At Baselworld 2015 Some Initial Stabs at Smart Watches, But Grand Luxury Still Reigns

 

 

Before Baselworld even started the buzz was about smart watches, but if you know anything about Swiss timepieces manufacturers, you know that creating a watch that is supposedly “smart” is still the least of their concerns.

 

That could be changing if the smart watch gains any momentum with consumers, but that’s not what this show is about anyway – not yet.

 

That’s because Baselworld is all about the ultimate in high luxury timepieces and jewelry and the people who shop here aren’t looking for something to replace their iphone when it comes to telling the time or the weather.

 

Still, that didn’t stop some brands, most notably Mondaine and Frederique Constant, who went ahead and showed their interpretation of a Swiss timepiece with smart capabilities.

 

 

 Even before this year’s Baselworld started, the talk was of the recently launched Apple Watch and its impact on the timepiece industry. Two brands that received moderate attention for their initial attempts at the trend: Frederique Constant and Mondaine. 

Meanwhile Gucci president and CEO Marco Bizzari stole some of their thunder and held a press conference with Black Eyed Peas frontman, Will.i.am to announce that they had inked a deal with to develop a “fashion-ology” version of a watch originally created through Will.i.am’s own company, i.am+.

 

For us, half the fun of going to Baselworld is seeing just how much money brands will spend on building utterly spectacular pavilions (please, don’t call them “booths”) that will only be seen for six days.

 

All of the brands are careful to monitor who comes in and reserves a section of their showrooms to entertain their buyers in high style.

 

 

Like all trade shows, this is where brands flex their muscles and show off, with over-the-top pavillons designed as much to showcase the brand as the products inside.

If you weren’t on the list then chances are you wouldn’t be able to look at more than the front door and the handsome models they hire to guard the gates. Like heaven, some had their own purgatory, a kind of pre-showroom-showroom where a select few could gain access and feel like they got somewhere. But usually behind yet another set of doors, is an ultra-exclusive space full of champagne and an even fewer select group of beautiful people with very deep pockets.

 

That’s where Taiwanese jewelry designers Wayne Wang and Yao-Lien Wang were hoping to sneak into at Armani, if they could just get past those tall, black-clad men.

 

“I could hear people laughing and talking behind this glossy black wall and every now and then the door would open and these Armani staffers in black would come striding out and you’d get a peek at this major party going on,” says Yao-Lien.

 

Chanel, Hermès, Patek Phillippe, spared no expense this year, with spaces that felt anything but temporary. “In most cases, it doesn’t feel like they’re terribly concerned with selling their products,” says Wayne. “At the end of the day, these are conceptual installations designed to position the brand and underscore their ability to be innovation leaders in the luxury sector.”

 

 

 

 

Chanel’s presence is more image campaign than anything, but this year they impressed many with its Premiere Flying Tourbillon watch. Based on an existing iconic watch in its collection, this one bears all the hallmarks of a classic Tourbillon, a rarity in the women’s watch market.

Chanel, in all its black-and-white glory, managed to do both, launching the limited edition Premiere Flying Tourbillon watch. Time is precious for the precious few who can own such a watch, and with only twelve in existence, you better hope you live long enough to enjoy it.

 

But for those who are truly connoisseurs of fine watches, they weren’t messing around with fashion brands, they were heading over to the likes of Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Richard Mille, and A. Lang & Söhne. This is the Billionaire Boys Club for those who think nothing of dropping a million or more for a watch.

 

Our favorite is the Vacheron Constantin Tour de l’Ile, which features two faces (front and back) to make room for a perpetual calendar, sunset time indicator, a second time zone, and some other things I was never quite able to understand. Nevermind, I’ll hopefully have time to learn how to use it.

 

 

The Billionaire Boys Club: In the ultra-luxury category, you can always be sure to see watches for a million dollars or more. Here (from top): Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Hybris, Vacheron Constantin’s Tour de l’Ile, and A. Lang&Söhne’s Grand Complication — a fitting name since it is quite complicated.

Meanwhile there were still reporters running around trying to find a good hook for their smart watch story even if there wasn’t much to show for it.

 

Besides Frederique Constant’s Horological Smartwatch, Mondaine unveiled its own version which boasts technology that monitors activity and sleep as well as a bi-directional communications feature which connects with designated devices such as a phone or tablet. I’ve always been fond of Mondaine’s use of Helvetica Bold but I don’t need a watch to micromanage my sleep and exercise patterns.

 

Beauty and the Beast: While Baselworld is known for showcasing the ultimate in precision and pure luxury materials — such as these watches by Graff (top), there are some like MB&F who challenge the status quo with its “Space Pirate” watch(bottom). The brand has fans of its renegade approach to design.

There are, of course, dozens of other watch brands who exhibit at Baselworld that you never end up hearing about, and you have to feel just a little sorry for them.

 

We couldn’t help but notice MB&F, which in our opinion, may be the ugliest watch we’ve ever seen. The “Space Pirate” apparently takes inspiration from sci-fi and anime comics. Limited to only 50 pieces, you’ll be able to enjoy the fact that there will only be a few people as peculiar and geeky as you who would wear such a thing.

 

Baselworld 2016 will be from March 17 – 26. For more information visit http://www.baselworld.com.

 

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