While this years calendar for watch lovers revolves mainly around Baselworld 2018, there are many other huge watch exhibitions you don’t want to miss out on. A lot of the press coverage this year has suggested that the quality of the competing watch exhibitions may even be taking some of the prestige away from Baselworld itself. SIHH 2018 is one which has really caught the imagination this year and has been handed some of the credit for the decision to reduce the length of Baselworld.
Many of the top watch manufacturers in the world headed to Geneva in January to show off their latest timepieces. Today we’ll have a look at all of the news from SIHH 2018!
The Top Swiss Watches at SIHH 2018
SIHH stands for Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie Genève and, just like Baselworld, it is a showcase of the top luxury watches of the year. SIHH 2018 was by far the biggest SIHH event yet with many of the worlds top luxury watch manufacturers choosing to present their newest collections there for the first time. Baselworld is certainly still the crème de le crème of the watch exhibitions, but SIHH is certainly becoming a prestigious event in its own right!
Some of the most exciting watches came from proud Swiss watch manufacturers like Vacheron Constantin, who had their new FiftySix line on display. This collection takes inspiration from a vintage model originally released in 1956. This line is available in gold, for those who want the most luxurious materials in their timepieces, and also available in steel, for those who need something a little more affordable.
Hermès decided to show off their watches at SIHH 2018 rather than Baselworld this year, causing quite a bit of a stir in the process! The brand took the opportunity to present a new updated version of their Carre H line of watches. This incredibly distinctive watch collection is known for its square face design which was developed in 2010 with Marc Berhier – a well-respected furniture designer!
Cartier almost certainly stole the show with many attendees eager to see their display of 19 mystery clocks. These incredible clocks have floating hands which appear to defy gravity! They have also produced a watch – the Rotonde Double Tourbillon Mysterieux Squelette – which takes inspiration from these mystery clocks. This is a true masterpiece of horology featuring a double tourbillon which appears to be suspended in mid-air!
One watch which English footballers will likely be looking to get their hands on is the latest from the Royal Oak collection by Audemars Piguet. This is a beautiful watch which is a mix of tradition, which pays homage to the original 1993 design while featuring a modern self-winding movement which demonstrates their technological advancements in subsequent years.
Richard Mille watches are perhaps most well known for appearing on the wrist of world famous tennis player Rafal Nadal. However, at SIHH 2018 they have teamed up with Polo star Pablo Mac Donough with an incredible timepiece able to withstand incredibly tough conditions. The RM 53-01 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough looks unbelievable and is undoubtedly technologically impressive. This watch features a cable-suspended movement which helps to protect the tourbillon from the shock impact it will need to withstand during a fast paced sport like polo!
Conclusion
The SIHH event is not usually one which features so many top watch brands, but this years event was incredible. SIHH 2018 was seen as a big reason for Baselworld reducing its number of days this year – and may see a shift in the popularity of the this Swiss watch fair. Will Baselworld 2018 manage to outdo this amazing watch exhibition, keep an eye out here in March to find out!
