2015 ticks off to a good start
Richemont’s finest came to SIHH with some horological humdingers
Wandering the lofty, beige halls of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) inside Geneva Airport’s cavernous Palexpo complex – “probably the most luxurious trade fair in the world” – the seeming neutrality of its colour-scheme belies the horological hierarchy at play here. Unlike the behemoth Baselworld show in March, where watchmaking titans Patek Philippe and Rolex form towering gateguards, visitors to SIHH are greeted first by its most bijoux exhibitor, über-niche Greubel Forsey; annual production around 100 watches and each with telephone-number pricetags. It takes another 200-yard, rubber-necking stroll into the bowels of this benign Logan’s Run to reach the biggest plaza of SIHH, which is entirely occupied by host Richemont’s prodigal son, Cartier.
Cartier is BIG, and Cartier has HISTORY, so when it launches a new collection it’s kind of a big deal. One of the more recent hits has been Ballon Bleu, famously endorsed by the Duchess of Cambridge, and living proof that the round watch is still up for reinterpretation.
The new Clé, meanwhile, is an instant classic. The ovoid case has more than a sniff of the 70s lounge lizard about it, without feeling flash. The unusual “key” crown (hence the name) with Cartier’s trademark inset in blue cabochon will match any dapper tycoon’s gemset cufflinks.
Suitably reassured that Cartier is back to doing what it does best, it’s around the corner we go to IWC’s almost-as-vast pavilion. Last year it was an immersive oceanic experience, the previous year a full-on reproduction of a Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 pit. But this year? A sprawling but tasteful lounge, rather like a five-star hotel bar in Hong Kong, thanks to the focal collection for 2015 being the subdued and tasteful Portuguese, now renamed “Portugieser” in tribute to its 1930s origins, when two seafaring businessmen demanded marine chronometer precision for their wristwatches. The new Annual Calendar introduces a genuinely handy complication to IWC’s oversized case for the first time, displaying the month, date and day in a neat arc at 12 o’clock – unlike so many other messy calendar-dial watches (you know who you are).
Further up the pricescale we go to Piaget, where the cocktail-watch specialist turned its ultra-thin ethos to the chunky stopwatch complication for the first time. The result is the Altiplano Chronograph, a beautifully pared-back, crisply packaged bit of technical wizardry, just 8.24mm high in total. The “flyback”, instant-reset-to-zero function is fairly pointless, but it’s sure to entertain other bored chaps at your next black-tie event.
Alternatively, you could while away said event checking your email without appearing rude, thanks to Montblanc’s new e-Strap – an innovative compromise between a luxury timepiece and one of the emerging generation of smartwatches. The Bluetooth-connected Samsung widget threads onto the fabric strap of the TimeWalker Urban Speed and will cost around €300 to purchase separately and pimp any other of your nylon straps (leather or steel bracelets will be too thick).
But if it’s sheer statement you’re after, the last stop on our tour of SIHH has done statement as standard ever since a certain Sly Stallone singlehandedly rescued the brand from obscurity in the nineties. Yes, it’s Officine Panerai – City bonus fodder in extremis, but with genuine horological clout and heritage to boot, thanks to its ancient origins as a purpose-built diving instrument for Italy’s elite frogmen. Strangely, the majority of modern Panerais aren’t water resistant enough to survive bathtime, so this year’s renewed focus on the catchily named “Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio” diving watch is most welcome, despite featuring another useless flyback function.
All we know is that, based on this small cross-section of new beauties, we’ll certainly be “flying back” to SIHH next year (sorry.)
Officine Panerai
Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Chrono
Flyback Automatic Titanio £TBC
Certainly not for the faint-wristed, Panerai’s rejuvenated Submersible diving range now features a chronograph, which can be instantly reset to zero and restarted – but only out of the water, as the pushers need to be unscrewed first.
panerai.com
Piaget
Altiplano Chronograph
£21,100
Officially the world’s thinnest manual-wound chronograph watch, the new, 240-part “883P” movement inside is just 4.65mm thick.
piaget.com
Cartier
Clé
£13,300
An elegantly proportioned combination of round dial and “ovoid” surrounding case, whose “key” crown (“Clé” in French) pops out with addictive tactility.
cartier.com
Montblanc
TimeWalker Urban Speed Chronograph e-Strap
£3,660
The German penmaker caught everyone off-guard over the Christmas period with this pre-release – a hybridisation of traditional Swiss luxury watch and cutting-edge wearable tech.
montblanc.com
Journey to the centre of a Rolex
Leading pre-owned watch retailer Watchfinder & Co. has notched up almost 1.5m views for its latest in-house video: a fascinating insight into what comprises something as complicated as a Rolex mechanical movement, and what happens exactly when you send it for servicing. Featuring WF&Co.’s very own head watchmaker Tony Williams, Inside the Rolex Submariner is a demonstration of the intricacies of the mega-watchmaker’s super-precise calibre “3135” and offers a definitive answer to anyone still questioning the hefty price tag of high-end watches. Search for “Rolex” on YouTube for an education.
watchfinder.co.uk
Blancpain’s grave situation at Harrods
Following the opening of its boutique inside Harrods’ sumptuous Fine Watch Room last October, top-end maker Blancpain will be holding a month-long hand-engraving exhibition and retail theatre at the Knightsbridge emporium from Saturday. On top of an exhibition of one-off pieces, each of whose dials have undergone weeks of intricate and painstaking decoration at Blancpain’s atelier in Switzerland, Friday 13 and Saturday 14 February will see master engraver Marie-Laure Tarbouriech showcasing her expertise in-store. Make sure you pop by to witness one of the few members of the closed circle “France’s Best Artisans” carve a spectacular depiction of Tower Bridge into the caseback of a watch. It promises to be mesmerising stuff.
blancpain.com, harrods.com