Baselworld and the SIHH, a tale of two cities
Firstly, I am both moved and honoured to accept the invitation from the Journal de la Haute Horlogerie’s editor to write a regular column for the Foundation’s website.
Gabriel Tortella
The major watch fairs having recently ended, I’ll begin my contribution with them, particularly as the enormous amount of work that goes into organising these events never fails to impress. It takes months of careful preparation so that visitors, customers and journalists can be treated like royalty on the day. It also takes substantial investments to create the stands, each as extraordinary as the last and suitably magnificent settings to show off the most beautiful watches. Exhibitors are determined to surprise and dazzle their guests. In Basel, for example, Fawaz Gruosi pulled out all the stops when presenting Meccanico DG, the latest creation from de Grisogono: he actually built a replica Venetian palace inside a futuristic light-filled box. In an entirely different register, Bulgari hosted the finest table in Basel in its "catacombs" (guests had to climb down an endless staircase to reach its display) by enlisting the services of a renowned Italian chef.
In Geneva, the stands’ harmonious exterior mean exhibitors must show even greater creativity for the interior, while the stakes are endlessly being raised in terms of general comfort and individual well-being. Cartier unquestionably rose above all those present with its ladies’ watches, tourbillon movements, jewellery and, most of all, a stand whose red and black decor showed each piece to perfection. A special mention must also go to Roger Dubuis for its romantic heart-shaped skeleton movements.
Both in Geneva and Basel, among the watchmakers who showed their wares at Hotel des Bergues and those at the Franck Muller Group’s World Presentation of Haute Horlogerie in Genthod, everywhere the stands made wonderful showcases in which to reveal new creations. Furthermore, the two cities complement each other perfectly. I genuinely support the decision to hold the shows in different months, as they are now no longer in direct competition, vying to attract the same customers at the same time. And of course the same journalists.
Indeed, alongside the main attraction of the watches, the two cities also present dedicated magazines and special supplements in every language and from every country, from the most basic to the most glossy, lined up in their hundreds. Such an abundance further demonstrates the world’s infatuation with Swiss watches. Business, meanwhile, was described as flourishing with sales beyond expectations. However, with watchmakers as much in demand as their creations, will brands be able to honour all their commitments? The economic crisis, it seems, has yet to reach certain sectors! ■
