Baselworld/SIHH

I present my comprehensive report on SIHH 2011 in Geneva. It covers 20 brands including nearly all the brands inside SIHH and a few notable brands outside of the fair. This year I tried to condense the report a little, as I received feedback that last yea...  

2011 is a year of the small and focused collection for Lange. At one end of the spectrum, the entire Saxonia range was revised with four new models joining the range. Like the Saxonia Annual Calendar of 2010, the new Saxonia models this year are commercia...  

Again, like I pointed out last year, the minute disc is NOT aligned...again. Best, Horo

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I put a movie here: alang.watchprosite.com Fr.Xavier This message has been edited by foversta on 2011-01-30 10:16:04

AP unveiled a collection that comprised mainly additions to the Jules Audemars and Royal Oak lines, along with several new Millenary, including the 4101 which was a crowd favourite. Starting with the simplest, the Jules Audemars Selfwinding. Measuring 39 ...  

Is it a regular production or a LE? If available, could you tell us the retail price for the steel and gold models? Thanks, Stewart

Retail for the steel will likely be in the region of USD22-24k. That is a very rough estimate. - SJX

Baume et Mercier came along with Piaget when the latter was bought by Vendome, and then B&M became the forgotten step child living under the stairs. But in 2011 B&M was one of the highlights of SIHH. Not because of the watches themselves, which were attra...  

Cartier had the largest collection at SIHH, even compared to previous years. In terms of breadth as well as individual complications Cartier presented one of the most impressive collections at the fair. It’s a long way to the end so we will start with the...  

A lot more function for any real world daily sense I think BUT.... very interesting esepcially the indicators on the side. A mutual friend if you recall spoke with PSM about this. Definitely want to see it in the metal when it comes in. Looks a big and th... 

SJX, Bad I agree that the Calibre de Cartier does not imbue a sense of 'Cartier-ness' like all the other Cartier watch shapes. When one looks at a Tortue, Santos, Rotonde, Tank, Pasha etc etc, one sees 'Cartier' in the balance and aesthetic. Good Grief! E... 

the bear, the monkey (without diamonds, I think the diamond add too much to the decoration), and the turtle (also without the diamond). Is the bear a lmited edition? cen@jkt

De Bethune unveiled three new models: the DB10, DB25T and DB28. With silver guilloche dial and blued steel hands, the DB10 is a look back at the first De Bethune models. It is also De Bethune new entry level piece, though it still features the in-house au...  

Outstanding movements. Love them. Thanks. Vte

The DB25 is really a Tourbi for the self assured. As for the DB28, apart from the movable lugs, how different is it from the DBS?

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What are major differences? Is there any material upgrade? Love the electric blue lugs version, goes really well with the electric blue hands. Best, Horo

Only the case differs. - SJX

but not sure how durable the BLUE Color on the Ti Lugs.??

Over at Watchland Franck Muller had a lot to show though the highlights for me were a series of tourbillons including one with a 20 mm tourbillon cage. As usual there were plenty of jewelled watches, including a whopper completely set with baguettes. FM a...  

Not a fan of FM watches, but this year novelties have some nice work done on the movements IMO, and I had to comment it. Thanks. Vte

the teeth of the escape wheel look quite spectacular and different from the 'normal Swiss lever escapement tourbillons'. I am referren, for example, to this: Or am I just fooled by the special spoke design? Thanks, Magnus...  

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i'm surprised that FM Watches are not Well appreciated.and ofter are looked over.!

Girard Perregaux presented a fairly small collection this year with all the models being variants of existing models or calibres. As usual the highlights were variations of the GP tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges. Several new models in the slim, round V...  

Greubel Forsey showed two new models this year, the Invention Piece 2 and the Double Tourbillon 30 ° Technique. As is tradition at GF, both are enormously complex watches that are finished to the highest standard throughout. I especially like the stu...  

IWC presented a small range this year, with majority of the new models being the revamped Portofino range. For the longest time the Portofino was almost an afterthought but now it has turned serious. The flagship of the new Portofino line is the Hand-Woun...  

The regig of the Portofino is such a obvious marketing department job that you can literally smell them trying to inject a dose of Dolce Vita that is actually smacking of Artificiosa Vita. Comeon IWC, reinvent the wheel if you have to, stop mucking around... 

though similar to the cal. 5000 automatic the new hand-wind is entirely different, it is not merely the cal. 5000 with automatic winding mechanism removed. While I wouldn't go so far as to call them disappointing, they are fairly commercial pieces, i.e. d... 

2011 is the anniversary of the Reverso so naturally there were several new Reverso models. But they were not the only novelties; JLC had one of the larger collections at the fair. The headline Reverso for 2011 is the minuter repeater at the high-end but I...  

The dial is not glowing at all. It is not luminous, but paint. Best, Nicolas.

Now this looks like a contender for a space in my watch case! We'll have to see! Cheers Stephen

Not only was it concise but the words covered what was more relevant and worth noting for, not to mention your pics. Thank you!

MB&F presented the final editions of the HM2, 18 pieces each of the red and black SV (‘Sapphire Vision’). Both have sapphire top plates, while the case back of the red SV is rose gold while the black SV is PVD coated titanium. When I first saw images I ha...  

Hope it is gonna be a affordable piece. Best, Horo

Montblanc grew its key model lines incrementally this year, starting with the Rieussec. 2011 is the 190 th anniversary of Rieussec’s first stop watch, so naturally an anniversary Rieussec is mandatory. Available in platinum, rose or white gold, the Rieuss...  

That double hairspring looks fascinatingly beautiful and you captured it perfectly. Nice pics. Thanks. Vte

Panerai’s 2011 collection continues to do what it does very well, a solid dose of retro inspiration, a dash of in-house movement credibility and dastardly limited numbers of everything. A key tactic of Panerai, if I may venture a guess, is to take o...  

Parmigiani had two new wristwatch models for 2011. The simpler of the two is the Tonda 1950, an ultra-slim automatic in gold, with 1950 being the year of Michel Parmigiani’s birth. At 39 mm and 7.8 mm high, this is a slim and elegant watch. Inside sits th...  

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I like those movements. Very nice finishing, and the one in the Bugatti looks very different and interesting. A piece of art. Thanks. Vte

Piaget’s flagship complication for 2011 is not unexpectedly, an ultra-slim, flying tourbillon. The Emperador Coussin Tourbillon Ultra-Thin is only 5.35 mm thick and square, making it unusual for its slimness and its shape. Aesthetically it is a significan...  

Care to share your detailed thoughts on it?

SJX, I agree that the new Polo FortyFive Perpetual Calendar is attractive. It is not just the two-tone Ti/Rose Gold look but also that the slim perpetual calendar movement (a novelty 2 years ago) is now in a sensible Polo case. Very useable and sensible d... 

With the exception of one watch the novelties from Richard Mille all took the familiar tonneau form. The top of the line addition to the collection is the RM038 Bubba Watson. Mr Watson, whose real name is a much less memorable Gerry, is a pro golfer who h...  

Roger Dubuis, along with Baume et Mercier, is one of the turnaround stories of SIHH. Management spent the last couple of years since the Richemont acquisition tightening up the production processes. Now with that done the collection will be rebuilt in a m...  

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Despite of the stunning movements, not for me. Vte

Chrono inspired by roulette is so passé and gimmicky, more like something the previous owner of RD would do. The more traditional chrono is very nice, bar the 100% Swiss made, which can be quite comforting actually. How many manufacturers dare claim that!... 

RD will continue to make jewellery for ladies, but I recall it is not made in-house in Geneva. I am not sure if the manufacturer that makes it is a part of Richemont or an external contractor. As for the watches, all are prototypes. - SJX

Succeeding the Urwerk 103, the 110 tells the time on rotating cubes for the hours and a pointer indicating the minutes. Each cube is fixed to a minute hand that travels the 60 minute arc on the right. There are three of these satellites, each fixed to a c...  

And I have never been attracted to urwerks before...till this. And what a worthy successor to the 103. Wonder how the roe gold version would look like. And this version, one can see the satellite rotating system in it's full glory. Well done Urwerk!! Best... 

Very very cool--my first foray into totally 'out there' design.

very interesting...maybe a video...

Are the lugs curved in? It looks like it wears big.

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Vacheron Constantin unveiled a collection that was noticeably devoid of big complications but is nevertheless excellent. The Les Historiques 1954 Aronde follows the successful Americaine 1921 as another re-edition of a vintage form watch. This has an eleg...  

These pictures are awesome. What kind of lighting are you using? Is this from a full-frame camera?

. . . and never knew we had our own time zone!! Eucla is the French spelling of UCLA, right? . . .

As with recent years Van Cleef et Arpels flagship Poetic Complications for the year is a double retrograde created by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht. The Five Weeks in a Balloon depicts a hot air balloon in enamel lifting off from Zanzibar, inspired by Jules Verne...  

and I like their dial better than the covers of most of the versions! Thanks for the tremendous report. And for holding back the words to 10,000 The editor, Cazalea

A Van Cleef I can acquire! Finally! cen@jkt

I will come back very often to each part of your report of course! Thanks a lot and congrats ! Fr.Xavier

And reading material for next few days for me, and surely for many others too. Best, Horo

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It is realy comprehensive. I like the GP world time a lot! Br, Dirk

Thank you very much. Filip

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awesome reporting and love the format... short and sweet commentary on the various pieces... THANK YOU so much!

I've enjoyed them a lot. Best. Vte

Extremely well done. Thank you.

I read this report. Nice work SJX and the photographs are excellent. Many thanks and it was worth waiting for this work. Best to all, Tim

Nice to have met you at the fair. - SJX

for your herculean effort and photographs that put the overproduced "pictures" released by the manufacturers to shame. I know there is very little time and much to see, but if you have some shots of the new Jean Richard models, I would love to see those. ... 

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Wonderful presentation SJX. Many Thanks for your always superb work. Best, -- Richard.

I thought SIHH 2011 was boring until I saw your report. Your pictures have made the timepieces so much more desirable. I particularly like the novelties from GP, Richard Mille, IWC and de Bethune. This report is even better than last year's, which I thoug... 

I was watching "Shall We Dance?" a few times today (for lack of something better to do) and Bette Midler co-starred in that movie.... KXFC Sam

When you started humming the Bette Midler song....darn now I can't get it outta my head. Kong Hei Fatt Choy Horo

now I'll have to spent 2-3 more hours on PPro my wife will kill me :0)) Thank you so so much for bringing all this to us who can't be there Chapeau & Kudos Best Damjan

SJX, you've really done it here! A wonderful overview of a very big week -- and you still had time to talk with me... Wonderful stuff! All the best, Gary G

I have been waiting for your exclusive and detailed report and photos this SIHH! Thank you for sharing with us! Best, Sam

Thank you SJX! Bravo, just brilliant! Stephen

for that great job you did for us. The way you worked out some interesting details in your pictures and your kind of subtle notes are very well done. Thanks, SJX! Oliver

the end of the 2 weeks after SIHH. Stunned and you can still see straight? Thanks for bringing us all the news and views. Great report. Andrew H

Exceptional effort to make this ecxellent coverage! Really appreciated.

for making sure none of us miss out on the news. Vernon

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