On the runway to success - MCH Group

WATCHES PAGE 2
■ CONTENT
Watches
TAG Heuer / Tourbillons 2
Longines / Pilot’s watches 4
Ulysse Nardin / Moon phase 6
Seiko / Diver’s watches 8
Vulcain / Couture watches 13
Tendence / Rotary / Savoy 15
Ice-Watch / Sandoz 17
Palace
HYT / Christophe Claret 22
Trends
Black & White 22
Jewellery
Pranda Group 22
Meissen / Picchiotti 24
Carrera y Carrera / Detachable
earrings 26
Ole Lynggaard / Jewelmer 30
Lalique / Tamara Comolli 32
Technique
Rapid prototyping 34
Tools / Witschi / books 38
Gemstones
Carvings 41
Countries
India 43
International Markets
Luxury good markets 47
Service, Imprint 50
Village 52
Premium specialised retail
Knar Jewellers / Pierre Dubail 54
■ NEWS.TRENDS
Chopard has confirmed its position
as an exceptional innovator
and manufacturer with its exciting
new technical feat: with the
calibre L.U.C 01.06-L, the new and
modern-design chronograph L.U.C
8HF houses the first high frequency
watch movement with a COSC chronometer
certificate. The special feature
of this movement is the stroke
rate of the balance wheel which
vibrates twice as fast as the balance
wheel of standard movements at
57,600 semi-oscillations. This offers
a high degree of precision and stability.
Despite its fast oscillation, the
new calibre has a power reserve of
60 hours with just one barrel. This
is all possible thanks to the silicon
escapement components and a new
combination of silicon and steel
which has been filed for patent. (iwi)
1.0/D07
Chopard L.U.C 8HF.
Ever since 1860, TAG Heuer has
successfully blazed its own trail
by asserting itself as a specialist
of mechanical chronographs
and has become synonymous
with luxurious sport watches.
Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO
and president, talks about wellknown
icons in new versions
and the focus on ladies’ watches
at this year’s show.
BWDN: How did TAG Heuer do
in 2011? What are its 2012/2013
goals?
Jean-Christophe Babin: We did
better than Swiss exports but we
are a bit confused, as most brands
claim the same and mathematically
it does not work. Anyway,
we did much better and gained
market share reinforcing our
worldwide leadership in prestigious
chronographs thanks in particular
to our in-house manufactured
Calibre 1887, which won
the Geneva Watchmaking Grand
Prix in 2010 as the best affordable
Manufacture Chronograph.
For 2012/ 13 we keep planning to
over-perform the market, again
with our in-house manufactured
chronograph calibres (1887,
SATURDAY. MARCH 10. 2012
Expanding market share
TAG Heuer’s Jean-Christophe Babin on strategies and products
Easily one of the top watchmaking
feats, the tourbillon (translated
in French as whirlwind) has
become a watch lovers dream
thanks to the many and varied
new evolutions of this rare
escapement, which compensates
for the effects of gravity on timekeeping.
This year at BASELWORLD,
tourbillons reign supreme, with
some very interesting new pieces
coming to light for women and
for men. From Chopard, the new
Imperiale Tourbillon Full Set is a
stunning work of both art and
craftsmanship − a beautiful blend
of haute horlogerie and haute
Mikrograph, Mikrotimer) but
also our stunning new ladies
watches, and in particular the
TAG Heuer F1 Steel & Ceramics
blockbuster combined with the
new Basel 2012 Link Lady collection
endorsed by Cameron Diaz.
BWDN: What are some of your
major debuts at BASELWORLD?
Babin: The new Link Lady and
its flagship, the Link Lady Concept,
are our Basel 2012 heroes
and embody the TAG Heuer
DNA in pioneering timelessness
proposed to ladies. Besides, we
are launching our best Carrera
ever, the Carrera 1887 Classic in
a highly elegant 43 mm case and
adorned with plated rose gold
Arabic numbers on white and
black dials. A true timeless manufacture
masterpiece for style and
watch lovers. Also in the Carrera
line up, the Jack Heuer 80th
birthday as well as the Monaco
GP limited editions.
BWDN: What’s new in TAG
Heuer’s sports sponsorships?
Babin: Nothing! We’re consistent
since 152 years with a domination
of ultimate speed and
What a whirlwind!
New tourbillon models make their entry at BASELWORLD
Harry Winston expresses its high expertise in watchmaking through its Histoire de Tourbillon 3.
joaillerie like only Chopard can
achieve. The dazzling diamond
masterpiece is a chronometer-certified
tourbillon bearing the
Poinçon de Genève quality hall
mark. The L.U.C 02-14-L (4T21)
movement has been entirely
developed and created in house
expressly for women. The handwound
movement is equipped
with four stacked, series-coupled
barrels – a patented Quattro (T)
technology that ensures an amazing
nine days of power reserve.
The magnificent white gold case
is done in snow setting, combining
brilliant-cut diamonds of various
diameters. It is also bedecked
Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO and president.
precision through the most prestigious
motor-racing teams and
champions: in 2012, we’ll team
in F1 with McLaren-Mercedes
and its two world champions,
Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button,
and at the mythical Le Mans
24 with the all time winning
Audi Sport Team. A team with
which we already won Le Mans
as official timekeeper in 2010
and 2011. Besides, we’ll be in
tennis with iconic Maria Sharap-
with baguette-cut diamonds. For
added allure, the power reserve
indicator is outlined in amethysts.
Offering classic elegance to men,
Breguet unveils the Tradition
7047 Tourbillon Fusée in rose
gold. This Grande Complication
features a tourbillon, fuse and
chain transmission, and Breguet
balance spring in silicon. The
Calibre 569 mechanical hand
wound movement features an
anthracite coating, 43 jewels and
50 hours of power reserve. The
numbered editions offer a power
reserve indicator on the barrel
drum. Constant torque is ensured
throughout the running of the
watch thanks to the fuse and
chain transmission.
Another exceptional piece is the
Harry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon
3, a visionary watch created
in a limited edition. The elongated
horizontal rectangular case is created
in white gold and Zalium and
features three dial openings that
are all completely independent yet
linked. An architectural delight,
the watch movement consists of
479 parts, but the case is amazingly
alluring as well.
Manufacture Rodolphe Cattin
unveils a classically elegant Tourbillon.
Called Witness One, the
ova and in golf with the Suzann
Pettersen.
BWDN: Where do you see the
best opportunities and growth in
2012?
Babin: Everywhere as long as our
innovation leadership and compelling
positioning and timeless
icons make us in all markets the
hottest and most aspirational
contemporary luxury watch
brand. We’ll just take market
share from competitors and
broaden the market size thanks to
our unique designs and mechanical
movements such as Calibre
1887, V4 or Mikrograph 100th.
BWDN: How important is BASEL-
WORLD for TAG Heuer?
Babin: Very much as in seven days
we can meet and share our vision
and news with about 60% of our
world retailing partners and 80%
of the key expert and influencing
media, not to mention gathering
all TAG Heuer worldwide teams
top executives representing a global
force of 1,800 passionate
ambassadors worldwide!
Interview by Sabine Zwettler ■
alluring open worked tourbillon
movement garners depth and
dimension as a skeleton watch.
The hand-wound MRC 800 tourbillon
calibre offers hours minutes
and seconds, and beats at
21,600 vibrations per hour. These
tourbillons represent but a
glimpse into the ingenuity of the
watchmakers here at BASEL-
WORLD. (rn) ■
Manufacture Rodolphe Cattin Witness One
Tourbillon Skeleton (top). Tradition Breguet
7047 Tourbillon Fusée.