Baselworld/SIHH

Baselworld 2010: Editor’s Introduction By Melvyn Teillol-Foo Dear PuristS, Welcome to the PuristSPro Baselworld 2010 Report. It is traditional to thank our moderators (Marcus Hanke, Don Corson, Jerome Berder) and guest writers (Jocke, Tony Axelzon) for th...  

Angular Momentum is a small brand making only unique pieces using some very unique techniques. The Freehand Collection. These cases are all turned by hand on a manual lathe. Each one is different as are all the dials. The luminous material on the dials is...  

This material is a mixture of enamel and luminous sulfides according to the AM website. As I understand it it needs a longer time than luminova to "charge up" the light, around 10 minutes, but thereafter remains light for much longer than luminova. It is ... 

Before I got to Basel, all I knew about Balmain was that it was a designer brand in the SWATCH Group portfolio. Regular watchers (sic) of ‘Project Runway’ on television or New York Fashion Week will already be familiar with Pierre Balmain Haut...  

Baselworld 2010: Bell & Ross By Melvyn Teillol-Foo It is always a pleasure to meet "Mr Ross", which we know is a pseudonym for the brand's CEO, Carlos Rosillo. Dressed in that inimitable French style, he has the Gallic way of speaking with his hands. NOVE...  

almost every piece in their collection is a winner. Thanks for posting mate Faisal

Baselworld 2010: Blancpain By Melvyn Teillol-Foo Blancpain may be considered a premier brand within the SWATCH Group portfolio together with a handful of true haute horlogerie brethren. Although not quite the favoured child like Breguet, it still has a sp...  

your thoughts on the brand and the novelties. Unfortunately you interchanged the pictures of the watches (Villeret and LeBrassus) in your report. Oliver

Baselworld 2010: Breguet by Marcus Hanke Some of the most substantial novelties of this year were presented by Breguet. The start was marked by the stunning "Tradition Fusée Tourbillon" in platinum. Besides its breathtaking beauty, the Fusée Tourbillon fe...  

Is the star of the show, Thanks Faisal

Baselworld 2010: Breitling By Melvyn Teillol-Foo The famous Breitling Acquarium was there again, and still the most interesting thing to see at the Breitling booth....  

Baselworld 2010: Carl F. Bucherer by Marcus Hanke This year, Carl F. Bucherer, the technical brand, fully concentrates on its new "Patravi EvoTec" . Since CFB had presented its cal. A1000 movement, critical minds had expressed some doubt whether the uniqu...  

or are the adjustments for the date and day via the crown only? Thanks for the update Marcus, Mike

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Baselworld 2010: Bulgari Including an Interview with CEO Frencesco Trapani By Melvyn Teillol-Foo Before we look at the novelties from Bulgari, we cannot escape the backchat about the Daniel Roth and Gérald Genta lines within the Bulgari brand. On 15th Jan...  

I have been waiting for this!

no loss of essence for DR or GG took place and The Gefica lives on with a bit sport touches if i may call it so. Thanks for posting

What is that beast of a watch? Looks like a "genta with a skeletonized dial and a tourbillon? " The Sotirio is a winner. Love that bracelet design. Thanks MTF, Mike

Baselworld 2010: Chopard LUC By Melvyn Teillol-Foo Although Chopard LUC thrilled us with a useful complication in 2009 – Lunar Big Date – we all knew that they were saving their best novelties for 2010 because this is their 150th anniversary year. We were...  

Thanks for posting. Faisal

Baselworld 2010: Jaquet Droz By Melvyn Teillol-Foo Jaquet Droz (J*D) is one of the four brands in the SWATCH Group that market themselves as haute horlogerie brands. At the entrance to the SWATCH Bunker at Baselworld, those four brands are split into two ...  

Never start a land war in Asia, and never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Mr. Journe (right or wrong in his argument) forgot this... I have no doubt that this was a regrouping year with the senior management changing. Funny how times h... 

Nice Princess Bride quote...love the movie.

Baselworld 2010: Laurent Ferrier By Don Corson Laurent Ferrier is a watchmaker in Geneva with over 30 years of experience at Patek. After years of dreaming he set out to create with his son and two others a watch movement "to be the pleasure of watchmaker...  

BaselWorld 2010: Romain Gauthier By Don Corson Romain Gauthier adds to his Prestige collection the new small seconds watches with the calber 2206 hms. To the present hour, minutes models that we know well, such as these below ... Romain has added a small ...  

Baselworld 2010: Glashütte Original by Marcus Hanke This year, Glashütte Original continued its course to consolidate its various lines. After an era of fireworks with new models each year, GO now concentrates on presenting fewer novelties, but with the i...  

. . . and note to self: portable light tent on the to-do list for 2010! Cordially, Art

BaselWorld 2010: Beat Haldimann By Don Corson The tourbillon as poetry in pure form, that is what Beat Haldimann's watches are about. Beat showed his H1 with the single tourbillon floating above the dial, the H2 with two tourbillons in resonance floating ...  

Baselworld 2010: Hamilton By Melvyn Teillol-Foo Hamilton Pulsomatic Evolution The producer of the world’s first digital watch makes this technology automatic. 2010 marks the fortieth birthday of the world’s first digital watch – The Puls...  

Baselworld 2010: Harry Winston Rare Timepieces By Melvyn Teillol-Foo Additional material in 2nd Edition by Don Corson The first thing to note is the name change from Harry Winston Rare Timepieces to Harry Winston SA. [Apologies - Camera Failure Alert; Pre...  

time pieces , i view th opus X as a shot of new blood for HW. Thanks MTF. Faisal

Baselworld 2010: Hermès By Melvyn Teillol-Foo You read it here first: Hermès is on the brink of better things in haute horlogerie! It has been a mystery to PuristS why Hermès has not broken through in luxury watches. They have so many things in their favo...  

Thanks MTF Faisal

Baselworld 2010: Hublot Including an Interview with CEO J-C Biver on the BNB Concept Affair By Melvyn Teillol-Foo Evolution of Hublot Baselworld 2010 Hublot may find it difficult creating buzz with their ‘novelties’ at Baselworld because they make so many...  

would love to see where they will be heading with the acuestion of EX-BNB as well. Thanks. Faisal

Baselworld 2010: Linde Werdelin by Marcus Hanke Linde Werdelin, the small Danish sports watch brand, continued its cooperation with independent artists, 2010 once again with AHCI-Veteran Svend Andersen. Instead of re-vamping a rare vintage movement, like ...  

Baselworld 2010: Longines By Melvyn Teillol-Foo [Apologies: Camera Failure Alert. Some press photos had to be used] The Longines Column-Wheel Chronograph In 2009, Longines launched a watch fitted with an exclusive, self-winding chronograph movement with a...  

Baselworld 2010: Max Buser & Friends By Melvyn Teillol-Foo Max Buser & Friends also showed at Baselworld despite showing at SIHH earlier in the year. So, there was nothing new to see except a teaser movement part for MB&F 4. Maybe its another spac...  

Baselworld 2010: H. Moser By Don Corson Moser's new product this year is the "Perpetual Moonphase". Perpetual, not because it also includes a perpetual calendar, but because the moonphase indication is particularly accurate having a 1 day error only after...  

Baselworld 2010: Rainer Nienaber By Don Corson AHCI member Rainer Nienaber has made many watches using retrograde displays over the years. His newest model is now, just to mix us up a little, anterograde. The hand doesn't spring backward, but springs forw...  

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Baselworld 2010: Omega by Marcus Hanke Omega created some puzzlement, less by a technological innovation, but rather by its recent price increase, which became active in March. Not only customers and enthusiasts, but even sales representatives showed some...  

. . . as well as the reason for current shortage of Railmaster XXLs. I was hoping that these new models were in the 36 mm range - boy, was I ever wrong! Question regarding the aventurine dialed Speedmaster: did the case seem larger than usual for a Profes... 

Baselworld 2010: Patek Philippe Chronographs By Jerome Berder I know you've all long waited to see these pictures. The Patek Philippe 5070 has been a probable favourite for many years. Here comes the time of the new Patek Philippe 5170. The real news is t...  

Baselworld 2010: Thomas Prescher By Don Corson Thomas Prescher showed an overview of all his production showing his standard models and some of the many custom variants he has made to customer demand. Tempusvivendi special edition for Qatar Perpetual cale...  

Baselworld 2010: Rado By Melvyn Teillol-Foo Rado is a conundrum in the SWATCH Group portfolio. Founded as movement makers Schlup & Co in 1917, their first watch collection was not until 1957 and branded as RADO. Throughout the 1960s, Rado was the most...  

Baselworld 2010: Ressence By Don Corson The watches of Ressence are the work of the industrial designer Benoît Mintiens. Like other watches coming more from the design than the watchmaking heritage these watches are a fresh breeze on the scene. With a typ...  

I love it. Would buy it in a heartbeat. Very me. Vte

Baselworld 2010: Stepan Sarpaneva By Don Corson (Revisons and additional material by Melvyn Teillol-Foo) Stepan showed 2 new models this year a divers watch and a "one hand" watch. This divers watch in titanium has the unique featue that the inner besel i...  

to see the brand and the founder ,artsit, watch maker stepan standing tall facing the winds of hard times. keep up the good work stepan. Faisal

Baselworld 2010: Saskia maaike Bouvier By Don Corson An AHCI candidate, Saskia maaike Bouvier announces her complicated watches from a woman for women. Her professional education is as a watchmaker which she then completed as a watch designer (mechanical ...  

Baselworld 2010: Seiko By Tony Axelzon Here are Seiko pictures from the Baselfair 2010. Tony EDITOR'S NOTE Seiko has a following amongst PuristS, especially the Grand Seiko and recently, Ananta range that was covered last year by our moderator Andrew H. T...  

. . . as well as the 50th anniversary GS model. Thanks for the pics, Tony . . . cordially, Art

Baselworld 2010: Alain Silberstein By Melvyn Teillol-Foo Our Gallic friend Alain was orderly in his layout of watches to show. I thought it was one of his more outrageous collections in years. The tattoo theme was really cool and unique. Alain preferred t...  

Baselworld 2010: Peter Speake-Marin By Don Corson Peter Speake-Marin was focusing on his new SM2 movement and the watches using it this year. Here some bridges showing the high level of finishing. Before and after finishing The main plate with the barrel ...  

an elegant watch brand, with clean and elegant finish hard to match by independents on their own, but peter broke the rule. Thanks. Faisal

Baselworld 2010: Armin Strom By Don Corson At Armin Strom I was most curious to see the new complete watches to go with the new 8 day caliber introduced in January 2010. This caliber is unique in that the ratchet wheels are on the dial side giving a very ...  

Baselworld 2010: TAG-Heuer By Melvyn Teillol-Foo [Press release material reproduced for technical references] THE PARTY We were intrigued to be invited to the TAG-Heuer Cocktail Reception at the VoltaHalle , which appeared to be a defunct power station on...  

...or the new 1887?!

his body guard kept shoving me back Looked very similar to the prototype Grand Carrera that Babin wore, so maybe it was a standard Grand Carrera without the magnetic pendulum balance? Regards, MTF

Best regards, Marcelo...  

Vertical main sub -registers. Regards, MTF

DiCaprio is a man of taste

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Baselworld 2010: Tissot By Melvyn Teillol-Foo NOVELTIES Tissot PRS 516 Chrono Auto Valjoux The Tissot PRS 516 is a nostalgic legend, with the original version showing on and off the racetrack in the 1960s. We all remember the adverts with the racing drive...  

Baselworld 2010: Ulysse Nardin by Marcus Hanke Last year, Ulysse Nardin had presented the fascinating “Moonstruck” and the highly complex desk clock “Planet Earth”. According to the two-years-rule, major inhouse innovations are rel...  

Baselworld 2010: Kari Voutilainen By Don Corson We see here Kari's newest model. A big date, moon phase, second time zone watch with a setting system allowing all setting to be done by the crown. The mysterious window at the right shows which function is ...  

Baselworld 2010: Zenith By Melvyn Teillol-Foo If you asked for a catalogue at the Zenith booth in Baselworld this year, you would not get one; they did not have any! This was a deliberate act because Zenith is just beginning to revamp its product lines af...  

. . . "Now we talking!" Seriously, the resurrection of Zenith from it's dark period marked by flamboyant decadence is the story of the year. The number of models that draw my interest is surprisingly high, and I'm close to deciding on an EP for my next ne...  

because El Primero was designed 2 generations ago and is a little old design. The crucial bits (column wheel etc) are made "simply"..... This is wat people told me, when I asked them.....not Zenth people, of course! MTF

Baselworld 2010: Rolex By Jocke I guess it was not the year when Rolex have try to suprise the customers with some sparkling news. There was a new 31 mm Lady DateJust model, new maybe is a strog word to use in this case. The new is it has a new gem set be...  

Baselworld 2010: Aaron Becsei By Don Corson This year Arron Becsei was showing a custom order of his Primus 3 axis tourbillon in rose gold. I was hoping to also be able to see some watches from his new Dignitas collection in the metal. I hope it won't tak...  

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Baselworld 2010: Grönefeld By Don Corson (Additional material by Melvyn Teillol-Foo) Bart Tim and Bart Grönefeld from Holland showed their massive tourbillon minute repeater in white and rose gold. I must admit a great preference for the rose go...  

Baselworld 2010: Marc Jenni By Don Corson Marc Jenni showed for the first time at the AHCI stand this year. He has a standard 3 hand watch with power reserve indication, but with an interesting setting and winding arrangement. Instead of a crown, his watc...  

Baselworld 2010: Christophe Claret By Don Corson Christophe Claret showed to new customised versions of his DualTow Tourbillon with differential one pusher chronograph. Not to forget that it strikes a chime at each use of the chrono pusher. Mr. Christophe...  

Baselworld 2010: Svend Andersen By Don Corson Svend Andersen who together with Vincent Calabrese founded the AHCI 25 years ago keeps going strong. This years new watch is the Quotidiana. The Day disk turns slowly once a week inviting to enjoy the days as ...  

Baselworld 2010: Maîtres du Temps By Don Corson Maîtres du Temps is showing new case and color variants of its known watches this year. The Chapter One in Bicolor A little Bling for the Chapter Two Yes you are seeing correctly, the Chapter One R...  

Baselworld 2010: Hautlence By Don Corson One of the relatively unsung new brands that deserves much more attention, IMHO, is Hautlence. They don't really communicate too much on their depth of production, which they have and own development skills, which ...  

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Thank you so much for taking the time to post all these fantastic reports. A pleasure to read. Thanks. Vte

Thanks to the moderators and guest PuristS writers. But compiling the report was not as fun as I thought! Particularly as I had to go straight from Basel to Singapore and Thailand for the AP elephant polo coverage. Internet access in the Opium Golden Tria... 

I guess how "hard" it must have been, but in some way, it has to be fun. At least the first two or three times. I've been there for four times, this year was the first time on business and of course it is not the same. I would loved to have MORE time to t... 

I hope your cameras are okay? Regards Tim

Great job! Thanks for all the great stuff. Did someone had a chance to visit Vulcain and Universal Geneve? Cheers, Rudi

Thanks MTF, all mods and PuristS who covered the event, and Piaget for bringing to us the wonders seen at Baselworld this year. So far, I've discovered several pieces that really speak to me, and all-in-all I enjoyed this year's offerings. Cheers, Daos

Thanks Melvin, Jerome, Don, and Marcus for the complete and wonderful coverage of all the brands at Baselworld. It's exhaustive but well worth the efforts. There's lots of reading to do, I'll need to spend the weekend absorbing all the information. Thanks... 

Baselworld 2010: Lang & Heyne By Don Corson Marco Lang from Lang & Heyne was showing his new model "Heinrich der Erlauchte". This manual wind watch has jumping seconds, power reserve indication and an anterograd date. The date indicator jumps forward ...  

Baselworld 2010: Gustafsson & Sjögren By Don Corson A partnership between a bladesmith and a watchmaker Gustafsson & Sjögren is an upcoming Swedish Independent brand. I met watchmaker Patrik Sjögren at BaselWorld. The signature feature ...  

Baselworld 2010: Urwerk By Don Corson Presented the first time at BaselWorld 2003 Urwerk's classic model the UR-103 is seeing its last variations this year before being removed from the catalog. The UR-103 as a Mexican Fireleg The UR-103 with saphire hour...  

Baselworld 2010: Ball by Marcus Hanke That Swiss watch manufacturers are owned by Americans is not uncommon, just think of IWC's founder F.A. Jones. The problem with constellations like these is, that the watches become popular in the United States, but r...  

Well I agree with you on BALL watch co. Swiss made but not so well distributed in Europe. They make nice watch at affordable prices but marketing is just not there in certain country i guess. Great pics thanks for sharing. Cheers. Iceheller

Baselworld 2010: Oris by Marcus Hanke Despite being a traditional Swiss watch brand, Oris until now managed to escape your Basel reporters' attention. This year, female charme changed that. We were simply unable to resist beautiful Ms Ang's invitating smi...  

Baselworld 2010: Christiaan van der Klaauw By Don Corson Dutch AHCI member Christiaan van der Klaauw showed is beautiful astronomical watches The Ariadne chronograph The modules for the Astrolabium and Planetarium The Planetarium The Venus with a diamond ...  

Baselworld 2010: Nivrel by Marcus Hanke When the "quartz crisis" hit the Swiss and German watch industries in the late seventies/early eighties, most markets collapsed, since the majority of customers preferred the much less expensive and complicated quar...  

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