salon SIHH – Photo ©Bérengère Treussard
This year I was lucky enough to be invited to the SIHH! Okay, awesome, but what is the SIHH? SIHH is the acronym for Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, it’s the International Exhibition for Fine Watchmaking which takes place every year in Geneva in January. It is a BtoB (Business to Business) event organised for the jewellery and watch brands (15 of them) of the RICHEMONT group by the RICHEMONT group, thus inviting visitors (14,500) and selected journalists (1200) from around the world . Indeed, at this occasion, the novelties of each brand are presented. The stakes are great and decisive for the year ahead. I’m grateful for this opportunity to attend the show for the first time and I confess it has been four days of awe-inspiring discoveries being faced to so much beauty and know-how in such a short time.
For this 2016 edition, RICHEMONT has innovated and invited 9 independent watchmakers with incredible know-how and techniques, a space named Carré des horlogers was specially dedicated. I discovered for instance the know-how of H.Moser & Cie through this exceptional timepiece made of enamel and gold, inspired by a 19th century pocket watch.
Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Heritage watch H.Moser & Cie — Photo ©Bérengère Treussard
Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Heritage watch H.Moser & Cie — Photo ©Bérengère Treussard
RICHEMONT also hosted a very interesting exhibition by students of the Geneva art school HEAD, presenting their interpretations of the traditional cuckoo clock: "24 hours in the life of a Swiss Cuckoo"
I loved this cuckoo jewel that moves as the day goes by, eventually plunging into your neckline in the evening … At least, that’s my interpretation, ha ha ha!
Cuckoo jewell by Mathilde Petit & Roland Kawczynski © HEAD – Genève, Sandra Pointet
Fabienne Lupo, President and CEO of the FHH, organiser of the SIHH, said in her inaugural speech: "The common denominator of all the brands present at the SIHH is creativity, know-how, excellence, the quest for the impossible, but above all the long lasting heritage of a watchmaking art that must remain alive."
Trends spotted at the show: classical, pink gold, cushion and oval, time zone and travel watches, high jewellery, crafts and state-of-the-art technology serving ever more precise mechanics.
I attended many press conferences and obtained access to exceptional pieces still in manufacturing process such as the Secret watches of Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Audemars Piguet or also Piaget, Vacheron Constantin, Parmigiani fleurier, Jaeger-Lecoultre…
The most impressive and innovative press conference was certainly that presented by Audemars Piguet involving Virtual Reality(VR). We were invited to wear a special headset that transported us onto a drone, flying over snowy mountains and a lake until we arrived to the manufacture, eventually entering the designer’s office where he presented us his latest timepiece. An incredible experience as we could look in all directions and admire the details of the landscape ina beautiful 360 degree panorama.
Piaget booth at SIHH – Photo ©Bérengère Treussard
The most impressive creative spaces were certainly those designed by the Maison Piaget with its 600 km of glittering chain and that of the Maison IWC with its 40s plane and air base reconstruction. The true-to-life sound made you feel as if you were really there!
IWC booth at SIHH – Photo ©Bérengère Treussard
Roger Dubuis had rolled out the red carpet and a photobooth where you could get you picture on the cover of Velvet Magazine, a magazine invented for the occasion, bearing the name of the new collection for women. An interesting and entertaining experience with a small souvenir video … Apparently I am the feline type! Ha ha ha!
In the coming weeks, I will share more information about the SIHH 2016, about the brands that touched me and those I loved.
Stay tuned !