Fun Farewell
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 Richard Mille Bonbon Collection.
You can find the full series here.
When it comes to Richard Mille, expect the unexpected—especially since the brand takes a farewell bow at SIHH. Even bearing this in mind, many were caught off-guard by the Bonbon collection. It is a colourful, playful range of 10 watches (each limited to 30 pieces), four named for sweets and six for fruits and riffing on three iconic Richard Mille watches: the ladies’ RM 07, the rectangular RM 16 and the tonneau RM 37.
When viewed together, these food-themed timepieces are a riot of colour (a palette consisting of 60 in total) that is so rarely seen in watchmaking that it almost looks out of place. This is no gimmick, however—the commitment to the theme and craftsmanship is absolute. On the RM 07-03 Automatic Marshmallow, for instance, the hand-enamelled titanium and rose gold dial conveys mouth-watering textures, while the crown is a delectable swirl of decorative icing.
Meanwhile, the RM 16-01 Automatic Fraise exemplifies the exquisite miniature of the Fruit line, with a dial studded with tiny candies, each painted and lacquered by hand. The sugar effect was accomplished with crushed enamel and sand. The case of the Fraise also makes good use of Richard Mille’s advanced materials engineering: the brand’s own Carbon TPT and Quartz TPT are layered for another striking application of colour.
There is no doubt that this collection is quite different; neither is there any doubt that it is utterly unique and will be talked about for decades to come.
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.
