colours which is then diamond polished. The 24-hour index is engraved in the ceramic and coated with platinum using PVD. The watch is equipped with a 3186 mechanical movement with a bidirectional self-winding rotor with a 48-hour power reserve; there are central hours, minutes and seconds hands, a 24-hour hand with an arrow head for the second time zone, with the classic magnified date window at 3 o’clock and stop-seconds for precise time setting. There is a black lacquered dial with long-lasting ‘chromolight’ appliqué hour markers and hands,
an Oyster three-link bracelet with polished and satin-finished links and a folding safety clasp. If you’ve been lusting after a Rolex GMT-Master, this new version now retails at 36,500 Swiss francs. In the Cellini Collection there were new versions of the classic Cellini Time, Cellini Date and my personal favourite, the Cellini Dual Time – which comes with either black or silver dial with a ‘rayon flame de la gloire’ guilloche pattern, with a 39 mm case in either 18 carat white gold or Everose gold with a domed and fluted double bezel. There are hour, minute and seconds hands with a second time zone at 6 o’clock with a day/night indicator, a silver or black guilloche dial with 18 carat white gold hour markers and hands. This wonderfully elegant timepiece is equipped with a self-winding mechanical movement with a 48-hour power reserve. The jewelled Datejust Pearlmaster 34 and Cosmograph Dayton were also something to behold, but more about those in the article on high-end jewellery watches.
NOBEL I discovered Nobel tucked away in Hall 2 and was surprised to see an interesting collection of Swiss watches at particularly inexpensive prices ranging from 280 Swiss francs to 2,000. Michel Mallet, the brand’s CEO, told me that this was only their second participation at Baselworld and although they have been marketing their watches for four years, the brand dates back to 1903 when they were suppliers to the aristocracy. “We produce a classical line of watches,” Mallet explained, “and our potential is huge since we design for classic people in the thirty to sixty age group. Our sports watches though are
aimed at the under thirties and next year we will launch our first chronograph with a Valjoux movement. We are enjoying a slow but sure growth and last year we produced around 10,000 watches selling mainly in the Mid- and Far East.” Based in Neuchâtel, Nobel watches are assembled in Ticino using Ronda movements for the quartz collections and ETA and Sellita automatic movements for the mechanical models. There are four distinct collections: Nest for the classic look; Debye for sports enthusiasts including chronographs; Siman for the aristocratic look for both gent’s and ladies’ models and Aston with a classic two-tone finish. The watch that caught my attention was a distinctive dual time zone model from the Siman Collection. It has a stainless steel case and a bracelet with a butterfly clasp and is equipped with a Ronda movement with a small seconds counter between 5 and 6 o’clock for one time zone and a three hand variant for the second time zone.
MANUFACTURE ROYALE The four members of the Gouten/ Guten family - Marc, Gerard, David and Alexis - were all there crowded onto a relatively small booth in the
I SIMAN DUAL TIME by Nobel
T The four family members of Manufacture Royale: Gérard , David and Alexis Gouten, Marc Guten. MANUFACTURE ROYALE 1770 in rose gold
Palace – suitably named on this occasion but uncomfortably housed. Established originally in 1770 by the celebrated entrepreneur of the Enlightenment, François-Marie Arouet, aka Voltaire, the Manufacture Royale in 1770 manufactured more than four thousand superb timepieces a year. Today, with the combined competence of the new family ownership, the intention is to establish an independent brand creating timepieces in keeping with its history, hence the beautiful timepiece the Manufacture Royale 1770. Both Alexis and Marc took pains to explain to me that the Manufacture Royale has no intentions of slotting into a niche brand classification, but is going to become a fiercely competitive and important brand on the watch landscape. All four members of the family are steeped in the intricacies of the industry and as they say they are demonstrating the same spirit of enterprise that presided over its creation. The brand creates and produces complicated haute horlogerie watches in its own workshops in the Swiss Jura mountains, the cradle of the industry, and via its experienced
craftsmen will guarantee the excellent mechanical and decorative quality of each timepiece. At present, the brand caters for an exclusive clientele maintaining the technical and unique heritage of its original founder and as if proof was necessary they have created a new timepiece, the Manufacture Royale 1770. This aesthetically pleasing 43 mm rose gold watch has a mechanical hand-wound movement with a minute rotation tourbillon with hours and minutes functions and a power reserve of 108 hours. The plates and bridges are entirely hand-decorated with straight-grained, black-polished with chamfered and perlage decoration. The dial is opaline-silvered with an aperture at 7 o’clock for the tourbillon and a power-reserve indicator at 10 o’clock. The 1770 is also available in stainless steel. Prices for Manufacture Royale timepieces range from 43,000 to 480,000 Swiss francs and if the sale of their recent Opera watch is anything to go by – five pieces sold this year ranging from 350,000 to 480,000 francs – then the brand can look optimistically at its future.
LEE COOPER & KAPPA On the upper floor of Hall 1 there was a very unobtrusive booth displaying an extensive collection of watches for two brands better known to the clothing industry than to watch enthusiasts: Lee Cooper and Kappa. The two brands are being produced, marketed and distributed under license by LC International Watches Ltd., a company founded in Istanbul in 2012 having obtained the global licenses for Lee Cooper in 2012 and for Kappa earlier this year. LC introduced around 250 different Lee Cooper models – mainly in
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stainless steel with PVD coating for the gold and all-black models and Swarovski crystals for the stone set watches, all of which are assembled in China and range from 120 to 200 US $. Not surprisingly given that the Lee Cooper brand originated in the UK, the models names bear place names such as Bristol, Derby, Manchester and Barnsley – for those not in the know its a town in the north of England once renowned for its mines and brass bands. The Kappa ladies’ and gent’s watches range from 140 to 250 US $ and lean more to the fluctuating fashion designs than the sporty Lee Cooper models. The markets so far covered by the company are the Middle and Far East, Eastern Europe, Norway, South America and India.
FRANC VILA Visiting the Franc Vila booth was a welcome break from the throngs of people that bustle to and fro in Hall 1. The booth is always busy, but business is carried out in a calm, serene and business-like manner that emanates from the ever-present Franc Vila and the brand’s CEO, Serge Aebischer. This year Franc Vila introduced several new notable models: the
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Neo Alto Chrono in stainless steel with its mechanical self-winding movement with it’s Gold Concept Rotor and its black carbon fibre dial with white embedded Arabic numerals; a red gold version of the Intrepido Vintage Chrono with an eye-catching blue dial and blue and red strap; the Limited Edition (18 pieces) of the Neo Alta Patriot with its classical Franc Vila case in black with a seconds counter at 6 o’clock that comes in the flag colours of various countries such as Mexico, Russia, Brazil, etc. ; and the Tourbillon Intrepido II Superligero Skeleton, with a titanium case with an 18 carat red gold bezel and
I NORWICH by Lee Cooper and FLORENCE by Kappa
T MISS SELENITY and TRIBUTE TO LADIES by Franc Vila
a hand wound movement with a power reserve of 100 hours. For fans of skeleton watches, this model offers a glimpse of the inner workings without distracting from its raison d’être – reading the time. However, the timepieces that really caught my attention were the second version of the Franc Vila Tribute to Ladies. A smaller version of the brand’s classic model (38 mm) is in stainless steel and carbon fibre, it is equipped, unusually for Franc Vila, with a quartz movement and interchangeable leather straps. The Miss Selenity model features a single row of Top Wesselton VS1 diamonds weighing 0.30 carats, a mother-of-pearl dial and diamond hour markers; the Royal Blue Classic version has a fully-set bezel of Top Wesselton VS1 diamonds weighing 1.60 carats and silvered coloured indices. Both timepieces feature hours, minutes and small seconds at 6 o’clock. Prices for the Tribute to Ladies collection start at 4,900 Swiss frnacs and there is also an 18 carat gold version. All in all, a fitting tribute to the ladies and a meaningful addition to the Franc Vila brand.
SPEAKE-MARIN Having built a reputation in London for restoring watches by masters such as Breguet and Patek Philippe, Peter Speake-Marin moved to Switzerland and after developing high-end complicated timepieces for Renaud & Papi set out on his own and as a member of the Académie Horlogère de Créateurs Indépendants (ACHI) quickly established his reputation as an original and creative watchmaker. After his years in the ‘Palace’ he has now made his way across the road to the more conventional Hall 1, although conventional is certainly not how one would describe his timepieces. This year’s new models in the various collections underline his philosophy of originality of design and aesthetics. Particularly striking is the new Spirit Mk II DLC, a matte black 42 mm sandblasted stainless steel watch coated with black PVD, equipped with a Calibre TT738 automatic movement and a 120-hour power reserve. The numerals, hour and minute markers and the railroad chapter ring are all in white SuperLuminova moulded as part of the one-piece dial. The hour and minute hands are coated with black PVD and hand-filled with SuperLuminova and the caseback is
engraved with the Spirit motto: ‘Fight, Love and Persevere’. A more eye-catching model in my opinion is the 42 mm titanium Spirit Wing Commander, with its bold Roman numerals at 3 and 6 o’clock and the unique white lacquered seconds wheel at 9 o’clock is a replica of the Speake-Marin icon (Topping tool); there is a white lacquered big date at 12 o’clock and a unique power-reserve indicator at 6 o’clock that displays in bright white when fully wound, turns black when half full and red on empty. The dial is in matte black resin with white elements in SuperLuminova in 3D relief and set into the dial. The watch is equipped with a Calibre 1024SPM automatic movement with a 48-hour power reserve. The Valsheda is named after the British ‘J Class’ yacht built in the 1930s and it has the aesthetic look of an antique compass with a single blued and polished hand indicating the time and a central blued ‘topping tool’ seconds wheel. The white lacquered multi-level dial with black Roman numerals gives it further depth. Equipped with an Eros Calibre automatic mechanical movement with a 120-hour power reserve, the classic 42 mm Speake-Marin Piccadilly case is in stainless steel has a two-position
I SPIRIT WING COMMANDER and VALSHEDA by Speake-Marin
crown - manual winding and hacking seconds – and has sapphire crystals front and back. The watch is waterresistant to 30 metres. Two other timepieces that deserve a mention: the Spirit Seafire chronograph with its matte black dial and ‘Topping tool’ seconds dial at 9 o’clock and the inevitable and ultimate test for today’s master watchmakers, the J-Class Tourbillon Magister with its 42 mm Piccadilly case in titanium, white lacquered multi-level dial and automatic movement with a platinum micro-rotor and hand-finished 60-second tourbillon handsomely visible at 6 o’clock. Peter Speake-Marin has created a quite remarkable collection of timepieces that range from the simple beauty of the three-hand models to the exquisite complications of minute repeaters, tourbillons and jumping hours that should keep him in the forefront of Swiss watchmaking.
WIN, WHINE AND WINE And so the 2014 eight-day race came to a close. There were several obvious winners and quite a few selfproclaimed winners if you believe what you read in the news. But all in all, it was an interesting vintage that, according to the local press, seemed to more than satisfy the palate of the numerous overseas buyers. Personally, I unearthed a few timepieces that I could live with but can’t afford and even more that the superrich could live with and probably will when the timepieces come onto the market. I also made a bacchanalian discovery: my friendly Editor-in Chief introduced me to a hitherto unbeknown Italian wine – Primitivo. Try a glass or two whilst reading about the Basel Marathon, it might make your legs go weak, but the event will be that much more enjoyable. p
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BASELWORLD
ICE, JUNGLE, SAVANNAH and a US General come to Switzerland A brief look at three brands that dare to be different D. Malcolm Lakin
THE ICEMAN COMETH Written by Eugene O’Neill in 1939, the play The Iceman Cometh is the story of how Hickey, a blemished but successful salesman, tries in vain to change the lives of a handful of hopeless drunks. Jean-Pierre Lutgen, the amiable CEO of Ice-Watch, is also a very successful salesman, but unlike the fictional iceman Hickey, he has managed to change the sober world of watchmaking with his now vast and ever-increasing collections of the multi-coloured Ice-Watch. In seven short years, he has brought a breath of fresh air to business and a colourful revolution to the wrist of millions by offering truly inexpensive watches in a myriad of spectacular tones, various sizes and innovative and trendy styles. Last year sales reached the 3 million mark at prices ranging from 69 euros to 129 euros for a chronograph and 149 to 209 euros for the Limited Edition of BMW Motorsport watches.
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This year, in addition to the ever-popular and vibrant silicone models there are new collections using materials, in addition to silicone, such as stainless steel and carbon for the cases, Swarovski crystals and leather, canvas and nylon for the straps: Ice-Canvas, Ice-Crystal, Ice-Checks, Ice-Electrik, Ice-Denim, Ice heritage, Ice-Polo, Ice-Sporty, Ice-Style and Ice-World to name just a few.
I ICE-CHECKS by Ice-Watch
T Left to right: ICE-CRYSTAL, ICE-CANVAS, ICE-POLO and ICE-SPORTY by Ice-Watch
Maintaining the brand philosophy of focusing ‘on colour and explore new original materials’, the brand now has exclusive distribution contracts in more than 85 countries and 9,000 sales outlets with partners who have considerable freedom of action – within strict communication guidelines, and the watches can be found on 112 airlines. In June, the brand is launching the IceSwiss Collection that will combine the creativity and purity of the Ice-Watch design with the renowned quality of ‘Swiss Made’ movements. The first collection will comprise 42 models for both men and women including chronographs, three-hand watches and various-sized models from 32 mm to 45 mm and to highlight the 100% authenticity of the watch, an intriguing Swiss Cross Cut of Swarovski Zirconia will be inlaid in the warranty card – of which Ice-Watch has the exclusive rights. The Iceman Cometh? He’s already here!
PATTON Just days prior to the opening of Baselworld 2014, Jean-Pierre Lutgen, Ice Group’s CEO, announced that his company had acquired Patton Watches. Founded in 2009 by Jean-Louis Le Bec, who spent his childhood on the Normandy beaches, he explains, “I called my brand Patton because I was born in Bayeux, the first town to be liberated following the D-Day landings on June 6 1944. [General George S. Patton, the commander of the US Third Army led the relief of beleaguered U.S. troops at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.] Patton watches are Swiss Made, robust and more than capable of withstanding the elements as the flagship model the P42 Hyperbare has proved – having been submerged in the depths of the Indian
I Left to right: ICE-ELECTRIK, ICE-STYLE, and ICE-WORLD by Ice-Watch
T Left to right: HYPERBARE, IMMERSION, CHRONO and HARKEN by Patton
Ocean for more than five years, it continues to this day to give the correct time. The unique feature of this model is that the movement and all its parts are permanently immersed in a liquid using a special process. Jean-Pierre Lutgen was drawn to the brand by both its name and history. As he explains “The acquisition means the beginning of a genuine partnership with Jean-Louis Le Bec, the founder and grandson of watchmakers, and the furthering of the group’s development into the Swiss Made category.” There are five Patton collections: the 42 mm Hyperbare has a stainless steel case or black brushed PVD, screwed crown with a protecting cap, sapphire crystal, Swiss-Made Ronda 3-hand movement with date aperture at 4.30 and is water-
resistant to 1000 metres. It comes with a rubber wristband in black, white, blue or red and ‘illustrates the principle that even water is not compressible in water’; the 42 mm Immersion is in stainless steel with leather and rubber, has a screw-down crown with a protecting cap, is water-resistant to 300 metres and equipped with a 3-hand Ronda movement with date at 3 o’clock. Buried 5 years ago in a crevice of the Aiguille du Midi at 3800m altitude, it remains to this day functional and withstands extreme conditions; the 42 mm Chrono has a Swiss-Made Ronda movement, has a screw-down crown with a protecting cap, a 4-tier dial and water-resistance to 300 metres; the 43 mm Automatic has a Swiss Made automatic 3-hand movement with date aperture at 4.30, a screw-down crown with a protecting cap and is water-resistant to 300 metres; the 42 mm Harken is in microblasted stainless steel featuring a chronograph and an alarm with an adjustable countdown timer for sailing. With its screw-down crown and protecting cap it is waterresistant to 100 metres. It comes with either a red or black rubber wristband. The Patton watches are bold, sturdy timepieces made to brave the severest extremes, yet they have an original styling that will appeal to the sporty
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europa star / BASELWORLD 73
or the modern man about town. Prices range from 750 to 2,000 euros with the unique, trail-blazing Hyperbare between the two prices at around 1,400. I have a feeling that we’ll be hearing much more about the Patton brand.
GC Now firmly established as a Swiss brand, the Gc label of ‘Smart Luxury’ clearly does not impede it from creating watches that are strikingly unconventional. This year, its upbeat approach brought two head-turning models, the Gc Rainbow Python and the Gc African Dream Collection. With a similar horological landscaping, the two collections also connected via wildlife: the Brazilian jungle and the African savannah – the python and the giraffe. Aimed at the fashion conscious or sporty ladies, the colourful Rainbow Python is a stainless steel watch with rose gold PVD, a white mother-of-pearl dial with a date aperture at 4 o’clock, rose gold PVD hands with Super-Luminova. Equipped with a Ronda quartz movement, this model, with its screwed-down caseback and crown is water-resistant to 100 metres and is available in three different sizes: 38, 34 and 28 mm. The African Dream Collection borrows its
subtle colouring from the giraffe and the leopard to decorate the dials and bezels. The watch has a rose gold PVD stainless steel case and is equipped with a Ronda movement. There is a white mother-ofpearl dial with applied Roman numerals, rose gold PVD hands with SuperLuminova, screwed-down caseback and crown, a scratch resistant sapphire crystal and it is water-resistant to 100 metres. There are three models – 38, 34 and 28 mm and are available with either a calf leather strap, rose gold PVD stainless steel or black ceramic bracelet. As a complete contrast to the ladies’ fauna-style watches, there is the more conventional and elegant Gc Femme Bijou. This stainless steel watch is equipped with a Ronda quartz movement and is enhanced by a topecoloured mother-of-pearl dial that has a sunray guilloché pattern in the centre with rose gold PVD Roman numerals and pyramidal indices. There is a screwdown crown with a decorative protector and the watch is water-resistant to 50 metres. Other versions are available with a white dial, a rose gold PVD bezel or even a diamond set model. The men haven’t been forgotten as the 44 mm Gc TechnoSport model testifies. This handsome and very elegant chronograph has a flat gunmetal bezel with a
I Left to right: RAINBOW PYTHON and AFRICAN DREAM by Gc
T Left to right: FEMME BIJOU, TECHNOSPORT and BOLD by Gc
tachymeter scale and comes in either a stainless steel version or, as seen here, in rose gold PVD. There is a taupe-coloured sunray dial with applied Arabic numerals and indices and rose gold PVD hands with Super-Luminova. The watch is equipped with a Ronda 5030D quartz chronograph movement and with its screw-down caseback and crown it is water-resistant to 100 metres. There is also a polished stainless steel model with dark grey or silver-coloured dial and a stainless steel bracelet. Finally, for those who enjoy watching time tick, there is the Gc Bold Limited Edition (100 pieces) skeleton watch. This 42 mm stainless steel watch is equipped with an ETA 2801 mechanical manual-winding movement with a 42hour power reserve. Sapphire crystals front and back offer every opportunity to enjoy the intricate workings of a mechanical timepiece and it is waterresistant to 100 metres.
CONCLUSION So there you have it, three creative brands with very strong Swiss links unafraid to make bold and colourful statements with their timepieces as well as offering true value for money. To use a light-hearted idiom, these brands dare to put their money where their mouth is. And the consumer … you pays your money and you takes your choice. p
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EDITORIAL & ADVERTISERS’ INDEX A, B ACHI 30, 31, 71 Alexander Shorokhoff 31 Alpina 61, 62 Audemars Piguet 36 Ball 51 Baselworld 16, 17, 24, 25, 30, 31, 34, 36, 44, 46, 56, 59, 61, 63, 67 Baume & Mercier 36 Bell & Ross 50, 52, 64, 65 Blancpain 18, 51, 52 Breguet 18, 20, 25, 79 Breitling 44, 47, 50, 65, 66 Bremont 50, 51 Bulgari 17, 36, 41 Burberry 59 C, D Carl F. Bucherer 36, 52 Cartier 38 Casio 26, 27, 28, 60 Certina 49, 51, 52 Chanel 4-7, 56, 58, 59 China Haidian 25 China Watch & Clock Fair (CWCF) 75 Chopard 8, 36 Christophe Claret 30 Citizen 43, 49
Corum 25 De Bethune 28 De Grisogono 41, 42 Digital Luxury Group 34 Dior 22, 56, 58, 59 E, F Eberhard & Co. 62 Ecole Technique du Locle 24 Emporio Armani 59 Ernest Borel 35 ETA 69, 74 Eterna 18, Ferragamo 48, 56, 58, 59 Folli Follie 57, 58, 60 Fossil 59 Franc Vila 70 Franck Muller 36 Frédérique Constant 36, 61, 62 G, H Gc 59, 67, 68, 74 Girard-Perregaux 36 Graff 24, 38, 39, 63, 64 Graham 51 GTO 51 Gucci 56, 58, 59 Hamilton 50, 52 Harry Winston 34, 36
Hermès 21, 56 Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair 77 HKTDC Salon de TE 76 H. Moser & Cie. 18 Hublot 17, 34, 36, 44, 45, 46, 79
Maurice Lacroix 25, 36, 44, 46, 47, 49 MB&F 63 Michel Jordi 31 Michele Watches 59 Nixon 51, 57, 60 Nobel Watch 68, 69
Romain Jerome 78 Rotary 44, 47 Seiko 26, 50, 52 Shinola 49, 60 Speake-Marin 71 Swarovski 72 Swatch Group 17, 49, 78
Titoni 29, 32-33 Tommy Hilfiger 48, 56, 57, 60 Tudor 17, 49 U-Boat 17 Ulysse Nardin 52 Urwerk COVER I, 12-15
I, J Ice-Watch 72, 73 IWC 36 Jacob & Co. 36, 39, 40, 51 Jaeger-LeCoultre 9, 11, 36, 80 Jaquet Droz 18 JeanRichard 44, 45, 50 Juicy Couture 48, 60
O, P Obaku 54-55 Omega 34, 36, 67, 78 Orient Watch Company 53 Oris 24 Panerai 49, 50 Patek Philippe 2-3, 17, 20, 34, 79 Patton 37, 73, 74 Piaget 18, 36 Pilo & Co. 66 Promotion SpA COVER III
T, U TAG Heuer 17, 27, 34, 36, 48, COVER IV Tissot 23, 51
V, Z Van Cleef & Arpels 36 Victorinox 52, 57 Zenith 8, 17, 50
K, L Kappa 57, 69, 70 Lee Cooper 57, 69, 70 L’Epée 31, 63 Links of London 58 Louis Vuitton 17, 19, 21, 22, Luminox 52 LVMH 17, M, N Manufacture Royale 69 Mappin & Webb 80
R, S Raymond Weil 36 Reactor 49, 52 Ritmo Mundo 44, 47, 56, 57 Roger Dubuis 36 Rolex COVER II, 1, 8, 17, 34, 40, 49, 52, 68, 79 Ronda 69, 74
Europa Star HBM SA, Route des Acacias 25, CH-1227 Carouge/Geneva - Switzerland Tel +41 22 307 78 37, Fax +41 22 300 37 48, contact@europastar.com • www.europastar.com MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION One year 6 issues, CHF 100 Europe, CHF 140 International. Subscriptions: www.europastar.com/subscribe register@europastar.com Printed in Geneva by SRO-KUNDIG Audited REMP/FRP 2013-2014 Copyright 2014 EUROPA STAR All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of Europa Star HBM SA.
RETAILER CORNER
RETAILERS UNDER PRESSURE from watchmakers as never before Quentin Simonet
TENSIONS MOUNT. NO MORE FREE RIDES. SWATCH GROUP IS TO INVEST MASSIVELY IN NEW COMPANY-OWNED STORES. Watchmakers, particularly at the higher end of the market, are getting tougher with watch retailers. Over the last ten years or so, relations between the two partners, which were previously untroubled, have taken an entirely different direction, to the dismay of watch retailers and distributors both. The honeymoon is over. The phenomenon is not a new one; the number of singlebrand stores has mushroomed over the last decade, but the stakes are getting higher and tolerances lower. Bernard Fornas, Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Richemont group, recently sounded a warning note in Le Temps. “We need a level
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“RICHEMONT OWNS 1043 BOUTIQUES AROUND THE WORLD.”
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said last month, sales from these stores could reach 30 to 35% over the coming years, although he believes there is still “some way to go.” Many of the group’s brands will be given their own retail outlets, in addition to which, new multi-brand outlets will continue to open around the globe. Take the example of Hour Passion, a label that brings together the group’s mid- and high-end brands. Present in airports since 2004, by the end of 2013 the chain had around fifty stores from China to Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom. Last year the concept was rolled out to a number of city centres, including London, New York, Las Vegas, Kuala Lumpur and Poznan in Poland. The first city-centre boutique was located in Rue de Sèvre in Paris.
of excellence in the distribution sector. Retailers must become more active partners, they must help us to build our brands and project our image in their sales outlets. Indeed, and I don’t say this lightly, we have become significantly stricter about the quality of our partners.” In other words, some of them no longer make the grade. Consequently, in recent years the Geneva-based luxury goods group has opened a number of its own shops and franchises. The result is that the group, headquartered in Bellevue, now generates 52% of its income via its own sales network. As of the end of September 2013 (based on the first half of the 2013-2014 financial year), the group owned a record 1043 shops around the world.
In barely thirteen years Swatch Group brand Omega has seen the opening of 123 own-brand boutiques, making a total of 322 sales outlets. Its boss makes no secret of his preference for single-brand stores over traditional retailers. Stephen Urquhart told Le Temps: “In an ideal world, we’d only have corporate outlets. We can control our own destiny. It avoids all the inherent risks of a partnership, such as changes of management or bankruptcy,” he said. Retailers take note. These statements have not gone unnoticed, and have already caused something of a stir in Germany. Inevitably, brands fear that their competitors are being sold better, presented better and promoted better in single-brand stores. At the end of the day, it all depends on the margins offered to the retailer. And as Manuel Emch, CEO of RJ Romain Jerome notes, this figure is on a downward trend, falling from around 40 to 50% to less than 30% in recent years.
SWATCH GROUP: “SOME WAY TO GO”
ROLEX, A NOTABLE EXCEPTION
Swatch Group, although in second place, is quickly gaining ground. The watchmaking world number one is set to continue expanding its network of shops through 2014 and beyond. Although at the moment its own sales outlets generate just 20% of overall revenues, this number is expected to grow significantly in the future. As Swatch CEO Nick Hayek
Nevertheless, the majority of brands cannot afford to dispense with their partners, or at least not entirely. And in any case, this is not the aim. Omega still uses 3,000 sales outlets in addition to its own shops. But the pill can sometimes be hard to swallow. “Brand X [name removed] opened a boutique in the same street as my shop, despite the fact that
“SWATCH GROUP IS TARGETING 35% OF SALES BY OWN-BRAND STORES.”
I BOUTIQUE BREGUET SHANGHAI
we had been partners for over thirty years. It was like being stabbed in the back. Particularly since I wasn’t informed officially,” observes the owner of a number of watch outlets in Switzerland. However, not all brands are interested in building up a network of their own shops. Rolex is one notable exception. The “Crown” prefers to cultivate its differences. There are no own-brand Rolex boutiques on the horizon for the Geneva giant, which sets great store by its relationship with longstanding retailers such as Bucherer in Switzerland, arguing that they fulfill two entirely different roles. Rolex assures us that this approach is unlikely to change. Watchmaker Patek Philippe, which has significantly reduced the number of sales outlets in recent years (from 750 to 450), continues to focus on its retail partners. In the words of president Thierry Stern, “Without them, we simply would not exist.”
Do single-brand boutiques affect the sales of retailers? The diplomatically-worded official response is that they don’t. But it is difficult to believe that this offensive has had no impact at all. Watch brand Hublot has opened 70 boutiques worldwide since 2007, concluding thousands of sales that would otherwise have gone to other outlets. However, no retailers are prepared to state openly that times are hard. Shops claim that they still have a role to play by offering diversity and providing a choice of brands to their clients. And it’s true, the customers are free to choose. What is also true is that the effects have been mitigated by the stratospheric increase in watch sales in recent years. Retailers have also benefited from “shopping tourism”, particularly from Chinese visitors. But what will happen if there is a sharp downturn? Who will remain in the game – single-brand boutiques or multi-brand retailers? The answer is worth its weight in gold. p
europa star / RETAILER CORNER 79
LAKIN@LARGE
AFTER-SALES WHAT? D. Malcolm Lakin Now be honest, how often have you heard me moan? Once, maybe twice, perhaps never? I’m not a natural moaner, I have to work at it, slowly develop some ire. I’ll give you an example. One summer I was returning home in a convertible with the top down with two of my Europa Star colleagues, no need to embarrass them, let’s simply call them Casey and Keith. Casey’s wife Véronique was also there. Casey was driving and he stopped to let me out. I got out of the car and leaned over to give the usual adieu peck on the cheek to Véronique who was sitting in the back of the car when Casey started to drive off. The problem was that to lean over to plant the peck my foot was in front of the back wheel, so when he began to drive off it ran across my foot. I let out the appropriate shriek and Casey slammed the brake on and backed up – in itself a rapid reaction, but it ran back on my foot and stopped there. Keith explained the problem to Casey whilst the tears were running down my cheeks and he then drove on a few inches to liberate me. I didn’t say too much, but Casey, bless him, said, “Well, you shouldn’t have had your foot under the wheel.” I could have said all sorts of things, but I didn’t – although I did consider kicking the hell out of the car’s side panelling. That’s what I mean about not being a natural moaner. So, it is with some regret that I’m going to have a moan now – not for me, but on my behalf of a friend, Jane, whose husband had purchased a secondhand Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso for her. Originally sold by the reputable Mappin & Webb in Guernsey on September 21, 2002, it was purchased by him at the be-
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A selfie of the Culprit
ginning of 2013 from another company. The paperwork indicated it was last serviced in Switzerland on April 24, 2006. Jane excitedly put the watch on but it immediately began to lose time, so she took it into the Mappin & Webb shop in Guernsey, where she happens to live, and asked them to have it serviced. The date was March 23, 2013. Three months later, Jaeger-LeCoultre sent a quote stating that the servicing cost would be £525 and that the watch would be returned in May if the cost was approved. It was. The summer came and went, but no watch. Mappin & Webb telephoned to find out the score. They were informed that the watch had yet to be serviced and the delay was because there was a shortage of watchmakers in Switzerland! It finally arrived back on December 3, 2013. It immediately began to lose time again. At first a couple of minutes a day, then several minutes a day – enough for her to return it to Mappin & Webb. Someone suggested that it may be because she was putting it on her bedside table alongside her iPhone, but Mappin & Webb tested it for 48 hours and then sent it back to Switzerland on February 2, 2014. It reappeared on Friday, May 23, 2014 and now functions normally. The watch took 16 months to service. Even with the best will in the world, that is totally unacceptable for a company that prides itself on their prowess as watchmakers. I have always underlined the importance of servicing watches – as I’ve said before, a watch has more moving parts than a car and is expected to function 24 hours a day, 365 days a year so it should be treated with care and serviced regularly just as you would your favourite car. But 16 months?
On behalf of my friend in Guernsey, I’m moaning, can you hear me JaegerLeCoultre? You have wonderful timepieces, I own one myself, but it seems to me that you are too focused on selling more and more watches without consideration for your customers - especially your after-sales service. Moan, moan and moan. Get your act together you guys, Rolex, who sell around 800,000 watches a year, still only take three months for a service! All of which reminds me of the story of young Irwin who left Zurich thirty years ago with his parents to live in New York. Last year he returned to Zurich on holiday and was wandering around the old town and stopped in front of a small watch repair shop that he had visited once with his grandfather. Looking in through the window he could see the old watchmaker working at his bench and decided to go in and say a quick Grüezi. “You know, I came into your shop with my grandfather, Hans Oberdörfer, to have a watch serviced about thirty years ago.” The old man looked up at Irwin, then turned to some ageing envelopes beside his bench. “Ya, I remember, it’ll be ready on Tuesday.” Well, you’ve got to laugh haven’t you. p