Posts Tagged ‘basel’
Reflecting On The Show That Was: Looking Back At Basel World 2010
Now that all the excitement has died down and a bit of time has passed, it’s time for a look back on the 2010 Baselworld Fair. I didn’t get a chance to see everything I wanted, neither did I get the time to write everything down, but before this year’s event passes into the annuls of history there are a few points to bring up.
The AHCI booth was a great place to visit and Thomas Prescher looks like he is really beginning to make headway, perhaps he will be the next member to break-out onto his own stand and area, the models look good and remain affordable. Saskia maaike Bouvier is a nominee for membership and will be the first female individual member; she makes very exciting watches for ladies, I hope to visit her soon so more to come on her.
The general mood seemed to be very positive around the show, though some areas did seem to be a little less visited than others. I think that to survive in this difficult but improving marketplace it is more important than ever to have the right marketing, the right products and the right pricing, the middle-ground remains a difficult place to be.
We don’t really cover the major brands here on The Watch Lounge, but the new Patek Phillippe models look good. There seems to be some price speculation going on and purchases made in the hope that they will yield a good return at some point in the future. I have always had some concerns about this behavior, a watch should be worn on your wrist not stuck in a safety deposit box, but historically Pateks have retained their value so who can say what will happen.
It is a little disappointing that there are still “fashion” brands mixed in with manufacturers. Booths are allocated by length of time at the show, so unless a company goes bankrupt your place remains your place forever. There will be some changes to the Halls for next year’s show as a new hall is to be built and Hall 1 is upgraded so there could be some jockeying for position coming up over the next few years.
If you have never been to Baselworld or haven’t been for many years, I would recommend a visit, it is the one thing every watch fan should do at least once in their life no matter how far away they live. But whatever you do don’t try to see everything in one day, you can’t. Attempting the impossible will only give you sore feet and a frayed temper, take your time, get a hotel room for a couple of nights (if you can) and avoid the weekend.
Can’t wait for next year!!
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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
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.
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