Best shocking luxury watches are coming to market this year
After two years of epidemic-related disruption, the world of luxury watches descended on Geneva, Switzerland to offer the latest heart-wrenching styles and exciting new watches at the annual Watches & Wonders trade fair.
Almost all heavyweight products and CEOs were present, the six-day event provided an opportunity to take on Swiss watches, an industry that makes more than $ 24 billion in exports by 2021 – not only in line with pre-epidemic rates but rising by 2.7% . in 2019, according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry.
Like many luxury goods sectors, watchmaking has been affected by Covid-19 in many ways, from store closures to formal production in the Jura Mountains, where most of the country’s watch factories have been built since the 19th century. But as they did in the 1980s – when they faced extinction at the hands of new, cheap quartz technologies from Asia – luxury watches proved their lasting, emotional appeal with a rapid return.
Recovery can be low for wealthy consumers looking for tangible investments amidst economic uncertainty or even finding themselves with a lot of money lost after months without holidays and entertainment. And as organized almost two years ago, Watches & Wonders was determined to make a profit with a renewed demand for an IRL show that welcomed more than 22,000 guests.
And, boy, there were creations this year – many of which were still developing long before the epidemic but were first introduced.
In all the glamorous Watches & Wonders halls, wrapped up last week, delegates enjoyed vitrines featuring a real rainbow of colorful clocks, new ceramic and titanium materials, flexible jazzy belts, many tour activities and just a few events (available. out again, after all).
“It always looks like the entire watch industry is negotiating ahead of time to agree on major trends,” said IWC clock producer Christoph Grainger-Herr, as he looked at the product’s historic container platform. “Last year there was a huge presence of green. After the epidemic, we saw a burst of color everywhere, and I think there is a return to play.”
“It’s a pleasure to be back,” exclaimed Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, CEO of Chopard, near the edge of his shiny, wood-plated courtyard, “because there is no such thing as displaying watches (and) pieces of real-time, real people … And that can’t be replaced.”
Here are the 10 most striking watches on display at this year’s Watches & Wonders:
Patek Philippe Calatrava Reference 5226G:
As Patek Philippe is fond of worries, many of them, who give up hope of acquiring the recently canceled Nautilus Reference 5711 (just a moment to reduce the amount of fraud in the pre-owned market), there is another option. Cool and fresh, but old enough, Patek Philippe’s Calatrava Reference 5226G plays a refined case with a modified hobnail pattern throughout the case of the case band. The charcoal gray dial, which fades to a dark rim, has a grain texture deliberately reminiscent of old camera cases.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II:
There is always noise near the Rolex stand. Indeed, the great Swiss brand (with an estimated 29% share in the country’s watchmaking industry, according to Morgan Stanley) surprised us all by not only giving its GMT-Master II mobile watch the new green and black ceramic bezel, but redefining its crown for left-handed users. With such a clock design – the first to combine a 24-hour “home time” hand with a rotating bezel – the new setting takes mental and temporary adjustment. But the result is good as it is a huge amount. (If you can enter the original waiting list.)
Parmigiani Tonda PF Rattrapante GMT:
Ever since Parmigiani Fleurier twisted with last year’s stunningly recorded and impressive list (such as the launch of many episodes of the epidemic, it was difficult to predict, let alone for collectors of interest), the turmoil surrounding the Swiss watchmaker has been a nightmare. . This new positive adoption of GMT traveler will enhance the reputation of the product. Press the button at 8 a.m. to skip your “local” hours forwards or backwards as you pass time zones, while the second hour hand made of gold keeps you focused at home.
Cartier Masse Mystérieuse:
The clock has been under construction for eight years, which may seem strange in terms of how minimal the decoration of the dial is. It is, however, the latest in Cartier’s long line of “mysterious” clocks dating to 1912, when the French genre revealed the face of a watch that seemed to float in the air. Here, six layers of sapphire glass support hands and a rotating rotor in the middle, which also has a shock-resistant motion as you move your arm. In fact, the only thing that is remarkable about this watch is how it tells us time.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous The Glorious Star:
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s MO is about accuracy, so there were a lot of eyebrows raised in the Watches & Wonder product introduction as it describes its latest design as a reflection of the unpredictable, romantic nature of shooting stars. After all, how can accurate clocks be built to behave randomly? Yes, the company has certainly been brought up with this problem. Utilizing the kinetic energy provided by the movement of daily (and unexpected) wrists, the star orbits in the atmosphere of dial’s aventurine at certain times of the day. Jaeger-LeCoultre keeps mechanics behind the scenes. But who wants facts when you can have magic?