PRIMETIME – April 2016 – Watchmaking in the News

n this edition of PRIMETIME, we are discussing the future of trade fairs, as we have recently heard about some serious news regarding Baselworld and could it be loosing a bit of it's superb? It might be a bit harsh to mention it like this, but 5 additional independent brands are about to rejoin the Geneva event of the SIHH in early January of next year and most probably leave Baselworld for good. 

This year, these independent brands that participated at the SIHH in what was called the "Carré des Horlogers" were all present on both platforms (except De Bethune), but as of next year it would be very surprising that they continue to do so. This means that many of those cool brands, the ones that symbolises creativity and freshness of this industry, will be missed at the Basel event and it will have an impact on the overall appreciation of this important show. Regarding big brands, we will also see the return of Girard-Perregaux at the SIHH, as well as the first appearance of Ulysse Nardin. 

During this month we also saw 2 new versions of Greubel Forsey timepieces in red gold for the Vision and Signature model, but we also had the chance to see the new Art Piece 2, a timepiece that let's you see another micro surprise through the lens hidden in the crown.