Kultuhr Nr. 41 (english)

Huber Watches Jewellery Lifestyle

Saint-Tropez

As Sparkling as Champagne.

Huber Gallery

The Kiss of the Muse.

Messe Basel

Kultuhr No. 41

spring / summer 2013

A Chic New World of Watches and Jewellery.

5 | EDITORIAL Picture: Norman J. Huber with his daughter Beryl and son Aurel.

We’re delighted. «kultuhr», our customer magazine, has made it to the shortlist of the coveted Best of Corporate Publishing (BCP) Award. Over 640 entries make this the biggest corporate publishing competition in Europe. The nomination alone is already a great honour for us. After all, the BCP Award is the very epitome of excellence throughout the Corporate Publishing world. And the jury is by far one of the best and most rigorous of its kind. We have been shortlisted alongside some of Europe’s largest companies and corporations, so our small team has actually scored an enormous success.

For five generations we have pursued the goal of offering the most exclusive products and best possible service. Moreover, we have worked hard to create an inspiring environment for the benefit and pleasure of our partners and customers.

Huber’s «kultuhr» magazine is intended to be a meeting of equals. As a valued reader you are welcome to discover new and interesting things. Please take your time and linger as long as you like on our pages!

We are very much looking forward to the awards ceremony in Hamburg this June. The nomination of our magazine honours our comprehensive efforts to show that personal contact, highly trained employees and a special shopping experience remain irreplaceable for most customers even at the present time. With the re-opening of our store in Lech am Arlberg (2011), the building of the new «White Cube» in Vaduz (due to open in 2015), the extension of our Watch Boutique at Rathausplatz (2013), the relaunch of our website and, last but not least, with «kultuhr» we always remain in direct contact with the friends of our establishment.

Emotions are the most beautiful jewels people can have.

We make feelings visible in many ways – through the architecture of our stores, the people in our company or through our magazine. In this sense I now wish you some stimulating entertainment and an equally inspiring summer 2013!

Norman J. Huber, CEO Huber Watches Jewellery

10-11 | THIS & THAT

This & That

luxurious surroundings of Caesars Palace. And the two companies know very well how to inspire and delight today’s men.

Now the friendship has been sealed with a homage to the world’s most coveted cigar. Arturo Fuente’s legendary Opus X 1 is an extremely rare cigar. Only once a year is it sent on its way to Europe. To honour both the cigar and this exceptional event, Hublot has developed a strictly limited edition of its King Power line and called it Arturo Fuente. More than a few people took up Huber Watches Jewellery and Hublot’s invitation to their exclusive «King Power – Arturo Fuente» event at Paul’s restaurant. Accompanied by a choice of superlative cognacs, they were able admire Hublot’s Arturo Fuente model, of which only 100 specimens have been produced, while puffing away on the world’s finest cigar to their heart’s delight. It seems almost superfluous to mention that the limited edition is already sold out. For how is a gentleman supposed to say «no» in such cases?

Just follow your nose! with Andrea Tapper.

Kick-off at the Watch Boutique on Rathausplatz.

It rarely happens that a striker such as David Silva has to flee from the pitch. The fact that he has fans across the world and is also identified in China as a football hero was brought home to him in quiet little Vaduz of all places. David Josué Jiménez Silva, or David Silva to you and me, is a member of the Spanish national team. By the age of 14 he had already signed with FC Valencia. Only last year the young football star was selected for UEFA Euro 2012 alongside other all-star players. But already, just a few minutes after his arrival at the Huber Watch Boutique on Rathausplatz, it was clear that he’d quickly have to leave the field. Customers from China had soon blown the cover of Man City’s striker and midfielder and already begun to get out their cameras and pens for an autograph session. As much as he appreciates the adoration of his fans, Silva simply wanted to buy a new watch. On the first floor, in Huber’s less decibel-challenged watchmaking studio, he was able to look over his preferred choices in complete peace and quiet. Silva received expert advice from the Huber team‘s managing director Klaus Breuss, watchmaker Hansjörg Roshard and CEO Norman J. Huber. By way of gratitude he signed a couple of footballs just for Huber. So we say thank you very much, David! – bring on the next company tournament. Go ahead – bring it on!

20 years ago she began her career as Germany’s first police reporter in the industrial region of the Ruhr. Today, Andrea Tapper travels across the world as a lifestyle reporter constantly in pursuit of clues to the latest trends. The long-serving journalist at BRIGITTE and the Süddeutsche Zeitung magazine likes to work best in countries offering multiple contrasts. Andrea manages her press agency from her offices in Hamburg and Zanzibar, the island just off the coast of East Africa where she spends her winters. «You can’t beat rediscovering Europe after a winter in Africa,» says the journalist, who travelled on behalf of our «kultuhr» to the Côte d’Azur on the trail of legendary Club 55 and unforgettable Brigitte Bardot.

Her report focuses on the highlights of summer 2013 in Saint-Tropez. For Andrea, the resort still represents «a perfect world even though it has long become the most expensive fishing village on the planet. Even so, Saint-Trop, as the locals refer to it, has retained its rural charm. Behind all the glitz and glamour, behind the masquerade, its residents have remained refreshingly down-to-earth right up to today.» Andrea’s favourite subjects of investigation on her travels are neither beaches, boutiques or restaurants More than anything else, they’re people – even though she’s regarded as having a good instinct for sniffing out insiders’ tips by the editorial desks of Germany’s major women’s magazines and by the country’s daily newspapers.

For men only. King Power «Arturo Fuente».

Built on precious stones: the «White Cube».

The Chateau de la Fuente in the Dominican Republic is home to the most sought-after cigar in the world, the Fuente Fuente Opus X. The legendary leaf wrappers are grown on fertile, volcanic soil. Carlos P. Fuente, the chairman of Arturo Fuente, celebrated the company’s centenary last year with a host of highlights. One of them was a cooperative venture with Hublot, the luxury Swiss watch manufacture based in Nyon. The two companies are already more or less neighbours in Las Vegas.

Hublot and Arturo Fuente operate adjacent boutiques in the

We all need rituals. You can’t get by without them. They structure and preserve the pillars of society. A venerated old custom was revived when the foundation stone was laid for the «White Cube». The simple fact is that treasures of the earth have been immured in the bowels of buildings at official foundation-laying ceremonies since prehistoric times. Traces of this age-old tradition can be found in almost all societies, civilisations and religions. According to Vedic belief, for exam-

ple, nine gems known as Navaratnas should be placed in the foundations of a new building in India. The precious stones are supposed to symbolise and represent the nine planets in our solar system. On the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone for the «White Cube», Norman J. Huber chose a passage from the apochryphon or «secret book» of St John in the bible, in which the lustre of a new city is depicted in gemmological images. The precious stones and their significance have hopefully now found eternal peace in the foundations of the «White Cube». For in the words of the sacred text: «18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was Jasper; the second of Sapphire; the third of a Chalcedony; the fourth of an Emerald; 20 The fifth of a Sardonyx; the sixth of a Sardius; the seventh of a Chrysolite; the eighth of a Beryl; the ninth of a Topaz; the tenth of a Chrysoprasus; the eleventh of a Jacinth; the twelfth an Amethyst.» These stones were intended to preserve the site from harm and bless it with happiness and health as well as joy of art and business success. With these words and in the happy (!) presence of all those involved in the construction project, the foundation was laid for the «White Cube» in the heart of Vaduz on 5 November 2012.

Young professionals: the watch club.

The most valuable asset in our society consists of interested and dedicated young people who wish to make a powerful contribution to our lives. They represent the best and most solid foundation for the healthy development of a country. Huber Watches Jewellery has been pleased to sponsor a club based at the campus of the University of St. Gallen for quite some time. St. Gallen’s «Watch Club» was instigated by students for students. It aims to offer its members insights into the Swiss watchmaking industry. Huber Watches Jewellery invited business studies undergraduates to Liechtenstein’s museum of modern and contemporary art so they could take active part in one of the company’s rarely held watchmaking courses.

Norman J. Huber, himself the father of two grown-up children, knows how to share his passion and inspire others with his enthusiasm for timepieces: «To understand the watchmaking industry you first have to learn that you’re actually dealing with works of art. Our watches originate from the world’s best and most prestigious manufactures. Each of our watches stands for a great tradition of craftsmanship as well as an enormous amount of valuable ideas and gorgeous materials which have gone into making them. I think it’s very inspiring for young students to see how people here use their ingenuity to create astoundingly precious products by hand – products with an intrinsic value that can’t really be measured in terms of price.»

12-13 | GOODWOOD REVIVAL

At full throttle in the earl’s garden.

A good old car race.

When engines sound like sizzling saucepans, when emerald green cigars roll through the front garden, when pre-war Silver Arrows roar and when 150,000 visitors appear in historic costume, you know the Goodwood Revival can’t be far away.

Every year in September the Earl of March opens his gates to an enormous historic motor sport party – even a Royal Wedding pales in comparison. And in the middle of it all is a sacred retreat for English gentlemen: the Drivers’ Club, sponsored by Rolex.

Text David Malik Photos Rolex, Jonathan Greene Lord March, the heir apparent of the 10th Duke of Richmond, owns just about everything you could possibly dream of: Goodwood, a stately home in West Sussex set in grounds over three times the size of Liechtenstein, a private racecourse, a gigantic organic farm, two golf courses, a hotel with 94 beds, a fleet of historic aircraft, a cricket pitch and in his front garden a motor circuit with two bends. It was formerly used as an emergency landing field for fighter squadrons.

This is where Grandfather Freddie organised his first private race meeting before the Second World War. He liked all the speeding about, so when the Royal Air Force left, he extended the motor circuit. The first official race was held in 1948.

Countless others followed until the increasingly higher speeds demanded a more contemporary kind of racetrack – the circuit was closed in 1966. «I was 11 years old and mortified», recalls Lord March, who took a leaf out of his grandfather’s book in 1988 when he decided to open the park again on two weekends a year for the Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival.

Icons of the racing circus.

Only vehicles built before 1966 are allowed to take part in the event – and each driver must have been personally invited

by Lord March. The event which had sedate beginnings now has hearts racing – even the hearts of motoring aces such as

Sebastian Vettel. «It was always one of my dreams to drive here.» World champions from every class and year sign autographs by the second and are just as excited as children let loose in Santa’s grotto before Christmas. For Jochen Mass this historic motoring party is also a social event: «I meet my old mechanics, engineers and the press corps.» Visitors can enter each of the paddocks to admire their idols and the cars.

A stroll along the world’s most expensive pit lane is like going on a journey through the history of motor sport.

A celebration of the senses.

When Bernd Schneider appears with the oldest existing 300 SL with the chassis number 2 or the 670 horse-power engine of a Silver Arrow revs up, people come running from all directions simply because of the incredible din they make.

Lewis Hamilton may want to chat to Emerson Fittipaldi but it’s too loud for small talk. Every now and again you can hear the sound of bagpipes playing «God save the Queen». The motorbikes sound like a swarm of angry hornets, exhausts protrude from the machines like chrome stovepipes and a formation of Spitfires flies overhead. The whole park reeks of hot rubber, petrol and doughnuts. Ladies in lemon-yellow petticoats with cute little hats traipse over the English lawn.

Gentlemen with stuck-on moustaches, dressed in caps and leather jackets, and smoking pipes, spread out chequered blankets on the grass. Picnic baskets are everywhere, naturally with champagne. A baby dressed in costume screams in a vintage pram. In tents, people dance to the Dixie Sound, big band classics and Elvis. Even the oil-smeared faces of the drivers in their retro racing overalls have been recreated with meticulous attention to detail. Visitors are discreetly asked to put away their mobile phones. The scenario looks so real that you can hardly tell from photos whether they were taken in former times or today.

An important highlight is the traditional awards ceremony on Sunday evening. The coveted Rolex Driver of the Meeting Award goes to the driver who has entertainingly driven hard and fast during the weekend. He receives a Rolex wristwatch which was first presented in 1963 during a golden era of motor sport.

14-15 | WHITE CUBE

Kaspar Hilti. Built with the love of art.

An interview on tradition, knowledge and foundations.

Kaspar Hilti, managing director and owner of Gebrüder Hilti Bauunternehmung AG, is sitting in his old office with a low ceiling. His «Kantor», as he calls it, could easily be a relic from grandfather’s times. The place reeks of paper, wood and coffee. Files are stacked up on old shelves. The walls are covered in his staff’s awards, various death announcements and family photos. This is where the 65-year-old works and checks – just like a good father – how his construction teams set off in all directions each morning and lunchtime. One of them is currently building the «White Cube» in Vaduz next to the art museum in Vaduz, a building that is set to become a work of art itself.

Text Irmgard Kramer Photo Roland Korner Geotechnical profiles Dr. von Moos AG Not for beginners.

«This building is the most complex project we’ve ever undertaken. The difficulties are only evident to experts – after all, we’ve already completed plenty of sophisticated projects – take the new Landtag building in Vaduz, for example. Inevitably, working in such a confined space means you have to deal with plenty of challenges, interfaces and responsibilities. We have the worst subsoil you could possibly imagine.

The area around here originally consisted of fenland from the Rhine and became alluvial land over thousands of years. Now we have to erect a building in this sludge. The slope pressure is enormous. To absorb these forces we need driven piles measuring 1.20 m in diameter and with a total length of 1,400 m, with corresponding anchors to the castle rock under the houses of 780 m in total and a clamping force of 87 tonnes per anchor. The building also has to be able to spread its load across the subsoil, so we also needed additional foundation piles with the same diameter of 1.20 m and a total length of 925 m. We used a special method to remove and clean the groundwater – the foundation pit is 6 m deep in groundwa-

ter. A period of heavy rain at the most inopportune moment left all of us who are involved in the project – the engineers, geologists, the representatives of the building owners and the architects – facing a major problem. We joined forces to try to resolve a very delicate situation. Fortunately we managed to do this by working closely together. The structure is being adapted to the Kunsthaus at the underground garage level – this work is currently going ahead at top speed. But it meant that we had to ensure the vibration-free removal of 800 tonnes of reinforced concrete using Hilti diamond cutters. The frosty temperatures at the time didn’t exactly help us do this. Even so, I’m confident that the White Cube will be completed by 2015. The Hilti ART Foundation exhibits and Huber’s watches and jewellery are sure to delight people and become a centre of attraction for Vaduz. But until we get that far we still have to overcome the many technical difficulties that lie ahead. We’re a good team. No-one tries to gain an unfair advantage at the expense of the others. So each technical or financial problem is discussed beforehand with the building owners. We’re all pulling together, in the same direction, and we all trust each other. Here I’d just like to express my gratitude to the building owners, Michael Hilti and Norman Huber. They’ve accompanied our work with remarkable expert knowledge and understanding.»

At a turning point.

Kaspar is certainly concerned about the future of the building industry. «Unfortunately, we seem to have strayed from the path of reason – a problem that affects the whole of Europe.

We need houses which can breathe again, houses which don’t have a 20 cm layer of hazardous waste on their façades.

We have to build in a way that doesn’t cause damage to the environment. We don’t have to give up all the good and reliable old principles just because of some false cost consideration. The concept of sustainability is being watered down.

Quality has its price and ultimately pays for itself in the long run. It pains me to see how many new buildings have been poorly planned. The Romans built bridges and drove donkey carts over them – 2,000 years later, trucks weighing 50 tonnes and more drive over the same bridges and the bridges are still intact. But our bridges and some of our prestige buildings are already in need of repair after only 20 years. That’s hardly what you might call a good reference for anyone.»

Now in the fifth generation.

Gebrüder Hilti Bauunternehmung AG is the oldest registered company still in operation in the Principality of Liechtenstein. It can look back on 135 years of corporate history and currently employs 156 staff. When one of the brothers, Thomas, died in 2007, Kaspar had to decide how he wanted the company to proceed. His daughters left their jobs as a special education teacher and as a legal expert: they were ready for a new beginning. «I’ll stop when my daughters tell me: «Right, Dad, that’s enough.’ They form the majority on the board of directors, anyway, so they could get rid of me at any time.»

The 65-year-old patron is still fully involved in the day-to-day

business and pleased to welcome visitors to his old office. «I hope things stay just the way they are. There’s only one thing that I keep thinking about. It took ages for an hour to pass by when I was at school. Time passed more slowly in those days.

I think someone has been fiddling about with time. Perhaps I should have a word with Norman Huber about this. He knows everything there is to know about watches.

Who knows, perhaps Norman and his team will develop a watch that’s capable of slowing down the world of work. That would make everyday life a little less hectic. When I think of the building in the heart of Vaduz I hope that our politicians and fellow citizens recognise its value for our country. And I hope they appreciate the pioneering spirit behind this unique symbiosis of art, jewellery and business. The building owners – the Hilti ART Foundation and Huber Watches & Jewellery – have invested a lot of their own money to offer our country and its visitors something quite unique in Vaduz.»

Thank you for this interview.

16-17 | THE WATCH DYNASTY

Always ahead of the times – since 1926.

Tudor, the Swiss watch manufacture.

Some 762,642 hours or 45,727,200 minutes have ticked away since founding of the Swiss watch manufacture. And Tudor has inspired and delighted its customers with a constant stream of new models ever since. As reliable as clockwork, you might say. A portrait of the Tudor brand and its visionary founder Hans Wilsdorf.

Even though the term had yet to be coined at the time, Hans Wilsdorf was already the epitome of what we would call a «mover and shaker» today. The businessman had the Tudor company officially registered in March 1926 only a few years after he had set up the luxury brand Rolex: «For several years I had thought carefully about producing a wristwatch that our specialist distributors could sell at a lower price than our Rolex but which would be equally reliable. Now I decided to estab-

lish a company especially for the purpose of fabricating and marketing such a watch.»

The good reputation of the family.

By tapping into Rolex’s savoir-faire Tudor managed to produce exquisite watches at lower costs. Pardon me?! Elegant luxury models at an affordable price? Customers were clearly interested. By no later than the 1950s the «Oyster Prince» enabled Tudor’s breakthrough into the international market. From that time on the excellently manufactured models from the Swiss watch manufacture would decorate wrists right round the world. And in the following decades, as reliably as clockwork, Tudor came out with a constant stream of new models.

Their sophisticated mechanisms, elegant design and Rolexlike quality have never failed to enthral customers.

Hans Wilsdorf may have passed away in July 1960 but his vision of constantly being ahead of the times lives on in each and every watch – as the 2012 Collection and, in particular, the «Tudor Heritage Black Bay», amply demonstrated once again. This re-interpretation of the 1950s’ classic impresses with its contemporary stainless steel casing and a convex dial that remains waterproof down to a depth of 200 metres. In a nod to the original the watch comes with a choice of two straps: a black textile band and a choice between a stainless steel strap or one made of exclusive aged leather.

Cooperative ventures with Porsche and Ducati.

Victory or defeat? All or nothing? In racing, everything is decided within fractions of a second. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons for Tudor’s close ties to the world of motor racing. In June 2011 Tudor followed up a spectacular cooperative venture with Porsche by signing on the dotted line again: this time for a joint project with Ducati.

The watch manufacture was even picked by the Italian motorbike maker to be its timing partner. To mark this great event Tudor created a special edition for the «Fastrider line». It was inspired by Ducati’s legendary «Monster». The power and masculinity evoked in the name is also reflected in the design of the watches: the collection consists of a series of stainless steel chronographs featuring the Tudor 7753 movement with automatic winding presented in a waterproof 42 mm case with a polished satin finish.

The most recent developments at Tudor leave you wondering about what the Swiss pioneers will come up with next.

One thing’s for certain, in any case: Tudor will continue to inspire and delight its customers and friends – just as it has done over the past 87 years.

18-19 | EXPEDITION

Le dernier cri!

Saint-Tropez. The vintage icon is alive and kicking.

Nowhere else does a holiday sparkle more elegantly than in Saint-Tropez, one of the world’s best known glamour destinations. The fishing village with sex appeal is set to offer very special highlights this year.

Text Andrea Tapper Photos Valerie von Oppeln, Laif, Mauritius, Shutterstock «Non, madame, non!» In the Rondini shoe boutique I look up and ask myself who the owner is getting so agitated about.

Mon dieu, I almost drop the shoe out of shock – he means me of all people! But all I’ve done is take a sandal from the shelf and slip it on... what a faux pas! For the unwritten rule is that you’re not allowed to try on any footwear unless the maître is present, and unless it’s your turn! After all, Rondini – this tiny boutique with barely 10 m2 of retail space at rue G. Clemenceau 16 of Saint-Tropez – is an institution: the Rodini family has been producing hand-crafted leather sandals here ever since 1927.

«Les sandales Tropéziennes» – they’ve all worn them, from Colette to Brigitte Bardot and from Jean-Paul Belmondo to Roger Vadim. Even today you’ll find people – French girls, holiday-makers and entire families – queuing up in front of the little shop on a lane buried in the old town.

Saint-Tropez! A name is like a promise, a place is like a fragrance, and a classic fragrance at that. But what actually is Saint-Tropez today? In the course of a few decades the former little village has grown into an increasingly popular tourist destination. It may still only have 5,542 residents but is now visited by up to five million tourists a year. Opinions are increasingly divided over this. Shortly after arriving I learned that of all the preconceptions surrounding Saint-Tropez one is certainly true: The people here are beautiful, not only the women, but even the men. Take the young parking attendants from the cult «Club 55» on the beach, for example. The ones who are dressed in white shorts and dark blue Tod’s loaf-

ers. The ones with their hair artfully tousled from the wind and sunshine and with enchanting smiles. The ones who marshal the Jaguar limos and Porsche convertibles. These boys don’t have a single spare ounce of fat on them. In fact, simply the sight of them puts you into a light-hearted spin. And please bear in mind, I didn’t even arrive in a Porsche!

A cordial lifestyle cocktail.

«Saint-Tropez is a place with a heart,» Robert-Jan van Straaten had assured me. Robert-Jan is the Dutch manager of the «Althoff Hotel Villa Belrose», one of the best establishments in the little town (best because of its quiet and secluded location). From my terrace with an elegant pool I am able to enjoy panoramic views of Saint-Tropez and yet it only takes me five minutes to get to the centre. The Mediterranean here is as placid as an Alpine lake and also framed by attractive mountains – but best of all, whenever I return to my room I always find a little surprise discreetly placed there from the kitchen. Sometimes it’s an amuse-gueule with Gorgonzola cream, at others an extremely delicate pistachio macaroon.

So it’s hardly a coincidence that Thierry Thiercelin has earned a Michelin star.

Just as the Villa Belrose is a celebration of the French way of life, Saint-Tropez at its best has remained an intoxicating cocktail of joie de vivre, vintage charm, a surprising number of Provencal traditions which remain very much alive and a large dash of glamour. It’s worth noting, however, that the former village’s best moments aren’t necessarily in August, when the somewhat unholy alliance of massed paparazzi and hordes of day-trippers causes prices to soar to absurd levels: at such times, a berth in the harbour can cost up to €10,000 a day!

On the other hand, all the hype, all the jet-set madness, all the celebrities you come across here – well, they’ve all become part and parcel of the Saint-Tropez experience. The fact that it’s locally known as «St. Trop» is ambiguous – it can easily be understood as an ironic refer-ence to excess! Located on a peninsula to the southwest of Nice, the former fishing village earns its livelihood from and with its image. It has remained a constant and loyal muse to the world of art ever since the Parisian avant-garde began declaring it a fashionable location – the «Montparnasse of the Mediterranean» they enthused – in 1930 or thereabouts. The lyricists and poets were the first to arrive, then the painters – and after them the in-crowd. Novelist and short-story writer Guy de Maupassant first moored his sailing boat «Bel Ami» here in 1887, to be followed by the world-famous painters Paul Signac and Henri Matisse as well as Colette, the writer and «It girl» of the 1930s. Françoise Sagan wrote her bestseller «Bonjour Tristesse» here, which was also filmed on location. Saint-Tropez also announced the arrival of the bikini as well as topless bathing just a little later on.

And then, in the 1950s, the star of stars finally appeared, the woman whose name and style would resonate permanently in the resort: Brigitte Bardot. The quality of the light and the warmth of Saint-Tropez lured them all to this place.

20-21 | EXPEDITION

A place as invigorating as a glass of champagne.

McDonald’s was refused a license, and houses are not permitted to stand more than seven metres tall. I soon went native when I watched older people playing boules (known as pétanque in this part of the world) at the picturesque Place des Lices and loaded up my shopping basket at the Tuesday and Saturday market with the freshest and most immaculate vegetables I’ve ever seen, with cœur-du-bœuf tomatoes and fougasse yeast bread stuffed with olives, bacon and anchovies. I came across fine examples of traditional handicraft just about everywhere, from lavender-scented candles at «Durance» to linen tablecloths at «Marinettes». To cool off and find inspiration I only need to pay a visit to the wonderful Musée de L’Annonciade, where classic «St.Trop» masterpieces from Matisse to Signac unfold their magic.

I go inland and explore the medieval mountain villages of Gassin and Ramatuelle, then dine under olive trees in the romantic restaurant of «Quartier La Rouillère». Gassin, which survived the plague in the12th century, is an idyllic little spot today: farmhouses with blue shutters cling to the hillside, a little kitten basks in the sun underneath geraniums. After all this peace and quiet I’m more than ready again for my favourite evening pastime – an inquisitive walk in the harbour in front of the old, traditional «Sénéquier» café which first opened in 1889 and is completely decked out in red. I’m lucky and manage to get a seat in the front row. «Regardez» says a nice, elderly lady at my table: «Isn’t that Johnny Depp?» and points to a figure nonchalantly sauntering past us. And I think: There’s no other place in the world that can offer such a promising start to the evening than here in Saint-Tropez.

Canyon in a canoe. And so three myths were born all at the same time: the myth surrounding BB, the little village of SaintTropez and the cult status of the club. «This was Robinson Crusoe country for my parents,» de Colmont says, «here they could have a wild time together, and my mother Geneviève stood in the open kitchen on the beach.» He took over the business in the 1980s. Even though the club now has an impressive complement of cooks and managers, his sister still sits behind the till. Pretty much everything else has stayed informal and «in the family» – even when A-class celebrities such as Michael Douglas, Puff Daddy, Mario Adorf (who lives here together with his wife Monique) or Kate Moss are sitting at the next table.

22-23 | EXPEDITION

Le Club 55 – the mother of all beach clubs Anyone is welcome to come in – providing they behave.

That’s how it’s always been at the most famous club in SaintTropez.

Can anyone think of a better philosophy? «Everyone’s welcome – for the first time, at least. Then we review the situation...» Patrice de Colmont, the patron of Saint-Tropez’s legendary beach club Le Club 55, laughs as he explains the principle behind his open door policy to me. Everyone is treated the same way here, from Russian billionaires to normal holiday-makers: but if they don’t behave, they’re barred. «Let’s sit down first», says de Colmont and leads me to one of the tables below the intertwined vines which cast playful shadows onto the interior.

Here, at the 5 km long bay of Pampelonne to the east of Saint-Tropez, France almost looks like Sylt in north Germany.

Dunes, sand, beach grass and bamboo trees, whitewashed tables and chairs below straw roofs, tablecloths in the bright blue local colours of the Provence, truffle quiche, lobster carpaccio, rosé, champagne, risotto, artichokes, olives and million kinds of different cheeses – you can’t get more civilised than that! Owner Patrice de Colmont inherited the family enterprise, which was first founded in 1953, from his father. A charming man with tousled hair, not aloof at all, and yet rumour has it that he once even sent Madonna packing.

Just like the other – now around 30 – clubs in the bay, from «Nikki Beach» to «Moorea», the legendary «Club 55» is hardly what you’d call a night club. It’s more a sanctuary, situated directly on the beach, open in the daytime, a place where you can enjoy exquisite dining from morning till night, swimming, sunbathing, and most importantly of all, a place to look and be seen. The success story commenced when a young Brigitte Bardot, in tow to director Roger Vadim at the time, first appeared here during the filming of the global blockbuster «And God Created Woman» in 1955. The film crew was looking for a decent place to eat inbetween working on the film set, and found it at the beachside hut which had been built two years earlier by de Colmont’s parents – themselves adventurers and pioneers who had already crossed the Grand

Le Club 55 Plage de Pampelonne Ramatuelle Tel: 33 4 94 55 55 55 www.club55.fr Open daily from 9 am to 7 pm, beach loungers from €30, lunch around €50. Best reserved from your hotel!

Summer 2013 in Saint-Tropez The Maurice de Vlaminck exhibition, the Harley festival, the first antiques fair and, as a grand finale, the traditional regatta «Les voiles de Saint-Tropez» – Here we offer you the best recommendations and dates for 2013.

Althoff Hotel Villa Belrose With St. Maxime to the left and the picturesque harbour of Saint-Tropez to the right, the luxury hotel offers spectacular panoramic views of the Mediterranean. A member of Relais & Châteaux, award-winning cuisine, a spa, top concierge, 40 tasteful rooms and suites – and above all, a very personal atmosphere. Even Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel has savoured the delights of the Villa Belrose.

Althoff Hotel Villa Belrose Gassin – Saint-Tropez +33 494-559797 www.althoffhotels.com Restaurant Ferme Ladouceur Rural cuisine at the Quartier La Rouillère in the heart of the mountain village of Ramatuelle featuring exquisite vegetable terrines and grilled lamb under old olive and pine trees.

Ramatuelle 83350 Tel: 33 4 94 79 24 95 7.30pm – 10 pm daily Maurice de Vlaminck This promises to be the most exhilarating exhibition of the year with works by the famous Fauve artist from 1904 to 1914 in

Saint-Tropez’s most beautiful museum.

L’Annonciade Place Grammont Le Port 6 July–14 October 2013 Daily, apart from Tue 10am–1pm and 2pm–6pm

10am–10pm, daily.

Further information The well designed, official website for Saint-Tropez is a great source of information, tips, bookings and inspiration for tourists. Visit www.ot-saint-tropez.com.

Butterfly Museum With so many human butterflies fluttering their wings all around you, perhaps it’s time to take a closer look at the actual creatures themselves with a visit to this dedicated museum where you can admire and marvel at 250 butterfly species presented by the collector, J.H. Lartigue.

Maison de Papillons 9 Rue Etienne Berny Tel: 33 4 94 97 63 45 Mon–Sat, 2.30pm–6pm Sailing regattas What pleasure could be greater than to track the courses of white yachts from the hills above Saint-Tropez? Over a dozen major sailing regattas are held here each year.

Latina Cup, 23 – 26 May 2013 Giraglia Rolex Cup, 14–20 June 2013 Bailli de Suffren Trophy, 22 June–3 July 2013: from SaintTropez to Malta Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, 29 September–6 October 2013: The queen of all regattas pro-vides a fitting end to the season. www.societe-nautique-saint-tropez.fr www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr Art and Antiques Fair The premiere in Saint-Tropez after a successful but smaller vintage show in 2012. 20 exhibitors display modern art and antiques.

Salle Jean Despas Place de Lices 83990 Saint-Tropez www.sforman.fr 23 August–3 September 2013 11am–2pm and 5pm–10 pm on weekdays, 11am–10 pm at weekends New bikini Made in Ramatuelle and available from Kiwi in Saint-Tropez, the range of swimwear here extends from the skimpiest bikinis to beautifully tailored monokinis – in fact, it features just about anything you could wish for to make your appearance on the beach «runway» that much more bearable.

Kiwi 34 Rue General Allard

24-25 | THE ART OF BEAUTY

A little gem from the far north.

Ole Lynggaard Copenhagen.

In an old car repair garage in front of Copenhagen 45 goldsmiths conjure precious stones into little masterpieces that are coveted throughout the world. The Danish goldsmith Ole Lynggaard founded his eponymous Ole Lynggaard Copenhagen 50 years ago. Today, his daughter Charlotte ultimately determines the design of the precious items. Her fantastic creations have even delighted Crown Princess Mary: Since 2008 the family-run company has been a purveyor to the Danish Royal Court. Top models such as Naomi Campbell and Helena Christensen particularly love her Sweet Drops™.

Photos Ole Lynggaard, Anna Rosa Krau A night in spring. A hedgehog scurries about in the grass.

The moon shimmers coldly through young leaves onto cherry blossom, anemones, wisteria and summer lilac. The quality of this magical light inspires Charlotte Lynggaard. She begins to draw, makes sketches, consults her father, discusses the work process with the goldsmiths. The materials chosen are pink and white gold and black oxidised silver. This piece of jewellery is to have fine leaves and delicate branches; with specially cut moonstones in different sizes serving as buds.

By appointment to Her Majesty The Queen.

Hundreds of working hours are spent until Crown Princess Mary can wear the famous Midnight Diadem on the birthday of her father-in-law, Prince Hendrik, in front of the amazed eyes of the public.

«Only companies which have supplied the royal court with goods and services over a number of years can receive the

Royal Warrant of Appointment,» explains Charlotte. «Then you submit an application and the Steward of the Household’s office decides whether the application is suitable for presentation to Queen Margrethe. She always announces her decisions on her birthday. Immediately afterwards we received the «Royal Warrant of Appointment» from the Queen in person at Amalienborg Palace. It’s a great honour of which we are very proud. The words By Appointment To The Royal Danish Court are indicated in our logo and particularly noticed abroad.»

Charlotte trained to become a goldsmith in Copenhagen and studied at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. She worked for a year at an advertising agency in Paris, then a second as a goldsmith under Rolf Müller in Switzerland. Eventually, she joined the family-run company in 1994. She’s married to the firm’s CCO, with whom she has three children.

«Everything’s always a bit of a rush in the mornings. I don’t have much time for myself. You want to be able to put on a piece of jewellery quickly – it really shouldn’t get in the way of getting the children dressed, or preparing breakfast. It has to fit the body like a glove. I’m certain many women think that way, too. I always test out my pieces of jewellery on myself at first. That helps me to see how practical they are. My father helps me on the development side. We criticise each other and spur each other on to even greater achievements.»

Elementary and authentic.

Both father and daughter like to dream up jewellery based on the «mix and match» principle. It’s slightly reminiscent of the little charm bracelets worn in the 1970s, except that the luxury version here is made of the finest soft calfskin. Instead of tinny ladybirds and clover leaves it’s interchangeable Sweet Drops™ which make women happy. Girls’ dreams brought to life, garnished with a daring whiff of puberty and wildness.

Jewellery from Ole Lynggaard Copenhagen accurately reflects the spirit of the times.

Charlotte travels a lot. «I always have my drawing book with me so I can jot down ideas and do some sketches.» She has collected inspiring things from nature all her life: stones, pieces of wood, seashells. «Japan also fascinates me as a country and a culture. Elements from the Far East are a recurrent feature of my designs.» Charlotte looks forward to each new day at the company and is proud to have the opportunity to watch it grow.

«I think that adorning ourselves is part and parcel of our culture. It’s always been that way, ever since the Stone Age. Many women want to tell a history with the jewellery they wear.

It’s their way of expressing who they are: a Bohemian, business woman or classic woman. I find that fascinating.»

27 | KULTUHR COVER

Underwater Love.

Floating beauty by Zena Holloway.

In 1996 Zena Holloway finally achieved her major breakthrough into the world of advertising and fashion photography with a series of advertisements for the House of Fabergé.

Campaigns for customers such as Dazed & Confused, GQ, Schön!, Tatler, Sunday Times, Nike, George Jensen, Sony, the Elle Style Awards, Herbal Essences, Kylie Minogue and 4711 have graced her order books ever since.

Photos Zena Holloway Born in Bahrain in 1973 as the daughter of a pilot, Zena Holloway grew up in London and the Cayman Islands. At the age of 18 she discovered her passion for the underwater world on a diving holiday by the Red Sea. It inspired her to become a diving instructor, and this in turn also gave her the opportunity to begin taking her own photographs underwater. Increasingly, she found that she was less interested in actual diving photography – what really fascinated her was the artistic aspect of her work instead. Magazines began to publish her exceptional images and the rest is… a unique portfolio with a very special history.

Weightlessness, the special quality of the light and obviously Zena’s artistry lend an almost other-worldly aura to her photos and videos. As she says: «Water breaks the ice. The models feel free, as if they were in a state of suspended animation. The light is enchanting – really captivating. You notice all that on the photos. It’s far more difficult on the other hand to create such a special atmosphere when you’re doing a standard dry shoot.»

From being self-taught to becoming a specialist in demand.

Zena lives with her husband and three children in London.

Nowadays she only concentrates on a few select assignments a year. Almost all of them are carried out in special pool studios in the UK. Diving equipment isn’t used on the

shoots. The models simply hold their breath, which automatically reduces the problem of the viewer seeing bubbles rise up to the surface.

What’s more, Zena is in demand today as a specialist who works alongside top equipment suppliers to develop lighting systems for underwater photography. So after all this time what keeps her plunging down to the depths? Surely there must be a good reason! «Underwater images are soft. They flow, and that still fascinates greatly me after all these years.»

For our part as viewers, we’re no less fascinated. And delighted that Zena’s gone overboard again to shoot a breathtakingly beautiful series of photos for the title page of our «kultuhr» magazine.

Thanks, Zena!

28-29 | CRAFT

Open sesame.

Just like magic. Created by Elmar Kalb.

Those allowed a peek into his magic boxes are amazed.

At his manufactory in Dornbirn master carpenter Elmar Kalb makes unique luxury suitcases, technically sophisticated iPad cases, exclusive bar furniture with Barelli glass and built-in humidors. He also makes anything else that aficionados have long wished for but can’t find anywhere else. Quite simply, his products are exceptional, sophisticated and attractive.

Photos Adolf Bereuter Elmar Kalb is frequently invited to fairs that only open their doors to a select group of people. Perched between Bentley, Ducati and Bang & Olufsen, there he stands behind his glossy desk with its surprising number of secret compartments. Elmar is delighted to see the looks of amazement on the faces of his visitors. «My customers are true connoisseurs.»

To celebrate the signing of the contract, the new yacht owner is presented with a suitcase made out of root wood and elaborately coated in 24 carat gold leaf. His eyes twinkle

with almost childlike joy when he rummages around the inside of the case and comes across the purchase agreement, an original model of his yacht, the key and a humidor made of Spanish cedar. Filled, of course.

From a sabbatical to a successful designer.

Elmar wants to bring a little happiness into the lives of his customers – and into his own life, too, of course. «Too many people just aren’t motivated.» He loves his work. That wasn’t always the case. Two years after completing his apprenticeship as a carpenter he grew bored, so he handed in his notice and went to work for the post office. While he was out there pounding the streets and delivering the mail – his personal sabbatical, as he says today – he was struck by a vision. He wanted to be creative and make new things. So he went back to technical college and took the examination for the master craftsman’s diploma. On an idyllic mountain slope above the Vorarlberg Rheintal – the same place where he had grown up on a farm – he built his own carpentry workshop and quickly made a name for himself by producing sophisticated Hi-Fi furniture. Yet that still wasn’t enough for him.

The jeweller in the carpenter’s trade.

One day his graphics designer complained that he was sick of having to cart around large drawings in plastic bags. «Elmar, can’t you come up with an idea… something made of wood, perhaps? If anyone can do that, surely it’s you.» The idea wouldn’t leave Elmar alone. He spent over 10 years trying to develop suitable products but kept failing in the attempt – wood is heavy and warps easily. Eventually he discovered carbon, which he coated with a wafer-thin layer of veneer. His suitcases have been light as a feather and extremely stable ever since. Because he wasn’t able to find anything suitable on the market, he ironed out the details with an acquaintance of his who builds model aircraft. Today he mills tiny wooden locks, hinges and sliding mechanisms by himself, assembling them with almost surgical precision out of springs, toothpicks and carbon. «The art of the matter lies in inspiring people – but not just through looks alone. This works almost effortlessly with the argument that everything is made by hand.» Many of his suitcases remind you of a Bösendorfer: It’s the polished piano lacquer, you see. And it took years for him to finally master the right airbrush technique.

Case manufacture.

Quality is a word that soon gets around. When a customer appeared in the workshop and said: «Mr. Kalb, I want a diamond case,» the master carpenter felt his head spinning for a moment. The diamond merchant specifically asked for Makassar ebony – one of the heaviest types of wood. Carbon was the solution to the problem. Exceptional requests no longer have Elmar in a spin today. He intends to open a branch in Zürich shortly.

He makes briefcases and menus out of precious wood for famous restaurants, pink beauty cases decorated with Swarovski crystals and, just recently, exclusive furniture with

Barelli glass or, as mentioned above, highly functional and extremely beautiful iPad cases.

Handmade for the perfectly staged mouse click.

The core of the iPad case à la Elmar is made of extremely strong carbon and covered with veneer made of genuine Makassar ebony. Hinges made of CNC-milled carbon elements and powerful built-in magnets keep the lid securely closed. The iPad switches off automatically when put into the case. An extremely light weight of 480 grams makes it ideal for easy and convenient transport. Individually crafted felt or leather protection prevents scratches from appearing. By using state-of-the-art laser technology Elmar can also incorporate personal insignia such as a logo, emblem, initials or a name.

Ultimately, it’s the special personal touch that really matters.

Organising and offering exclusive yacht tours isn’t exactly what you’d call an everyday occupation. How did you hit on the idea?

Dietmar Metzler: I’ve had a boat on Lake Constance for 10 years now. We’ve always liked spending our summer holidays on it with our children. We used to have plenty of people come and visit us on board. And we found we enjoyed cooking for our guests and being good hosts. Once the children had grown up and left home I wanted to turn my «boat and water» hobby into a job. So about three years ago we had the idea of setting up a charter company. At the start I was mainly thinking of basing everything around the sea. But after thinking about it carefully, we eventually decided that the same goal could be achieved just as easily at Lake Constance. The distance is shorter, there’s less risk and the costs are lower.

And so it was clear that we would make the lake our location.

How many employees does your company have at the moment?

Dietmar Metzler: At the moment we have a crew of eight staff for marketing, the kitchen, service, yacht maintenance and cleaning. And that includes me as the captain.

How long does the season last for?

Dietmar Metzler: Six months altogether – from the start of May until the end of October, but ultimately we want to get an extension until Christmas.

30-31 | LAKESIDE

Savoir-vivre WhiteStar – A whiff of the Côte d’Azur on Lake Constance.

There’s an art to enjoying life. An art which deserves to be celebrated far more often. Dietmar Metzler, the owner of White­ Star Yachting in Staad, also likes this idea. As a provider of exclusive yacht tours on Lake Constance he welcomes his guests on board and whisks them away for a few hours to a different world.

A world where people can unwind, indulge in good conversation, have fun, enjoy superbly prepared food, marvel, dream or simply take in the experience. Boat rides on Lake Constance lead you past picturesque little villages, gorgeous bays and vineyards. It’s not just a magical experience: You almost feel like you were somewhere on the Côte d'Azur. We met WhiteStar Yachting managing director Dietmar Metzler and spoke with him about his business idea, his goals, his preferred guests and true luxury. Voilà:

What about winter – what do you do then?

Dietmar Metzler (laughs): Don’t worry – I have plenty of things to keep me occupied! Preparing for the next season takes up more time than you might think and I also have a second company to run.

How many years has WhiteStar Yachting been around for?

Dietmar Metzler: We’ve been operating for three highly successful years on Lake Constance.

Roughly how many events do you organise a year?

Dietmar Metzler: Up to about 35 charters a year. My aim is to double that by 2014.

Just imagine it’s already 2023. What do you want to have achieved as a businessman by then?

Dietmar Metzler: Since the general trend points very strongly towards hiring and leasing I expect to be offering ten boats in different sizes and at three lakeside sites for charters. Naturally all the boats would feature top facilities, outstanding service and have a captain on board.

Obviously, the vision I have for the future also includes satisfied customers who recommend our yachts to others and become our regular customers.

What’s more, as an exclusive yacht charter company we really want to be «the number one on the lake». WhiteStar Yachting stands for personalised organisation, perfection and

exclusivity – if anyone wishes to arrange a special event on the lake they should come across our name and, as a result, our motivated team.

What makes luxury boats so attractive for you personally?

Dietmar Metzler: It’s simply a brilliant feeling to have everything you need with you, to be independent in your mobile home … and to stop whenever and wherever you like!

Could you tell us a little about your typical clients – and about the kinds of events or occasions which your yachts are mainly booked for?

Dietmar Metzler: They range from managers for special client receptions, banks, insurance companies, TV broadcasters, private guests who enjoy the good things in life, birthdays and a wedding to company celebrations, presentations, meetings and incentives...

You’re bound to have had many emotional moments on board. Which one sticks out in your mind the most?

Dietmar Metzler: It was when the first bride and groom came on board with the witnesses from their wedding carriage and we were allowed to be a part of this «very special day».

I always enjoy recalling the day we christened the yacht and the start of the company – I’ll never forget that.

Rather than revealing the actual price, how many rooms would an apartment probably have if it were to cost the same as one of your yachts?

Dietmar Metzler: 8 rooms.

What does luxury mean to you?

Dietmar Metzler: Spending a day out with friends on the WhiteStar, being pampered by our cook and enjoying a good meal in the sunshine.

You’ve already travelled around a lot, so you know the world’s most beautiful lakes and seas. What makes Lake Constance particularly special for you?

Dietmar Metzler: The feeling of being in the south despite the short distances. The countryside around the lake is straight out of a picture book and the water quality is outstanding. The three neighbouring countries not only have pretty harbours but also offer a high degree of safety on Lake Constance.

You couldn’t ask for a better place for some decent rest and recreation!

Thank you very much for this interview.

www.whitestaryachting.com

32 | FRAGRANT WORLD

Less is more. Ach, wie Schön!

Geza Schön. Perfumer of the century.

Text Eva Engel Photos Geza Schön

Compliments are an abstract construct of our longing for recognition and love. We hear polite and charming words of flattery all around us in our daily lives. But in the worst possible case – and let’s be honest about this – they can mean precisely the opposite of what is said. Like when you coyly indicate to someone that they haven’t actually given any pleasure to the person they’re talking to. But then... who knows, perhaps it does exist after all, that little moment of true emotion, of carelessness. That free, unpremeditated, unlicensed second which makes its way out into the world, which exposes us to a certain extent, which makes us vulnerable and yet which is ultimately so liberating and which exudes such happiness.

Such moments are a surprise for both sides. For those who can’t stop themselves from coming out spontaneously with the compliment. And for those on the receiving end of what can sometimes be an almost outrageously profuse compliment.

So what am I supposed to think when I witness the following two scenes (I haven’t made any of this up, either. Seriously!): Scene 1. Vienna Westbahnhof. The ticket office. A wet, rainy Monday evening, and what’s more, absolutely freezing. The man behind the glass front with the holes for an intercom takes my order as if in a trance. He starts entering the details of the ticket I want on his computer. He keeps his head down. Then his head suddenly turns, he looks up and comes out with the incredible words he’ll be laughing about seconds and perhaps even hours later in a state of agitated confusion: «Heavens, you smell nice!»

Scene 2. The weekly market in Dornbirn. A warm and sunny Wednesday morning. I’m running late, as ever. I know that everything closes bang on 12 o’clock, when the market stands start packing up for the day. I’m attracted to a little treasure trove of colourful, crispy fresh delights in front of me.

But I have to wait my turn. The last purple radishes go to the

man next to me – he was here before me. Finally it’s my turn.

The lady behind the stand begins to weigh the paprika on the scales, puts them in the open bag I hold out to her and says with a sigh: «Goodness, you smell lovely!» – «Oh dear, I’m afraid I reek of the beetroot I had here this morning...,» she immediately adds, suddenly aware of her «error» and completely taken back by her overtly personal comment. Sizing up the situation, I smile gently to myself, politely thank her and have to burst out laughing in amusement. The gentleman I was standing next to now comes after me, also smiles and intimates with a brief sidelong glance: «Oh yes, you really do smell absolutely lovely!»

Now that’s what I call two compliments! Actually, in both scenes I only smell of myself – and Iso E Super, a synthetic fragrance classified as a «carrier» in the cosmetics industry because it’s used to transport other fragrances. Geza Schön considers it very good, so he’s gone and completely isolated the substance – and packed it in a bottle.

Even at the tender age of 13 Geza was able to distinguish between 100 fragrances. No wonder he became one of the most radical perfume designers – and disapproves (and I mean completely disapproves) of mass-produced scents.

His style can be summed up in a few words: revolutionary, minimalist, rebellious and very sexy. Geza’s latest success is a perfume, created at the request of Karl Lagerfeld himself: Paper Passion Perfume.

In recent years, whenever someone’s asked me about «my» fragrance, the naked truth is that I’ve always smelt of Geza Schön. Of «Molecule 01» or «Escentric 01». The two of them accompany me with constant success. So, my secret is out.

To all my girlfriends who’ve despaired of me: I’m sorry. I was being selfish. I wanted to be a «Molecule». I wanted to be «Escentric». Just me, myself, I. So now you know. Please make the best you can out of it. And I have something else to ask of you: Put on a «Schön» perfume every now and then. For the insidious thing about Geza’s fragrances is that you stand to gain nothing – apart from compliments. You simply can’t smell yourself at all – except for a brief moment when you put it on.

But then, for the rest of the day: «Nada.» After all, it’s like they say: Never complain. Never explain. Always be Schön.

Gallery HUBER WATCHES JEWELLERY

Jewellery trends in 2013.

Men’s Casual Watches

Women’s Watches

The Kiss of the Muse.

Paint it Blue!

The Art of Beauty.

34 | HUBER GALLERY

Jewellery and watch trends in 2013 The Kiss of the Muse.

Photos Adolf Bereuter

Naturally we’re all equal. We’re all the same – apart from slight differences here and there. Homo sapiens is probably the creature with the greatest need for individuality on planet Earth. No other species is quite so diverse or quite as colourful as we are. That may not make the matter any easier, but it definitely makes it more exciting.

This urge for individuality was increasingly noticeable at this year’s jewellery and watch fairs in Asia and Europe, and at BASELWORLD 2013 in particular. Everything you could imagine was on offer, from limited editions and individual pieces to tailor-made items. As ever, perfect craftsmanship and only the best materials are very popular.

In addition to this clear shift towards individual timepieces and jewellery – away from mass-produced items – researchers are registering a second interesting trend that is beginning to emerge. It appears that it’s very «in» to be relaxed and to show it. So goodbye to stress! Why keep scurrying about in a hamster cage when you can make your life a lot easier?

This trend is reflected both in fashion and above all in the surprisingly classic designs for jewellery and watches. A trend that was first spotted years ago in America. The more elegant and timeless you are, the hipper you become. Exhilarate others with your calmness! Like a couple of martinis on a mild afternoon in late summer. Anyone worth their salt will go for the classically elegant option. What matters is to be authentic!

Fashion jewellery is a definite no-no.

These small but significant details also matter to us when we set off in search of great treasure. Huber Watches Jewellery is at home where elegant materials, exceptional craftsmanship and extraordinary design deserve to be appreciated and reflect social developments and trends. Jewellery and watches of the very highest quality are our passion. We like to present these works of art in the best possible light. After all, such masterpieces make life more beautiful and admirably

express individual emotions.

The interior of the «White Cube» – Huber’s new headquarters in Vaduz – is taking shape in numerous talks, sketches and plans. Together with Tino Zervudachi from the renowned Paris-based interior designers Milnaric, Henry & Zervudachi we shall be creating a gallery of fine jewellery and watchmaking art for you to enjoy.

The «White Cube» will link together valuable luxury watches, exquisite jewellery and the world of art in a highly unique way. The construction of Huber’s new headquarters at Städtle 34 builds on the tradition and strength of five generations of the Huber family. Experience, craftsmanship and expertise – passed on and refined, and constantly revived and redefined, by us.

On the following pages we reveal the latest treasures from Huber Watches Jewellery, unpack the odd one-off piece, show you what «state-of-the-art» means in the watches and jewellery world and bid you all a warm welcome to our sites in Vaduz at Städtle 36 and at Rathausplatz 11, and of course to Lech am Arlberg for the summer holidays as of 27 June.

Previous page: Diamond necklace «Liz», Huber Private Label, 187 brilliants, 24.8 ct, platinum Ring «Musha Cay», Huber Private Label, 70 diamonds, 1 brilliant, 12.4 ct, white gold

35 | HUBER GALLERY «Cocoa» bracelet Huber Private Label bracelet in yellow gold and white gold, each with 98 brilliants, 1.14ct, F VS2

Cocktail ring from the «Tango» range Pomellato with colourless topaz and brown brilliants «Toiny» bracelet Huber Private Label 18ct white gold bracelet with movable elements, diamond set, total of 580 brilliants, 4.24ct, G VS2 «Embrace» cocktail ring (on the right) Huber Private Label ring in 18ct white gold with 47 brilliants, 1.37ct, H VS2 36-37 | HUBER GALLERY «Ballon Bleu» ladies watch Cartier rosé gold, diameter 36.5 mm

«Taifun» ring (on the left) Huber Private Label ring in 18ct white gold with 162 brilliants, 1.92ct

«Mantangi» bracelet Huber Private Label a true rarity: bracelet superbly crafted in different pastel colours, with extremely unusual Burmese spinels. Framed in red gold with exquisite diamonds.

«Nui» pearl necklace Huber Private Label Hand-picked cultured pearls from Tahiti with wonderful 140 cm chandelier necklace (with a choice of grey, aubergine, blue or brown shades)

40-41 | HUBER GALLERY «Gypsy» range of earrings Ole Lynggaard with turquoises, corals, brilliants, in 18ct rosé gold «Gypsy» range of charm bracelets Ole Lynggaard in 18ct rosé gold with various coloured precious stones «Capri» range of rings Pomellato with a turquoise as the central stone and 2 amethyst cabochons 38-39 | HUBER GALLERY «Rosewood» bracelet Huber Private Label bracelet with moveable elements made of rose gold and diamond set, 3.40ct, G VS2

«Majestic» ring Huber Private Label extremely rare, exquisite paraiba tourmaline, 7.41ct, hand-made ring with 170 diamonds 1.70ct, F VVS2

42-43 | MEN'S CLASSIC WATCH

State of the Art. JAEGER-LECOULTRE This Jaeger-LeCoultre watch exudes sheer nostalgia. After all, it has been designed along the lines of a similar model from the late 1940s. And as if that wasn’t enough, the calendar displays, which include the day of the week, month, date and phases of the moon, are arranged according to the maxims of a harmonically structured dial as well as optimum readability. With a case diameter of 39 millimetres and a total height measuring just 10.6 millimetres the newcomer that was introduced at the 2013 edition of Geneva’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie is fully in keeping with the latest dimensional trend. It has a water resistance of up to five atmospheric pressures. The integrated automatic calibre 866 consists of 305 components in total. For passionate watch enthusiasts it embodies the highest level of manufacture craftsmanship.

Like all the other watches in a range as unostentatious as it is elegant the «Master Calendar» has to undergo a merciless quality control procedure before delivery.

PATEK PHILIPPE Exactly when Patek Philippe established its significant trademark in the shape of the Calatrava Cross is something that even the manufacture is unable to say today with absolute certainty. Probably it must have been around the start of the 20th century. In any case, the year 1932 saw the launch of the legendary reference 96, which collectors regard as a classic Calatrava model. The elegant retro reference 5123R now follows in its footsteps. With a diameter measuring 38 millimetres, the simple gold case is not excessively large or small.

The flat movement of the calibre 215 PS needs to be handwound, whenever possible at the same time each day, to replenish the supply of energy to the mainspring. The beautifully gentle winder makes this is a wonderful source of pleasure.

Naturally, the watch complies with all the stringent standards you’d expect from a Geneva quality seal manufacture.

IWC The name of Portofino has long set hearts racing among watches aficionados and lovers of Italy. It wasn’t any different for the IWC managers when they launched an eponymous collection of watches a good 25 years ago. Obviously, change – an intrinsic feature of time – doesn’t just stop at the gates of a watch manufacture. After being given a thorough overhaul, the Portofino Collection began to reappear in a new and splendid guise in 2011. The power reserve of the red gold reference IW510107 amounts to fewer than 192 hours.

What’s more, the watch has a case diameter of 45 millimetres and features the large manufacture hand-wound movement of the 59210 calibre. In view of such ample contingency reserves, the power reserve display positioned at 9 o’clock on the watch dial reminds the wearer to tighten the mainspring.

Further features include a small seconds hand and a date window.

PANERAI Gold, the distilled light of the sun, is a wonderful material for watch cases. The one used by Panerai for its marvellously nostalgic «Radiomir 1940 Oro Rosso 42 mm» offers major advantages. It radiates a particularly warm and deep brilliance.

The addition of 24.1% copper and 4‰ platinum makes the watch remarkably scratch-proof. This ensures the kind of enduring beauty which men and women particularly love. The P.999 movement ticks away in a case which measures barely 42 mm and is water-resistant up to 10 atmospheres. Owners of this watch will absolutely love winding the mainspring each day. But if the worst comes to the worst, this mechanical gem will still keep going for up to 60 hours even without you winding the screw-down crown.

HUBLOT There’s no doubt that a man privileged enough to strap a timepiece with a skeletonised movement onto his wrist is a very special kind of person. And a bit of a techno fan, too. He loves scrutinising the interior of his ticking companion inside out. Possibly for hours at a time, even. And he’s proud when others turn curious watching him. In this sense the highly artistic design of Hublot’s 45-millimetre «Classic Fusion Ultra Thin Skeleton» is a joy to behold. Barely 2.9 millimetres in height, the artistic open-work hand-wound movement of the calibre HUB 1300 is one of the flat representatives of this genre. Its power reserve comes to a full 90 hours. The balance, balance spring and escapement – indeed, the entire busy little oscillation und escapement system – is always clearly visible. Even at a depth of 50 metres underwater, if need be.

CARTIER In 1912 Maurice Coüet presented the first pendule mystérieuse to his employer, Cartier. The hands seemed to hover in a vacuum without any kind of visible drive. This enchanting art of the mysterious time display has now been revived in the brand new «Rotonde de Cartier». Its two hour and minute hands also appear to hover freely in space. Naturally, even a

refined manufacture can’t perform magic, for all its horological skill and expertise. The trick resides in two sapphire crystal discs arranged one on top of the other with external teeth gear. Both form an integral part of the manual winding calibre 9981MC which has been built around it with a power reserve of 48 hours. To prove that this exceptional piece of mechanics can withstand plenty of knocks and blows, the movement had to overcome impacts of around 500 times over its own weight and being dropped from a height of one metre – without displaying any signs of damage.

44-45 | MEN'S CASUAL WATCHES

Paint it blue!

TUDOR Ever since the 1950s, Tudor has focused on timepieces for impressive underwater excursions. With its reliable ETA automatic movement, the «Pelagos» accompanies its owner down to 500 metres below into a «world of silence». Thanks to titanium, the 42 mm shell with a screw-down crown is pleasantly light. To guard against unpleasant surprises a valve allows harmful helium to escape when you surface. And the rotating bezel with a matt black ceramic number disc prevents any adjustments from being made in the wrong direction.

OMEGA In 1969 Omega’s «Speedmaster Professional» landed with the first men on the moon. The «Speedmaster Racing» is an attractive and obviously no less reliable timepiece with a water resistance extending to a diving depth of 100 metres.

In contrast to the astronauts’ version with its hand-wound movement, this 40-millimetre model impresses through its automatic movement. The calibre 3330 with a power reserve of 52 hours features a control wheel for the chronographic functions, a co-axial escapement and a modern silicon balance spring.

CARTIER Calibre is the name that Cartier has given to its new range of men’s watches. They now contain a chronograph with the exclusive automatic calibre 1904-CH MC. For the technically interested, we’ll let on this much: a control wheel for the functions, energy-saving clutch friction, 30-minute and 12-hour counters, two spring barrels, 48 hours of power reserve, 4 Hz balance frequency for stop-watching down to eighths of a second. Watchmakers require 269 parts for each of these movements. Available in steel or gold, the case measures 42 millimetres. In water, the watch can withstand up to 10 atmospheric pressures.

IWC At IWC Schaffhausen the traditional engineering family shines in new splendour. IWC’s designers and took the world of Formula 1 as their inspiration for the new collection. Typical racing sport materials such as carbon fibre, ceramic and titanium dominate a new design line within the family of watch engineers. From now on the 45-millimetre «Ingenieur Chronograph Racer» is up there with the best of them in pole position at the start of the grid. The engraving of a Formula 1 racing car on the case back symbolises the connection to speed and technical sophistication. Inside the case, the manufacture movement of the calibre 89361 with a flyback function and 68 hours of power reserve measures and times man’s most valuable asset.

ROLEX Geneva-based watch manufacture Rolex pitches its «SkyDweller» at image-conscious globetrotters who value precision. The striking œuvre with the manufacture movement featuring an automatic self-winding mechanism 9001 is protected by no fewer than 14 patents. One of them was taken out for the sophisticated ring command system for adjusting each function with a rotating bezel and a winder crown.

The array of features comprises an intelligent yearly calendar, which only needs to be manually adjusted at the end of each February, as well as the easy-to-read indication of a second time zone.

HUBLOT Hublot’s design in this case is inspired by the call of the savannah. The «Big Bang Zebra Bang» is truly conspicuous when worn on your wrist. In addition to its 41-millimetre ceramic case, the model also features a bezel which specialists rendered with 48 transparent topazes and black baguette-cut spinels. 8 small diamonds set in chatons sparkle in the dial in a zebra crossing look. Hublot has integrated a mechanical movement with an automatic winder and chronograph inside the case, which is water-resistant up to 10 atmospheres. In addition to the ceramic version the model is also available in 18-carat red gold and steel. In each case, the edition is limited to 250 copies.

to the highest standards in regard to construction, quality craftsmanship and precision. A diameter of only 33 millimetres sets off the flat profile of the case made of white or rosé gold to particularly striking effect. 54 round diamonds are set in the bezel, drawing your attention to an uncluttered dial with manually finished Dauphine-style hands.

46-47 | WOMEN’S WATCHES

A Time for Beauty.

PATEK PHILIPPE The origins of the Gondolo range of watches from Patek Philippe date back to the early 20th century, with the first watches launched from around 1910. Here, the tonneaushaped, very feminine reference 7099R with an extremely decorative character latches on to this tradition. 480 diamonds with a total of 3.31 carats adorn its rosé gold case and a further 367 diamonds can be found on the dial. Together, they weigh 0.56 carats. Discerning lovers of ladies’ watches will be delighted by the curved and transparent back cover which reveals the flat form of the manual winding calibre 2521 REC with 18 precious stones. Once again, the Seal of Quality attests to the high levels of craftsmanship which go into the ticking ensemble made by the family-run manufacture based in Geneva.

BREGUET Breguet has long known that women can be delighted by exquisite mechanics with sensible additional functions. Ever since it was first founded, the manufacture has dedicated numerous creations to the fair sex. That also holds true of the casually elegant «Marine» chronograph.

Its case has a high recognition value and measures only 34.6 millimetres in diameter. What’s more, it is water-resistant up to five atmospheric pressures, and its slim dimensions result from use of the exclusive automatic calibre 8827 which is rightly considered to be the smallest of its kind in the world. At the front, the microcosm features a hand-guillochéd dial made of mother of pearl.

VACHERON CONSTANTIN Founded in 1755, Vacheron Constantin is explicitly focusing on the fairer sex in 2013. This move is evident in a wide array of carefully designed watches. One of the feminine models is «Patrimony Traditionnelle» with the exquisite hand-wound movement 1400, which is designed and made in the company’s own manufacture. The legendary Seal of Geneva attests

TAG HEUER When it comes to driving, men obviously dominate the Formula 1 racing scene. TAG Heuer is fully aware of this – just as it is of the fact that many women passionately follow the races. So they’ve come up with a superb, matching range of watches that also cut a dashing figure in daily life. White, scratchproof ceramic inlays lend a special touch to the 36millimetre case of the feminine «TAG Heuer Formula 1» which is also water-resistant up to 20 atmospheres. The same is true of the 84 top Wesselton diamonds, each with a diameter of 1.1 millimetres. Altogether they account for 0.47 carats on the precious stone scales, and a further 11 diamonds can be found on the gleaming white dial. A reliable quartz movement ensures convenience and precision.

JAEGER-LECOULTRE Jaeger-LeCoultre turns 180 years old this year. To mark the occasion, the traditional manufacture has decided to delight ladies of the world with its «Grande Reverso Lady Ultra Thin Duetto Duo». As usual with this highly successful model, the lucky lady owner has a choice of cases with an accompanying dial to arouse her interest. In other words: in the twinkling of an eye she has two time zones at her disposal, displayed by the manufacture hand-wound movement 864 A, which the watchmakers meticulously assemble from 130 components.

Even so, the total height of the reversible shell is just 8.87 millimetres, and it remains water resistant down to a depth of 30 metres. Now you can’t get much more flatter than that.

BREITLING The fact that functional automatic chronographs don’t necessarily have to be oversized is convincingly demonstrated by Breitling with its 38-millimetre «Transocean» model. This highly discreet stopwatch features an elegant Milan-designed strap which fits like a glove onto virtually any female wrist. Incidentally, more than a few men are also said to appreciate the less opulent dimensions. But everyone is delighted here, especially since the family-run company has integrated a flat automatic movement with date window and a 30-minute totalizer inside the case. The flat basic movement of the Breitling 41 can keep ticking for up to 42 hours without the wearer replenishing its supply of energy. Furthermore, the elegant Transocean Chronograph 38 impresses with its performance with an automatic, officially chronometer-certified chronograph movement.

49 | HUBER WATCHMAKING ATELIER

Open Arms.

Small but indispensable: watch hands.

Text Gisbert L. Brunner Photos De Bethune

As everyone knows, time embodies an endless cycle of coming and going. And the hands of a clock or a watch are an almost ideal way of representing this cycle. The position of the hour and minute hands to each other indicates the actual time even without a dial.

So you need to take great care when you choose the form, materials and above all the length of the hands. For minute and seconds hands the tip must extend precisely to the associated scale of the dial. The same applies to the hour hand.

Finally, each hand must be in correct proportion to the others. Over the course of years certain standards have become established especially in this regard – just as they have with watch cases. According to the unwritten laws of the watchmaking art, the hour hand should be a third shorter and 20% wider than the minute hand.

In practice it can sometimes be quite difficult to keep to this principle – sometimes you’re forced to resort to pre-fabricated hands. Of course, only those prepared to pay the high tooling costs get true perfection.

Filigree lords over hours, minutes and seconds.

The first thing to consider is the type of hand required. The history of horology has seen the emergence of hundreds of different models – such as the poires with a pear-shaped tip, the Breguets with a small, open disc, the squelettes for filling with luminous material, diamond-shaped dauphines, filigree gothiques and… (But we’ll stop there. It’s a very, very long list!)

For all their formal differences, all hands share the same design features. The tip is on the front – and ground by hand in the case of particularly refined specimens. It is followed by a more or less elongated body. The head serves as the connection to the movement. Usually it consists of a round part with a hole and a collet – or a spigot to be more precise – which is pressed onto the front of the driving arbours. Many

seconds and chronograph hands have a counterweight to balance the mass.

Diversity is essential when it comes to choosing materials. In terms of popularity, galvanic plated or lacquered brass traditionally takes top place. Blue annealed steel embodies particular value, with solid gold or platinum more or less an understatement in top luxury watches. Aluminium or plastic are completely out of the question for high quality timepieces.

The laborious manufacturing process begins with a narrow 0.1 to 0.15 mm thick metal strip. Chamfering the front sides makes the hands both lighter and more pointed. The edges of the strip are then perforated so that the next parts of the process can be carried out with the absolute precision required.

The perforation enables the material to be guided accurately through a set of different punches.

The tool shop at the hands manufacturer will create special punching tools if the hands are to be made according to a specific client requirement. Only one side is milled in the interests of ensuring symmetry. This part is used to make the actual precision stamp which punches the blanks out of the metal strip.

Each tool used in the entire production process has to be constantly checked because damaged or worn tools inevitably result in unusable hands.

Time takes its time.

Depending on the client’s specifications the tips of the punched components still need to be ground by hand and the upper sides cambered, faceted and/or polished. This procedure can take far longer and cost far more than the actual fabrication of the «blank» hands.

Skilful handwork is also required for blue annealing high quality steel hands at 320 to 330 °C. The amount of time for which the components are exposed to this heat depends on the skill of the craftsman. If they are heated for too short a time you won’t get the desired effect. But heating them for too long ruins the product.

In contrast, the galvanic surface finishing or varnishing is often a relatively easy matter.

Obviously, hands can also be skeletonised, either to enable better views of the dial or the mechanism, or to fill in the gaps with luminous material.

Amazingly, only few people are aware that each hand in their elegant analogue wristwatch has undergone at least 20 different working processes. In fact, quite frequently double the number of steps is required. In this sense an old pearl of wisdom still holds true: time does not respect anything that took no time to make.

50-51 | ART

52-53 | WELL BUILT

A rapture of colour in a sea of light.

The new Basel.

Keith Sonnier

A chic new world of watches and jewellery.

Photos Häusler Contemporary Zürich, Jason Schmidt

Light brightens up everything. Colours go deep. Coloured light affects the body and soul. From a psychological perspective, blue is a soothing colour yet it has a stimulating effect when combined with light. American sculptor and painter Keith Sonnier has achieved international recognition with his light installations. In fact he’s been working on the effect of coloured light for 45 years. Probably his most spectacular work in Europe is the over one-kilometre long «Lichtweg» at Munich airport. The continually changing composition of light and colour turns the extended connecting level 03 at Terminal 1 into an experiential space.

Born in Mamou, Louisiana, in 1941, Sonnier lives today in Los Angeles and works in New York. Light has been one of Sonnier’s most important means of artistic expression since 1968. Coloured fluorescent tubes, glass and metal are the preferred materials for his sculptures and spatial projects.

Sonnier focuses on the sensuous components of light as they appear in the aesthetics of advertising and everyday life.

The fascinating thing about Sonnier’s works is the kind of communication which emerges between the work and the viewer: it’s magically attractive, full of power, pleasant and inspiring. His works are perceived as being both soothing and yet highly stimulating at the same time. The effect of his works, however, is by no means limited to visual stimuli. On the contrary, Sonnier would like to convey a synaesthetic form of perception to the viewer: «I have created works», says Sonnier in an interview, «which have something to do with the way something looks, the way something feels or how something smells».

Picture: From left to right: senior partners Christine Binswanger, Ascan Mergenthaler, Stefan Marbach, Pierre de Meuron and Jacques Herzog

The Messegelände Basel is the city’s most important exhibition centre. CHF 430m were invested to bring it up to worldclass standards over a building period of just 22 months.

Baselworld, the world’s biggest showcase for watch and jewellery trends, has finally reappeared in pride of place.

Text Othmar Walchhofer Photos MCH Group, © 2013 Herzog & de Meuron Basel Ever since it was first established in 1917 as the clumsily named «Swiss Sample Fair Basel (MUBA)», Baselworld has stood for prestige qualities in the watches & jewellery segment. Its doors were closed to international exhibitors for a long time – the risk of plagiaries seemed far too high to Swiss watchmakers. European companies were only allowed to exhibit their products at Baselworld from 1973 onwards. Thanks to the global opening in 1986, the trade fair can now present itself as the world’s definitive launch-pad for watch & jewellery innovations.

Herzog & de Meuron enhance the trade fair district of the city of Basel.

In visual terms an experience, in functional terms a revelation – the new Baselworld 2013 certainly lives up to its motto: «Brilliance meets». Where precious stones and their frames sparkled for all they were worth and chronometers delighted the 104,300 professional buyers attending the fair, exhibitors fully exploited the opportunities offered by the Neue Messe Basel. In Hall 1, which had just been completed in time, the most prestigious exhibitors implemented the concept of stands designed solely to have two or three levels under the motto «Global Brands». Top class watchmakers in particular asked for the exhibition halls with high ceilings. It

meant that they could showcase their complete stylistic range to visitors within a compact stand area with multiple levels. In the Neue Messe Basel designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron, the luxury brands of LVMH and Rolex, etc., as well as other renowned treasurers of pearls, diamonds and precious stones more or less started up a small town of subsidiaries.

And not only did they outdo each other with their «intrinsic values». Visitors were also delighted by the external accoutrements. With Hall 1 of the Basel exhibition centre, Herzog & de Meuron have created an exhibition platform that sets new aesthetic and logistical standards offering prime exhibitors optimum conditions for success at Baselworld. The old trade fair building had already suffered from a chronic lack of space for years, so it wasn’t just the desolate fairground with its pond at the front that moved people to tears – of despair.

Exhibitors can set up their stands on the three floors of the new exhibition centre with a total area of 38,000 m². The multipurpose 3,300 m² events hall adjoining the south foyer can be used, for example, as a venue for hosting banquets, concerts or seminars, and offers just about every conceivable lighting option thanks to its 150 metres long LED feature.

From the 10,000 m² of total exhibition area on the ground level two striking escalators lead to the upper levels (each covering an area of 14,000 m² with a ceiling height of 8 m) of the 220 meters long and 32 metres high building. Two overground passages now connect the new Hall 1 with Halls 2, 3 and 4 and with the Congress Center Basel. The architects have ensured that visitors to the crowded fair never lose sight of the big picture by incorporating panoramic views of the Basel cityscape on the second floor.

54-55 | WELL BUILT

The time machine has landed.

On the outside, the transparent façade makes for a homogeneous building. Its staggered and twisted arrangement has caused a sensation in the cityscape. The actual size of the structure can only be fully appreciated from the air – the architects have skilfully packed the hall structure in filigree hitech cladding. In the streets around the new exhibition centre

the carefully conceived design elegantly takes second place behind the trees on the avenue. The clean-cut lines ensure the amount of natural light in the adjacent building and at the same time perfectly accentuate the architectural features of the entire complex.

In order to avoid the impression of an overtly closed block structure, the two upper floors were stacked one above the other as slightly twisted slabs. Here the façade probably makes its most powerful aesthetic impact. Depending on the viewer’s angle and the incidence of light, the look of the materials with their strikingly differentiated plaiting and very discreet grey tone can be associated with the shimmering plays of light in the city or with the pretty brook trout of the spring waters in the Swiss Jura.

As a central meeting area before or after a visit to the fair, the «open eye» of the foyer, which was designed as an atrium, brings Basel’s pre-alpine sky into the core area of the design.

Those preferring not to use the enlarged multi-storey car park can reach the trade fair via the spacious and sheltered tram stop. In the two bays of the open circle visitors can choose from such delights as exotic Japanese cuisine or Käfer’s fine finger food which the catering company supplies as an official partner to the venue’s events.

An underground city.

While issues of visitor support are dealt with above ground, logistical challenges are elegantly shifted to the basement.

The delivery of temporary exhibition structures for Baselworld 2012 was probably the acid test. Herzog & de Meuron sailed through it by creating underground approach routes via the Isteinerstrasse. Together with the new directional guidance system, the logistics software with the online booking tool for the trade fair operator’s delivery time frames consigned the truck congestion from the earlier traffic routing system to the past. The same approach to efficiency is also evident elsewhere. By attaching a façade insulation system, conserving resources in the building’s day-to-day operations and utilising waste heat, the architects once again implemented the very highest of environmental requirements. Lighting, ventilation and air conditioning operate according to the SIA 380/4 standard. As a result, the Minergie certification office at the City of Basel paid tribute to the trade fair building by awarding it the BS-054 label which they had specially developed for this purpose. Naturally, the building would not be complete without the solar modules located across an extensive area on the greened roof of the exhibition hall.

The promise undertaken and redeemed by the architects to limit the construction period to three years spurred the developers on to quite exceptional organisational achievements.

Where from a distance you could once make out only the 12 revolving building cranes in the skyline around the Messeturm, up to 1,000 workers a day processed a total of 6,800 tonnes of steel and 45,000 m³ of concrete on the building site in a construction period that actually lasted barely 22 months. In the course of the work the 200 or so companies involved in the project installed 20 escalators and a further 20 lighting

systems. Laid end to end, the power cables in the structure would stretch from Basel to Vienna. In any case, Herzog & de Meuron’s design for the new exhibition hall will definitely continue to shine. «I’m looking forward impatiently – and with great expectation! – to the new age of the World Watch and Jewellery Show,» commented Sylvie Ritter, Baselworld’s managing director, looking confidently to the future. «I’m delighted that Baselworld 2013 will confirm the excellence of the in-dustries present here.»

Architects Jacques Herzog & Pierre de Meuron, Basel.

After gaining their diploma in architecture in 1975 and setting up their first office at Rheinschanze 6, Basel, the two spatial designers quickly went on to open branch offices in Barcelona, Munich, London and Tokyo. They can be counted among the icons of contemporary architecture: Their joyfully elegant structures for public and private property developers constantly testify to prosperity in the cities and countries where they are built. The office probably had little difficulty in moving on from the political wrangling and horse-trading that particularly surrounded major projects such as the Elbe Philharmonic Hall in Hamburg or the national stadium in Beijing, erected for the Olympic Games in 2008. Numerous international awards such as the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2001 or the British Design Award in 2006 offer more convincing attestations to the quality of Herzog & de Meuron’s designs.

A breath of fresh air at 56 Leonard Street.

Basel’s star architects Herzog & de Meuron have a hot new real estate tip. It’s the apartment block now reaching for the sky at 56 Leonard Street in the downtown district of TriBeCa. The Tri-angle Be-low Ca-nal Street is a definitive insider’s address for «urban lifestyle-minded» New Yorkers. Outsiders, meaning every New Yorker without a maisonette on Park Avenue or a beach house in the Hamptons, can only guess at the upper-class dramas which are played out in the glass cubes when the select few discretely draw the curtains at the window fronts. And the construction history is no less intriguing (at least for investors): Herzog & de Meuron had already completed their bold design in 2008. But life can sometimes get lonely at the top, so the audacious project was frequently put on hold due to a lack of liquidity. The good news is that the cement mixers have been turning again since January of this year. Now the whole city is looking up in hope to its «honeycomb», as the New Yorkers call the slim and swirling residential column situated barely a stone’s throw away from Broadway. In particular, Herzog & de Meuron’s design offers new tenants and owners precisely what New York particularly lacks: spacious apartments (for EUR 2.5m – 23m), individual floor plans (covering areas of 132 to 592 m²) – and above all light, air and one heck of a view!

56-57 | SCIENCE

APANI® – The height of good taste.

X-Technology – Swiss Research and Development AG. The price of gold is falling, shares aren’t what they used to be and real estate doesn’t grow on trees. So if you’re not quite sure what you should invest in at the moment, you might just be pleasantly surprised by APANI®, the latest brand from XTechnology.

Photos X-Technology Barely 0.5% of current demand can be met. Only a few people will ever be able to savour it. The APANI® elixir, a balsamic vinegar matured for five years in barrique barrels, promises to be the new investment sensation. The secret behind it all is fairly easy to explain. The barrels are stored in specially created APANI® caves, slap-bang in the middle of the magnificent landscape of the Swiss Alps at 3,000 m above sea level. Importantly, the predominant climate there features a relatively low level of oxygen saturation, a high level of humidity up to 79% as well as temperatures of up to 6°C in winter. These offer perfect storage conditions for the world’s rarest balsamic vinegar. Stored in untreated barrique barrels, the precious black gold breathes and matures to perfection as it always has done over hundreds of years. In the case of APANI®, investor demand already far outstrips available supply. For this reason a local auction in the APANI® caves, to which customers are flown in a specially chartered helicopter, decides who can ultimately reap the benefits from this profitable financial investment. It’s quite an amazing event. Even for those who leave the auction empty-handed. APANI® is already fielding applications for 2014.

A sophisticated system behind the scenes APANI® is the latest stroke of genius to come from Bodo W. Lambertz and his team at X-Technology. «We immediately set about implementing our ideas. We don’t just file them away in a drawer to gather dust!» says the confident creative mastermind – a genuine bundle of energy – with a convincing

smile. X-Technology, the Swiss Research and Development AG, deals with practically anything which nature has to offer in terms of ingenious ideas. It takes them, improves them and makes them usable (and useful!) for the general public. Bodo W. Lambertz, CEO of X-Technology and his team are always scrupulously methodical in the way they go about this.

Hannes Asam, a member of the public communications unit at X-Technology, takes the time to explain how, for example, the training and functional clothing of the in-house labels XBIONIC® and X-SOCKS® actually work. «It’s quite natural. Perspiration or sweat is intended to cool down the body. All we do is influence the physical process of perspiration. So sweat stays on the skin for as long as it has to in order to cool down the body before being removed by the special structure of our fabric.» So cool and dry, then, both at the same time? «Well, to a certain extent, yes! After all, we know that the human body requires up to 97% of its energy to regulate body heat – and we also know that body temperature can quickly rise above the level of 37°C during increased activity. So we’ve developed technologies which cool you down when you start to sweat and warm you up when you start to shiver.»

The many talents of Bodo W. Lambertz.

Bodo W. Lambertz, an industrial engineer who was born in 1948, possesses many talents. Under the umbrella of XTechnology and in conjunction with his son Patrick, Lambertz has built up the fashionable X-BIONIC® and X-SOCKS® labels which delight and impress with their multi-functional and performance-boosting sportswear. These product ranges have received the highest awards for their outstanding design. According to Patrick Lambertz, the latest addition to the hyperactive family of businesses based in Wollerau in the Swiss canton of Schwyz is the APANI® brand. It evolved from a simple but ingenious idea: «We still want to get much closer to nature! We want to make nature tangible and help people who appreciate the exceptional things in life gain a more immediate experience of it. We want to stimulate everyone at a time which often seems to drift into insignificance because of the notion that everything has already been experienced, said and done. Genuine, honest products with that certain «wow» effect which moves people and makes them happy – that’s what X-Technology and APANI® stand for.»

58-59 | THE HAPPY COMPANY

Exclusive manufacture Chopard Red Carpet Sensations.

Picture: From left to right: Christine Scheufele, Karin Scheufele, KarlFriedrich Scheufele, Karl Scheufele, Caroline Scheufel

Once again, the Cannes Film Festival was the scene of intense competition: Charlize Theron, Cate Blanchett and Penélope Cruz almost outdid each other in the glitz stakes.

Hollywood just loves Chopard. The luxury manufacture is the favourite jeweller of many a star – and of many a lover of jewellery and watches across the world.

Photos Chopard If he was still around today, Louis-Ulysse Chopard would probably be overjoyed to see how his watches and jewellery manufacture has developed and grown. Today, over 150 years after the company was founded, Chopard has achieved international success with 1,600 retail outlets around the globe. 1,900 employees create 150 000 top quality timepieces and jewellery items at the Meyrin, Fleurier and Pforzheim sites each year.

From the watch case to the watchstrap, each specimen is crafted at Chopard’s manufacture to ensure that it meets the company’s exacting standards. Much of the manufacturing process follows a tradition first set by Louis-Ulysse, a watch-making genius, over 150 years ago. «The history of the Chopard family is the bedrock of our company, established by masters of horology and passed on from one generation to the next. This expertise is of great value,» explains Karl Scheufele, owner of the Chopard label. In order to keep handing down this knowledge to future generations, Chopard has established its own training centre where people can learn 34 different crafts and trades.

Owned by the Scheufele family for two generations Chopard has been in the ownership of the Scheufele family

since the early 1960s. The company was in deep crisis when, in a display of great business acumen and deft aesthetic sensitivity, Karl Scheufele and his wife Karin succeeded in wakening Chopard from its long sleep and led it to international success. Inspired by the Jugendstil, they gave their creations the unique look that makes Chopard so distinctive today – to the delight of watch and jewellery lovers as well as experts around the globe. Many jewellery collections such as the Casmir, Happy Diamonds and Happy Spirit lines are already regarded as design classics, and command the highest prices.

In the meantime Karl Scheufele’s children, Caroline und Karl-Friedrich, have taken over the management of the luxury watchmaking manufacturer. They are reinterpreting old traditions with passion and skill: Caroline reverts to the tradition of Pforzheim goldsmiths with a gorgeous haute joaillerie collection while Karl-Friedrich revives Sonvilier’s art of watchmaking.

This forward-looking approach is complemented by the company’s timeless high ideals: Chopard has championed social causes for decades. For example, it actively supports the José Carreras Leukaemia Foundation, Sir Elton John’s Aids Foundation and the Prince of Wales’ not-for-profit organisations.

A constant striving for perfection and determination to reach the highest levels of craftsmanship are also what today’s owners inherited from their parents – as each timepiece and each item of jewellery in the 2013 Collection clearly prove. These innovations may never make the time seem older. But they will make it more legendary.

Happy Sport Medium Automatic For over 20 years Happy Sport watches have delighted lovers of bold, modern timepieces throughout the world. The new Happy Sport Medium Automatic has been added to this famous collection to mark this anniversary year. It features a silver guilloché dial in homage to the tradition of classic watch decoration. Then there’s the marvellous background which sets off the seven movable diamonds to perfection. Made of sapphire crystal, the back of the case enables viewers to admire the mechanical movement with automatic winding. The stainless steel case measures 36 mm in diameter and is attached to a watch strap made of black alligator leather.

L.U.C Engine One H Is it the passion for performance which they have in common? Chopard has long felt a close attachment to the world of automobiles. Once again, the new L.U.C. Engine One H is a model developed along the lines of an automobile, with a manufacture movement that has been machine finished just like an engine. The horizontal arrangement recalls the instrument panel of a Formula 1 racing car. Made of alligator leather on the inside and outside and featuring five rows of decorative stitching, the watch strap evokes the look of car seats in the 1960s and 1970s. It’s a beautiful example of the inordinate amount of attention which Chopard pays to processing, right down to the last detail. All in all, the L.U.C. Engine One H is a genuine technical hybrid between car mechanics and

the subtle art of watchmaking. Each and every component focuses on uncompromisingly good looks, functionality and performance – without fail.

Superfast Automatic Inspired by the world of Formula 1, the Classic Racing Collection gets back up to speed with a new model: the Superfast Automatic. Its mechanical calibre 01.01.-M was exclusively designed, developed and produced in the workshops of Chopard Fleurier Ebauches. Clearly, Chopard has taken the next step towards complete independence. The Superfast models impress with their clear, unembellished style which always looks quite masculine. Numerous details point to the world of racing sport: The model features a black dial with vertical grey lines based on the famous «Racing Stripes». What’s more, the hour, minute and second counters have been inspired by the instrument panels of classic racing cars. The movement resembles the front grille of a veteran car, once again revealing Chopard’s legendary attention to detail.

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