Paradoxically, the SIHH really begins at least a day before its doors open; Sunday is the time to visit the smaller brands holding private exhibitions Geneva. So we put on our Sunday best and headed into town for a busy day of meetings with De Bethune, Urwerk, Laurent Ferrier, Revelation, Christophe Claret, Speake-Marin.
The art of skeletonizing a watch is definitely a rare skill, but so is creating a skeleton movement from the ground up to conceive only the essential right from the start: in essence, the most nothingness possible.
For the art of skeletonization, emptiness is the holy grail that is emphatically sought.
One great example was released at SIHH 2015: the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Automatic Skeleton. Like the majority of the Excalibur Skeleton pieces, it’s a skeleton movement instead of a skeleton-ized movement.
Greubel Forsey has begun the new year with a bang by presenting three new models at the 2015 SIHH: GMT Black, GMT with a striking red gold dial, and the all-new, beautifully pared-down, Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision.
It is impossible to think that the SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie) has been around for 25 years already…you know what they say, tempus fugit (time flies). The Geneva fair began in 1991 with five exhibitors: Cartier, Piaget and Baume & Mercier Gérald Genta and Daniel Roth.
If you are in Geneva during the SIHH week, you may want to consider going to one of the other horological exhibitions taking place in town at the same time as the main show: WAG (Watch Art Gallery) and SIWP (Swiss Independent Watchmaking Pavilion). Both exhibitions provide visitors with the chance to get to know independent creators and boutique luxury brands.
In this age of digital information, watch companies try to get ahead of the competition by releasing news on their new timepieces ahead of the big watch fairs. This year is no different, and in honor of the upcoming 25th edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), we present you with an overview of some of the new models that have already been revealed.
SalonQP isn’t simply a watch exhibition: it’s a watch exhibition inside an art gallery (the Saatchi Gallery), a setting that both the defines and enriches the brands and watches on display. And Hermès, very cleverly and very creatively, especially attracted visitors’ attention at SalonQP.
This young award is just barely three years old, but indeed it has already managed to reward some of the greatest personalities in the world of watches for their “passion” and “talent” – which are undeniably the most essential ingredients for the finest watchmaking. A jury from the Cultural Council of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) honored two exceptional personalities in 2014: Philippe Dufour for his “talent” and Henry-John Belmont for his “passion.”
SalonQP, London’s premier watch exhibition, ran from the 6th through the 8th of November 2014 at the prestigious Saatchi Art Gallery in central London. It was bigger and better than ever in terms of both size and visitor numbers.
Read on for more than just a few reasons (and lots of photos) why SalonQP is my favorite watch exhibition.
In this final round table discussion, my Quill & Pad colleagues Ian, Joshua, Gary and I discuss the amazing night that was. I am glad to talk about this incredible event and provide a few behind-the-scenes insights. Being on the jury for the third time in a row this year, I knew what to expect and could relax enough to enjoy the discussions and preparations.