by Simon Cudd

This year I attended my third SIHH.

With the introduction of an independents’ lounge called Carré des Horlogers, it was certainly a changed place, energized with new blood added to the existing Richemont and other brands that comprise the exhibitors at the SIHH.

A few of the independent brands in the Carré des Horlogers at SIHH 2016

The much talked-about independent marques exhibiting were composed of boutique brands and individual watchmakers that you might normally see at Baselworld. These included H. Moser & Cie, Laurent Ferrier, De Bethune, HYT, MB&F, Urwerk, Christophe Claret, Hautlence, and Kari Voutilainen (see Announcement: 9 Independent Brands Join SIHH 2016 And Ralph Lauren Leaves).

Floor plan of the 2016 SIHH

Leica Q

After using the Leica Q at SalonQP last year in London (see SalonQP 2015 Roundup With A Few Of My Favorite Watches From The Fair), I chose to revisit this incredible camera at the SIHH for its flexibility and advanced capabilities in challenging environments.

The Q performed brilliantly in low-light areas and the mixed artificial lighting conditions from stand to stand.

When shooting my infamous wristshots, I was able to stick with the AF (automatic focus) mode, for obvious reasons, while choosing MF (manual focus) when I was able to control the lens with my left hand.

Leica Q

By compensating for the light I was able to enhance the image as desired.

Not too heavy to carry or operate, the Leica Q is the perfect companion on this type of shoots.

With the fixed 28 mm lens, you work within the parameters of the lens using the macro mode where possible to get you that little bit closer, while the 35 mm and 50 mm focal lengths can be found at the touch of a conveniently placed button.

The 24MP full frame sensor allows for great size images for high or low resolution final images, and the easy-to-use wifi setting allowed me to upload quickly to my smart phone via the app so that I could post the images immediately to my social media channels, allowing my followers to feel like they were there with me!

I would like to share with you some of my favorite images of timepieces I saw in the metal shot with the Leica Q.

SIHH 2016 on the last day when most visitors have finished for the week

IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Chronograph

This year’s focus at IWC was on its pilot’s watch line. These watches were exhibited on a fantastic stand with a vintage feel that included a full-size Spitfire plane.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Chronograph

However, the watch that grabbed my attention was the Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Chronograph, a stainless steel world time timepiece reminiscent of 1960s-1970s tool watches: large, chunky, and not quite as refined as the Pilots, it is not instantly recognizable as an IWC timepiece.

Quick Facts IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Chronograph
Case: 45 x 16.5 mm, stainless steel
Movement: IWC Caliber 89760 with patented Vogard world time function
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds; world time, chronograph
Price: $11,900

Panerai Luminor Daylight 8 Days (PAM 786)

There is a slight vintage feel harking back to the 1940s and 1950s to the new olive/brown dials of the Radiomir PAM 662 and Luminor PAM 663, both housed in 47 mm cases.

Panerai Luminor Black Seal Left-Handed 8 Days Acciaio DLC wristshot

What stood out for me at the fair, though, was the two-watch box set limited edition called PAM 786, which includes the Luminor Daylight 8 Days with white dial and blue indices and the Luminor Black Seal left-handed 8 Days Acciaio DLC, both in 44 mm cases.

Quick Facts Panerai Luminor Black Seal Left-Handed 8 Days Acciaio DLC
Case: 44 mm, DLC-coated stainless steel
Movement: hand wound Caliber P.5000 with twin spring barrels for 8 days of power reserve
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds
Limitation: 500-piece limited edition of the box set
Price: €19,000 / $20,500

MB&F Sherman

MB&F introduced Sherman, a clock made in the brand’s usual quirky and whacky way. Sherman is a small robot clock on tank-like tracks with bendy arms.

MB&F Sherman

This collaboration with Swiss clockmaker L’Epée is available in gold or palladium-plated brass.

Quick Facts MB&F Sherman
Case: 143 tall x 109 wide x 80 deep, palladium-plated or gold-plated brass
Dial: time displayed on Sherman’s chest
Movement: L’Epée in-house designed and manufactured in-line eight day movement
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds
Limitation: 200 in palladium plated-brass; 200 in gold-plated brass; 50 with diamond-set accents
Price: 13,800 Swiss francs plus VAT (33,000 Swiss francs plus VAT for the diamond-set version)

Urwerk EMC2 Time Hunter

The UR105-T Rex with its treated bronze case attracted a lot of admirers, me included. However, I really loved the green ceramic-coated titanium/steel case of the EMC2 Time Hunter with its military stealth style, clearer dial, and Super-LumiNova markers. Not to forget that winding handle to the right side of the case to power the electronic magic!

Urwerk EMC2 Time Hunter in military green

For more on this watch, see Presenting EMC2 Time Hunter By Urwerk: Ugly Duckling Takes First Step To Swanhood.

Quick Facts Urwerk EMC2 Time Hunter
Case: 43 x 51 mm, grade 5 titanium/stainless steel coated with green ceramic
Movement: manually wound in-house manufacture movement, optical balance sensor, integrated Maxon generator, super capacitor, microprocessor, 80-hour power reserve
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; power reserve, precision indicator, amplitude indicator, precision adjustment screw
Limitation: 15 pieces
Price: 115,000 Swiss francs

Greubel Forsey Signature 1

An “entry-level” Greubel Forsey?! As if you could consider such a thing!

Well, I guess at around £150,000, the Signature 1 could be considered as such when it is compared to other pieces from the brand that cost nearly half a million.

Signature 1 is just an incredible manually wound watch that shows the hours and minutes on one subdial and the seconds on a smaller one. It incorporates neither complications nor rate-enhancing tourbillons.

For more, see Greubel Forsey’s 2016 SIHH: An Overview Of Watches Presented.

Quick Facts Greubel Forsey Signature 1
Case: 41.4 x 11.70 mm, white gold, red gold, stainless steel, or platinum
Dial: solid gold, silvered
Movement: hand-wound Caliber GFS1, 54-hour power reserve, free-sprung variable-inertia balance, 18,000 vph
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds
Limitation: 11 pieces each in white gold, red gold and platinum, and 33 in stainless steel (must be ordered in advance)
Price: 170,000 Swiss francs in gold

Moser & Cie Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept Funky Blue

A brand that I really noticed toward the latter part of 2015 is certainly grabbing my attention now with its minimalist fumé dials: the Swiss Alp watch was a direct dig at the Apple watch, while the Endeavour Centre Seconds and Perpetual Calendar models look fantastic on the wrist, lending a contemporary look to an otherwise classic piece.

H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept Funky Blue wristshot

Quick Facts H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept Funky Blue
Case: 40.8 x 10.9 mm, pink or white gold
Dial: sky-blue fumé with sunburst pattern
Movement: hand-wound Caliber HMC 343 with seven-day power reserve (twin spring barrels) and Straumann (in-house) hairspring and pallet fork and escape wheel in gold; 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz) frequency
Functions: hours, minutes, (hacking) seconds; power reserve indication on back
Price: 24,000 Swiss francs

Laurent Ferrier Galet Micro Rotor

With the introduction of bright green luminescence to the otherwise very classical-looking Galet Square to make the Galet Square Boreal, Laurent Ferrier has definitely entered a cool, more contemporary arena. Clean, crisp black dials with a hint of cream or green is certainly very agreeable to the eye.

Laurent Ferrier Galet Micro Rotor wristshot

However, the cream-dialed Galet Micro Rotor first seen at Baselworld 2014 grabbed my full attention. There is also a black-dialed version of this watch.

Quick Facts Laurent Ferrier Galet Micro Rotor
Case: 40 x 11.10 mm, white gold or 5N red gold
Dial: solid silver, vertical satin-brushed black or opaline silver-toned
Movement: automatic Caliber FBN 229.01 with micro rotor, silicon escapement, and double direct-impulse balance
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds
Price: 39,500 Swiss francs (excluding VAT) / $48,000

De Bethune DB25 World Traveller

De Bethune’s products are always visually stunning and so intriguing – and the DB25 World Traveller is no exception. With its silver and copper tones, blued hands, and that micro sphere running the circumference of the dial indicating the second time zone in copper/blue, it is a visual stunner.

De Bethune DB25 World Traveller wristshot

For more on this watch, please see Displaying World Time “Mysteriously”: The De Bethune DB25 World Traveller.

Quick Facts De Bethune DB25 World Traveller
Case: 45 x 13.7 mm, white gold
Movement: manually wound Caliber DB2547 with five days’ worth of power reserve (twin spring barrels)
Functions: hours, minutes; date, world time (via city disk), day/night indication (three-dimensional sphere), second time zone
Limitation: 12 pieces
Price: 140,000 Swiss francs (excluding taxes)

Richard Mille Red Quartz TPT RM 011

SIHH talk may have been centered on the new Airbus RM 50-02 or the new RMS05 mechanical fountain pen (see Richard Mille’s RMS05 Mechanical Fountain Pen), but the Red Quartz TPT RM 011 really grabbed my attention with its bright red carbon fibre-looking case, skeletal dial, and iconic tonneau-shaped case, all finished off with a red fabric strap.

Richard Mille Red Quartz TPT RM011 wristshot

It was showcased at the fair with dry ice flowing over it, a typical theatrical display by Richard Mille!

Quick Facts Richard Mille Red Quartz TPT RM011
Case: 50 x 40 x 16.15 mm, TPT red quartz and NTPT carbon
Movement: Richard Mille RMAC1
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds; chronograph, annual calendar
Limitation: 50 pieces
Price: 151,000 Swiss francs, only available at Richard Mille boutiques

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding in yellow gold

According to Audemars Piguet, yellow gold is back!

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding in yellow gold wristshot

Well, at least it is to them – as evidenced in the updated Royal Oak range now available in yellow gold with silver or blue waffle dials in automatic and chronograph models.

While it remains to be seen if yellow gold is really back, the color is certainly not as garish as the new boutique edition Chronograph Offshores in zesty orange, yellow, and green versions with more somber blue/yellow dials.

Quick Facts Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding
Case: 37 x 9.8 mm, 18-karat yellow gold
Dial: blue Grande Tapisserie pattern with yellow gold applied hour markers
Movement: automatic Caliber 3120
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date
Price: $44,100