Archive for the ‘BaselWorld 2010’ Category:
Basel World 2010: Official Closing Press Release
The 38th Baselworld Show has wound up with smiles all round: firstly from the Swiss exhibitors, with confirmation of the signs of recovery recorded in January and February of this year; then from the visitors in their response to the superb pieces created by Switzerland’s watch and jewellery makers; and, finally, with attendance up on last year, from the organisers.
Recovery confirmed for Swiss watchmakers
2010 started out on a positive note, with Swiss watch exports on the rise for the first time in fifteen months (+ 2.7% in value terms in January and + 14.2% in February), and these signs of recovery were confirmed at Baselworld, the sector’s most important barometer. While performance varied from one brand to another, there was one constant, irrespective of markets or positioning: the large stocks that have weighed on retailers’ budgets since the end of 2008 are being absorbed. There is now an urge to buy, made possible by a renewed availability of liquidity.
Another significant feature of the show was the return of American buyers, who had practically deserted it in 2009. Beyond the obvious business perspectives, their very presence symbolises a general upturn, considering that it was in the United States that the financial crisis began before spreading around the world. Backed by these signs of a lasting recovery, Swiss watchmakers are banking on second-half
growth this year comparable to the figures achieved in 2007 and 2008, depending on the region.
Watchmakers opt for a blend of tradition and innovation
This year’s timepieces display considerable mechanical originality, as though Switzerland’s watchmakers wished to pay tribute to the impressive patrimony they all share. While the crisis put an end to any kind of ostentation, 2010’s creations focus on the métiers d’art. Rarely has finishing achieved such heights of
sophistication in watches of unpretentious refinement. Discretion, moreover, seems to be a must where elegance is concerned, as testified by the ladies’ watches, with brands opting for small, even ultra-small, models to highlight their precious character. The men’s 2010 models, like those for women, display a refined
aesthetics, the guarantee of good taste capable of defying the dictates of fashion.
Switzerland’s jewellers
Results for Switzerland’s jewellers have been more mixed. While brands benefiting from a strong name have skilfully overcome these difficult times, designers with small advertising budgets have had trouble making any impact. Getting people to buy has proved more difficult, especially as stocks remained relatively high, which is not the case in the watch sector. Despite a certain overcautiousness amongst buyers – Europeans mainly – exhibiting at Baselworld has proved to be an imperative for Switzerland’s jewellers. Getting oneself known, communicating and making contacts today appear to be the determining factors for success tomorrow.
True to their values, our jewellers have confidence in the future and are committed to putting quality and reliability above everything else. This year’s Swiss jewellery pieces at Baselworld embody the most striking expression of this philosophy: aesthetic research, new alloys offering original nuances in gold, palladium or platinum and, above all, extraordinarily fine hand-finishing work.
Related branches confident in the recovery
Once again, Europe has confirmed its position as the manufacturing centre for the watch and jewellery sector, while South America continues to grow in importance, confirming the trend started last year. There were, however, fewer visitors from the Gulf and Asia at the related branches’ stands. In general, the crisis has prompted a certain wait-and-see policy, shown by a hesitation to invest in production tools.
Nevertheless, the recovery in the watch sector should have a knock-on effect in the related branches over the next few months. While this is bound to take some time, there have already been encouraging signs among suppliers on the job front.
A “good show”
Baselworld 2010 will go down as a “good show” for the Swiss exhibitors, even though there was no repeat of the records attained in 2007 and 2008. The size, quality and reputation of the show, the attendance figures and holding it during the first three months of the year have all laid the groundwork for a robust and lengthy upturn for the whole watch, jewellery and related branches sector. See you next year at Baselworld 2011, from 24 to 31 March !
BASELWORLD 2010 in figures
> Date 18 to 25 March 2010
> Visitors 100,700 | + 7%
> Media representatives 2,900
> Exhibitors 1’915
> Swiss brands 456
> Exhibition space 160,000 m2
> Dates 2011: 24 to 31 March
> Dates 2012: 8 to 15 March
> Dates 2013: 25 April to 2 May
1 Excellent Comment | Filed under BaselWorld 2010, New This Week, Press Releases, Watch News
Basel World 2010: Getting Acquainted With DeWitt
The second week of Baselworld is much more relaxed than the first, there are less people and the staff feel less under pressure. This usually means more time spent with the watches and the chance to ask more questions.
DeWitt is of course not a an entirely new name in the market, but having been founded in the last five years they have come a long way. Their products are not always widely distributed so you might struggle to find a shop near to you, but if you have a supplier I would recommend looking them up.
Previously my major interaction with the brand has been that their factory is on my way to work at the radio station; it’s a largely anonymous grey/blue building in an industrial estate, but with the wonderful DeWitt branding of wheels and cogs on the side of it.
For my money the new Twenty-8-eight (shown above), so-called because it was designed on August 28th, is the highlight of this year’s new offerings. The proportions seem right, the ratio of height to diameter is good, the weight is excellent, not too heavy and dial’s just fantastic.
The guilloche is of the finest quality having been created by the in-house team on 18th and 19th century tools. I think these give a far superior finish compared to modern machines, deeper and crisper. This is finished off with a black gold which brings out the ridges and valleys into higher relief. You have a choice between a tourbillon or a straight automatic, and personally I would go with the automatic. DeWitt calls it an “urban classic” and I would have to agree with that, it’s a very classy timepiece.
Whilst still highly attractive the tourbillon is just a little less appealing in my eyes and the bump in price certainly makes it seem not as good value for money. A nice touch though is the tribute to the founder with the guilloche in a beautiful “W” pattern.
DeWitt’s superb Academia Tourbillon Force Constante A Chain
One of the more unique aspects of the brand’s approach to manufacturing is that each watch is assembled by one watchmaker from start to finish, and to mark this, each watch sports a plate with the engraved signature of the maker. So if you are the owner of one of DeWitt’s fine watches you can even go and meet the person who made it and perhaps shake their hand.
A trend that has to be taken seriously over the next few years is the use of constant force. The tourbillon isn’t quite ready to step down as the high complication of choice, but most constant force movements are considerably cheaper to manufacture if a little less flashy. The other big development at this year’s Baselworld is the use of the chain and as a technical “tour de force” DeWitt have put all three into one watch; the Academia Tourbillon Force Constante A Chaine.
The in-house built tourbillon passes power to the constant force mechanism from where the force is provided to the movement at the same level regardless of the amount of winding. The chain, made from 192 individual parts, is assembled by machine; this is a very difficult thing to accomplish as the force used to bind the chain must remain constant for each link otherwise the chain will buckle and stick during operation. The chain operates an intermediate wheel which, when the watch is wound, moves the power reserve indicator which slides against an enameled scale.
The Final Word
The future looks good for DeWitt, the new models appear to feature the right functions coming to the market at the right time. I hope sometime in the near future to take a trip around the factory, maybe on my way home from work one summer’s evening.
Weird Watch Wednesday: Rebellion T-1000 (With Video!)
As our exclusive coverage of Basel World 2010 draws to a close we thought we would save the best to last. Ian Skellern, reputed photographer and industry consultant, has suggested that if this particular piece was not the absolute highlight of the show it certainly ranks as one of the best new creations this year and we tend to agree. The watch we are talking about of course is the all new Rebellion T-1000 from Swiss watch-maker Rebellion. If you’re wondering what the ‘1000’ in the title stands for you’ll soon find out.
Breaking All The Rules
This is the second piece we covered from Rebellion here on The Watch Lounge, with the first being the Predator we told you about here. Like the Predator, the all new T-1000 takes its design cues from motor racing and has also been created in conjunction with world famous watch designer Eric Giroud (whom we interviewed here just a few months ago.)
However, its not the T-1000’s looks that make it truly unique, although they certainly do stand out in their own right and will be discussed in more detail later, it’s the movement that sets this timepiece apart from others.
The generally accepted power reserve level for a manually wound movement is typically somewhere between 48 and 72 hours, although some movements do offer a slightly higher reserve. The Rebellion T-1000 has a mind-blowing power reserve of 1,000 hours! (hence the name). That means you can wind it today and it would still be keeping perfect time in over a month’s time!
And in case you were wondering, yes it is some kind of record, a world record in fact.
In order to generate this truly impressive power-reserve Rebellion designed a patented system that uses no less than six (that’s right, six!) mainspring barrels that are wound by a specially designed lever that hinges up-wards from the case. When the lever is not being used to wind the movement it sits flush on the top of the case and simply becomes part of the watch’s unique aesthetic appeal. In order to distribute the energy generated evenly the six barrels are wound in parallel via a central prop shaft which drives two small chains. In order to maintain the regular power supply to the regulator at an optimum level, however, the mainsprings discharge in series (2 x 3).
It all sounds very complex and trust us it is. So rather than trying to go into any more detail about how the winding process works and so on, we’ve just included this very cool video from Ian Skellern of how it looks:
The design itself is another matter altogether. Time is displayed via a vertical roller-display and the wearer can observe the double balance tightly controlling the release of power at the 6 o’clock position. Because of the unique design of the movement it almost appears like the time display is floating in the middle of the case and the font and presentation style are very reminiscent of race cars. Although this is a highly complex piece it is incredibly legible and very easy to read which is hugely important in racing, even if this particular piece is never likely to see any track time.
Making sure that you can keep an eye on the unwinding of the immense power store, a window in the side of the case reveals one of the mainspring barrels, with markers providing a natural “Fuel Gauge” of the state of the power reserve.
The Final Word
The T-1000 is one of those special pieces that truly transcends modern watch-making. Hate it or love it from an aesthetic perspective it is impossible to deny the technical and mechanical achievements that this amazing piece represents. As Bill Gates once famously said, “innovate or die”, and it seems that the very intelligent people over at Rebellion have got the right idea.
This is not just about creating a timepiece with a 1,000 hour power reserve, this is about the realization of a concept that was previously thought to be unworkable and bringing it to fruition to a point where it is ready to be taken to the market. If companies like Rebellion stop pushing boundaries and breaking the rules, then the industry will stagnate and eventually cease to be relevant.
So with that in mind, we take our collective hats off to these veritable geniuses who dare to have a vision.
A special thanks again to Ian Skellern for his fantastic photography and video.
Basel World 2010: Maîtres du Temps Presents Chapter One Round
One of our favourite brands here at The Watch Lounge is Maîtres du Temps. It’s difficult to put one’s finger on exactly what the attraction is, but I think it is two things; the watches are very classy and the people behind the company are so nice. After a great meeting with them during SIHH this year, I had the chance to catch up with them again at Baselworld and see what they have been up to.
Chapter One Round
Sadly no “Chapter 3″ to see this year, but they did have the “Chapter 1″ movement in a new case. The first models of both “Chapters” were housed in a tonneau case and personally I like this almost oblong case, although it is not a shape typically in favor with the market. I think it is an inherently balanced design and has a strong Art Deco feel with the sculptured case and the heavily domed top. It is strongly reminiscent of classic Longines 9L cases and other curvex models of the 20s and 30s, but of course larger, heavier and more expensive!!
The new case for the “Chapter One” is a return to the more traditional round shape with extensions on the top and bottom to hold the “roller” complications. This gives the watch a far more aggressive look and at the same time further contributes to its solid make. Not sure if this is absolutely necessary given that the original tonneau case is already big and certainly takes no prisoners, but there can be no doubt that the new case will appeal to a wider audience. It’s still big, and perhaps slightly heavier, but still generates that feeling of quality that we have come to expect from Maitres du Temps.
The Final Word
So what can we look forward too? Well, we will see a number of variations based around the rollers. While devilishly complicated to make, we can expect to see language variations such as Russian and Chinese, plus a few more ideas they aren’t quite ready to talk about.
Can’t wait!!
Basel World 2010: The Tirion Répétition Minutes TriRetrograde From Milus
It’s possible you may have never heard of them before but Swiss watch-maker Milus has been creating exceptional masterpieces for just under a century, and at Basel World this year they carried on this proud tradition with the presentation of the breathtaking Tirion Répétition Minutes TriRetrograde.
Engineering Art Work
At Milus the company’s watch-making philosophy of combining art with mechanical complexity permeates throughout all of the brand’s creations. This latest piece is no exception and represents the culmination of over 2 years of intense development. Not only does it look sensational but it also firmly secures the brand’s position as a complicated watch-maker, showcasing their impressive technical credentials.
Offering an in-house calibre which features a combination of minute repetition and tri-retrograde complications the all new Tirion represents a significant milestone for Milus. Whilst the Minute Repeater is by no means a new complication, proficient execution of this novelty is considered by many to be one of the greatest challenges in modern day mechanical watch-making.
It’s All In The Sound
The achievement of a pure tone and a full, rich sound is only possible through the craftsman’s exceptional skills and precise attention to detail during manufacture, representing the absolute pinnacle of watch-making and ensuring that top quality Minute Repeaters are highly desired by watch connoisseurs the world over.
The two steel hammers of the striking mechanism are positioned on stainless steel bearings and create a deep tone for the hours, a high and deep double strike for the quarter-hours and a high tone for the minutes when they strike the two gongs wound around the movement causing them to vibrate. In order to ensure a pure sound, the gongs must not touch one another.
As one might expect the length of the gongs as well as the securing of the base to the bottom plate must be adjusted to the desired “a” and “c sharp” notes in several steps to ensure the best sound possible. As each piece is individually manufactured by hand, minimum tone variations can occur therefore giving each watch its own individual sound.
As a final touch, the Minute Repeater complication is activated by a push-piece at 9 o’clock with an engraved clef instead of the more traditional slide mechanism. And in keeping with the brand’s philosophy of combining art with mechanical brilliance the flywheel which regulates the striking rhythm and guarantees perfect time can be observed through the sapphire viewing glass on the back of the watch.
Keeping It In-House
As we mentioned earlier, the Tirion is animated by an in-house calibre, more specifically the superbly decorated M08-35RM calibre which has been certified by COSC and produced exclusively for this timepiece. Representing the use of the latest in micro-technical technologies and innovative materials this is a movement that has been designed to perform at a consistently optimum level. Add to that the double complications and a power reserve of 90 hours and we see that this latest piece really is a celebration of Milus’ watch-making prowess.
Attention To Detail
Equally as impressive is the brand’s meticulous attention to detail in the aesthetic design of this unique piece. The movement base is circular-grained, the bridges are finished with a sunray pattern and the steel parts have been treated to a traditional high-gloss polish with zinc. The 46mm round case is comprised of nine individual parts and is presented in 18K red gold.
The dial itself is quite simplistic looking and semi-skeletonized, allowing for uninterrupted views of the spectacular calibre below, as well as the fascinating play of the three hands which spring back at 20-second intervals. Positioned at 6, 10 and 2 o’clock, the flying dance of the blued hands is completed with virtuoso ease. Once one of the hands has passed through its 20-second path, it jumps back to its original position whilst the next hand starts its journey. The date is indicated by a blued hand whose counterweight is designed in the form of the Milus sign.
Presented in a limited edition of just 50 pieces the Tirion comes equipped with a hand-sewn strap in the finest alligator leather.
The Final Word
Undeniably this new piece from master watch-makers Milus is a celebration of the brand’s technical achievements and demonstrates resoundingly just what they’re capable of. Importantly though the brand has remained true to its own philosophy and has not sacrificed aesthetic appeal in the name of technical competence or vice versa, rather the two complement each other to create a truly exceptional timepiece. Furthermore, the placement of the retrograde functions within the centre of the dial ensure that it is still remarkably easy to read the clean dial whilst at the same time enjoying the complex show that is happening in the middle.
This all new Tirion Répétition Minutes TriRetrograde is a real winner for us and we look forward to seeing more of these creations from this under-the-radar watch maker.
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- Nick Orloff: Beautiful piece, regrettably a little (?) out of my price range. I’d love to...
- Olivier Muller: Thanks, BMW
Stay tuned ! - Jack: Looks like a really nice watch for the price!