Shapely, jeweled timepieces with complex mechanisms bedazzle at the otherwise staid SIHH trade show.
The awkwardly named Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) is the first of the two major annual trade fairs for the Swiss watch industry. Held this year on January 15 to 19 in Geneva, it is the more exclusive of the events. It featured 35 exhibitors that included 18 veteran watch brands (11 of which are owned by the Richemont Group) and 17 independent specialist watchmakers.
Most of these companies spend a great deal of time, effort and money to stay true to their brand’s footprint, so trends are often difficult to determine, but within this framework it was possible to identify some themes.
The first was the shape of the watch cases: Square and oval shapes were far more prevalent than in recent years. Cartier introduced its Libre collection, consisting of five women’s watches, all with oval dials. Hermès — a first-time exhibitor at the fair — introduced a number of square-shaped watches for men and women.
SIHH is largely man’s world, which means what’s inside the watch is often more important than the outside. But there was still plenty of room for diamonds and other gemstones, particularly with women’s watches
The Cartier Libre Baignoire Débordante in 18-karat white gold set with black spinels and diamonds powered by a quartz movement.
Material gains
In recent years, there has been an increase in the popularity of stainless steel watches and other less expensive metals, such as bronze. This year, yellow gold has returned. Swiss watchmaker Parmigiani took this to a new level, with a solid-gold caliber (PF365) to power its Kalpa Chronor timepiece. The company said it was the first solid-gold, self-winding, integrated chronograph movement.
Meanwhile, Piaget joined the trends for shape and materials with its Extremely Lady timepiece collection that boasts oval dials and a soft-textured, 18-karat gold bracelet, created using a hand-chiseled metalworking technique.
Trends to watch
SIHH is largely a man’s world, which means what’s inside the watch is often more important than its exterior. But there was still plenty of room for diamonds and other gemstones, particularly with women’s watches. In addition, some of the brands have begun fitting their women’s watches with more complex mechanisms.
Van Cleef & Arpels managed to combine bejeweled beauty with an exceptional movement with its Lady Arpels Planétarium. The white gold case and bezel for the 38-millimeter watch are set with diamonds. A magical scene with a miniature depiction of celestial bodies on a sparkling, midnight-blue aventurine dial lies beneath the sapphire glass cover. At its center is a pink-gold sun surrounded by the first three planets of the solar system: Mercury in pink mother-of-pearl, Venus in green enamel and Earth in turquoise. Their rotation mimics the planets’ orbits.
As an added bonus, a diamond moon revolves around the earth. While the planets are performing their rotations, a shooting star in rhodium-plated gold circles the perimeter of the dial, pointing to the proper time. As complicated as the watch is, all of the settings are contained in the crown, making it easy to set and adjust.
It’s one of many more feminine, bejeweled timepieces the Parisian brand presented that set it apart at the largely masculine trade fair.
Main image: Parmigiani used a solid-gold caliber (PF365) to power its Kalpa Chronor timepiece.
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