Simply when the luxurious watch trade was properly settling down after a fairly good 2019, the Covid disaster hit laborious. In consequence, the 2 main watch festivals – Baselworld and SIHH Geneva (now rechristened as Watches & Wonders) – stood cancelled. Whereas W&W has consolidated over the previous few years, with extra high-end premium manufacturers choosing their luxurious setting and commerce and media companions, it’s Baselworld which has been struggling, first with the Swatch Group (Breguet, Omega, Longines, Rado, Tissot, Swatch and extra) shifting out in 2018 after which the Breitling announcement final yr, each deciding to give attention to their unbiased exhibitions. Very just lately, the massive blow was delivered by Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chopard and Chanel strolling out, adopted by the LVMH Group (Bulgari, Hublot, Zenith, TAG Heuer). The way forward for this century-old exhibition hangs within the stability. In the meantime, Watches & Wonders did a digital launch of the novelties by all of the manufacturers final weekend, on April 25.

The Swiss fixed

The place does the watch trade go from right here? Are there any definitive developments in design, advertising and distribution developing? I spoke to some CEOs to gauge the temper of the trade and the doubtless method ahead. Greubel Forsey, an everyday participant of SIHH until 2019, had already introduced their quitting W&W to give attention to brand-exclusive occasions. The model sells nearly 100 timepieces a yr with value tags going northwards of a crore of rupees, so assembly prospects personally is a greater technique, little doubt. Taking me by way of the technique, co-founder Stephen Forsey, signifies that provide has all the time been a much bigger concern than demand for them. It’s an enormous yr for them as they’re launching the primary sports-oriented watch – the GMT Sport or the top of expertise, the Hand Made 1, made utilizing solely hand-operated instruments, one single timepiece requiring a rare 6,000 hours work. Although a lot of the Swiss manufactures are shut, together with the GF Atelier at La Chaux de-Fonds, skeleton workers have began returning. Many of the workers are stressed and need to return to work, Forsey says.

IWC CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr accepts the selection of the Portugieser line as the important thing launch of 2020 was most likely the perfect determination the model had taken. Speaking to us on a Zoom name, he admitted that it was sheer luck, as this stuff are deliberate effectively prematurely. Portugieser would be the proper sort of product within the post-Covid period the place customers will search consolation from trusted manufacturers. For now, the flexibility to understand utterly new designs or classic re-issues will likely be low.

In the meantime, Favre-Leuba, the second oldest Swiss watch model, now owned by the Tatas, is taking 2020 because the yr of transition. Echoing the sentiment of the trade, CEO Philippe Roten admits that growing the in any other case low proportion of on-line gross sales of luxurious watches is the necessity of the hour.

Return of the classics

Panerai: It continues to take a position on futuristic supplies whereas celebrating the seventieth anniversary of Luminor, the luminescent substance now synonymous with essentially the most iconic watch households. Three new Luminor Marinas have been launched: DMLS, CarbotechTM and FibratechTM in restricted editions of 270 items and an astounding 70-year guarantee. FibratechTM, a resilient composite of absolutely recyclable mineral fibres from molten volcanic rock, is used for the primary time within the watch trade.

Cartier: The model digs into its archives and presents modern classics of three of their icons – Tank, Pasha and Santos, in a number of references. It’s the Santos that is still essentially the most thrilling in 2020. As a tribute to the primary pilot watch and aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, the brand new Cartier Santos watches beat to the rhythm of 430 MC handbook winding mechanical motion and are engraved with the unique plans of Santos-Dumont.

Hermès: Created by Hermès designer Philippe Apeloig, the elegant Slim d’Hermès assortment has hogged the limelight. The GMT mannequin, added this yr, is a worthy addition, in a rose-gold case and multitextured blue dial, with a sunburst centre, snailed date counter, and grained, silver-toned subdial with playfully organized numerals permitting for a second time zone.