BaselWolrd Watch and Jewellery Show 2009 in Switzerland is at full swing now. Watchmaking brands and companies continue to present their best novelties of the year to the visitors and exchange news and experience with their colleagues. Here is the main news of the second day of the most important watchmakers’ forum.
Timekeeping Masterpieces
As usual Maximilian Busser, the founder of MB&F, continues to amaze visitors of the fair with his original and really impressive “horological machines”. By now the brand has three 100-piece limited edition collections of watches that are notable for unique case design and highly advanced movements equipped with numerous complications. The brand debuted at the Basel show in 2007 with its HM1 and now it presents a modified version of the legendary timepiece. At the BaselWorld 2009 MB&F also presents new variants of its famous HM2 and HM3.
The well-known Germany-based watchmaker Chronoswiss enters a new level of mastery this year with its first timepiece – the Sauterelle - equipped with the in-house manufactory movement. The timepieces from this series feature an inscription at the dial that proudly informs that the calibre is Germany-made. The new Cronoswiss watch measures 44 mm in diameter and comes as a classic three-hand timepiece as well as a regulator – which Chronoswiss is well known for.
De Grisogono, who last year managed to impress everybody with its Meccanico timepiece, this year presents two novelties for gentlemen. The first – the Fuso Quadrato watch – is a large square timepiece with soft corners whose two dials boast the indication of time in two time zones. The main peculiarity of the design is the placement of the dials which are separated by a diaphragm device, similar to an iris – you can shift a slide along the case side to open the diaphragm, revealing the second time zone. The second novelty by de Grisogono is a new version of Instrumento Grande Date which was modified with a dial revealing the entirety of the two discs that form the big date.
What about Fashion?
The world leaders in fashion industry have also presented their new timepiece collections. They say that the novelties of this category successfully combine main trends of the catwalk with the latest technologies of watchmaking.
The renowned fashion brand Hermes has replenished its Arceau series of watches. The real gem of the new line is a Chrono Alezan watch featuring beautiful combinations of luxurious leather straps with a few dial details in brilliant orange. Two more eye-catching novelties by Hermes are an 18K white gold skeletonized Arceau timepiece and the Dressage model with a perpetual calendar.
Versace which has always been an icon of fashion world also introduces some new timepieces to its collections. Its new Eon watch line for ladies is a real embodiment of style and femininity. The new watch features round rings outside the watch’s bezel that playfully rotate to reveal the Versace logo on one side. As for gentlemen timepieces the renowned brand has revealed its new V-Master collection of sophisticated sports watches housed in an asymmetrical oval case.
Another Italian symbol of fashion and elegance – the house of Valentino – has presented a collection of timepieces developed together with the Timex . Valentino modified its Seduction timepiece, a watch with a wide oval case that debuted last year, to a “Plisse” version that features a bracelet of steel mesh which so soft that seems to be made of chiffon.
To celebrate the anniversary of its Vivianna Bangle watch the Danish designer Georg Jensen manufactured a special edition of 40 pieces of the original design – without numerals and minute and hour hands at the mirror-dial. The only thing that traces the time is second hand.