goods
50
MARCH2015
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HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
ThatTimeofYear
Aprimeron thismonth’sBaselworld, themost important
eventon the calendar forwatchenthusiasts
BYMATTDIEHL
“I
t’s like you’re an actor, in amovie
about time.”
That’s howFrançoisThiébaud, the
presidentoftheSwissExhibitorsCom-
mitteeatBaselworld,poeticallydescribes
theexperienceat theannual event,offi-
cially known as theWorldWatch and
Jewelry Show.GregoryThumm, the
president of Bulova, describes Basel-
worldmore simply, but with no less
enthusiasm.“It servesasa reaffirmation
ofmypassion for thecraft,”he says.
Like clockwork, Baselworld
takes over its namesake host city
of Basel, Switzerland, each year in
early spring (this year’s edition is
March19to26).AccordingtoThiébaud,
theevent is tohorologistswhatFashion
Week is to clothing designers and
Cannes is to filmmakers.
If anyone can unpackBaselworld’s
enduring appeal, it’s Thiébaud.The
dapper,charismaticFrenchmandoesn’t
just serve as an influentialmember of
Baselworld’sorganizingbody,hepresides
over one of the world’s largest,most
prestigious timepiecemanufacturers:
theheritage-driven yet technologically
NEIGHBORHOODWATCH
Oris, rightdown theblock from
Tissot, at lastyear’sBaselworld
SIMONBIELANDER/MCHMESSE SCHWEIZ (BASEL) AG
forward Swiss watch giantTissot. “It
is primarily an industry event,but any
passionate watch lover is welcome,”
Thiébaudnotes.“Onceayear,themak-
ersand thepoetsof timecome together
withcollectorsandconsumers,all in the
beautiful environmentofBasel.”
With itshistoryof innovation,Basel
does provide an appropriate setting.
During themid-15th century, the city
was where the craft of printing (and
the publishing industry) was born. In
the 20th, thepicturesque town evolved
into a global art-world hotbed, with
the spectacularArt Basel fair starting
here.And in the last fewdecades, ithas
becomeamajorcenterforcontemporary
architecture, with buildings by Zaha
Hadid,FrankGehry andTadaoAndo.
Two years ago, locally basedHerzog
& de Meuron—the Pritzker Prize–
winning architecture firm responsible
for theU.K.’sTateModern—created
themassive, strikinglymodern struc-
turewhereBaselworld is nowheld. In
thefacility’snearly500,000-square-foot
exhibition space, the biggest luxury
concerns—esteemednameslikeBreitling,
RaymondWeil,Tudor,PatekPhilippe,
UlysseNardin andEbel—build elabo-
ratepresentationboothswhereattendees
cangazeupon thepreciouswares.
Meanwhile,atBaselworld’s intimate
Palace tent,you’ll find youngerwatch-
making concerns devoted to pushing
horology to its bleeding edge,with a
community of timepiece enthusiasts
offering sympatheticears (andwrists).
“Inbigbooths,nooneeverasksabout
thewatch I’mwearing, but in smaller
ones, they immediately comment on
it,”explainsMarkCarson,notedwatch
bloggerandfounder/creatoroftheMark
Carson IndividualDesign independent
watch line. “The Palace section has
amore ‘take your time’ vibe.You can
actually talkdirectlywithprincipals of
companieslikeMB&FandDeBethune;
it’s where I first met the movement
designerofArnold&Son.It’sgreat!
“Andthen,”headds,“there’sthesecret
partofBaselworld: theevenings.”
Indeed,while the exhibition space
provides the event’s official hub,Basel-
worldbusinessflowsthroughoutthecity.
You’ll find thehigh-end likesofOmega
andRolexholdingcourt at the five-star
LesTrois Rois hotel.More boutique
brandsmight take dinner-and-drinks
meetings at Restaurant Matisse—
a hautemoderne eatery known for its
adventurousmenu.
Regardless of where you fit in, the
mission remains the same:showcasing
thewatch industry’s latestandgreatest.
It’sBaselworld tradition for brands to
bring out “novelties” displaying the
heights of horological invention, as
well as toprovide the first viewsof the
newest offerings.
“You can’t comewith the same stuff
from years past,”Thiébaud explains.
“You’vegottopresentdifferentproducts
andconceptsthatareevenmore innova-
tiveandcreative.”
ForBaselworld2015,Tissot looks to
make a bevy of splashy debuts, includ-
inganexquisitenewmechanicalpocket
watch.Thiébaud,however, is scant on
details; after all,Baselworld is all about
theartof the reveal.
“It’s a unique experience—a show
that’snotashow,notamuseum,”hesays,
“but aworldunto itself,where loversof
time,technologyandbeautyallmeet.”
