SIHH 2019

“Fabulous” is what I felt this year at SIHH 2019. For an exhibition to innovate and remain relevant to the fine watchmaking industry is quite an achievement. The entire watch industry and FHH team deserve accolades.

The exhibition was shortened this year with a new concept introduced called The Lab. The Lab re-emphasized the need for Research and Development that gets into fine watchmaking. It also provided a platform to brands to showcase their approach and investments they make towards the development of watchmaking industry.

On the other hand there was an auditorium where there were ongoing sessions meant for the industry. These were knowledge sessions held with experts from within and outside the watch industry. This was a marvelous approach to exchange knowledge.

Brands launched innovative pieces and once again successfully engaged with watch connoisseurs and customers. It is difficult to mention all the beautiful watch pieces that we saw but we will share some pieces which we loved at SIHH
At SIHH like each year, is revealed the first trends in Fine Watchmaking for the year. Many exceptional timepieces were on display, perpetual calendars, high jewellery watches etc.
Colour has always been an integral part of watch design, with blue and green continue to be in trend. Moon phases and “métiers d’art” dials came to the fore. Women’s watches were in the spotlight for new designs and gem-setting which were showcased by many of the brands.
Eye catching wrist candies (read: timepieces) that caught our attention at SIHH 2019
1) A. Lange & Söhne – LANGEMATIK PERPETUAL HONEYGOLD

A. Lange & Söhne – LANGEMATIK PERPETUAL HONEYGOLD

The Langematik Perpetual watch displays the correct date every day until the year 2100. A 100-watch limited special edition of the self-winding calibre with the ZERO-RESET is with a case in honey gold. This Honey Gold material is more resistant than other gold alloys. This watch has the solid-silver argenté dial with luminous hands and the applied Roman numerals in honey gold. The watch comes with a dark brown alligator leather strap with a honey-gold buckle. The watch has a Power reserve of 46 hours when fully wound.

2) Audemars Piguet – Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet – Perpetual Calendar

 Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet – Perpetual Calendar

Audemars Piguet begins a new chapter in their illustrious watchmaking history with introduction of the round gender neutral watch collection called Code 11.59. The watches in the collection appear ordinary simple and round, but it isn’t what it appears to be. It is a complicated watch best understood once one touches and feels the watch. The watch case has three parts to it with middle one in octagonal shape and the top and bottom one being round. To get this synchronicity match with technical standards and the perfect finish calls for huge R&D and craftsmanship. This perpetual calendar watch features a dark blue aventurine dial and subdials recalling a star-lit sky. The dial’s starry particles resonate with the moon indication at 6 o’clock.
A photographic image of the moon is reproduced through laser engraving and applied on an aventurine disc that subtly matches the design of the dial. The astronomical moon serves to diminish the daily display error. Thanks to this function, adjustment is required once every 122 years and 108 days. In addition to providing the astronomical moon indication at 6 o’clock, the perpetual calendar indicates the day number and week day at 3 and 9 o’clock respectively, the month at 12 o’clock, the week numbers on the lacquered blue inner bezel, as well as the hours and minutes.
A perpetual calendar automatically adjusts short months, and adds a day to February each leap year. If worn permanently, it will require an adjustment in 2100 only. This adjustment will consist in setting the date manually from February 29th to March 1st.

3) Hermès – Arceau L’heure de la Lune

Hermès – Arceau L’heure de la Lune

The Hermès Arceau L’heure de la lune watch offers a unique vision of Earth’s satellite with the simultaneous display of moon phases in both northern and southern hemispheres. Two mobile counters gravitate on a meteorite or aventurine dial, revealing mother-of-pearl moons in step with an exclusive module. This offbeat expression of a classic horological complication offers an original interpretation of Hermès watchmaking expertise. The watch is encased in a white gold case while the unique material of Meteorite or aventurine inlaid with mother-of-pearl form a cosmos in which satellite dials float above hemispherical moons.
The horse, representing the origins of Hermès, gallops elegantly into the world of dreams. At 12 o’clock, the moon is adorned by a Pegasus created by the “dreamer-designer” Dimitri Rybaltchenko. Entitled Pleine Lune (Full Moon), this portrayal of the winged horse hints at a passage between two worlds, where magic and reality merge. On the other side, at 6 o’clock, the view of the moon from the northern hemisphere provides a realistic depiction of its surface. The mobile counters display the time and date. The mother-of-pearl moons set into the stone display the lunar cycles in the northern and southern hemispheres. This mysterious game of hide-and-seek reveals nothing of its technical complexity, so as to give pride of place to dream.
This Haute Horlogerie timepiece comes in two 100-piece limited editions, and fitted with a matt alligator strap in graphite grey or abyss blue.

4) IWC Schaffhausen- The Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph TOP GUN Ceratanium

The Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph TOP GUN Ceratanium

The Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph TOP GUN Ceratanium is the first pilot’s watch from IWC with a Ceratanium® case. The material developed by IWC is as lightweight and robust as titanium and at the same time as hard and scratch-resistant as ceramic. In this watch IWC an IWC-manufactured movement. The watch has a Black ceramic case, black dial, black hands, black textile strap. The minutes are shown on the subdial at “12 o’clock” and the hours are shown at “9 o’clock”. The red hand showing the small seconds at “6 o’clock” adds a splash of colour to the black dial with white numbers and indexes.

5) Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendezvous Moon Jewellery Watch

Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendezvous Moon Jewellery Watch

The RendezVous collection are imbued with the spirit of fine watchmaking. This watch has two rows of brilliant-cut diamonds totalling to 126 diamonds on the bezel. This watch has a new vision of moon phases which enhance the model and mother of pearl dial has 47 diamonds which form a sparkling ring in the middle of the dial. On the RendezVous Moon Jewellery model, a starry sky of aventurine midnight blue serves as the perfect backdrop for the new face of the moon. A translucent cloud stands in the foreground before the new moon phase function, both veiling and revealing, for a bold, contemporary effect imbued with the touch of fine craftsmanship. The watch has a 36 mm White gold case and houses the movement which gives it a 38 hours power reserve
6) MontBlanc- Heritage Perpetual Calendar

MontBlanc- Heritage Perpetual Calendar

Inspired by historical Minerva classic wristwatches from the 1940s and 1950s, the new Heritage product line combines the elegance of watchmaking past with today’s bold design codes and technology. The Montblanc Heritage Perpetual Calendar features a brand new
manufacture movement that indicates the hours, minutes, day, date, month, moonphase and leap year in an extremely legible way due to the large counters at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. The watch is powered by a self-winding movement with a 48-hour power reserve and is also equipped with a dual-time function and a 24-hour indicator, which are The watch has a 40 mm case and comes in 18 K red gold for the limited edition of 100 watches.
7) Ulysse Nardin – Freak X – The” X Factor” in watchmaking

Ulysse Nardin – Freak X

The FREAK X collection stands out as the entry point into the Freak collection of watches by Ulysse Nardin. The watch comes with a 43mm case and is easier to read and operate. The earlier Freak Watches had no crown and time was corrected by the bezel and now this watch comes with a crown for time correction, The baguette-shaped movement is still a carousel, turning once on itself every hour to indicate the time. The Freak X has no dial and no hands – the central bridge acts as a minute hand and one of the wheels indicates the hours. The watch has a Power reserve of 72 hours.

The Open Day on Thursday afternoon attracted almost 3,000 public visitors, all fans of beautiful timepieces and eager to discover the latest creations.

In 2020 SIHH will have the 30th spring time edition which will take place from April 26 to 29, 2020.