Posts Tagged ‘patek philippe’
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!!
2 Great Comments. Leave one too. | Filed under BaselWorld 2010, New This Week, Recommended Reading
Baselworld 2010: The Time Is Now!
If you have visited this site even just once over the last couple of months you would probably have a fair idea that Basel World 2010 is about to get underway. Heck, we’ve even got a special category dedicated to it! However, chances are if you’re new to the world of luxury watches or you’re just a curious visitor you probably don’t really know what all the fuss is about.
As the name suggests, Baselworld is the annual World Watch and Jewellery Show which runs from the 18th to the 25th of March. It is based in picturesque Basel, Switzerland, and attracts some 2,000 of the most well known companies from the watch, jewellery and precious-stone industries as well as other related sectors.
Unlike Salon International Haute Horologerie (SIHH) which is an industry only event, Baselworld is open to the public. As a result about 100,000 visitors descend on the Fair every year to discover the new trends and view the latest creations from the watch and jewellery sectors.
And they are not disappointed!
The “New Spiral” from DUBEY & SCHALDENBRAND is just one of the pieces that will make its debut this year.
The world’s most renowned brands, such as Jaeger-LeCoultre, Breguet, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Hublot just to name a few, all come together to display their products exclusively at Baselworld. In fact, chances are if you think of any luxury watch brand you’ve heard of before, even just in passing, they will be there exhibiting their latest designs and innovations.
Just as exciting though is the opportunity to discover breathtaking, new pieces from the thriving independent industry. Highly innovative and exciting watch makers such as Christope Claret, Thomas Prescher, Peter Speake-Marin and Maximilian Büsser as well as many more you’ve probably never heard of will also be there to blow your mind with their awe-inspiring works of arts.
As you can see this highly regarded annual show really does bring together the best of the best in the luxury watch industry and this year will be no exception. Undoubtedly there will be a myriad of alluring surprises unveiled, a selection of which we will feature right here on The Watch Lounge.
As is the Instrumento Grande Chrono from DeGrisogno
So stay tuned as all the excitement unfolds this week, we guarantee it will be well worth your while!
Grieb & Benzinger Platinum – Taking Exclusivity To A New Level
So, you’re a sophisticated consumer with high disposable income and elegantly refined taste. You’re looking for something truly exquisite and unique, a one-off piece showcasing exceptional attention to detail and breathtaking craftsmanship. Well, perhaps it’s time your search got serious. We present to you the absolutely superb Minute Repeater 2 from super exclusive master watchmakers Grieb & Benzinger Platinum.
A Sense of History
Before we go into detail about this gorgeous one-off piece, however, it’s important you know the story behind this rather remarkable watchmaker. The ethos of Grieb & Benzinger is to craft unique wristwatches based on exceptional historic movements.
Their workshop is full of mostly historic special machinery and could easily double as an industrial museum paying ode to the pioneering spirit of Abraham-Louis Breguet and the like. It is here in this very special space that original movements first crafted by the hands of some of the greatest old masters of horology, such as Patek Philippe, are lovingly restored and modified with painstaking precision.
The company typically only uses movements that have been built between 1880 and 1920 and feature high-end complications, such as minute repeaters. Staying true to the original masters, Grieb & Benzinger use the traditional machinery and hand-crafting techniques from the old days to create their unique style timepieces. In this way classic old watches are thus turned into new and exclusive fine platinum masterpieces, incorporating increasingly rare techniques of craftsmanship for the finishing of the movements such as skeletonizing, engraving and guilloche all by hand.
We think you will agree that the end results are simply breathtaking.
The Minute Repeater 2
This latest one-off piece is based on an original movement by Patek Philippe, an extra special Minute Repeater exclusively built for the famous New York based jeweler TIFFANY’s around 1887. Professionally modified into a Grieb & Benzinger style regulator – the movement has been restored, guilloché, hand-engraved and coated with blue platinum in preparation for being turned into a new, exclusive timepiece.
A movement this unique deserves to be housed in an equally as special and customized case and Grieb & Benzinger have not cut any corners. The 49mm case is made of a 130g of solid platinum as is the crown with steel application. The dial is hand-skeletonized and hand-guilloched with original Breguet Frost Finish, blued steel hands and polished and flame blued screws.
The attention to detail is evident in every aspect of this timepiece. The bridges and cocks have been guilloched, the steel striking hammers with 2 spiral gongs have been polished and all striking parts, levers and springs have been honed and beveled.
This is truly a masterpiece.
The Final Word
When it comes to exclusive, incredibly high-end, unicum timepieces the awe-inspiring creations of Grieb & Benzinger Platinum are undeniably up there. This newest offering, the Minuter Repeater 2, will give one incredibly lucky fine timepiece connoisseur the opportunity to add a truly outstanding, never to be repeated piece to their collection.
Be quick though, as this is the only one the world will ever see!
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