Over 1,000 journalists, 12,000 visitors, 19 brands. And hundreds of precious watches on display, the result of thousands and thousands of hours of work and selfless devotion to the year's new creations. All these figures pertain to the recent Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva, and they all give me grounds for reflection and, why not, a suggestion that is perhaps less practical than visionary and, who knows, even a little prescient.

Whenever we chat about what's "in the air," inevitably talk turns to the weather and the changing climate, not just where we live but on all five continents. As the poet says, "with morning comes light" and morning, for me, is the year 2010 which just ended for Swiss watchmaking, an industry that is active across all four corners of the globe.

Already CEO of Blancpain, Marc Hayek, grandson of the Swatch Group's founder Nicolas G. Hayek, has taken the helm of Breguet and Jaquet Droz. Interview.