Admiration from all angles
Here’s a look at the watchmaking maisons who showcased at the renown watch trade show Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) this year from the 14th to the 17th January 2019. We’ve picked the showstoppers at the event and the next on our list is — the Greubel Forsey Balancier Contemporain.
You can find the full series here.
The Balancier Contemporain, a 33-piece limited edition, is most definitely the result of continuous vision of Greubel Forsey: a bold asymmetrical design, with openworked mechanics that expose the depth of the movement. But the brand has broken new ground with this timepiece: it is just 39.6mm in diameter and 12.2mm thick, quite petite by their usual standards. The new hand-wound movement was engineered for size reduction without sacrificing performance and boasts of 72 hours of power reserve.
The result still finds room for the signature large 12.6mm balance wheel, which dominates the bottom third of the watch. The time indicator, power reserve meter and small seconds are arrayed over the remaining space; conferring a technical but balanced aesthetic. Glimpses of the geartrain and barrel drum can be seen throughout the split-level design of the display side, which encourages admiration from multiple angles. The display case-back shows off the white gold movement plate—it conceals any inner workings, but is a work of art by itself, relief engraved with the ethos of the brand and set with a red gold plate bearing the edition number and Greubel Forsey logo.
SIHH 2019 Recap
The 29th edition of Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) was another record-breaking one, counting 23,000 visitors over its four days. Geneva’s Palexpo convention centre was packed not only with people, but the latest about to be unleashed on the horological world from the 35 participating brands.
There were quite a few new beginnings and surprises. Ulysse Nardin reworked the iconic Freak, and Bovet’s debut introduced the fair to its historical pocket watch heritage. Vacheron Constantin and Hermes surprised with some truly innovative watchmaking, while Panerai showcased new limited editions that come with adventurous experiences attached. On their last appearances at SIHH, both Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille unveiled new collections—the former surprising with distinct and deliberate design, while the latter with a completely unexpected candy-themed range.
