TIME STALLED!

Innovation and craftsmanship at its zenith, BASELWORLD and SIHH wowed visitors with their range of offerings as they surpassed the imagination of every watch and jewellery enthusiast. By Veyoleen Mehrotra and Ranvijaysinh Jhala

As the anticipation and excitement reached its peak, BASELWORLD and Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) 2008 put on displays of a lifetime. In keeping with tradition, the two events not only lived up to the expectations, but also thrilled visitors with novel concepts and lavish creations. As the 2008 editions of BASELWORLD and SIHH brightened up the face of Switzerland, people from around the world assembled in the cities of Basel and Geneva to absorb the technology and art that surrounded them.

Opening notes
It all started on April 2, 2008, when the opening day press conference of BASELWORLD 2008 kick-started, undeniably the largest watch and jewellery show in the world. At the conference, Show Director, Sylvie Ritter stated that every year, the loyal visitors of the Show transform the quaint little town of Basel into a world capital of the luxury goods industry. Spread over 1,60,000 square metres, each of the 2,087 watch and jewellery exhibitors exuded sheer magnificence as they presented themselves over six buildings. Underlining the importance of the Watch and Jewellery Show, the opening ceremony witnessed the presence of the Swiss Federal Councillor, Doris Leuthard

SIHH, on the other hand, opened its doors on April 7, 2008 and noted a record number of visitors—eight per cent more than in 2007. Sixteen brands—A. Lange & Sohne, Alfred Dunhill, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Girard-Perregaux, IWC, Jaeger- LeCoultre, JeanRichard, Montblanc, Panerai, Parmigiani, Piaget, Roger Dubuis, Vacheron Constantin and Van Cleef & Arpels—showcased new models that highlighted technical feats alongside aesthetic splendour.

Also upholding its role as a promoter of “fine watchmaking”, the Foundation’s cultural wing organised ‘Fine Watchmaking Celebrates Sport’. The exhibition, through its collection of watches, celebrated precision, elegance and perfection—values that are the basic premise of both sport and watchmaking.

On the rise
Incidentally, the Swiss watch industry is the third largest commercial sector of the nation, with watches accounting for 90 per cent of the country’s export volume. Stefan Feltgen, Vice-President Marketing and Sales, Concord Watches, suggested that the global success of the Swiss watch industry could be credited to the country’s size. Feltgen elaborates, “In a country like the US, it can take a company considerable time to develop the market and truly meet its potential. As such, there is little need to look outside. The same applies to Germany, China, India and even France. Switzerland, on the other hand, has only six million people. If you want to grow here, it will take you probably two years to target the market and realise its potential. Following this, one needs to outline a strategy that allows to you grow globally. Consequently, one has to develop a marketing campaign and product that are appreciated universally.”

Unchartered Territory
The buzz this year was clearly driven by innovation, which was manifested in the form of novel movements, unusually-placed tourbillons and development of new material, among other things. In fact, Rolex achieved new depths of water-resistance, Breitling introduced the usage of chronographs underwater, Harry Winston presented the mechanisation of digital watches, Blancpain celebrated the “karussel”, while Rado reinforced its status as one of the leaders in ceramic technology with its development of the exclusive golden ceramic. Even as Cartier showcased the Santos Triple 100, Patrick Normand, Managing Director, Middle East, Cartier expounded on the brand’s creativity and the resulting collection for 2008. He explained, “Our 2008 collection demonstrated ample creativity and innovative designs. This is evident from the latest Santos Triple 100 that features the rotation mechanism of the large crown based on rotating prisms.” Drawing attention to the unique aesthetics, he added,

“Innovative designs were apparent in Le Cirque Animalier de Cartier collection that includes three watches bearing three dominant animals—elephant, tiger and panda.” Women’s watches witnessed previously unattained levels of variety, while moving away from the traditional quartz movements and small dials. Although mechanical movements were widely seen even in women’s watches, the quintessential jewelled watch continued to reign. This was reinforced by brands like Cartier, Piaget, Chanel, Chopard, Harry Winston and Rolex presenting some fine jewellery watches. With brands unleashing their ingenious creations, it was apparent that the industry was encouraged by the positive atmosphere. A sentiment endorsed by Susy Korb, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Design, Harry Winston. She stated, “There is a lot of excitement—it is a very creative year and I’m happy to witness it. I love the innovation and dynamism.”

Dichromatic Delight
In terms of colour, black and white ruled the palette. The all-black or all-white facades made an austere yet impressive statement. Fadi Ghalayani, Brand Manager—Middle East, Blancpain offered an interesting reason for the emergence of this trend. “Karl Lagerfeld reinforced the popularity of evergreen black in fashion, and the world wanted to follow, by creating accessories in the colour,” he explained, adding that the trend would stay on for quite a few years. A few manufacturers went a step further and introduced ‘blackened’ metal. For instance, Hamilton used titanium PVD—the white metal in its black form, developed by them. Even as black and white dominated the palette, the colours certainly didn’t take a backseat—after years of research Rado introduced gold ceramic with the Sintra Gold Jubilé. Emphasising the optimistic mood of the industry were watches like Cartier’s Ballon Bleu de Cartier with a violet leather strap, Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Offshore Ladcycat with a pink strap and Hublot’s Big Bang Purple Carat, to name a few. Mechanical movements, tourbillons, jewelled timepieces, dichromes and bright colours—the variety in aesthetics coupled with technical brilliance overwhelmed visitors at BASELWORLD and SIHH 2008. With all that has transpired at the two events, there will be plenty to look forward to throughout the year, as these new timekeeping marvels make their presence felt. The organisers of SIHH have announced the dates for the next edition—January 19 to 24, 2009. With BASELWORLD scheduled to take place from March 26 to April 2, 2009, the two fairs will no longer coincide, ending a long tradition of an extended sojourn to Switzerland. As we revel in the trends for this year, we can't help but envisage what next year has to offer. As they say, only time will tell.