foversta offers his comprehensive analysis of SIHH 2012, reflecting on the fair's overall tone and highlighting his personal selection of standout watches. He notes a shift towards a more 'solid and realistic' approach from brands, focusing on market expectations rather than radical innovation, yet still uncovering 'true nuggets' of horological interest. foversta's report provides a valuable snapshot of the industry's direction during that period.
So, here we are, the SIHH days are over now and time is coming for all the attendees to start the first analysis of the Fair. I just want to give you in a few words my thoughts and to propose the pictures of my fav watches of the week. I didn't visit each and every booth so maybe if it had ben the case, this selection would have been different but I believe it is a quite good picture of what I feel.
About the Fair:I consider this 2012 SIHH as a solid and realistic one. What does that mean? We are in 2012 so as the main part of the watches needs 3 or 4 years of development, their creation process was initiated with the crisis. The strategy for the brands was not to bring surprises but to better meet the market expectations. I can't consider this SIHH as one of the best due to the lack of really innovative and moving watches. But it is really a good one as I didn't see main failures and an overall good quality.
It doesn't mean that all the watches were "formated" to be successful. You can't be sure about success. If there was a magic formula, it would be a very known fact. It is not that easy. But at least they were designed to provide good sales performances being as close as possible to the market expectations as I said before.
When we met the brands representatives, the feedbacks were positive and the ADs, generally speaking have quite well welcome the new collections.
Hopefully, this "lack of surprises but not of quality" was balanced by the presence of some true nuggets. I will come back to them.
Of course, China was present in all attendees' minds with the main question: are we expecting now a slow-down of the sales figures in this country? For the time being, we could feel the chinese influence on the increasing share of thin and elegant watches in the different collections, some brands like Dubuis are now proposing versions with smaller cases of some of their key watches. It was a relief: we didn't see too many dragons... I believe that the brands realized that it would have been a message of a strategy mainly focussed on a specific market what would have been badly perceived by the other ones.
I also felt that the number of novelties was controled which is for me good news. It is better to unveil less watches and to be sure to produce them and to put them on the displays without having to wait for ages.
So a good SIHH even if it wasn't impressive, an overall satisfaction from the brands and a sort of relief from the ADs being confident to sell out the watches they ordered.
But we are here at PuristSPro and we look for something else than "formated or strategic" products. We look for watches with soul or high horological interest. And the 2012 SIHH didn't forget them.
Here is my selection. Of course, I will come back to them during the year. Yes, we have now one year (and many more) to speak about them before 2013 SIHH!
The most charming watch of the Fair:The duet Poectic Wish from VCA. With their animated dials, their unusual hammers, the beauty of the sceneries... Jean-Marc Wiederrecht did it again!
The most technically impressive watch.An outstanding performance from
Villeret with the Montblanc Timewriter II... and by staying within the frontiers of traditional watchmaking:
The best striking watch:GP 1966 Répétition Minutes. A high quality Minute Repeater with a silent and beautiful mechanism: the sound is pure and clear.
The best Tourbillon watches.
I would propose a duet in this section.
Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 seconds Contemporain: there is something of the Opus 6 in this watch!
JLC Spherotourbillon: the watch is delicate and offers a superb Tourbillon behaviour "à la Thomas Prescher". Time can be set with accuracy without stopping the regulating organ!
The best case design:
Piaget Gouverneur. Is it round, is it oval? a mix of both... for a very refined result.
The most impressive finishings:AP RO Caliber 5122.The work on the skeletonized dial is superb. The contemporary finishings which were done on the 3120 are now applied on the 2121 for an outstanding eye-catching result.
The best evolution of a previous model:Lange Datograph Up and Down.I know that some of you don't agree with me but I was very convinced by the new Datograph. The power reserve display is discreet and the change of the date size highlights the cae of details from Lange.
That's all for tonight!
Don't hesitate to share your thoughts and comments!
Have a nice Sunday!
Fr.Xavier
This message has been edited by foversta on 2012-01-21 14:45:27 
