April 25, 2013: the new era - MCH Group

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012 

BASELWORLD I THE WATCH AND JEWELLERY SHOW I WHERE BUSINESS BEGINS AND TRENDS ARE CREATED I MARCH 8 - 15, 2012 

Quality and function − 

Corum’s CEO Antonio 

Calce discusses his plans 

for the future of the traditional 

Swiss brand. 

Page 2 

Pushed to the limit − 

ultra-thin watches express 

the highest skills of 

craftsmanship. A collection 

of amazing watches. 

Page 4 

Pearl perfection − Anna 

Gaia, CEO of Utopia, 

talks about her fascination 

for the jewels of the 

sea and their uniqueness. 

Page 36 

April 25, 2013: the new era 

A milestone in the long history of BASELWORLD 

New halls, new stands, new concept: 

when the impressive exhibition 

complex is completed in 

spring 2013, a new era will commence 

for the World Watch and 

Jewellery Show. BASELWORLD 

will have a convenient and compact 

show site to offer its professional 

visitors. And, for the 

exhibitors, there will be an even 

better opportunity to present 

themselves in the best light. 

For Jacques J. Duchêne, President 

of the Exhibitors’ Committee, 

one thing is quite clear: 

“BASELWORLD is also investing 

in the future with that selfsame 

momentum that we, the 

exhibitors, embody through our 

work. The new, state-of-the-art 

exhibition surfaces will enable us 

to move up a gear. We’re looking 

forward to this new stage and are 

convinced that our expectations 

will be fulfilled.” 

The construction work will be 

continuing again as of April 2012. 

Hall 1 is being extended towards 

Exhibition Square, while the current 

hall 3 is being replaced by 

a three-storey hall complex. The 

two new buildings will ultimately 

be linked via a two-storey complex 

over the Exhibition Square. 

Sylvie Ritter, Managing Director 

of BASELWORLD, is convinced: 

“We are awaiting this milestone 

in the history of our trade show 

with great excitement and anticipation. 

I’m sure that, together 

With the new hall infrastructure, BASELWORLD 2013 will be moving into new realms for a trade show. 

The charisma of a myth 

Venetian jeweller Roberto Coin celebrates the Year of The Dragon 

Roberto Coin has manufacturing 

units in Vicenza, Valenza 

and Bangkok, a U.S. branch and 

a big customer portfolio in the 

UAE and Russia. In 2011, turnover 

grew by 28 percent. This 

year, the company launched the 

Limited Dragon collection to 

huge acclaim. Founder Roberto 

Coin shares details. 

BWDN: Were you successful 

with the Limited Dragon collection 

you recently launched? 

Roberto Coin: Yes, even more 

than that. The first series sold 

out before Basel and rest assured 

it wasn’t snapped up just by 

Chinese customers, because the 

dragon is a perfect subject for 

prestige jewellery. Indeed, it fits 

perfectly into the context of the 

exclusive collections that have 

been our life blood for so long. 

BWDN: Tell us about your Primavera 

collection. 

Coin: In 2011 we sold almost 

8,400 items in the Primavera line. 

In basic terms, it can be defined 

as a collection with a young, 

minimal look, with price tags all 

under 1,500 euros. Primavera is 

a stylish, very wearable line of 

jewellery, that we’re able to realize 

thanks to use of an exclusive 

technology. Dragon, on the other 

hand, is a limited edition, an 

out-of-the-ordinary jewel with an 

exclusive price, which can cost as 

much as 75,000 euros. 

Roberto Coin, founder. 

with all the exhibitors, we will be 

taking BASELWORLD one big 

step forward next year. It really 

will be a new era.” (bk) n 

This rose and white 

gold bangle and ring with diamonds, 

rubies and enamel is part of the Limited Dragon 

collection. 

BWDN: I imagine that BASEL- 

WORLD is particularly important 

for you? 

Coin: Knowing that the export 

market is far more valuable for 

us than the domestic market, it’s 

easy to understand that an event 

like this is essential to meet most 

of our customers from 53 countries. 

Interview by Roberto Chilleri n 

Round up all of the loose 

gems you need, as we 

take you on a special tour 

in the sparkling world in 

the Hall of Elements. 

Page 41 

After this week, I am sure that 

you, as a visitor or exhibitor, 

will have been able to engage 

in a large number of interesting 

discussions and establish 

new contacts. I trust that, 

as our guests from all over 

the world, you have had a 

pleasant stay here in Basel. 

And I would like to wish you 

every success and satisfaction 

for the concluding phase of 

BASELWORLD 2012 too. 

At the same time, I would like 

to take a look into the future 

today. I am delighted that we 

will soon be able to open a 

new chapter in the long history 

of this prestigious event. 

On Thursday, 25 April, 2013, 

at 9 a.m., a new era will be 

dawning for the global watch 

and jewellery industry. 

With an impressive hall complex 

designed by architects 

Herzog & De Meuron, new 

stands, a new layout and new 

decorations, BASELWORLD 

will be entering a new era: the 

perfect setting for our exhibitors 

and their innovations. 

New standards will doubtless 

be set at BASELWORLD 

2013. 

I am looking forward right 

now to being able to welcome 

you to Basel again next 

spring. 

Sylvie Ritter 

Managing Director BASELWORLD

WATCHES 

■ CONTENT 

Watches 

Corum / de Grisogono 2 

Rado / Extra-thin timepieces 4 

Chanel / High jewellery watches 6 

DeWitt / U-Boat 10 

TechnoMarine / Doxa 13 

Water-resistant watches / 

Maître du Temps 15 

Couture watches / Watch winders 19 

Palace 

Heritage Watch Manufactory / 

Nixon 20 

Trends 

Jewellery for men 22 

Jewellery 

Nanis 22 

Chimento / Clioro 24 

Nomination / Pesavento 28 

Pearl trends / Bibigì 30 

Comete / Hulchi Belluni / 

Frédérique Constant 32 

Utopia / Ti Sento 36 

Technique 

CNC machines / Lampert / 

Ferdinand Eisele / DiaLumen 39 

Gemstones 

Loose gems 41 

Countries 

China 44 

International Markets 

Korea / Gold market 46 

Village / Imprint 48 

Premium specialised retail 

Depperich / Nymans Ur 50 

■ NEWS.TRENDS 

Rolex presents three legendary 

models with the latest technical 

refinements in a new look. Alongside 

the Submariner and the Datejust 

II there is also the Oyster Perpetual 

Yacht-Master, which attracts 

admiring glances with its refreshed 

look. Presented for the first time in 

1992, the automatic Yacht-Master 

now boasts a shimmering blue dial 

in a 40-millimetre case made from 

Rolesium – an alloy of stainless steel 

and platinum. The bezel is made 

completely from platinum, with its 

new design enabling precise operation 

and adjustment. (iwi) 1.0, B05 

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master. 

Montres Corum is one of the 

important high-end Swiss watchmakers. 

In this BWDN interview, 

CEO Antonio Calce tells why a 

strong brand identity is vital to 

high-end niche watch brands, how 

Corum does it; and about a new 

forthcoming venture for it. 

BWDN: Mr. Calce, how many 

countries is Corum in and which 

has the most growth potential? 

Antonio Calce: 80, including China 

and India. It’s very important 

today for a luxury niche brand to 

establish its visibility in the BRIC 

countries [Brazil and Russia, plus 

India and China] and have an indepth 

strategy. If not, its business 

can be affected. 

As for potential, it’s the Far East. 

We’ve been there since 2005, but 

now the economy is growing very 

fast. 

BWDN: Where are your best 

opportunities in the next few years? 

Calce: Building up existing markets 

and creating a stronger brand identity. 

I’m not interested in just 

sell, sell, sell. You can kill a brand 

that way. 

WEDNESDAY. MARCH 14. 2012 

Building a strong identity 

Corum is committed to quality and brand value 

Every year, the creative and versatile 

Fawaz Gruosi of de Grisogono, 

works long and hard on 

putting together exceptional jewellery 

and watches for BASEL- 

WORLD, with an easy 400 new 

unveilings. This year, his timepiece 

introductions focus on the 

luxurious and feminine. 

BWDN: With the many new pieces 

you have for 2012, what is the 

highlight for you? 

Fawaz Gruosi: We have three really 

distinct new watch collections 

this year. Easily the most luxurious 

is the new Tondo Tourbillon 

Gioiello for women. It took me 

years to get connected to the idea 

of doing a tourbillon, because 

every high-end watch brand has a 

tourbillon and I don’t like to do 

what others do. But this design is 

so different from others on the 

market and it is geared for women. 

This tourbillon is a beautiful 

watch with an off-centre tourbillon 

at 8 o’clock offering an asymmetrical 

look with incredible technical 

mastery. 

BWDN: Are the other collections 

for this year as complex horologically? 

Gruosi: Everything is individual 

in design and nature. For instance, 

Antonio Calce, CEO Corum. 

I want to create brand value, and 

that’s done step by step. Strengthening 

value and quality is the only 

way to build a strong luxury brand 

and its credibility. Design isn’t 

enough. You need good content, 

too. 

BWDN: What do you mean by 

‘content’? 

Calce: I mean excellent movements. 

For example, in the Bridges 

collection we have five quality 

movements, each with different 

functions, using one case. This is 

where the future of the luxury 

watch niche lies − in a movement’s 

quality and functions. 

BWDN: What part does Corum’s 

‘four pillars’ − Admiral’s Cup, 

Bridges, Romulus and Artisans collections 

− play in this? 

Calce: When we repositioned ourselves 

in 2005 it was important to 

present our brand’s DNA. So, we 

focused on the four pillars. It was a 

comuncizations strategy, not one 

to build brand identification. But 

you can’t build strong brand identity 

as a niche luxury product by 

focusing on many collections. 

Since 2010, we’ve focused on our 

two iconic brands and their collections 

− Admiral’s Cup and Bridges 

− and merged the others onto what 

I call a ‘satellite pillar.’ They demonstrate 

our brand’s creativity, but 

the focus is on the two iconic ones. 

Now, we have a strong product 

structure, and we call 2012 the 

‘Year of the Coherence of Time’. 

BWDN: What’s next? 

Calce: We’ll be making major 

investments in distribution and 

manufacture, which means more 

integration of our operations, and 

more independence. The Swatch 

Group decision a couple of years 

ago to stop supplying other watch- 

Focus on femininity 

Fawaz Gruosi from de Grisogono about his designs and inspirations 

the new Tondo By Night collection 

is a concept that was a year in 

the making. It is not a complicated 

movement, but it is technical. The 

idea behind it is all about new 

materials and looks, which has 

always been my goal and is part of 

the DNA of de Grisogono. The 

photo luminescent watch cases 

and parts of the dial in this line are 

crafted of a certain material that is 

a photo luminescent composite 

fiberglass (PLF). It takes the energy 

of the sun during the day and then 

at night it lights up in a colourful, 

fun way. 

BWDN: Are gemstones in the 

design included? 

Gruosi: There are 48 gems on the 

bezel that blend with the technical 

sophistication of it, and there 

is even an oscillating weight set 

with 60 gems on it and visible 

from the dial side. It is like a 

bracelet watch during the day 

that sparkles at night, too, in a 

discotheque or anywhere in the 

dark. It is whimsical yet luxurious 

and fun to wear, and a truly different 

material that follows my 

nature. We have shades of summer 

in yellow sapphires, pink 

sapphires, green tsavorites, purple 

amethyst, orange sapphires 

and white diamonds. 

Fawaz Gruosi, president and founder of de Grisogono. 

BWDN: And the third collection 

is gemstone adorned in new 

ways? 

Gruosi: The other complete collection 

is very different from 

what we have done the past 11 

years. It has several different variations 

with coloured gemstones. 

The offers include fully-set and 

partially set watches with emeralds, 

sapphires, and other gems, 

but with parts that move on the 

cases. It is sporty chic, classic and 

modern all at the same time. 

PAGE 2 

makers didn’t disappoint me. I 

think producing your own movements 

makes a high-end niche 

brand’s watchmaking credentials 

more legitimate. We already make 

our movements for Bridges. Now, 

we’ll start making them for Admiral’s 

Cup. In La Chaux-de-Fonds, 

in partnership with some other 

high-end brands, we’re investing to 

produce components and movements. 

We expect our first Admiral’s 

Cup movement in two years. 

BWDN: What are Corum’s debuts? 

Calce: There’s the world premiere 

of our Admiral’s Cup Legend 46 

Minute Repeater Acoustica, with 

four different sounds. Also new in 

the Admiral’s Cup Legend collection 

are an annual calendar, a tourbillion 

with micro-rotor in three 

versions, and a chronograph. 

BWDN: How involved are you in 

developing Corum’s products? 

Calce: Very involved. Product 

development is a passion of mine; 

at our little company of 200 people, 

I work closely with each one. 

Interview: William G. Shuster ■ 

BWDN: Are there any challenges 

for your brand this year? 

Gruosi: There are always challenges. 

Being a creator, the more you 

do the better it feels, so I am still 

trying to do a lot but do less at the 

same time: More creativity, more 

exclusively. The luxury business 

will never die; it may be reduced 

because of the economy, but it will 

never die, so we have to force ourselves 

to do better with novelty 

ideas and innovations all the time. 

Interview by Roberta Naas ■

which one 

will fit 

my style ? 

PA RT O F T H E H O U S E O F 

H A L L O F D E S I R E S - B O O T H 1 . 1 D 2 3 - I n F O @ E LL E - T I m E . c O m - W W W . T O P B R A n D S . I T

WATCHES PAGE 4 


Swiss watchmaking and Italian style 

form a successful combination at 

Paul Picot. Whilst the Italian style 

sense of the founder can be seen 

in subtle details of the watch, the 

manufacturing process is based upon 

the finest Swiss traditions. In this 

respect the brand icon Firshire is currently 

celebrating a jubilee: the watch 

was presented for the first time 15 

years ago. Now there are three new 

variants at the BASELWORLD, including 

Firshire Ronde Phase de Lune. 

An automatic watch with a module 

by Dubois Depraz, displaying hour, 

minute, seconds, day, month, date and 

moon phase – in a stainless steel or 

red gold case. (iwi) 1.0, C25 

Paul Picot Firshire Ronde Phase de Lune. 

Over the past few years, classic 

design has become a top priority. 

Many watch brands focus on values 

such as elegance and simplicity 

in creating their new models. 

To emphasis this further, watches 

have become ever more slender 

with a desirable aesthetic design. 

This theme is continued at this 

year’s BASELWORLD and is 

bound to please watch enthusiasts: 

complicated watches are now 

becoming thin, too. Patek 

Philippe is presenting the Reference 

5940 for the first time in 

Basel, an extra-flat perpetual calendar 

with an automatic wind 

mechanism. This premiere combines 

two high quality watch 

movements from the traditional 

Geneva-based brand: the world’s 

first perpetual calendar watch 

which was first released by Patek 

Philippe in 1925 is now appearing 

with the extra-flat patented Patek 

Philippe automatic movement 

240 from 1977. This has been fitted 

with an integrated gold microrotor 

on the plate. This construction 

ensures flat dimensions when 

it comes to the movement of the 

new model, too: the automatic 

movement of 2.53 mm in height 

is fitted with a 1.35 mm flat calen- 

With high-tech materials, new 

watch families, innovative designs, 

and a widening clientele, Rado 

expects “positive growth” in 2012, 

says CEO Matthias Breschan. 

BWDN: In 2011, Rado won the 

prestigious Good Design and Red 

Dot design awards. What does 

that tell watch buyers? 

Matthias Breschan: Rado is the 

most-awarded watch brand of 

internationally acclaimed design 

awards, with over 30 from product 

design organisations. We 

won the Red Dot Award for our 

Rado Ceramica Automatic Digital 

watch, which combines the 

brand’s unique high-tech ceramic 

with an eye-catching digital display, 

driven by a Swiss-made 

automatic movement. Rado 

received the Good Design Award 

for our new Rado True Thinline, 

the world’s thinnest high-tech 

ceramic watch. Our achievements 

and global recognition from 

world-renowned organisations 

testify to Rado as a distinctive 

brand of innovative designs and 

high-tech materials. That’s a creditable 

reference for consumers. 

BWDN: What’s the response to 

the Rado True Thinline, launched 

in 2011? 


“Significant growth in Asia” 

New technology propels Rado’s debuts 

Breschan: It rose immediately as 

a top seller, receiving extremely 

positive responses from men and 

women. Its revolutionary monocoque 

construction allowed 

thinness under 5 mm. It also 

helped us reach a younger clientele, 

in the 30+ age group. In 

2012, we add dial and movement 

variations, and material breakthroughs. 

BWDN: How was 2011 for Rado; 

what do you expect for 2012? 

Breschan: 2011 was a recordbreaking 

year with double-digit 

growth, despite the strong Swiss 

franc. We’re very optimistic about 

2012, as we’re launching two new 

watch families. These again demonstrate 

our relentless effort to 

develop ground-breaking materials 

combined with innovative 

designs. 

BWDN: Tell us about those. 

Breschan: Rado is premiering a 

breakthrough technology in the 

new Rado HyperChrome collection 

− a world-first in hightech 

ceramic case construction. 

With the new Rado R-One Limited 

Edition, Rado propels watch 

design well outside tradition and 

convention. Its dramatic shape, 

inspired by space travel, uses an 

Haute horlogerie goes on a diet 

Extra-slim timepieces have again a grand entrance in 2012 

unusual combination of hightech 

materials and icy blue detail. 

BWDN: What are Rado’s best 

opportunities in 2012? 

Breschan: We’re confident the 

new product families launched 

this year will bring Rado positive 

growth. With the multiple 

innovations we’re introducing in 

our products, we’ll continue to 

broaden our clientele to a younger 

age group which increasingly 

appreciates unique designs and 

breakthrough materials. We also 

foresee significant growth in all 

our markets, especially Asia, the 

Middle East and USA. 

BWDN: How’s the response to 

the new Rado D-Star line? 

Breschan: Outstanding, because 

the Rado D-Star is a perfect combination 

of historical authenticity 

and the brand’s iconic use of 

innovative designs and materials. 

A highlight is the newly-developed 

material, Ceramos, a ceramic 

and metal composite incorporating 

the optimal properties of 

both − comfort, durability and 

a platinum look. The latest additions 

to the Rado D-Star family 

are Rado D-Star 200 watches, 

with diving-inspired case design, 

and water resistance to 20 bar. 

Matthias Breschan, CEO Rado. 

In 2012, Rado is adding all-black 

and all-white models to the collection. 

BWDN: What does BASEL- 

WORLD mean to Rado? 

Breschan: It’s the most significant 

annual event for us, and the 

only event where all our important 

business partners worldwide 

gather. BASELWORLD is also a 

good indicator of how the rest of 

the year will be. 


Patek Philippe has been honing the art of slim watches. Hublot’s Classic Fusion. Ellicot’s Master Complication RS 38. 

dar mechanism. Together they 

ensure that the yellow gold case 

of the new perpetual calendar 

measures just 8.6 mm and creates 

a sense of everlasting elegance on 

the wrist. 

Chiming the time 

The Ellicott brand draws on the 

traditions of an English watchmaker. 

The brand is based at the 

heart of Swiss watchmaking in 

Chaux-de-Fonds. John Ellicott 

junior was one of the most successful 

and most highly regarded 

watchmakers in 18th century Eng- 

land and gives his name to the 

brand. Ellicot presents the Master 

Complication RS 38 fitted with a 

movement which is the flattest 

minute repeater in the world with 

a perpetual calendar and moon 

phase display. The watch is 26.20 

mm in diameter but just 5.10 mm 

high and comprises a total of 388 

components. It comes in a pink 

gold case with a surprisingly modern 

watch dial featuring silver and 

grey areas. 

The new item being presented at 

BASELWORLD by Hublot is 

ultra-modern: Hublot shows off a 

skeleton-design ultra-flat timepiece 

for the first time. The Classic 

Fusion with refined design 

embodies the otherwise unmistakeable 

and dynamic style of the 

company. Inside, it is powered by 

a new manual wind movement 

developed by Hublot which bears 

the characters HUB1300 and is 

just 2.90 mm tall with skeletonworking 

throughout. 

The aim was to create a modern 

effect: not just through the graphical 

lines of the openings but also 

with the black coating on the 

watch movement components, 

most of which are visible from the 

watch dial. It is a real challenge to 

maintain the balance between stability 

and extensive skeletonworking 

in such an ultra-flat and 

skeletonised watch movement. 

Hublot has mastered this challenge 

and offers insight into the 

movement of the balance wheel 

from the watch dial. A titanium 

case emphasises the modern look 

of the Classic Fusion. This version 

is limited to 1,000 items while the 

new watch movement in a gold 

case is available in a limited edition 

of just 500 items. (iwi) ■

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The brand is a legend: Chanel 

is unique in the world of luxury 

and entered the watch industry 

precisely 25 years ago. Today, 

Philippe Mougenot is responsible 

for the watch collection 

as President of Chanel Watches 

and Fine Jewelry. 

BWDN: Chanel presented its 

first watch 25 years ago with the 

Première. How would you summarise 

this time? 

Philippe Mougenot: Looking 

back at this time would take so 

long because so much has happened 

since then. To pay tribute 

to this history, we are presenting 

the Première Tourbillon Volant 

this year, a flying tourbillon 

concealed beneath a camellia. 

For me this is a real synthesis 

of Chanel in a watch because it 

combines femininity, creativity 

and expertise. The mix of these 

qualities forms the emblematic 

icons of the brand. Our new 

tourbillon is the quintessence 

of all of this. We collaborated 

with Renaud & Papi again to pro- 


Audacity and expertise 

Philippe Mougenot is looking back on 25 years of watchmaking at Chanel 

Philippe Mougenot, president of Chanel Watches and Fine Jewelry. 

duce the complicated movement. 

The company developed the J12 

Rétrograde Mystérieuse for us 

two years ago which we are now 

presenting in a matt version. 

BWDN: That’s genuine haute 

horlogerie. Is this important for 

Chanel? 

Mougenot: Yes, definitely. We 

aim to bring something new to 

this field. We can offer plenty of 

creativity and design as well as 

some brand icons. 

BWDN: How important are the 

history of Chanel and the fashion 

collection for the watches? 

Mougenot: We have many advantages 

because we have such a 

fantastic heritage. Our history 

contains lots of famous products, 

A winning team 

Haute horlogerie and haute joiallerie join forces in some stunning debuts 

With the Imperiale Tourbillon 

Full Set, Chopard set outs with 

a double demonstration of excellence. 

Endowed with an impressive 

interior to match its equally 

dazzling exterior, the new Imperiale 

Tourbillon Full Set embodies 

a concentrated blend of watchmaking 

and jewellery expertise 

− Chopard’s twin domains of 

excellence. Its chronometer-certified 

tourbillon calibre bearing 

the Poinçon de Genève quality 

hallmark is housed within an 

18-carat case and dial entirely 

set with diamonds and illustrating 

almost the entire range 

of gem-setting techniques. The 

new Imperiale Tourbillon Full 

Set crystallises the full measure 

of the brand’s expertise in the 

two fields on which it has built 

its reputation. The breathtaking 

gem-setting work is a virtuoso 

demonstration of jewellery- 

Chopard Imperiale Tourbillon 

Full Set. 

making skills; the tourbillon is 

a complication rarely seen on 

ladies’ models. 

The 18-karat white gold is set 

using the snow setting technique, 

which is particularly hard to master 

because it combines brilliantcut 

diamonds of varying diameters. 

It is also adorned with a 

row of baguette-cut diamonds 

and a power-reserve indicator set 

with amethysts. The white gold 

crown features baguette- and briolette-cut 

diamonds, while ovalcut 

cabochons and baguette-cut 

diamonds adorn the bezel, lugs 

and bracelet. 

Pure style 

de Grisogono’s Tondo Tourbillon 

Gioiello is an excellent 

example of what happens when 

diamonds meets technical 

excellence. The new Tondo 

Tourbillon swathes its 

Movado Cerena. 

new mechanical movement − an 

off-centre tourbillon at 8 o’clock 

− in an abundance of sparkling 

diamonds, and it also marks the 

first time de Grisogono has created 

a tourbillon specifically for 

women. This exquisite time-keeper, 

with its luminous mother of 

pearl, its diamonds, the sophisticated 

and elegant curves of its 

bridges and its daring design, 

reflects the Swiss company’s contemporary 

baroque design aesthetic 

at its purest. The Tondo 

Tourbillon Gioiello’s precise and 

undulating curves and brilliant 

whiteness are testimony to de 

Grisogono’s constantly growing 

mastery of the art of measuring 

time. The Tondo Tourbillon 

Gioiello bears an XL white gold 

case, unusual for an oval shape. 

With 10 carats of diamonds, 

including 33 generouslysized 

stones lining the full 

length of the watch from 

the sides all the way up 

to the lugs, the watch 

radiates an exceptional 

brilliance. The effect 

is even more intense 

thanks to a setting 

method, ‘à quatre 

grains’, which conceals 

the metal under 

the diamonds from 

view. In a tribute to black 

diamonds, a symbol of 

the success of de Grisogono, 

a deep black diamond 

iconic themes and codes. However, 

we are constantly striving to 

drive forward the dynamics of our 

fashion division. This generates a 

fantastic energy and momentum 

which we benefit from. 

BWDN: How have you incorporated 

theses codes of the brand 

into the watch collection? 

Mougenot: One of the best examples 

is the success of the J12. In 

2000, we introduced the black 

version of the watch and at that 

time, there were virtually no other 

watches which were all in black. 

When we presented the watch in 

white in 2003, I believe we triggered 

a real revolution. These colours, 

black and white, are typical 

of Chanel. At the same time, the 

J12 watch range incorporates our 

desire to innovate, as the materials 

show. With the J12 we introduced 

ceramic to the world of 

luxury. And today there are many 

watchmakers using ceramics. But 

a combination of innovation, aesthetics 

and codes distinguishes us 

from other watch manufacturers. 

adorns the watch crown. The 

strap, in white galuchat, another 

de Grisogono signature, gives the 

final touch to this glittering timepiece. 

Finally, the Movado Cerena, 

which − while not a high-jewellery 

watch − is a grand example 

of pure watch style. This BASEL- 

WORLD fair sees the introduction 

of Cerena For Her in 36 mm 

diameter, dominated by white 

ceramic, stainless steel and diamonds 

markers. The matching 

white 3-hand dial has the signature 

flat white dot at 12 (quoting 

the Movado Museum dial 

designed in 1947 by American 

artist Nathan George Horwitt), 

round date window at 6 o’clock; 

printed minute track with cabochon 

markers, and 10 diamond 

markers. 

Mary Leach, chief marketing 

officer at Movado Group Inc. 

has the following ambition for 

the watch design department: 

“It is out ambition to always 

be inspired by fantastic design, 

use innovation and beauty in all 

areas of our culture as a constant 

source of inspiration. We always 

aim to give the consumers an 

emotional and tangible reason to 

aspire to and purchase Movado. 

Our Cerena captures Movado’s 

iconic beauty through a reinterpretation 

of the Museum Dial, 

but also delivered with an exciting 

new material palette.” (nh) n 

BWDN: Will the J12 model continue 

to remain in the timpiece 

collection and be driven forward 

by further innovation? 

Mougenot: Yes, because we 

like to work with a long-term 

approach in mind. Chanel is an 

independent company and this 

makes us privileged to be able 

to work according to a long-term 

view. We want products which 

can accompany us for a long 

time. Our customers expect the 

products to be of long-lasting 

value. 

BWDN: How important is your 

presence at BASELWORLD for 

Chanel? 

Mougenot: It’s an essential 

appointment for us because the 

entire watch industry comes to 

BASELWORLD. You can’t be a 

serious player in the watch industry 

without coming here. It is an 

event you simply cannot afford 

to miss. 

Interview Iris Wimmer-Olbort n 

The colouring of the Pacific Ocean was inspired 

by the body of water it is named for. 

A new era for 

Chronoswiss 

Twenty-nine years ago, German 

master watchmaker Gerd-Rüdiger 

Lang founded Chronoswiss and 

launched his Kairos line. New 

owner Oliver Ebstein goes back 

to the roots and releases new versions 

of the Kairos Chronograph 

and classic automatic models. 

Updated for a new era, the chronograph 

now measures 43 mm 

while the automatic is 40 mm. 

“We can say that the DNA of the 

Chronoswiss brand will always 

be part of our future collections 

and that in terms of quality even 

in the future there will be no 

compromise,” Ebstein says of the 

classically beautiful timepieces 

proudly touting their guillochéstyle 

dials. The brand also releases 

new editions of the models 

belonging to the Timemaster and 

Pacific families. “We do not have 

to reinvent the wheel, but we do 

have the honour of continuing to 

restore and expand a great brand 

and a fantastic product with a 

remarkable history,” Ebstein continues. 

(ed) n 1.1, B03



Citizen’s 42 mm Octavia Perpetual 

Calendar Chronograph, with eightsided 

bezel, measures to 1/20th of a 

second and for up to 60 minutes. It 

provides 12/24 hour time, has a date 

display and an alarm. The Octavia 

(Latin for “eight”) has a screwback 

case, anti-reflective coasting on its 

sapphire glass, and is water-resistant 

to 100 metres. Its Calibre E820 runs 

on Citizen’s light-powered Eco-Drive. 

(wgs) 5.0, D13 

Citizen Octavia Perpetual Calendar 

Chronograph. 

Winner of the ‘Chronométrie 2011 

International Timing Competition’ in 

the classic category, Tissot now 

presents the Le Locle Automatic Chronometer 

Edition. The COSC-certified 

movement, calibre 2824-2 can be 

admired through a transparent caseback. 

There are two versions, one with 

a pink gold PVD-coated steel case, 

whose guilloché-worked black dial is 

contrasted with applied pink gold 

hands, markers and Arabic numerals. 

The other is a two-tone version. Each 

is available with a leather strap or a 

stainless steel bracelet. (cb) 1.0, C17 

Le Locle Automatic Chronometer Edition. 

An admirer of Paris and architecture, 

Philippe Tournaire exclusively 

presents his new watch Paris Forever 

at BASELWORLD. The project, 

which needed more than 18 months 

development, was realised together 

with Technotime, which adapted calibre 

TT791.00 for placing the most 

important buildings of the French 

capital on the movement, such as the 

Gardens of Trocadéro, the Eiffel Tower 

and naturally the Place Vendôme with 

the Boutique Tournaire, highlighted 

through a diamond. (kb) 2.0, F50 

Philippe Tournaire’s Paris Forever. 

A young watch brand with an 

impressive history: In just nine 

years, DeWitt has developed its 

own movements and complications 

as well as a distinctive identity. 

BWDN: All watches from DeWitt 

have their own movements and 

represent a unique style. What 

is the commonality of all collections? 

Jérôme de Witt: The Imperial 

columns on the flanks of 

the case have been part of our 

DNA since the very beginning. 

The Academia line, with its 24 

columns, is powerful and full 

of character. The more recent 

Twenty-8-Eight collections, with 

48 slightly thinner columns, is 

slightly more classical and gives 

an impression of lightness. As 

for the Golden Afternoon collection, 

it is purely feminine and 

therefore features redesigned 

imperial columns. 

At the end of the day, DeWitt’s 

DNA is always instantly recognizable. 

Last but not least, as a 

young brand, it has always been 

very important to become more 

and more independent especially 

with our movements. Therefore, 

we have developed a strong R&D 

department which has created 


“A piece of jewellery for men” 

Jérôme de Witt shares thoughts about watchmaking and DeWitt’s DNA 

In 1942, Italian watchmaker Ilvo 

Fontana was asked by the Italian 

government to design a watch for 

the needs of its Navy pilots.What 

he proposed was a large watch 

with large numerals for easy readability, 

legible in any weather or 

light, water resistant, and − it’s 

most significant feature − a large 

crown on the left side of the 

watch case (not the traditional 

right), where it is more comfortable 

on the wrist. Eventually, the 

government didn’t use Ilvo Fontana’s 

proposal, but that didn’t 

end the story. 

Over 50 years later, Italo Fontana 

− Ilvo’s grandson − started 

his own watch company, called 

U-Boat Italo Fontana, based 

in Lucca, Italy. As he looked 

through his grandfather’s old 

papers for ideas, he found the 

drawings for the watch Ilvo Fontana 

had designed for the Italian 

navy and was captivated by its 

strong identify and unique look. 

He based his handcrafted, limited 

edition watches on his grandfather’s 

concept and drawings. Like 

the original, they are large, with 

a vintage look, large numerals, 

luminescent hour markers, waterresistance 

and the characteristic 

Jérôme de Witt, executive president of DeWitt. 

several patented innovations. 

Moreover, one particularity of 

DeWitt, so essential to the final 

quality achieved for the product, 

is that every watch is entirely 

assembled, adjusted and tested by 

a single master watchmaker, from 

A to Z. All our high complications 

are manufactured in-house. 

BWDN: In addition to the highly 

complex and sophisticated men’s 

watches there are more and more 

exclusive ladies watches. What is 

important for the design of these 

watches? 

de Witt: Nowadays, ladies can 

be as tough, result oriented and 

ambitious as men. They are able 

to show their will with power and, 

at the same time, with a feminine 

touch. With the Golden Afternoon 

collection, we have tried to 

poetically and artistically retrace 

the different stages in the life of a 

woman and her changing perceptions 

of the world around her. 

This is a purely feminine 39-mm 

timepiece where the imperial columns, 

classical feature of most 

DeWitt watches, were redesigned 

to illustrate feminine finesse. 

BWDN: What is more important 

for DeWitt: The complicated 

men’s watches or the high jewellery 

watches? 

de Witt: I have always dreamt of 

producing my own exceptional 

and highly complicated watches 

and I am fortunate to have been 

able to fulfil this dream with 

total liberty. Since 2003, DeWitt 

has produced each year some 

complicated, innovative and very 

exclusive timepieces. 

A watch is generally the only 

true piece of jewellery worn by a 

man. This makes it all the more 

tempting for me to add some precious 

stones as they always send a 

strong message. Just have a look 

at our latest Twenty-8-Eight Skeleton 

Tourbillon (2012 novelty) 

featuring 36 baguette-cut and 104 

brilliant-cut diamonds. Marilyn 

Monroe used to say that “Diamonds 

are girls’ best friends”. 

Well, they’re mine as well! 

BWDN: What is the DeWitt highlight 

of this BASELWORLD? 

de Witt: Definitely the X-Watch. 

We are extremely proud of it. 

It is one single reversible movement 

displaying bi-retrograde 

hours and minutes on each 

side and featuring an automatic 

Tourbillon, a Chronograph and 

a patented Automatic Sequential 

Winding device driven by a 

peripheral oscillating rotor. Caliber 

DW8046 with 544 components 

all manufactured in-house. 

BWDN: You will celebrate your 

tenth anniversary in 2013. What 

is your review to this decade and 

what is your vision for the future 

of DeWitt? 

de Witt: Making fabulous watches 

has been a constant joy as well as 

working with a wonderful team 

of dedicated people. I am back as 

the executive president and I am 

looking forward to taking up new 

challenges. 

Interview: Iris Wimmer-Olbort ■ 

Strong identity and timeless design 

Hand-crafted watches from U-Boat 

left-sided crown, now 

the signature feature of 

all U-Boat watches. The 

first contemporary U-42 

watches were presented 

at BASELWORLD 2010. 

In 2011, U-Boat debuted 

two U-42 chronograph versions. 

In 2012, U-Boat Italo 

Fontana is launching two 

new handcrafted models 

in its U-42 series: the 

U-42 GMT and the 

U-42 “B and B.” 

Both are limited editions, 

each with 300 

units. Each watch 

is 53 mm, with a 

40-hour power 

reserve, a sapphire 

glass crystal, and is water- 

and pressure-resistant to 

300 metres. The case, caseback 

and bezel are made of 

light-weight titanium. They 

use automatic Swiss movements, 

modified to U-Boat 

specifications, especially 

the large crown stem position 

at ‘9.’ Their bi-directional 

rotating bezel, with 

a ceramic ball indicator/ 

pointer at 12 o’clock, is 

lockable with a lever on the 

U-42 “B and B” (left). U-Boat is a regular exhibitor at BASELWORLD. 

right side of the case. The 

U-42 GMT features three 

time zones, with a 24-hour 

hand, brass dial and hands, 

and date display window. 

The U-42 “B and B” model 

takes its name from Black 

and Bronze, its two main 

colours. Its case, caseback, 

and bezel are treated with IP 

black coating. The unique dial 

is actually two: a black one fitted 

on top of a brass bronzecoloured 

one, which can be seen 

through the cut-out numbers and 

minute markers of the top black 

dial. The hands are also bronzecoloured. 

(wgs) ■ 1.0, D25

STEAMPUNK 

MADE WITH PARTS OF THE TITANIC www.romainjerome.ch BOOTH C05 - HALL 1.1

Please visit us at 

Hall 2.1 Stand F85 

T E R R A C O L L E C T I O N 

“ T h e m i x a n d m a t c h o f t h e p r o d u c t s i s exceptional.” 

- Ju r y r e p o r t R e t a i l Jewellery Brand of the Ye a r, 2 0 1 1 

IBB Amsterdam • T. +31(0)20-342 80 80 • www.tisento-milano.com • info@tisento-milano.com • Ti Sento Milano Jewellery is made of sterling silver • Prices from € 35,-

PAGE 13 


“Style influenced by trends” 

TechnoMarine is building on 2011’s successes 

Jacques-Philippe Auriol, CEO of 

TechnoMarine, the Swiss brand 

known for user-friendly watches 

that ‘mix a playful attitude 

with strong design,’ talks about 

its award-winning ad campaign 

and why the watchmaker expects 

double-digit growth in 2012. 

BWDN: How was business in 

2011 for the TechnoMarine 

brand, and what do you expect 

in 2012? 

Jacques-Philippe Auriol: 2011 

was a good year for TechnoMarine. 

We were able to solidify the 

foundation of the brand, and we 

can now continue to build. We 

create watches with style influenced 

by trends. Our target clients 

are looking for a quality 

watch with strong and unique 

design at an affordable price, and 

TechnoMarine is a watchmaking 

company producing quality lifestyle 

watches which offer great 

value for money. 

The goal for 2012 is to continue 

to be innovative, to gain market, 

to share in our key markets 

and have a double-digit growth, 

thanks to innovative and wellpriced 

novelties. 

BWDN: Where do you see TechnoMarine’s 

best opportunities in 

the next 12 months? 

Auriol: TechnoMarine watches 

are sold in 1,350 points of sale in 

50 countries all over the world. 

Obviously, we’re experiencing a 

real success in North America 

and in Latin countries in general. 

In Europe, Spain is a big market, 

and the sales are doing well in 

Central Europe, France and Italy. 

In Asia, we are focusing on developing 

the Philippines, Indonesia 

and Thailand. 

BWDN: TechnoMarine’s eyecatching 

ad campaign recently 

won the ‘Best Watchmaking 

Campaign’ of 2011. What is the 

campaign’s effect on sales? 

Auriol: The objective of the campaign 

was to achieve higher visibility 

of the brand to enhance 

our brand’s notoriety. The campaign 

presents a strong brand 

image. 

We are very proud to have won 

this award. The overall success 

of the campaign last year proves 

that the brand message has been 

understood. It is always difficult 

to measure precisely the quanti- 

Jacques-Philippe Auriol, CEO of TechnoMarine. 

tative impact of advertising on 

sales, particularly on a short time 

period, but qualitatively − and 

we have made various surveys 

during the last 6 months − we are 

very satisfied. 

BWDN: Are economic uncertainties 

in some markets affecting 

TechnoMarine’s plans for 2012? 

Auriol: The crisis is an opportunity 

for TechnoMarine to 

become the ‘anti-crisis’ brand for 

our retailers! We will continue to 

Yellow Submarine 

Doxa presents some robust new chronographs for water and motor sports 

‘Watches for every situation 

in life’: this is the motto of 

Doxa which stays true to its 

own history. The Swiss watch 

brand was founded in 1889 by 

Georges Ducommun in Le Locle 

to produce accurate and reliable 

pocket watches. These were initially 

made under the name of 

the founder because Doxa was 

the name given to a chronometer 

model from 1910 before it 

was selected as a brand name. 

Since then, it has been applied 

to a range of watches for motor 

sports, divers as well as military 

watches. 

Doxa is presenting some new 

models at BASELWORLD which 

tap into this sporty past, too. 

The focal point are the Trofeo 

and Water N’Sports collections. 

The latter is reminiscent of the 

company’s most famous model: 

the Sub 300 T professional diver’s 

watch which was presented 

in 1967 and developed in collaboration 

with the U.S. Divers 

Organisation and its head, the 

famous French marine researcher 

Jacques Cousteau. It achieved 

great success and the Sub 300 

T became Doxa’s most famous 

watch, produced in various different 

versions, all of which were 

valued for their robust and sporty 

Water N’Sports quartz chronograph. 

design. In 1969, Doxa also developed 

a chronograph for divers in 

the form of the Sub 200 T Graph 

with pushers which remain fully 

functional down to a depth of 

200 metres. 

BASELWORLD marks the premiere 

of Water N’Sports. The 

development of this watch 

sought to create a good priceperformance 

ratio, a modern 

look and a robust exterior. This 

is reflected in the 44 mm black 

PVD-coated stainless-steel case of 

the new quartz chronograph with 

its striking crown protector. The 

construction is water-tight down 

implement an offensive strategy 

to gain market share. 

BWDN: What is the big introduction 

at BASELWORLD? 

Auriol: The main introduction of 

TechnoMarine is a magnificent 

jewellery piece that highlights 

the fundamental principles of 

the brand, the unconventional 

luxury. Come to our booth to 

discover it. 

BWDN: What new social media 

projects does TechnoMarine 

have this year to build consumer 

awareness? 

Auriol: We launched a new website 

in February and have started 

e-commerce in the U.S. as a test to 

expand in some other countries. 

BWDN: What does BASEL- 

WORLD mean for TechnoMarine’s 

business strategies? 

Auriol: BASELWORLD is an 

important event for TechnoMarine 

to meet our distribution 

network, our retailers, our competitors 

and friends under the 

same roof. 


Doxa expresses its connection to the world of water sports through its stand at BASELWORLD. 

to 100 m while the luminous 

yellow detailing ensures that the 

watch dial and rotating bezel are 

clearly legible at all times. 

Doxa is now the official time 

keeper for the Ocean Futures 

Society’s expedition team, in line 

with the history of the watch and 

its affinity with the Sub. The 

society is headed by its founder 

and president, Jean-Michel Cousteau, 

who recalls his first Doxa 

Sub with fondness and nostalgia: 

“I depended on that watch 

during many expeditions I was 

on with my father, Jacques-Yves 

Cousteau. And I am proud to 

have my expedition team wear 

the Doxa SUB again!” 

Doxa’s second new item is all 

about motorsports, not water: a 

new model has now been added 

to the Trofeo collection which 

was first presented in 2007 and 

combines a vintage design with 

a contemporary look. The quartz 

chronograph comes in a 43 mm 

stainless steel case with black 

PVD-coating. The red and orange 

detailing ensures good legibility 

and a sporty look. The stripe 

design on the dial and tachymeter 

scale on the bezel features luminous 

colours. (iwi) ■ 1.1, A81 

WATCHES 


Graffiti artist KAWS gives the latest 

automatic wristwatch by Ikepod 

its unique appearance: the 44 mm 

titanium case seems to display so 

much more than just the hours and 

minutes. This one-of-a-kind design, 

which gives equal priority to the hour 

and minute hands by making them 

the same length, is available in four 

colour schemes including white, grey, 

black and Bordeaux. Ikepod is no 

stranger to unique design: the brand’s 

monocoque case is called the Pod 

thanks to its shape. (ed) P06, B2 

Artistic approach: the new Ikepod 

automatic. 

Official timekeeper to the America’s 

Cup World Series Races, Louis Vuitton 

Cup and 2013 America’s Cup, 

Louis Vuitton showcases the 

Tambour Nautical. The Swiss made, 

44 mm, rubber-coated stainless steel 

Quartz Tambour Regatta America’s 

Cup offers a regatta function with an 

audible indicator and programmable 

countdown (1-10 minutes). A first in 

the sailing world and water resistant 

to 100 metres, it includes two other 

must-have sea functions: a chronograph 

and an alarm. (ed) 0F, P07 

Louis Vuitton Tambour Nautical. 

The name of the Tendence G-47 

collection is derived from the 47mm 

diameter of the case. The collection 

is made up of eight colourful models, 

split between four 3-hand models 

and four Multi-function models. The 

G-47 has prominent 3-D indices, 

as well as the signature Tendence 

3-D numerals, either metal-plated 

or coloured, which stand out against 

the double dial structure. Cases are 

stainless steel with high-resistance 

coloured Nytech TR90. They contain 

quartz movements. (cb) 1.1, B75 

Tendence G-47 collection.

PAGE 15 


Making a splash 

New watches at BASELWORLD for all kinds of water sports 

Water is the natural enemy of the 

watch: if water were to penetrate 

into the watch movement, the 

accuracy and functionality of the 

watch would be adversely affected. 

For this reason, watch movements 

must be protected from 

moisture. Customers wishing to 

wear a wrist watch while bathing 

are at the mercy of the watchmaker’s 

vast innovation. Clever 

constructions have been devised 

to protect watches from water. 

Wenger Seaforce. 

Maîtres du Temps unveils Chapter Three 

The new timepiece hides a secret 

Maîtres du Temps, the U.S. firm 

which brings together leading 

independent master watchmakers 

to create exclusive, technically 

exciting haute horlogerie timepieces, 

unveiled its newest masterpiece 

at BASELWORLD 2012. 

Chapter Three is another worldfirst 

timepiece, this one created 

by renowned master watchmakers 

Kari Voutilainen and Andreas 

Strehler. Almost two years in the 

making, from concept to completion, 

it’s ‘the perfect watch 

for the well-heeled globetrotter,’ 

said a company statement. The 

timepiece is unique for three reasons. 

One is its first-ever “panel 

reveal,” exclusive to Maître du 

Temps. A gentle push of a button 

on the crown opens secret panels 

on the dial at ‘12’ and at ‘6’ to 

reveal a hidden second time zone 

Chapter Three features the signature rolls. 

Rolex marked the start of this 

trend in the 1920s with its now 

legendary Oyster model in which 

the watch movement is hermetically 

sealed by screwed-together 

case components, a special screwdown 

crown construction and a 

tight-fitting crystal. 

In the 1930s, divers favoured 

the Rolex Oyster Marine from 

1931, the Omega Marine from 

1932 and the Mido’s Multifort 

from 1934. The modern classics 

Rado D-Star. 

indicator and a day/night indicator, 

both displayed on Maîtres 

du Temps’ signature rollers. With 

another push, the windows disappear. 

The idea originated with 

Maîtres du Temps’ founder and 

CEO Steven Holtzman. 

This is also the brand’s first round 

case watch. “A round case watch 

is classic and also, important to 

some markets which prefer round 

watches [to other shapes],” Holtzman 

told BWDN. The Chapter 

Three timepiece, said Margaret V. 

Payne, company vice-president, 

is a watch with ‘global appeal.’ 

Also significant, say the brand’s 

top officers, is that this is the first 

date from the 1950s: Blancpain 

presented the Fifty Fathoms in 

1953 which stands up to the 

water pressure at ‘50 fathoms’ or 

91.45 m. The Rolex Submariner 

in 1955 could also be used down 

to a depth of 100 m initially. 

The Seamaster from Omega was 

another classic of these times. 

Brands are still tapping into their 

notable history: Rolex regularly 

exhibits new Oyster models 

at BASELWORLD and Omega 

remains true to the Seamaster, 

just as Blancpain is loyal to its 

Fifty Fathoms. 

This year, Rado presents the 

D-Star 200, a watch which is 

water-tight down to 200 m and 

can even be worn while diving. 

The design is inspired by the 

Rado classic DiaStar which was 

first launched onto the market 

in the form of a scratch-proof 

watch. The appearance and functions 

of the watch are both reminiscent 

of this earlier model. 

The straps combine robust rubber 

with high-tech ceramic links. 

The rotating bezel also features 

a ceramic insert. The watch is 

available in five different chronograph 

versions and five variations 

of a three-hand model, all fitted 

calibre developed specifically for 

Maîtres du Temps’ specifications. 

“The challenge was to incorporate 

the rollers and still keep the 

case thin,” noted Margaret Pane 

“Before, they were outside. Now, 

they’re part of the movement 

inside.” 

Refined design 

The elegant timepiece displays 

hours, minutes, seconds, date, 

and moon phases, all on a blue 

guilloche dial finely engraved 

with a radiating sunray pattern, 

with 18K gold hands and large 

Roman numeral hour markers. 

The watch is limited to 100 for 

Seculus Royal Marine. 

with an automatic movement. 

Two colour options are on offer: 

a sporty classic black design and 

an elegant bright blue model. 

Wenger and Seculus likewise 

focus on sporty colour combinations 

and are presenting some 

new watches water-tight down to 

200 m at BASELWORLD. The 

Seaforce from Wenger features 

a blue and black design and a 

robust stainless steel case which 

can also be worn by women: a 

smaller ladies’ version in a 36 mm 

case adjusts to smaller female 

wrists. Seculus combines deep 

black with gold-plated detailing 

in its Royal Marine automatic 

watch which is water-tight down 

to 200 m. (iwi) ■ 

sale worldwide − 50 in red gold 

and 50 in white gold. 

Chapter Three is the third 

major watch offered by Maîtres 

du Temps. It launched in 2008 

with Chapter One by watchmakers 

Christophe Claret and Peter 

Speake-Marin, featuring a worldfirst 

combination of tourbillon, 

mono-pusher column wheel 

chronograph, retrograde date, 

and retrograde GMT, plus moon 

phase and day of the week on 

rollers. 

In 2009, Maîtres du Temps presented 

Chapter Two, the world’s 

most legible triple calendar wristwatch, 

by watchmakers Daniel 

WATCHES 


Alain Mouawad has created a contemporary 

niche brand in Blacksand 

with the goal of easily being 

able to read the time. The latest 

product to emerge is called the 

White Sea Turtle and is dedicated 

to raising awareness of the vulnerability 

of nature. A sapphire crystal 

dial underneath an open-worked 

structure embellished by a dusting 

of diamonds provides an aesthetic 

background for three turtles and a 

disk time display including a jump 

hour. Powered by an automatic movement, 

the BS 1999 Calibre which is 

painstakingly decorated with circular 

graining and Geneva stripes it comes 

in a rose gold case. (ed) 0.F, P03 

White Sea Turtle with jump hour. 

Founder and CEO Steven Holtzman (left) with Andreas Strehler, independent watchmaker. Chapter Three, a horological masterpiece created by Andreas Strehler und Kari Voutilainen. 

Roth and Peter Speake-Marin. 

Maîtres du Temps is also showing 

a variation on Chapter Two 

called the Three Calendar Round 

(month, day and big date in 

round windows). There will be 25 

of the titanium-cased watches for 

sale worldwide. The company has 

grown significantly since starting 

four years ago. It now has 

luxury watch clients in 25 countries, 

with top markets being in 

North and South America, Asia 

(especially China) and the Middle 

East. Holtzman told BWDN 

the company is cultivcating new 

markets in Eastern Europe and 

southeast Asia. (wgs) ■ 4.1, X01

Ceraline Saphira 

Water-resistant 30 meter, quartz movement, 

sapphire crystal with anti-refl ection coating, stainless steel, 

ceramic bracelet, Swiss made visit us at Hall 1.1 / Booth D75

CLINT 

DEMPSEY 

March 8-15, 2012 

Hall of Fascinations 2.0 

Stand C62 

2012 

www.jorggray.com

PAGE 19 


Couture design for men 

Designers show off their expertise in watchmaking in the Hall of Desires 

Retro classic is all the rage on the 

men’s side from these haute couture 

designers. This year, Fendi 

pays close attention to discerning 

men unveiling the all-new classically 

elegant Gents Fendimatica 

collection of automatic watches. 

The series is designed to capture 

the attention of urban-chic men 

who want a strong combination 

of design and mechanical beauty. 

The sophisticated watch, complete 

with transparent sapphire 

caseback for viewing the Swissmade 

automatic movement, 

draws its design inspiration from 

nostalgic Italian films such as the 

Academy Award winning 1957 

Nights of Cabiria and the 1972 

Roma, both written and directed 

by top 20th century Italian film 

director, Federico Fellini. The 

42 mm round watches feature 

Bombay-curved sapphire crystals 

on a polished and brushed stainless 

steel case with ergonomically 

curved sides and horns for the 

case-to-strap attachment. One of 

the most striking details of the 

automatic mechanical movement 

is the engraved Fendi pattern and 

logo engraved on the oscillating 

The Treasury, from Buben & Zörweg, is the 

ultimate winder, with its own built-in flying 

tourbillon. It is a modular system that can be 

individually configured, with options that include 

units for four or 16 watches, a bar, a humidor, a 

storage unit for over 30 watches and a jewellery 

cassette. It is finished in a combination of nappa 

leather and precious woods with inlaid stainless 

steel accents and velour interior. There is a built- 

in alarm sytem and electronically lockable doors. 

From the Kadloo Smartoli series, this winder is 

finished in Mappa Burl, from the European black 

poplar tree. The winder features an LCD multi- 

wind system and inside illumination. 

weight. The urban chic 25-jewel 

timepiece features 48 hours of 

power reserve and beats at 28,800 

vibrations per hour. 

Hermès unveils its own in-house 

movement − something that has 

been years in the works. Additionally, 

it houses the calibre in 

a new Dressage collection geared 

for men. The collection features a 

vintage inspired case design with 

classic Hermes equestrian inspired 

accents. The brand also unveils a 

high-end straw dialed watch that is 

a true collector’s piece. Herein, the 

brand utilizes the centuries-old 

technique of straw marquetry to 

create stunning dials with the H 

logo intertwined. 

Gucci also pays attention to 

men, unveiling two new pieces 

to the Gucci Coupé collection. 

With rounded square case and 

retro styling, these new 40 mm 

Coupé’s echo the world of sports 

cars, with fine calfskin leather 

straps inspired by automotive 

interiors. Dials of the new classic 

beige and grey Swiss made 

watches are reminiscent of vintage 

speedometers. 

Indeed, while most high end 

designers are finding ways to 

bring their collections to the 

wrist, the majority recognize that 

today’s consumer wants watchmaking 

craftsmanship to be a key 

element in the offerings. (rn) ■ 

Gents Fendimatica collection from Fendi. This year, BASELWORLD’s couture timepiece designers bring new meaning to retro styles. 

World of watch winders 

New rotator models at BASELWORLD 

Automatic watches are made to 

be worn − but not all at once, 

and that is why we need winders. 

Like the latest watch styles, 

the latest watch winders tend to 

be either classic or avant-garde 

in design. Classic winders are 

increasingly intended for display 

in formal living areas, often with 

inlaid wood in order to match 

furniture, or even to serve as 

furniture in the form of wall 

units that incorporate everything 

from safes to liquor cabinets. 

In contrast, contemporary winders 

are high-tech in appearance, 

incorporating elements, such 

as carbon fibre, steel and glass 

that allows a view of not just 

the watch dial, but the inner 

mechanism of the winder. Some 

are accented with motifs such 

as skull and cross bones, for an 

edgier decor statement. 

One thing the latest styles all 

have in common is their intended 

function: watch winders prevent 

owners of automatic watches 

from having to rewind and 

reset them by keeping them in 

motion. They also avoid unnecessary 

wear. Every time a watch 

is unscrewed to be wound and 

reset, it puts wear and tear on 

the screw threads, as well as 

the gaskets that maintain water 

resistance. A winder also helps 

prevent oil from pooling when a 

watch winds down. As long as a 

watch is running, the oil is being 

Buben & Zörweg has established a reputation as manufacturer of high-end winders. 

evenly distributed throughout 

the movement, so a winder keeps 

it properly lubricated. 

A good watch winder should 

have a variable rotation setting, 

as not all automatic watch rotors 

wind in the same direction. It 

should also vary according to run 

time, periodically cycling into 

a rest mode, just as if it were 

actually being worn. This should 

be a programmable function. A 

winder should also be relatively 

noise free, particularly if it is kept 

in a bedroom. (cb) 

Elmamotion manufactures a wide range of wind- 

ers, including this one, from the Style collection, 

made inlaid of Macassar wood. It is programma- 

ble for speed, cycle length and winding direction. 

WATCHES 


The L’Abbaye 3263 from Claude 

Meylan features an open-worked 

movement, an automatic ETA 2892, 

that is treated in black ruthenium. 

The dial gives way to a slim, black, 

brown or blue flange bearing a choice 

of Roman or Arabic numerals that 

can be either gold-tined or rhodiumplated. 

The 42 mm case is stainless 

steel, and the watch is water-resistant 

to 50 metres. The strap is black alligator 

with a steel buckle. The movement 

has a 42 mm power reserve. (cb) 

5.1, E19 

The highlight of the Claude Meylan 

L’Abbaye is a skeletonized movement. 

Philip Watch, a brand of Italian 

group Morellato & Sector, introduces 

four new versions of its Sunray Automatic 

at this year’s BASELWORLD. 

The collection is equipped with the 

reliable Swiss Automatic calibre ETA 

2824 with date indication. The Sunray 

with Roman numerals features 

a silver dial as well as a screw-down 

case back and crown. (sz) 1.1, B23 

The historically inspired Sunray collection 

welcomes four new models. 

Seiko’s new Astron GPS Solar watch 

is ‘the first global watch’ says the 

brand. It immediately adjusts itself 

at a touch of a button to any time 

and location in the world’s 39 time 

zones. It is the first watch able to 

do so, thanks to continuous signals 

from GPS satellites, with which it 

is always in contact. Its tiny lowenergy-consumption 

GPS receiver is 

a patented invention of Seiko. The 

watch is powered by solar cells in the 

dial, eliminating batteries, and will be 

released worldwide in autumn. (wgs) 

1.0, A27 

Seiko Astron GPS Solar.

WATCHES | PALACE PAGE 20 


“Good growth in every category” 

A big change is spurring Nixon’s business 

Nixon is a fast-growing global 

watch and accessories brand 

for the youth lifestyle market, 

with major markets in the U.S., 

Europe and Japan. Andy Laats, 

co-founder and president, tells 

Masterpieces of haute horlogerie 

Heritage Watch Manufactory HWM presents highly-complex new products once again 

Ambition, imagination, diligence 

and a talented master watchmaker: 

these are the defining aspects 

of the Heritage Watch Manufactory, 

HWM for short. The enterprise 

was founded in Neuchâtel in 

September 2010 as a private Swiss 

company and exhibited at the 

BASELWORLD for the first time 

in 2011. The company is now 

back in Basel with a complete 

calibre series boasting some highly 

unusual technical characteristics. 

At the Palace co-founder and 

member of the board Christian 

Guetermann and watchmaker 

master Karsten Fraessdorf present 

the HWM collection and explain 

the technical peculiarities of their 

watches. The highest degree of 

accuracy is paramount in their 

designs. To achieve this, Fraessdorf 

developed ingenious solutions of 

his own: five patents have already 

been registered by HWM. For 

example, for the so-called ‘Vivax’ 

precision balance wheel, the 

design of which counteracts the 

isochronism error. 

The process of manufacturing the 

watches is pursued as consistently 

as their design, with a focus on 

high-quality and long-lasting 

materials. For example, all steel 

BWDN about a major change 

which is increasing its business 

momentum. 

BWDN: Mr. Laats, there’s been 

an important change in the ownership 

and financial structure of 

Nixon? What is it? 

Andy Laats: We’ve entered into 

a definitive agreement with our 

former parent company, Billabong 

International Limited, 

and with Trilantic Capital 

Partners, a private equity 

firm, to take Nixon into a 

privately-held, independent 

structure. 

The Nixon management 

team, led by 

myself and the brand’s 

other co-founder and 

executive vice president 

of marketing Chad 

DiNenna, has made an 

investment in the company 

and will continue to 

be responsible for the brand. 

Nixon was valued at USD 464 

One of Nixon’s presentations: The Camden, 

water-resistant to 100 metres. 

Christian Guetermann and watchmaker master Karsten Fraessdorf. 

components of the movements 

are hardened, the plates are made 

from new silver and the wheels 

from copper-beryllium. The passion 

for traditional watchmaking 

is also reflected in the design of 

the watches, for which the 

acclaimed Swiss product and 

watch designer Eric Giroud is 

responsible. He places value on 

great simplicity, to avoid overshadowing 

the true values of the 

timepiece. 

These principles have also been 

applied in the Firmamentum, the 

million for the transaction and 

the deal will provide Billabong 

with USD 285 million in cash. 

Billabong will retain 48.5% of 

the company and will continue 

to support the brand in our core 

action sports markets. 

BWDN: Nixon is a leading brand 

in the action sports category. 

How do the changes affect that? 

Laats: We’ll continue to follow 

the brand’s momentum as 

we grow into wider distribution 

channels with our watches and 

electronics. Additionally, we’ll 

further grow our broader product 

categories, such as bags and 

leather goods, within the action 

sports market. We will be investing 

in telling more people about 

the Nixon brand. And we will be 

establishing our infrastructure in 

Australasia and Europe to support 

Nixon and our initiatives. 

BWDN: Where are Nixon’s best 

growth opportunities in the next 

few years? 

Laats: A vast majority of our 

sales are outside the traditional 

watch and jewellery industry. 

latest product to be shown by 

HWM at the BASELWORLD, an 

extraordinary instrument of measurement 

and navigation. Fully in 

the tradition of the historic watches 

used for observation, it not 

only shows the Earth’s rotation 

through the classic measurement 

of time, but with the aid of the 

hour angle it measures the Earth’s 

rotation around its own axis and 

the visible movement of the sun, 

planets and stars in the heavens. 

This has some highly practical 

benefits: the watch permits exact 

We have only begun to work 

with the watch industry over 

the last three or four years, and 

we’re encouraged by the results. 

With our new structure, we see 

growth in the watch industry 

continuing, and we can more 

fully support that growth with 

awareness campaigns, product 

development, and sales and service 

programs. 

We will also be establishing an 

Asian-based headquarters that 

can closely support the brand in 

this important market. 

BWDN: What’s one important 

product Nixon is debuting at 

BASELWORLD? 

Laats: We debuted our first 

Swiss automatic watch in 2007, 

simply called ‘The Automatic’. 

This year, we’re debuting a limited 

edition, automatic chronograph 

version of The Automatic 

with a Valjoux 7750 movement. 

BWDN: How was 2011, what do 

you expect for 2012? 

Laats: We’re happy with our 

2011 results; we had good growth 

in every region and product cat- 

navigation and determination of 

position for nautical and air travel, 

making it a valuable mechanical 

addition to electronic instruments. 

Another new watch is Viator, with 

an unique design of the dial, lending 

the depth of its reliefs a particular 

character. At second glance 

the reading of the dial possible: 

Hours and minutes are shown 

with hands from the middle, a 

small second is found at 6. Further 

the watch is offering a GMT 

function: underneath the 12 

o’clock position is a display for a 

second time zone. The immediately 

jumping hours allow synchronization 

in just a few seconds 

through its quick-change mechanism. 

The movement incorporates 

three patented mechanisms 

for fine regulation and hence for 

un-heard of precision. 

It goes without saying that such 

technically complex movements 

require a great deal of time in 

their development and manufacture. 

Master watchmaker Fraessdorf 

is responsible for both fields 

here, talking of ‘small series’ of 

the range of currently five watch 

models. Because the assembly of 

the movements is performed by 

hand in order to enable absolutely 

Andy Laats, co-founder and president. 

egory. We expect 2012 to continue 

the positive momentum, but 

are cautious about Europe and 

we will be conservative in Asia. 


precise fit and adjustment. With 

this approach technology and 

appearance of the watches of the 

Heritage Watch Manufacturory 

harmonise to form one watchmaking 

masterpiece. (iwi) ■ 

Viator of the Heritage Watch Manufactory HWM 

with jumping hours for a second time zone.

B E N B E N 

hall 4.1/B13 

DON’T kISS THIS pAgE 

WWW.MARVINWATCHES.COM | REf. M119.13.94.67 | SWISS MADE NEW TIME, NEW CODES.

TRENDS PAGE 22 


Sixth sense for trends 

Nanis, an icon of Italian-style jewellery 

Piero Marangon, CEO of Nanis. 

The label has its own boutique in 

Vicenza and several flagships 

worldwide, with four flagships in 

the pipeline for China. Nanis has 

two overseas branches, in Miami 

and Tokyo, as well as being on 

sale in 26 countries, the destination 

of most of its production. 

Piero Marangon is CEO of the 

Veneto company. 

Cool, cooler, jewellery for men 

Not too inconspicuous please! The trend for casual jewellery for men is continuing! 

1) 2) 

3) 

4) 

6) 

BWDN: How long have you been 

showing at BASELWORLD? 

Piero Marangon: I opened the 

company in 1990, with my wife 

Laura Bicego, and we came to the 

show almost immediately. Over 

time we’ve actually dropped a 

number of other events and concentrated 

on this one, because for 

us it’s a must. 

BWDN: Most of your customers 

aren’t Italian? 

Marangon: In Italy we have over 

200 dealers, but most of our turnover 

is abroad. Top of the list are the 

U.S. and Japan, but we have a large 

number of customers in Saudi Arabia, 

where the jewellery is sold by 

DS Paris Gallery; then we have 

Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Israel. 

We’ve just opened a store corner in 

Puerto Rico and a flagship in Ryad, 

and another one is in the pipeline 

for Kuwait. We’re also carried by 

Moscow’s Bosco di Ciliegi. With 

our Chinese partner we’ve opened 

a showroom in Guangzhou, near 

5) 

7) 

Shenzhen, and another four 

mono-brand outlets are coming 

up, which should grow to a total of 

seven by the end of 2013. 

BWDN: Sounds like “Around The 

World in 80 Days”. 

Marangon: I like to hear you say 

that because apart from my entrepreneurial 

spirit, I’m a keen traveller. 

I explored lots of these countries 

as a DIY tourist, before I 

opened stores there. Discovering 

different cultures is a great spur for 

creativity, it suggests we take 

another look at Oriental taste seen 

through the Italian design telescope. 

BWDN: Have you also travelled 

around China? 

Marangon: Sure and not just the 

big cities. It’s a fascinating place 

and as a potential market, it’s staggeringly 

important even for a 

company like ours. But we are 

aware of the hurdles there’ll be 

along the way. 

1) Meister | 2) Victor Mayer | 3) Baldessarini | 4) Akillis | 5) Boccia Titanium | 6) Rochet | 7) TF Est. 1968 | 8) Gellner | 9) Lotus 

8) 

BWDN: Your customers acknowledge 

you have a strong identity. 

What is it built on? 

Marangon: If we look at the 

details, our collections use soft 

ovals and the surfaces are finished 

with slightly rough etching, like 

scratches. Recently we began alternating 

gold links with gemstones 

to enhance the design and keep 

the price competitive. My wife 

Laura came up with the entire 

design for the latest line. She’s got 

a sixth sense for wearability and 

this is a set of five coloured sashes 

and a silver chain with semi-precious 

stones that is worn with the 

sash. A jewel that a woman can 

Jewellers who focus on male customers 

who shop for themselves 

have good reason to be happy. 

Stars of film and sport such as 

Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and 

Cacau show how it’s done: these 

international lifestyle icons are 

never spotted at any red carpet 

event or glamourous reception 

without rings, chains, cufflinks 

or bracelets. The photos published 

in the relevant publicity 

magazines or on social networks 

have the desired effect. Young 

men are now taking up this trend 

and copying the jewellery worn 

by their idols. 

Gender convergence 

Long gone are the days when 

men were afraid of appearing too 

feminine by wearing gold or silver. 

There is a real convergence 

of the genders taking place, at 

least in terms of jewellery preferences: 

in addition to the typically 

masculine jewellery materials 

such as black leather, titanium, 

steel and silver, elements such as 

pearls, enamel and luminous coloured 

gemstones are increasingly 

popular in men’s jewellery ranges. 

Gemmologist Elke Berr, for 

example, has designed an exceptionally 

colourful cuff link collection 

for TF Est. 1968. Mounted 

on an armature of solid white, 

rose and yellow gold, semi-precious 

stones, such as lapis, turquoise 

or haematite, serve as a 

Ring from the Inlay collection: yellow 

gold and mother-of-pearl. 

Ring from the Bonbon collection: white 

gold with rutilated quartz, grey and 

black diamonds. 

treat herself to, as she does with 

other accessories, without necessarily 

waiting for someone to give 

her one as a gift. 

BWDN: Do you rely on outsourcing 

too? 

Marangon: For gold, we work 

completely in-house at our Trissino 

facility; for silver we sometimes 

use an outsourcer. We do all 

our own design, prototyping and 

first production runs, as well as 

quality control. This strategy is 

common to Italy’s top brands 

because it means we can offer 

quality at competitive prices. 

Interview by Roberto Chilleri ■ 

base layer for the application of 

fine sheets of gold leaf. 

Swiss manufacturer Meister uses 

ornamental carved white and 

dark grey mother-of-pearl to 

make its latest pendants and cufflinks. 

Gellner also includes 

pearls in its collection for men. 

The Seleçau by Cacau collection 

was developed in collaboration 

with the Brazilian-German footballer. 

Many manufacturers are 

also offering unisex ranges which 

can be worn by men and women. 

The results of a study by the U.S. 

edition of Men’s Health magazine 

reveals the icing on the cake 

when it comes to this ever-blurring 

gender boundary. According 

to the study, 17 percent of men 

would wear an engagement ring 

if there were a ‘Man-Gagement’ 

ring available. (cete) ■ 

9)

I C E - P U R E 

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JEWELLERY PAGE 24 


Signet ring by Ernst Stein. 

A signet ring stands for tradition and 

timeless elegance and is an expression 

of individuality. The Ernst Stein 

company offers sophisticated rings 

in gold, silver and platinum featuring 

hand-engraved coats-of-arms or monograms, 

if required. Each item is unique 

– guaranteed. (ahe) 3.0, K51 

Creoles with diamond pavé by Facet. 

The Spanish firm Facet offers its 

customers top quality diamond jewellery 

at extremely competitive prices. 

The company has its headquarters 

in Barcelona and offers 25 years of 

experience in dealing with diamonds, 

the king of the gemstones, always 

incorporating the latest trends. Barcelona 

is a leading city when it comes to 

fashion and design and is a source of 

inspiration for Facet designers. Facet 

has a diamond store in Antwerp and 

a manufacturing site in India. (ahe) 

2.1, N02 

‘Guetty’ solitaire ring, 

diamond on white gold. 

“Marchak is offering a wedding 

range for the first time,” explains 

Dominique de Blanchard. “During 

the 1950s, Guetty was married to 

Jacques Verger, then director of the 

company. As the first model for Balenciaga, 

she wore a dress which inspired 

her husband to create a cocktail ring 

set with a ruby”. The new Guetty collection 

moves away from this elegant 

design in favour of wedding and 

solitaire rings featuring diamonds and 

white gold. Essential for any marriage! 

(kb) 2.0, F50 

The jewellery company Clioro 

has sales offices in Germany 

and production in Vicenza. 

With owner Franco Pitscheider 

it is the personification of 

the perfect connection between 

Venetian and German culture. 

90 percent of production is destined 

for foreign markets. 

BWDN: Your necklaces and 

bracelets are in handcrafted gold 

links, a genre that seemed almost 

to have fallen out of favour compared 

to jewellery using stones or 

enamel, maybe even in silver ... 

Franco Pitscheider: The recent 

decline in demand was the deciding 

factor: those who have always 

offered a quality product, without 

getting caught in the trap of 

lowering prices to the bitter end, 

are still successful on the market. 

BWDN: What is the latest trend 

in your market segment? 

Pitscheider: For five or six years 

the wide link was popular. This 

year demand is slightly down. 

Compact links are coming back, 

due to the nineties revival. 

BWDN: Are you working with 

reduced thickness to keep weight 

down? 


High jewellery 

Chimento makes its high end debut 

Being able to count on recognized 

brand and style, but also 

on strong manufacturing capacity 

acquired in almost half a 

century of business, allows the 

Italian jeweller to embark on 

a new adventure with the right 

motivation. We talk to Mario 

Chimento, director of the company 

and son of the founder. 

BWDN: So many jewellers are 

expanding their target with silver 

collections. 

Mario Chimento: Our range is 

already broad. And this year we 

decided to focus on an exclusive 

clientele. This doesn’t mean 

we’re going to betray Chimento’s 

innate classic contemporary style. 

We simply wanted to evolve a 

more artisanal or, to use a word 

dear to the fashion world, a more 

tailored approach. 

BWDN: Weren’t you creating 

masterpieces a few years ago? 

Chimento: Those were one-offs. 

Now we’re talking about an 

overall plan, and our offering 

includes a hundred or so pieces. 

BWDN: Your new products are 

quite away from your usual core 

price of 1,000-2,000 euros. 

Mario Chimento. director. 

Chimento: The new range carries 

price tags from 10,000 to 100,000 

euros and some will be in excess 

of that. 

BWDN: So we’re talking about 

two completely different planets. 

Chimento: Certainly we’re 

responding to very different 

demands and it’s no coincidence 

that the new launch required a 

year of work, which was unavoidable 

because we had adopted 

extremely refined technical and 

design solutions. We set up a 

team that was the expression of 

Precise and creative 

Quality and an eye for design have made Clioro’s fortune 

Franco Pitscheider, owner of Clioro. 

Pitscheider: No, components are 

made from semi-solid tubular 

material and our basic technologies 

are casting and microfusion. 

The objects are designed to last 

and this year’s models aren’t 

even particularly light. In some 

cases, a bracelet can weigh up 

to 33 grams and a necklace over 

80. The customer places quality 

above cost. 

Rings from the Aphrodite 

collection, in gold with diamonds, 

Swiss blue topaz, amethyst, smoky quartz. 

Italian excellence, and we handpicked 

designers, master goldsmiths, 

partners. 

BWDN: Is there any point in 

asking what sort of welcome you 

expect from the public. 

Chimento: With all due caution 

and the patience necessary for 

such an important step, we’re 

quite optimistic. Let’s not forget 

that the new project isn’t just the 

result of a planned strategy: we’re 

responding to demands from our 

customers. 

BWDN: If I’m not mistaken, 

almost 80 percent of your clientele 

is in Italy. 

Chimento: Fortunately that is 

no longer the case. Recently our 

overseas sales have increased significantly. 

We have distributors 

in Miami, Barcelona, Canada, 

Japan, and we are present in a 

good many European stores. In 

BWDN: The Clioro name sounds 

Italian. Is the company Italian or 

German? 

Pitscheider: My father was an 

Austrian, my Italian mother 

from Verona, and the company 

has dual nationality, just like 

me ... Our administration is in 

Stuttgart, where my family is, 

but our workshop has always 

been in Vicenza, where we have 

the most advanced technologies 

for manufacturing 

and assembly of 

semi-finished links. 

We hand-finish as 

it makes a difference, 

including 

fastenings. Satin 

finish, polishing, 

ice effect, all 

done by hand. As 

we’re very specialized, 

we seek to offer 

the best. 

BWDN: Where do your customers 

come from? 

Pitscheider: Mainly from German-speaking 

areas, but we have 

good customers in different countries: 

Netherlands, UK, France, 

Scandinavia, .... Europe accounts 

for 70 percent of turnover, followed 

by the United States. 

any case, the highest growth markets 

are Eastern Europe and Asia. 

BWDN: Do high-end collections 

require new marketing strategies? 

Chimento: Apart from investing 

in developing foreign markets, 

we’re also working on the quality 

of how the item is showcased in 

the point of purchase. The actual 

jewellery stores will have to meet 

certain standards. Meanwhile, 

the preview presentation of the 

high-end collections to the end 

customer will be in our Milan 

boutique, which is undergoing 

an extensive facelift for the occasion. 

BWDN: Is the company still 

family owned? 

Chimento: 100 percent and − 

at least in our case − it’s still 

bringing the best results. In 2011 

turnover increased by 10 percent 

and EBITDA doubled compared 

to the year before. These results 

keep us upbeat but there’s still 

plenty of room for improvement. 


Necklace and bracelets 

in 750 gold. Drop- 

shaped links. 

We’re discovering China, a country 

that I’d overlooked when 

we’re actually being inundated 

with demands for top-quality 

products. 

Interview by Roberto Chilleri ■

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Tango Number One by Odenwald. 

All those who view the current Tango 

collection of the German company 

Odenwald will experience its 

glittering wonder. The Number One 

model presented by the manufacture 

at BASELWORLD 2012 is studded 

with numerous white diamonds set in 

white gold. As with preceding models, 

which are set with harmoniously coordinated 

multi-coloured sapphires, 

the inner ring of the model can be 

rotated. When worn, Number One 

radiates brilliant fire all around. (cete) 

2.1, G81 

Joyeux Marais is characterized by natural 

motives such as a frog. 

Over the course of three generations, 

the Parisian company Georland 

has developed unique savoirfaire 

in the art of jewellery. After 

numerous accomplishments for the 

fashion houses of the Place Vendôme, 

Georland launched its own collections 

under the Georland brand name a 

few years ago. Current pieces on 

show at BASELWORLD 2012 include 

figurative jewellery such as the Joyeux 

Marais ring. Worked from 750 yellow 

gold and white and brown diamonds, 

pink sapphires, tsavorites and peridot, 

this piece is just waiting to be kissed 

to turn into a prince! (cete) 2.1, N51 

Founded in 1990, Zancan was 

created to fulfil its founder Robertino 

Zancan’s wish to transfer his own 

passion for creating unique details 

and colour into men’s jewellery. All of 

the pieces are created near Vicenza, 

Italy. The latest ranges include the 

Skulls series – rings, cufflinks and 

pendants made from silver, with the 

rings partially blackened and partially 

PDV treated. Zancan is also 

presenting another extended range 

in Basel, similarly decorated with the 

skull motif. The necklaces, rings and 

key rings are made from silver with 

palladium, rhodium and ruthenium 

treatment. (cete) 2.1, J80 

Nearly 5,000 dealers, boutiques 

in Florence, Venice and Milan, 

50 or so flagship stores worldwide: 

Nomination is a Tuscan 

company with branches in New 

York and Tokyo, and is one of 

the key players in the accessory 

jewellery sector. CEO Antonio 

Gensini is the son of Paolo, who 

founded the company in 1987. 

BWDN: The new collections are 

dominated by white alongside 

very delicate colours. 

Antonio Gensini: There’s been 

a style evolution that combines 

perfectly with the widescale 

use of materials like silver. For 

instance, latest trends for our 

modular bracelet range from silver 

to yellow gold, on the classic 

silver base. We find the toneon-tone 

look to be very stylish. 

Moreover, our new collection, 

Silvershine, is definitely more 

appealing pricewise than the traditional 

modular bracelet. 

BWDN: And is there anything 

on the horizon for straightforward 

silver jewellery? 

Gensini: We’re very happy with 

our silver fashion-accessory line. 

The Romantica collection is a 

roaring success, with its delicate 

punched silver hearts subtly finished 

with rose gilding. 


Silver and all its charms 

Nomination uses the white metal for its bracelets 

Antonio Gensini, CEO of Nomination. 

BWDN: Are you thinking that 

steel could be phased out? 

Gensini: The steel jewellery phenomenon 

was generated by our 

invention of the modular bracelet 

in 1987, so steel is in our 

blood, as it were. Not only is it 

unbeatable for this type of bracelet 

link, but over recent years it 

has also become a leading player 

in fashion jewellery collections. 

Butterfly is one that is giving us 

great results, especially in Italy. 

BWDN: With Hello Kitty you’re 

pursuing and relaunching your 

licensing business. 

Gensini: We have licences to 

produce and market Hello Kitty 

modular bracelets in numerous 

countries. We enhance them with 

An emerging brand 

The contemporary feel of Pesavento 

In a few months the company 

will celebrate 20 years in business, 

spent in pursuit of research 

and advanced technology, combined 

with craftsmanship. For 

president Marino Pesavento, 

being an entrepreneur is an 

enduring challenge. 

BWDN: Over the last few years, 

your stands have always attracted 

a crowd. 

Marino Pesavento: Until a decade 

ago we were just one of many 

good Vicenza goldsmiths. Things 

have changed since we developed 

a brand concept and left the bulk 

sales sector. A path that we’ve 

followed with commitment and 

patience, step by step. We’ve 

been drastic in just two aspects: 

aiming for an upper-middle position 

and an awareness that we 

would never go back. 

BWDN: Do you still manufacture 

your own jewellery? 

Pesavento: The entire process is 

handled in our workshop, from 

prototyping to quality control. 

Our jewellery is certified as ‘made 

in Italy’ and I’m sure that companies 

like ours will safeguard the 

expertise of Italian gold districts 

whose relocation would actually 

impoverish quality. 

BWDN: In the early days, did 

you work on production too? 

Pesavento: I’m not part of the 

generation of Vicenza goldsmith 

pioneers. Their careers always 

began by working with the gold 

crafting process, but I’m a pure 

entrepreneur. Even if I don’t 

create with my hands, I know all 

the stages and I oversee product 

design and development along 

with Chiara Carli, who is my 

A piece from the Romantica collection in 925 silver with rose gilding. 

fun charms in silver. We launched 

them in mid-2011 so they’re making 

their debut at BASELWORLD. 

Then there’s a co-branding licence 

with Richard Ginori, the legendary 

porcelain manufacturer located 

near Florence, just a stone’s throw 

from our base. Thanks to this 

agreement, we’ve developed a jewellery 

collection with porcelain 

elements made especially for us 

by Richard Ginori. This collection 

is our jewel in the crown; we’ve 

called it Cupidò. 

BWDN: So was 2011 positive in 

economic terms? 

Gensini: The end of the year was 

tough in Italy and that impacted 

our closing figures. Although our 

expectations were higher, given 

Cufflinks from Zancan’s new Skull series. Chiara Carli and Marino Pesavento. 

business partner. I manage quality 

control personally. 

BWDN: You have a strong style 

identity: does that come from 

you? 

Pesavento: Along with Chiara 

and our designer Leonardo 

Ranucci, who’s been with us for 

15 years. He helped us enormously 

in building brand and 

product identity. 

BWDN: How important is design? 

Pesavento: It’s certainly important 

to have an exclusive product, 

but I wouldn’t be telling the 

truth if I said that’s everything. 

There are many other things that 

matter: for example, research, 

quality standards, distribution, 

customer service. 

BWDN: Tell about your collections 

of micro-pavé of coloured 

stones set in tone-on-tone metal. 

Pesavento: They’re very successful. 

The small stones are extremely 

difficult to set but the effect 

is stunning, especially when 

set tone-on-tone. On silver, for 

example, PVD treatments make 

it possible to achieve a rainbow 

the general economic situation, 

we’re well pleased to have maintained 

our position. 

BWDN: Have you opened any 

new flagships? 

Gensini: The most recent were 

in Ryad and Dahran. We’re considering 

Dubai and a location in 

Kuwait. Luckily, we’re well distributed 

on many markets and at this 

moment in time the biggest growth 

is in Russia and South Africa. But 

there’s one more thing I’d like 

to point out: we’re proud to tell 

anyone who wants to listen that 

all Nomination-branded products 

are made in Italy, and more specifically, 

made in Tuscany. 


of colours. In other cases, I mean 

gold jewellery, the colour comes 

from rhodium. We set natural 

gems and just for the current 

silver collections we use lots of 

Swarovskis. 

BWDN: Is it true that you enjoy 

extreme sports? 

Pesavento: Always have done, 

especially hang-gliding, but that’s 

old history. Now I devote myself 

to my work as an entrepreneur, 

and the surprises and emotions 

at times are just as strong. 

BWDN: Was there more growth 

in 2011? 

Pesavento: In recent years, we’ve 

grown very well and this year we 

should continue the trend. We 

rely on BASELWORLD, where 

we debuted only a year ago. 

We want to complete our team 

of sales partners attuned to our 

goals. Foreign markets are already 

80 percent of our turnover. We’re 

strong in Europe, Latin and Central 

America; we’re present in 

South Africa, Russia and other 

Eastern European countries. 


N 

S



Vibrant colours and 

exquisite gems: 

earrings by Casato. 

Casato is present at BASELWORLD 

with four new feminine and sophisticated 

jewellery lines. Floral patterns, 

inspired by exotic and faraway lands, 

characterize the Damasco line while 

the Saint Tropez line is a bright 

and colourful dream of gems in a 

multitude of sapphires, fancy rose 

cut, blue, pink and white. Voluptuous 

and wide shapes mark Cloé, made 

from gold and white, champagne or 

black gems combined with diamond. 

And finally: the gems used for the Tai 

Mee line are rubies from Mozambique 

and turquoise, a collection that 

expresses all the vitality and passion 

of the women that choose it. (cete) 

2.1, M81 

Wedding bands with 

exciting patterns by Peter Heim. 

The seemingly contradictory aspirations 

of timelessness and fashion 

consciousness are reconciled in the 

wedding rings of the brand Peter 

Heim, manufactured by Hammer & 

Söhne. This collection of rings in yellow 

gold combines modernity with high 

craftsmanship skills. (pa) 2.1, K02 

Glaçom, one-of-a-kind 

baroque South Seas earrings, set in 

18 karat white gold and diamonds. 

Established in 1973, Euro Pearls 

presents Glaçom under their highend 

jewellery brand YOKO, which 

is renowned for providing a bespoke 

and tailor-made service to its highly 

international clientele. The pair of earrings, 

made of baroque South Sea 

pearls, is set in 18 karat white gold 

and diamonds. (pa) 2.2, G11 

Sensual exuberance 

Breathtakingly elegant, alluringly stylish, eminently sexy 

When it comes to pearls, femininity 

rules the markets. It will be 

no surprise that women around 

the world hold pearls most dear 

to their hearts. For Mikimoto, 

baroque cultured pearls play an 

important part in the company’s 

design this year; the shapes are 

decidedly organic with opals and 

baroque cultured pearls in dazzling 

combinations. Colour ranges 

and variations are kept subtle 

within a creation, with vines and 

serpentine-like floral displays. 

Hypnotically beautiful 

Still decidedly princess-like in 

aesthetics, but more streamlined 

in appearance is the way that 

chief creative director of Mikimoto, 

Yoshio Sato, suggests that 

women start using strands. About 

the Drape necklace he explains: 

“I wanted to create jewellery 

where the wearer can transform 

themselves into a princess like 

Cinderella.” The classic eight 

row choker of Akoya cultured 

pearls and diamonds gracefully 

extends to the shoulder to allow 

seven strands to cascade from the 

wearer’s right shoulder and drape 

around the body. The cascade 

of pearls is secured with an 18 

karat white gold clasp set with 


diamonds. Hypnotically beautiful 

from any angle, this unique 

piece of jewellery will transform 

the lucky wearer, surrounding 

her with a glow of spell binding 

pearls. “While still based on luxury, 

we are proposing an evolution 

to wearing pearls like clothes,” 

Yoshio Sato explains. Nature’s 

rare gifts with gorgeous lustre 

and a soft glow still possess a 

most flattering effect that women 

find truly unique and covetable. 

And thus pearls continue to play 

many roles; from the elegant 

and sophisticated classic strand 

to brilliant works of art for special 

occasions. From dramatic 

headdresses, cuffs and belts to 

small pendants and studs, the 

most important thing for Mikimoto 

is to make sure the pearl is 

highlighted in a most beautiful 

way. To sit in a row of graduated, 

perfectly round, high quality 

pearls is just as important as 

sitting amongst diamonds set in 

an articulated piece of crafted 

jewellery. 

Incomparable 

Till Schoeffel, of the company 

Schoeffel, concurs: “Pearls are 

as individual and incomparable 

as women are. From our experi- 

Born to create 

Bibigì: 30 years on the cutting edge 

Bibigì, founded in 1979, is one 

of the Valenza Po jewellery district’s 

most popular brands. 

Bruno Guarona is one of the 

owners and is currently president 

of the AOV, the association 

representing the goldsmiths of 

Valenza Po, the Italian capital of 

gemstone jewellery. 

BWDN: How did Bibigì come 

about? 

Bruno Guarona: In the seventies 

I was working as a sales 

rep, but I was a bit fed up with 

all the classic jewellery people 

wanted at the time. One fine 

day I got together with my colleague 

Aldo Bernardotti and his 

friend Franco Beltrami, a skilled 

craftsman, and we set up our own 

business. Not the usual eternity, 

solitaire and rivière rings, or tennis 

bracelets, which were all the 

same in those days. We wanted 

to create brooches, necklaces and 

rings with verve and in a range 

of colours. 

BWDN: Are you still in business 

with the same people? 

Guarona: Of course, and four of 

our children work with us now. 

But, well, in 1979 we’d only just 

started up and we had to get 

Bruno Guarona, co-founder of Bibigì. 

going immediately on recruiting 

and training artisans, because we 

were swamped with orders. 

BWDN: Valenza was full of new 

production facilities. Why did so 

many customers prefer to buy 

from you? 

Guarona: At the time it was a 

gut feeling and it wasn’t until 

later that I realized what their 

reasoning was. According to the 

classical definition, the term ‘jewellery’ 

is applied when the price 

of the stones exceeds that of the 

gold; otherwise it’s simply gold. 

Our experience shows, however, 

that a piece of jewellery is not 

ence, the classical and timeless 

pearl jewellery is always in high 

demand. But also more unique 

pearls, exclusive pieces that are 

not easy to find, are desired. The 

ways pearls can be interpreted 

are infinite, and thus underline 

a woman’s individuality and personality.” 

In Till Schoeffel’s opinion 

the pearl is the most feminine 

jewel. It represents beauty 

in its purest form, coupled with 

pure emotion. “It is the sensual 

elegance of pearls that women 

all over the world wish to adore 

themselves with. Pearls touch the 

soul; no other gem is able to 

evoke the same feeling.” 

Michael Hahn of Gerhard Hahn 

Pearls, states that especially South 

Seas cultured pearls are selling 

very well, preferably the classic 

round shape. The most wanted 

and most precious colours 

continues to be 

white and pinkishwhite. 

Next in line 

the Tahiti cultured 

pearls in black, peacock 

and grey tones, 

as well as brown 

just a matter of carats. It has 

to arouse emotions, it must be 

unique, and that’s only possible 

thanks to a talented designer. 

Which may sound obvious to 

lots of people now, but in the 

past it wasn’t at all. 

BWDN: Have you any solid 

examples of product innovation? 

Guarona: We’ve worked on many 

aspects, the composition of the 

bracelet, ring patterns, details like 

the shape of clasps. And in 1982 

we relaunched enamels, giving 

them an offbeat application for 

many years. But we’ve kept faith 

with the prerogatives of jewellery 

making: when there was a trend 

for cold enamelling we stuck with 

firing. It’s a lot more work but 

how can you compare synthetic 

enamel with vitreous? 

BWDN: Do long-life products 

still exist? 

Guarona: Some stick around for 

years; others get removed from 

the catalogue sooner. Average 

life has decreased but collections 

with a classic feel are diehards. 

And we do get customers asking 

for a creative piece that’s no 

longer in production. Good ideas 

rarely go out of fashion. 

Le Printemps necklace from Schoeffel; 

18 karat white gold, baroque South Sea cultured 

pearls and sapphires in different nuances 

and chocolate 

colours. 

“At Gerhard 

Hahn Pearls we 

believe that pearls 

will continue to be 

one of the hottest 

styling jewels; classic 

and elegant, modern, 

fresh and fashionable at 

the same time. Pearls can 

be worn any which way a woman 

desires. Pearl lovers know why 

they feel so passionate about 

pearls: they underline the femininity 

of every woman, and the 

pearls have a magic glow and 

harmony; once you feel them, 

you just have to love them − and 

own them!” is Gerhard Hahn’s 

finishing statement. (nh) ■ 

The fashionable Wings necklace from Misaki’s 

Tribal Beauty Collection is made from cultured 

pearls and sterling silver. 

Notre Dame collection: white gold 

and diamond necklace. 

BWDN: What about exports? 

Guarona: Over 30 percent. 

We’ve got customers in Russia, 

Eastern Europe, the Middle East, 

France, Spain, Austria, and other 

countries. Then there are potentially 

interesting markets, but the 

high duties they impose mean we 

struggle to overcome the barrier. 

BWDN: Do you make everything 

in-house? 

Guarona: Mostly, but we also 

outsource to facilities who work 

only for us. And I’m happy to 

say that all stages of production 

are in the Valenza Po district: 

no piece of jewellery leaves its 

confines before it’s had its final 

polish. 


Hall 1.1 Booth B41 

With a passion for finely crafted timepieces, 15 years ago Paul Marciano dreamt of the Gc brand, 

and thus it was born. Combining quality Swiss watch making with striking European design whilst 

offering both value and substance. 

This year at Baselworld 2012, Gc celebrates its 15th anniversary with the launch of the new 

advertising campaign, Smart Luxury. Brought to life through vivid photography, rising star Pino 

Gomes captures young, ambitious and talented personalities in their Moments of Smart Luxury. 

They, like Paul Marciano, are PASSIONATE about what they do and encapsulate the values of this 

young dynamic SWISS MADE brand. 

Gc is Smart Luxury. Timeless, Passionate, Swiss Made. 

Art Dir. Paul Marciano Gc is a registered trademark of GUESS?, Inc.


Intrinsic 

values of 

Vertu 

With Vertu and luxury, it 

is all about intrinsic value. 

CEO Perry Oosting speaks 

of the company’s first touch 

screen smartphone. 

BWDN: What is luxury to 

you? 

Oosting: In so many respects, 

time is the ultimate luxury 

and, here at Vertu, we not 

only create luxury experience 

but enrichment; every customer 

touch point ensures 

that the entire Vertu experience 

is special. Vertu’s unique 

differentiator and something 

for which it has become 

renowned: a dedicated concierge 

service, available at the 

touch of a button. To my 

mind, this is the height of 

luxury. This service grew into 

something much more, as 

it now offers a full suite of 

luxury services, partnerships, 

benefits and opportunities, 

channelling relevant, tailored 

information, sourced independently 

by Vertu for its 

customers. 

BWDN: In the company’s 

universe, what are you most 

proud of? 

Oosting: For me, I am most 

proud of the fact that we are 

and continue to be a pioneering 

mobile phone company, 

leading a very specific category. 

We are like no other 

brand and are offering a very 

unique product to a very discerning 

customer. This year 

we launched our first touch 

screen smartphone device 

that is as functional as it is 

beautiful and unique. This 

year we are very excited to do 

a very special collaboration 

with Ferrari: the Constellation 

Quest Ferrari combines 

the Vertu principles of pioneering 

design, modern technology 

and luxury services 

with specially curated Ferrari 

content and unique Ferrari 

experiences. The design of 

the handset takes inspiration 

from the Ferrari 458 Italia. 

The Ferrari logo is embossed 

in the leather on the front of 

the handset. 

Interview by Nina Hald n 

Jewels like miniature caskets 

that conceal a precious secret. 

Italian brand Comete presents a 

new collection with this leitmotiv. 

Marta Muraro, the founder’s 

daughter and market and product 

director, tells us about the 

aptly-named Segreto, ‘Secret’. 

BWDN: Jewels have always been 

used for sending messages and 

expressing sentiments. Have you 

brought a modern meaning to 

this function? 

Marta Muraro: Exactly, and 

starting from the actual design. 

The pendant comes in the form 

of a small jewellery box, a book, a 


Precious secrets 

Comete launches a line of message-jewels 

heart or a tiny casket. The items, 

engraved on the exterior with 

a firmament of stars, have tiny 

hatches that allow a small item to 

be placed inside, or a gold page 

to be inscribed with words of 

love or an important date. This 

collection is a homage to sentiments 

and emotion. 

BWDN: It’s also more exquisite 

than usual. 

Muraro: True. This is a gold and 

diamond collection, finely crafted 

and the chain clasp is set with 

a pink sapphire that represents 

a sort of love seal. But it is also 

the signature we add to our more 

Come and have a peek: the new layout of the stand echoes the theme of the new collection Segreto. 

When two hearts beat as one … 

A trip to Rome that Aletta Stas, 

co-founder of Frédérique Constant, 

took with her husband 

Peter, in the autumn of 2010 

provided the inspiration for the 

new Double Heart jewellery collection 

of the renowned Genevabased 

watch brand. “During our 

tour through this romantic city 

we were inspired by the beautiful 

buildings and art collections,” 

she says. “So we thought: why 

not make a jewellery line that 

The soft shapes and beautiful 

colours of the Hulchi Belluni 

jewellery line have now enjoyed 

over ten years of success on the 

market. The driving force and 

constant source of inspiration is 

and remains the Belgian jewellery 

designer Martine Hul. Before 

launching her jewellery brand in 

2001, a friend introduced her to 

the Far Eastern principles of 

Feng Shui. “I quickly became 

enthusiastic about this philosophy,” 

she says. “So right from 

the start I applied the principles 

and symbolism at Hulchi Belluni.” 

And not only in relation to 

jewellery, but also with regard to 

goes together with our ladies’ 

watch Double Heart Beat Collection?” 

The result is a collection 

of easily wearable pieces 

that combine 18 karat rose gold 

and sterling silver to an everyday 

luxury collection. The collection 

ranges from diamond accented 

pieces and more opulent variations 

to bright and colourful 

pieces with semi-precious stones. 

Like the watches, the new jewellery 

range from Frédérique Con- 

Inspired by cosmic energy and beauty 

Pendants like a secret book of love. 

Former Miss Belgium Beauty, Els Tibau, is the ambassador for Hulchi Belluni. 

upmarket lines. Segreto pendants 

can be worn separately from their 

chains, making them very versatile. 

The 500-2,000 euro price 

range makes this one of Comete’s 

most expensive lines. 

BWDN: Are you launching it now? 

Muraro: Yes, BASELWORLD is 

a good time to preview new products. 

This year we also redesigned 

the stand so the layout echoes 

the theme of the new collection: 

to find the jewellery visitors more 

or less have to look into the 

showcases to see what they conceal, 

and the secret is the jewel 

stant is also characterised by its 

high quality and precision with 

regard to design and manufacture. 

The focus of each piece is 

always two intertwined hearts. 

“The two hearts mean the love 

between two people, man and 

woman, mother and child …,” 

says Stas. “Humans need to 

feel a sense of belonging and 

acceptance, we need to love and 

be loved by others.” (cete) 

n 1.0, B27 

Room for hidden messages. 

itself. We arrived at Basel feeling 

very upbeat from our 19 percent 

increase in turnover for sales at 

the beginning of the year, so the 

event got off to the right start. 

We have great hopes. 

BWDN: In 2010 you began distributing 

a leading men’s jewellery 

brand. 

Muraro: Not ‘a brand’, ‘the’ Italian 

men’s jewellery brand, Barakà. 

We’re relocating the brand 

upwards. The most intriguing 

development is the Abiss collection 

and its key feature, the use 

of sharkskin in a range of colours 

that would be the envy of many 

women’s collections. 

Interview by Roberto Chilleri n 

Luxury for every day made of rose gold. 

The intertwined hearts are the focus of the collection. 

the brand name itself: Hulchi 

Belluni stands for Hul, the 

designer’s surname. Chi is the 

positive energy and Belluni 

is formed by bella luna, the 

beautiful moon. 

Designed following the rules 

of this balancing philosophy 

founded in China and the five 

essential elements of nature, on 

which the entire collection is 

based, the jewels bring harmony 

and beauty to everyone’s life. Els 

Tibau, model and former Miss 

Belgium, is the face of this Belgian-based 

brand and the perfect 

embodiment of the business and 

design idea. (cete) n 2.2, G54

TTF is actively hiring highly skilled and experienced jewelry makers and designers to join their growing 

team of expert artisans based in Shenzhen, China. If you are looking to expand your professional horizons 

and boast at least 5 years' experience in the field of jewelry making or design with an established brand, 

TTF wants to meet you. 

If you are looking to enter the Chinese markets with your luxury brand, let TTF be your partner in China. 

With over ten years of experience, established distribution and sales channels in the region, TTF is the 

best parnter you could dream of. We will help you navigate around the Great Wall and touch our 1 billion+ 

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Baselworld Hall2.1 L70 

Zhang Dan 

www.ttfhighjewelry.com info@ttfhighjewelry.com

A Global Leader in the Design, Manufacture and Distribution of Timepieces.

JEWELLERY | DESIGN PAGE 36 


Ugo Calà is the name of the 

new brand presented at this year’s 

BASELWORLD by the Italian company 

Ponte Vecchio Gioielli. Backed 

by the experience of Ponte Vecchio’s 

research into style and diversity, the 

new brand offers a completely different 

concept. Made from less precious 

materials than Ponte Vecchio’s fine 

jewellery, Ugo Calà’s pendants and 

neckpieces clearly express a new 

accessory product. This is why there 

is no risk of infringing the idea of the 

classical concept of fine jewellery that 

has always characterised Ponte Vecchio 

Gioielli. (cete) 2.2, D71 

Ugo Calâ is a new brand of 

Ponte Vecchio Gioelli. 

The Stuttgart-based pearl specialist 

Schoeffel is presenting The Classic 

collection at BASELWORLD among 

other things. These classic and feminine 

luxury pearls are ideal for any 

occasion, whether a casual leisurely 

look for the weekend, a business look 

for the daytime or an evening at the 

opera gala − these items suit any 

event. The miniature Best Friends 

animal motifs are playful, guaranteeing 

a good mood! One example is a 

ring featuring a rock crystal whale, 

highlighted with mother-of-pearl and 

combined with a large pearl and diamonds 

set in 18 karat white gold. It 

looks set to be one of the most talked 

about pieces of summer 2012. (ahe) 

2.2, D20 

A true Best Friend: whale ring by Schoeffel. 

Italian Design presents the new 

collection called Corallo. This exquisite 

ring design comprises bunches of 

coral trees in shaded paraiba tourmalines 

where diamonds embrace an 

aquamarine with tropical sea water 

colours.The transparency of the stone 

offers a view of other sea creatures 

hidden in the gallery. (pa) 2.2, G76 

Corallo ring with paraiba tourmalines 

by Italian Design. 

The Gaia family own the Milanese 

Utopia label and have 

lengthy experience in the gem 

and pearl sector, supplying Italy’s 

leading jewellers for 60 years. We 

talked to Anna Gaia, heir to the 

throne and Utopia’s CEO. 

BWDN: Why did you choose 

South Sea pearls for your 

jewellery? 

Anna Gaia: They’re part of our 

history. My family has been 

importing pearls forever. Until the 

1970s the Akoya pearl was the 

market leader, then the first South 

Sea pearls were cultivated in Australia, 

and we were among the first 

to discover them. 


A heart full of pearls 

Utopia focuses on the jewels of the sea 

Anna Gaia, 

Utopia’s CEO. 

The Terra collection from Ti Sento 

Milano is attracting a great 

deal of attention at BASEL- 

WORLD 2012. Inspired by the 

African Savannah, the new range 

incorporates colours, earthy textures, 

animal motifs and ethnic 

themes. The items resonate a 

respect for the power of nature 

on the African continent. The 

items have been produced using 

rhodinised sterling silver. A highlight 

of the collection are the 

enamel rings in delicate jade 

tones which feature bright sparkling 

stones surrounded by zirconia 

pavé. The wide range of straps 

available in leather, silver with 

moonstone or zirconia pavé also 

represent an exciting tribute to 

Africa. The items can be combined 

as required to create an 

individual look. Python patterns 

weave their way along the arm 

while opalescent stones are mixed 

with delicate glazes and luxury 

leather applications. Ideas from 

modern jewellery design and current 

fashions are blended with 

elements of the unadulterated 

African landscapes. 

‘Charming’ is the name of the 

sister brand of Ti Sento which 

represents modern and customisable 

jewellery at an excellent 

BWDN: When did you start making 

jewellery? 

Gaia: The Utopia brand was born 

in 2000. At that time, pearl jewellery 

was still tied to traditional 

clichés: classic strings of pearls, a 

pair of earrings. Modern jewellery 

with pearls was rarely seen. We 

wanted to refresh this niche market, 

and we took a risk. 

BWDN: You certainly weren’t 

alone in launching a new brand of 

jewellery. 

Gaia: Our gamble was in proposing 

an innovative item. From the 

concept of the pearl necklace handed 

down from mother to daughter, 

we shifted to a true jewel, using Italian 

design, that even young women 

are happy to purchase. 

BWDN: Do you design the 

jewellery? 

Gaia: I can contribute but we have 

a team of designers. We choose 

some from outside the sector if 

they can contribute by thinking 

outside the box. Then it’s up to us 

to turn good but quite abstract 

ideas into real jewels. 

BWDN: Would it be wrong to say 

that nature is an inspiration for you? 

Gaia: No, that’s so right: 

nature and abstract 

forms. The Bolero collection 

is based on a 

ramage inspired by jasmine, 

others resemble 

olive branches. The new 

collection, Melodia, is an 

abstraction of the notes on a 

pentagram. 

BWDN: Australian and Tahitian 

pearls are generally large in 

diameter. 

Gaia: We’re certainly talking 

about pearls that are not intended 

for the mass market and we 

even have a collection of unique 

pieces, sometimes designed 

around the unique shape of a 

pearl, very different to all the 

others. We also cater to a less 

elitist customer, however! There’s 

our Simply Utopia collection 

where 2,000 euros will buy a 

small but beautiful item with an 

Australian pearl. 

BWDN: Is the jewellery sold 

worldwide? 

Gaia: In lots of countries. In the 

U.S. we have an office in Manhattan 

and the jewels are carried by 

Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Ave- 

Paying homage to the African Savannah 

Ti Sento is presenting the Terra collection at BASELWORLD 

price-performance ratio. All of the 

charm pendants are handmade in 

rhodinised sterling silver and 

impress with their exceptional 

quality. The collection includes 

some 360 charm pendants. New 

this year is the Tropics Collection. 

Palm leaves, shells and blue stones, 

reminiscent of lagoons, transport 

the wearer to untouched sandy 

beaches on an exotic island. A 

sense of yearning is evoked. 

The IBB distributing agency from 

Amsterdam is behind the Ti Sento 

brand. The translation of the 

Italian name is ‘I feel you!’ Ti 

Sento is a much sought-after silver 

jewellery brand in the highend 

sector. Jewellery enthusiasts 

of all ages are impressed by its 

unique design. Ti Sento is now 

represented in over 32 countries. 

The brand has already won 

numerous awards and impresses 

with its quality processing, 

design, well-devised goods presentation 

systems and marketing 

concepts. 

As a high fashion label, Ti Sento 

is always in tune with the latest 

developments in the Italian fashion 

capital of Milan. The latest 

catwalk trends are subtly reflected 

in the Ti Sento collections. (ahe) 

■ 2.1, F85 

Ti Sento shows its new Terra Collection at BASELWORLD for the first time. 

Cocktail rings with 

pearls by Utopia. 

nue and many independent jewellers. 

In Russia we have very good 

distribution through the Mercury 

retail chain. We’re in leading 

Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan 

jewellers, and we’re expanding 

distribution in the Gulf States and 

western Europe. 

BWDN: So Utopia has become 

reality! 

Gaia: The pearl is not just a business, 

it’s a passion. Before Utopia 

existed, I wanted some field experience 

so I spent months on a 

pearl farm in Australia. I worked 

on selection, putting together 

strings and pairs, I studied the 

internal classification system. 

There I discovered that although 

two pearls could be similar, they 

were never identical, because 

they’re a fruit of nature. 


motored by Italian passion 

QUATTRO VALVOLE 44 CHRONOGRAPH 

The unique wristwatch inspired by speed and technology. 

Italian design. Swiss made. 

www.meccanicheveloci.com 

MARCH 8_15, 2012 

Hall 1.1_Booth D71

PAGE 39 TECHNIQUE 

CNC machines are the workhorses 

of the watch industry and the 

jewellery industry as well. Manufacturers 

require the machines to 

offer a high level of accuracy and 

to be available around the clock 

with no downtime. 

CNC mill turn machines with 

linear drives and five axles are 

exhibited by Bumotec under the 

name of S-191 Linear and by Willemin-Macodel 

(3U, G20) in the 

form of the 508 MT. The aim is to 

use bars for turning and milling 

various watch components so precisely 

that they no longer require 

finishing afterwards. The multiposition 

automatic back-working 

device option from Willemin- 

Lampert Werkzeugtechnik is presenting 

its new generation welding 

device, the PUK 4. “It was 

time we came up with something 

new, ten years after presenting 

the first device,” says managing 

director Harald Lampert with a 

smile. The company has refined 

its user-friendliness and user 

interface in particular. There is 

now a display where users can 

choose what they want to do 

by selecting parameters such as 

the material, performance and 

processing time. In other words, 

whether a post will be attached 

or work is taking place in a narrow 

corner. The machine then 

makes the necessary adjustments. 

Users can also operate the PUK 

4 with a mix of the display and 

At this year’s BASELWORLD, 

Ferdinand Eisele presents a development 

aimed at customers with 

enhanced security requirements 

for their goods. The WrapTags 

range of labels protects printed 

data against manipulation. 

When folded, two transparent 

label surfaces enclose the previously 

printed sides. As a consequence, 

the label is practically 

wrapped in its own protective 

coating. Covered by their hardwearing 

covering, texts or codes 

are secure from mechanical and 

chemical influences. In the pearl 

TUESDAY. MARCH 13. 2012 

Benzinger improved radius support for rings. Willemin Macodel offer linear drive for five axle device. Various tools for one machine. 

CNC reacts to watch trends 

Rising turnover is fuelling interest in ever faster and precise machines 

Macodel is particularly exciting. 

It has a milling speed of 42,000 

rpm. Also on display is the 401 

Pa for platinum processing. Platinum 

tools can be processed on 

both sides using this device without 

the need for re-clamping. 

Bumotec (3U, F40) is presenting 

a new configuration of the S-191. 

The mill-turn solution can be 

used to process bars with a diameter 

of up to 65 mm. “The watches 

are getting bigger and therefore 

we need to process bars of this 

diameter,” says Guy Ballif, direction 

sales manager at Bumotec. 

Watch models are also becoming 

more complicated. Bumotec has 

reacted to this with a compre- 

PUK 4 with simpler user interface 

Harald Lampert shows PUK 4. 

WrapTags seal themselves 

rotary knobs. These knobs can 

be used to adjust the performance 

and time during the work. 

The company is also presenting 

an additional tool for the PUK 

4 whereby posts can be quickly 

connected to earrings in one single 

step. (pgl) ■ 3.U, H60 

label version, the threads of the 

pearlstring are laid into the open 

label and secured within the label 

upon folding. They are then 

wrapped in the protective coating 

and sealed with the secured label. 

The labels can be used in more 

versatile ways than tags. Applied 

either semi-automatically via 

a pricing gun or manually via 

textile thread with security seal, 

they can be applied to practically 

every type of jewellery. A wraparound 

label is also conceivable 

for use without thread. (pgl) ■ 

3.2, L02 

hensive set of 90 different tools. 

“We are a global manufacturer of 

all watch components. The aim 

is to be able to produce all parts 

such as movements, straps, cases 

and jewellery in just one single 

work process,” says Ballif. A key 

requirement for customers is that 

the machine can be used around 

the clock, seven days a week. 

Benzinger (3U, E20) also includes 

numerous new developments 

to its machinery series. GoRing, 

a turning machine for rings, now 

offers a solution with radius support. 

This makes it even easier to 

create better surfaces. The company 

is also presenting a device 

for adding guilloche engraving to 

jewellery items or rings with its 

six-axle machine 5@work, a fiveaxle 

processing centre for fullyautomated 

decorating, milling 

and diamond and stone setting 

on rings, watch cases, and jewellery 

items. The Four C comes 

with new additions for measuring 

stones. 

Crevoisier (3U, M20) is exhibiting 

a robot which can do everything 

from the loading of the 

machines to the final processing 

of the watch components. 

“The concept has been developed 

further and the ergonomics significantly 

improved,” says Didier 

Migy, techno-commercial manager 

at Crevoisier. (pgl) ■ 

Gems sparkle finer 

DiaLumen Lighting System 

shows new overhead lamps for 

sale’s table with correlated colour 

temperature variator, a newly 

developed very strong LED strip 

in neutral white colour with light 

concentrator for watches and a 

tiny moving magic light. 

When brilliant-cut diamonds and 

coloured gemstones are placed 

under halogen lamps in jewellery 

store windows, they are not 

presented at their best: their magnificent 

sparkle and beauty can 

not be seen appropriately. 

DiaLumen has developed a system 

which uses LEDs to emit 

cold and warm light, alternately. 

The founders Cyril and Jean- 

Claude Pilet have worked on 

the wavelength so that the light 

makes the diamonds sparkle and 

then add primary color LEDs. 

This recreates the daylight. 

The second development is that 

the LEDs move at random. This 

makes the sheen of the stones 

look very natural, as it would 

when worn or catching the sunlight. 

The developer has selected 

different LEDs for displaying coloured 

gemstones and exhibiting 

diamonds. The solution is adapted 

to customer requirements. 

(pgl) ■ 3.1, L62

Organised by the GJEPC, top companies 

showcase the best of Indian craftsmanship at 

the INDIA PAVILION at Baselworld 2012. 

The story of Indian jewellery is one of passion and the second time ever at Basel, India’s expertise is 

beauty. Long and absorbing, inspired by nature being showcased at INDIA PALACE, in addition 

and traditions, it is an eternal process of artistic to the India Pavilion at Hall 6, Booth H40 which is 

imagination and fine craftsmanship. By the third spread over 140 square meters. Handpicked by the 

century BC, India was the leading exporter of Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, 47 

gemstones, in particular diamonds - a reputation exhibitors include the best of Indian innovation. 

which India continues to enjoy even today. 

In an area allocated to them by the GJEPC, they 

Jewellery design is so versatile in India that it showcase their most exclusive pieces, promoting 

varies from state to state. Different regions of India 

boast of jewellery making techniques unique to 

India as a “design destination” internationally. 

them, offering the world an unimaginable variety The choice is multitudinous - from Aditya Gems 

of styles. 

in Mumbai (northwestern India) with their fancy 

colour, white, brown, black in full cut, rose cut, 

Switzerland shows the world, the best of Indian beads and briolette diamonds to Noore Gems 

gems and jewellery industry, which converge of Chennai (south India) with aquamarines, 

under the India Pavilion at Baselworld 2012. India bi-colour tourmalines, paraiba tourmalines, 

is all set to dazzle this year at BASELWORLD. For rubellites, spessartites, blue moonstones and 

sphenes; from Mamraj 

India Pavilion at Hall 2 (Booth H40) & 6 

Musaddilal Jewellers & 

Pearls Dealers of Hyderabad 

Participants Booth No. 

(southeastern coast of 

ACPL Products Pvt. Ltd. Gamma A21 India) showcasing Victorian 

Aditya Gems 

Bapalal Keshavlal 

Beauty Creation Pvt. Ltd. 

Gamma B31 

Gamma C10 

Delta B17/21 

jewellery to Bapalal 

Keshavlal’s exquisitely 

Bombay Jewellery Manufacturers Delta A16 

designed necklace sets, 

California Collection (India) 

Dharmanandan Diamonds Pvt Ltd. 

Dwarka Gems Ltd. 

Gamma B20/16 

Gamma D17 

Gamma E14 

rings, pendants, earrings, 

bracelets, in 18 karat gold 

Everest Enterprise Gamma D14 studded with diamonds, 

Gehna Classics 

Gem International 

Gemco Designs 

Delta B15 

Gamma D20 

Gamma A11 

pearls, precious & semiprecious 

stones. With this 

Gems N Crafts (Export) Gamma C20 and much more from all 

Glorious Jewellery (I) Pvt. Ltd. 

H.K. Designs (India) 

Hari Darshan Exports 

Gamma B11 

Delta B11 

Gamma B17 

regions of India, the search 

for all that in unique and 

Inter Continental Gems Gamma F32 luxury ends at the India 

Intercarat Jewelry Pvt. Ltd. 

Jatin Gems 

Gamma D11 

Gamma B14 

Pavilion at Baselworld 2012. 

Jewelex India Pvt. Ltd. Delta A14 

Karats & Carats Gamma D16 Being a DTC Sightholder, 

Kushal Ratn 

Livingstones Jewellery Pvt. Ltd. 

Mamraj Musaddilal Jewellers & Pearls Dealers 

Gamma D31 

Gamma B15 

Gamma C15 

Dharmanandan Diamonds 

offers its clients enhanced 

Mamta Exports Gamma E31 consistency, reliability 

Noore Gems 

Pihu Gems 

Priority Jewels Pvt. Ltd. 

Gamma C30 

Gamma D30 

Gamma A15 

in supply, assurance in 

authenticity and integrity. 

Purnapurshottam Exports Gamma E16 It offers both diamond & 

R.K. Color Diamonds Pvt. Ltd. 

Ratnakala Exports Pvt. Ltd. 

S P Gems Pvt. Ltd. 

Delta A20 

Gamma D21 

Gamma B21 

diamond jewellery with 

certified & non-certified 

Sabir Jewellers Gamma F 30/31 stones. 

Sejal Exports Gamma C17 

Shankar Jewels Ltd. 

Shantivijay Jewels Ltd. 

Gamma C16 

Gamma C14 Livingstones Jewellery 

Sheru Gems Gamma E30 manufactures high-end 

Shital Diam 

Shwet Ratan Impex 

Singhal Gems 

Gamma C21 

Gamma B10 

Gamma C31 

jewellery catering to 

various markets as per 

Star Lapdiary Gamma C32 the requirements. Here, 

Star Rays 

Sunjewels International Ltd. 

Tara Jewels Ltd. 

Gamma E20 

Delta A10 

Gamma E10 

customers find unique 

designs with the help of 

Uni Design Jewellery Pvt. Ltd. 

Venus Jewel 

Viva Jewels 

Gamma D10 

Gamma C11 

Gamma A17 

skilled designers and laser 

technology. 

With US$ 172 million online sales in 2011 

through their company website, Venus Jewel 

is synonymous with the finest quality of 

diamonds. It is reputable in the industry as a 

DTC Sightholder, RioTinto Select Diamantaire 

and BHP’s Canadamark Approved Manufacturer, 

specializing in high- end solitaires from 0.50- 

15.00 carats, in all shapes. 

A young dynamic company, Jewelex India’s 

vision is to become “a quality jewellery company 

comparable to the best in the world”. It has a 

global reach through its affiliates worldwide. At 

Baselworld they carry a collection of diamondstudded 

jewellery in various metals including 

platinum and palladium. 

Sejal Exports is one of the leading suppliers of 

small-sized diamonds, especially from 0.005 

points to 7 points, in all cuts, clarity and colours, 

with a portfolio in GIA, IGI & HRD certified 

stones. 

Evolved from a small family business established 

in 1939, into an international brand – awarded for 

highest exports in 2003, Bapalal Keshavlal caters 

to a specific customer need – that of possessing 

an object of beauty; refined and distinctive. The 

company is able to realize unspoken desires, and 

with its marvelous manufacturing capacity. Their 

main export destinations are Australia, Hong 

Kong, Middle East, Europe, USA, South America 

& Caribbean Islands. 

Seven hundred full time employees, including 

over 40 skilled designers and model makers 

constantly create designs for different 

tastes at Sunjewels International - A 

leading manufacturer and exporter of 

high quality diamond and colour stone 

jewellery in gold and silver. 

A leading DTC Sightholder, Uni 

Design Jewellery enjoys a global 

reputation for integrity, unwavering 

& demonstrable product quality, 

dedication to customer needs and 

exceptional standards of excellence provided 

consistently. 

Since it was founded in 

2008, Priority Jewels has 

consistently prioritized 

innovation in design and 

customer satisfaction by 

using the latest technologies 

and continues to do so. Armed 

with eight offices across India 

and three overseas; Italy, USA 

and Dubai the company is highly 

respected. 

Established in 1992, Bombay 

Jewellery Manufacturer’s is a 

leading exporter 

of fine diamond 

studded 

jewellery, 

produced at its 

state-of-the-art 

factory in Seepz, 

with a dedicated 

workforce of over 200 

technicians including 

designers, model makers and 

CAD-CAM specialists. 

At Gemco Designs one sees fine designer jewellery, 

ethnic Indian collections, vintage reproductions, 

and Victorian & rose cuts. Since 1974, Gemco 

Designs is serving customers globally. 

Already exporting worldwide, Tara Jewels has 

a vision to be among the top global leaders 

in the fine jewellery manufacturing industry, 

with outstanding product development, built 

on an intense passion for innovation, technical 

advancement and creative thinking. It caters to 

all categories of product in diamond and colour 

stones, in gold, silver and platinum. 

Mumbai based Inter Carat Jewelry produce 

diamond studded gold jewellery, catering to the 

high end, quality oriented European, USA, Middle 

East and the domestic Indian markets. 

Written by Pooja Agarwal

PAGE 41 


Watch out – gems on the loose! 

Join the hunt in the Hall of Elements for loose colour, loose diamonds, natural pearls 

Today is the day that we bring 

you a few of our favourite finds 

from the week, whether it’s diamonds, 

coloured gems, or pearls, 

there’s so much to see and so 

much to do here in the Hall of 

Elements − hall 3. 

Let us walk you through the 

maze of loose gems as we present 

to you these images of beauty. 

Natural pearls − 

as natural as you get 

There is nothing that says ‘natural’ 

better than a strand of natural 

pearls. Mother Nature’s oysters 

give up these round glowing 

globes of nacre just for our enjoyment. 

But finding enough pearls 

to create a five strand beautifully 

matching all natural pearl 

necklace with sizes ranging from 

4 ½ mm to 10 ½ mm is extremely 

difficult, and unusually rare, like 

the ones shown here from Meru- 

Giri Gems DMCC Vishrut (3.1, 

C56). A collection of pearls like 

this can take years to collect and 

build. And this is not the only 

necklace we saw here. Since each 

one is unique, you really have 

to see them for yourself. And 

BASELWORLD may be the only 

opportunity you have to be able 

to choose from so many. Look 

for evenness of lustre, blemishes, 

shape, and colour over the entire 

necklace. 

Mozambique rarities 

The colourful tourmalines coming 

out of Mozambique are 

incredible, from purples, violets, 

magentas and cranberry. Seen at 

Ekkehard F. Schneider (3.1, L11) 

were these beautiful examples of 

what can be produced without 

any enhancement − other than 

excellent cutting by Schneider, of 

course. (No heat.) 

Outstanding pair of 

demantoid garnets 

Incredible! Fantastic! What else 

can we say? To find one beautiful 

5 carat demantoid is one thing, 

but to find two that match? Stunning 

indeed! Leave it to Constantin 

Wild (3.1, C19) to bring the 

best to BASELWORLD. Wild 

is absolutely enthusiastic about 

this gorgeous pair of chrome 

green Russian demantoids. They 

are 10.5 mm each − wow − and 

weigh 11.5 carats total weight. 

Constantin says it’s the finest 

pair he has ever found! 

Diamonds − don’t leave 

Basel without them 

While there are plenty of loose 

diamond suppliers here in hall 

3, we saw this magnificent trio at 

AS Diamonds (3.0, G60) that we 

wanted to share. The large marquise 

in front, D/VVS1, weighs 

15.59 carats. That’s a 22.49-carat 

emerald cut in the back, and to 

round out our three, a 10.09-carat 

G/VVS1. 

A nice collection of fancy 

coloured diamonds 

Two years ago, we saw the Pluczenik 

(3.0, D30) 6-carat Fancy 

A 5-strand necklace of wonderful natural pearls, with diamond clasp, from Vishrut (3.1, C56). 

A very rare necklace of natural black pearls, from Vishrut (3.1, C56). 

Deep Blue. Last year, we saw 

the matched pair of Fancy Vivid 

yellows at Rachminov Diamonds 

(3.0, C40). This year, we have 

a beautiful duet − a Fancy Vivid 

Blue oval, 4.55 cts., and a 

Fancy Vivid purplish-pink cushion, 

3.06 cts., from SwissDiam 

Genève (3.0, L50). When you 

look for fancy colour diamonds, 

make sure to look for evenness of 

colour throughout in the face-up 

position. As you can see in these 

two gems, they have it all − vivid 

colour all over. 

Following Laurence Graff 

World-renowned gem connoisseur 

and jeweller, Laurence 

Graff, was seen in hall 3 the 

other day, looking for coloured 

gems. He landed at Yavorskyy 

(3.1, C30). Gems here are beautifully 

cut, most unusually eye 

clean, and great depth of colour. 

Seen here we decided to share 

with you some screaming colour, 

a matched pair of incredibly 

deep red spinels (15.66 cts. t.w.), 

and a marvelous mandarin garnet 

(10.37 cts.). Alongside these 

beauties we found a beautiful 

little sweet mint green grossular 

garnet, from Vitalit, sharing the 

Yavorskyy booth (3.1, C30). 

The big yellow drop 

Stopping us in our tracks was a 

huge diamond briolette, Fancy 

Intense yellow, from Marc Lazar 

(3.0, L21). Lazar always has nice 

colour, as well as colourless diamonds, 

so maybe it wasn’t such 

a surprise that he had quite the 

stunning briolette. Gorgeous! 

Last but not least 

Our tour of the hall of gems ends 

with the gems at Nomad’s Co. 

(3.1, M30) and showing you two 

very stunning gems, a beautiful 

14.98 cts. Afghani Indicolite blue 

tourmaline, alongside a magnificent 

27.95 cts. Brazilian pink 

topaz. Like Yavorskyy, you will 

find here all beautifully cut and 

eye clean gems. (gr) n 

Pink topaz and blue tourmaline, from Nomad’s 

(3.1, M30). 

Matched red spinels, mandarin garnet, 

and mint grossular garnet, from Yavorskyy 

Fabulous colour Mozambique tourmalines, 

unheated, from Ekkehard Schneider (3.1, L11). 

The big trio of diamonds, from AS Diamonds 

(3.0, G60). 

GEMSTONES 

Magnificent pair of Russian demantoids, 

from Constantin Wild (3.1, C19). 

Fancy Vivid blue and pink diamonds, 

from SwissDiam Genève (3.0, L50). 

and Vitalit (3.1, C30). A really big briolette – 75 carats Fancy Intense yellow, from Marc Lazar (3.0, L21).

BASELWORLD.COM 

THE NEW ERA 

STARTING 

APRIL 25, 2013

T O Y 2 F LY 

WWW.TOY-WATCH.IT 

BASELWORLD 2012 HALL 1.1 - BOOTH E71

COUNTRIES 


PAGE 44 

Shenzhen presents the best of China 

Luxury watches and jewellery continue to gain popularity 

The China (Shenzhen) pavilion 

in hall 6 is well represented 

with 14 top watch and jewellery 

companies exhibiting at BASEL- 

WORLD 2012. The Shenzhen 

Municipal Trade Promotion 

Committee and the Shenzhen 

Watch & Clock Association is 

responsible for organizing the 

China (Shenzhen) pavilion, 

which continues to use the style 

of the Chinese national flag to 

promote Shenzhen on the international 

arena. 

Shenzhen is a major city in the 

south of China’s Guangdong 

Province, situated immediately 

north of Hong Kong. Participating 

in the China (Shenzhen) 

pavilion, spanning an area of 

468 sq meters, are a total of 

14 watch and jewellery exhibitors 

from Shenzhen, including 

international brands like TTF. At 

the same time, the Guangming 

district has a booth at BASEL- 

WORLD to promote its brands 

and products from the watch 

industry based in Shenzhen. 

For the first time in 2009, the 

Shenzhen watch and clock industry 

was represented at BASEL- 

WORLD. Many promotions 

secured the attention of numerous 

visitors, and was extremely 

well received by the Chinese and 

international markets. Following 

their success, the Shenzhen 

watch and clock industry is back 

again this year. 

China shines 

“Among the many pavilions at 

BASELWORLD, hall 1, the most 

prestigious hall is no doubt the 

most striking and sought after 

by exhibitors, as it showcases 

the top international brands, 

the latest trends in the season 

and the latest technology,” says 

Pauline Chen, assistant manager 

of the Shenzhen Watch & Clock 

Association. Chinese brand Fiyta 

is once again situated close to 

brands like Patek Philippe, Rolex 

and Omega. “This is undoubtedly 

a milestone for the Chinese 

watch industry: to have one 

of their own amongst these top 

brands,” states Chen. “BASEL- 

WORLD is the annual showcase 

of the world’s leading watch and 

jewellery brands. It is a grand 

assembly and exchange of the 

world’s watch and the jewellery 

trade.” 

Especially prepared for BASEL- 

WORLD 2012, Fiyta showcases 

the Photographer, Impression, 

Triumph and the notable Aviation 

series, displaying the master 

craftsmen’s mechanical skills. 

The commemorative wristwatch, 

designed by Fiyta for the Shenzhou 

VII Memorial and Mars 

500 event, is also part of the 

Aviation series. 

TTF considers BASELWORLD to be the perfect platform to present its newest collection. 

Oriental charm 

Since 2006, TTF has showcased 

their unique jewellery, with a 

touch of oriental essence at 

BASELWORLD. This year, TTF’s 

high-end bespoke custom jewellery 

makes their grand debut 

at the show. On 9 March, TTF 

launched their 2012 Lunar New 

Year showcase to celebrate the 

‘Year of the Dragon’ with a 

grand party at BASELWORLD. 

At this jewellery extravaganza, 

TTF collaborated with six young 

Chinese artists to create jewellery 

in the dragon theme, based 

on traditional Chinese culture, 

while at the same time giving 

their own interpretation of the 

charm of oriental culture − thus 

bringing an awareness of one of 

China’s high-end brands to the 

global arena. Making its debut 

at BASELWORLD 2012 is The 

Lady by TTF: a necklace made 

with exquisite bluish-green tourmalines 

and diamonds in 18 

karat gold. The main feature is 

the long 52.12 carat centre tourmaline, 

measuring 85 mm, eyecatching, 

precious and very rare. 

“We appreciate the high class of 

BASELWORLD and we believe 

it to be the absolutely best platform 

for jewellery companies to 

present themselves,” states Frank 

Wu, CEO of TTF. “Our company 

focuses on high-end jewellery 

and we think BASELWORLD 

is paramount in identifying our 

strength in high-end products. 

The show is an ideal match for 

our branding identity.” 

Growing economy 

Exports to the European Union 

from China rose 14 percent in 

2011 after a 32 percent rise in 

2010, according to data from 

China’s customs administration. 

Leaders are trying to ensure that 

the expansion slows to no less 

than an average targeted pace 

of 7 percent for the next five 

years. In the past, Shenzhen 

watch export companies focused 

on doing OEM. After experiencing 

the financial crisis, many 

companies worked to strengthen 

management, develop technology 

to improve product design and 

to manufacture new products. 

Meanwhile, the policy changes 

made by the government gave 

stimulus to boost the economy. 

Credit conditions were loosened, 

taxes cut and the government 

embarked on a massive infrastructure-spending 

program in a wideranging 

effort to offset adverse 

global economic conditions. 

At the same time, Shenzhen jewellers 

have ramped up production 

and marketing activities. 

Manufacturers in the jewellery 

processing and distribution hub 

of Shenzhen City in Guangdong 

Province have stepped up 

their marketing activities and 

are expanding their manufactur- 

ing capacities to meet growing 

domestic and overseas demand. 

The main market 

During 2011, China as a country 

moved up to third place in the 

ranking of Swiss watch exports, 

thanks to the biggest increase 

among the main markets. Watch 

exports’ total value to China was 

CHF 1,636.3 million and the percentage 

variation by comparison 

with 2010 was +48.7%, according 

to the Federation of Swiss 

Watch Industry FH. Currently, 

the customs duty for an imported 

watch above RMB 10,000 is 30%; 

making the same watch sold in 

mainland China comparatively 

more expensive than other countries. 

Nevertheless, the Chinese 

market is experiencing consistent 

growth rates each year. Department 

stores and boutique stores 

are the main channels of sales 

for luxury watches in China. The 

market size for these channels 

in China is estimated to reach 

Fiyta showcases several new collections which were specially prepared for this year's BASELWORLD. 

Necklace with exquisite gemstones by TTF. 

approximately at least RMB 

72 billion in 2012, an increase 

of 20% from 2011. The average 

price for exclusive watches 

reached RMB 6,800 last year and 

for 2012, this figure is set to rise 

up to RMB 7,200. 

International luxury brands are 

continously establishing their 

own sales outlets in China, especially 

in Beijing and Shanghai. 

Sales revenue for western brands 

currently operating in China, has 

generated more than 85% of the 

Chinese exclusive watch market 

in 2011. This is remarkably 

high, considering the number of 

brands, which have entered the 

market, is still small. Chinese are 

the core target for global luxury 

brands, and wearing a wristwatch 

of a well-known brand is a sign 

of prestige in China today. The 

growth prospects are optimistic, 

as the Chinese government 

has plans to further reduce the 

import duty on luxury goods. 

(pa) ■

INDEPENDENT LUXURY BRANDS WITH A USP. 

Jaermann & Stübi invented the fi rst golf watch with 

a mechanical complication which counts the strokes 

during play and compares the score with the handicap. 

This innovation made the brand the offi cial time piece 

licensee of St Andrews Links, The Home of Golf. 

www.jaermann-stuebi.com 

Vulcain was founded in 1858 and is the inventor of 

the alarm complication for wristwatches. This innovation 

made the brand popular with American presidents 

starting with Harry S. Truman, earning the 

brand its reputation as “The Watch for Presidents”. 

www.vulcain-watches.ch 

BOOTH ON THE 3RD FLOOR OF HOTEL RAMADA PLAZA AT MESSEPLATZ (FAIRGROUNDS). FAIRGROUNDS TOWER. 

FIFTY METERS FROM HALL 1 ACROSS THE SQUARE. 

JAERMANN & STÜBI AND VULCAIN ARE BRANDS OF THE EXCELLENCE HOLDING AG.

INTERNATIONAL MARKETS PAGE 46 


The best of Korea’s industry in Basel 

KOTRA and KOWIC welcome international visitors and hope for new partnerships 

Watches from Korea (from above left): Lachaud by Yoo Kyoung, Chagal by Orient Watch, Ecco Watch. 

Gold price soars 

Jewellery demand drops 

Relative price performance in 2011 for various assets 

MSCI EM 

MSCI EAFE 

Silver (USD/oz) 

S&P 500 

JP Morgan US Cash 

S&P GSCI 

Gold (USD/oz) 

BarCap US Tsy Agg 

Brent crude (USD/bbl) 

Gold outperforms the most assets. 

-25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 

Return 

The World Gold Council’s Gold 

Demand Trends tracks the continued 

upward trend of the price of 

gold and the factors that are driving 

it. During 2011, the price of gold 

rose by 9%, ending the year at 

USD 1,531, marking the 11th consecutive 

year of price increases. 

During the first part of January 

2012, the price of gold continued 

its upward trend above the USD 

1,600 level. A strong rise in investment 

demand drove the growth in 

overall demand, as investors across 

the globe sought wealth preservation, 

portfolio diversification and 

strong returns. Investment demand 

was the sole driver of the year-onyear 

increase in global gold demand 

source: Barclays Capital, Bloomberg, J.P. Morgan, World Gold Council 

during the third quarter, expanding 

by 33% year-on-year. 

Global demand for gold jewellery 

in Q3, however, was 10% below 

year-earlier levels as surging gold 

prices during a period of economic 

fragility hampered demand. In value 

terms, demand reached a quarterly 

record of USD 25.5 billion, 

24% higher than Q3 2010. Overall, 

Third quarter 2011 gold demand 

increased 6% year-on-year to 

1,053.9 tonnes, worth a record 

USD 57.7 billion. 

Gold jewellery demand in the U.S. 

extended its downward trend during 

the third quarter. The high gold 

price environment, in the context 

of continued economic difficulties, 

The Korea Trade-Investment and 

Promotion Agency (KOTRA), 

which promotes trade of Korean 

industries, together with the 

Korea Watch & Clock Industry 

Cooperative (KOWIC) host the 

Korea pavilion at BASEL- 

WORLD 2012. 

Exhibiting in Switzerland every 

year since 1988, KOWIC hopes 

that many new and profitable 

relationships will be formed 

between the Korean companies 

and international visitors at the 

show. “BASELWORLD is the 

most important networking place 

to meet our long-term partners 

and to discover new partners 

from all over the world, and at 

the same time to present our 

creations and technology,” states 

Dae-Boong Kim, executive director 

of KOWIC. Six Korean companies, 

mainly watchmakers, represent 

the best of the industry at 

BASELWORLD. With Romanson’s 

booth in hall 5 and SWC in 

hall 2, the remaining booths are 

located in hall 6. There are a large 

variety of new products on offer 

with brand concepts. 

resulted in a 12% decline in the 

volume of demand to 30.9 tonnes. 

In value terms, demand was 

up 23% year-on-year at USD 1.7 

billion. In a continuation of the 

trends that we have noted for some 

time, gold jewellery continues to 

suffer at the hands of an unconstructive 

economic environment. 

The trend among major retail 

chains for lighter-weight gold jewellery, 

gem-set and silver jewellery is 

now increasingly filtering down to 

the independent retailers. Substitution 

to alternative materials is an 

ongoing pattern, with steel jewellery 

growing in popularity in the 

face of the rising price of silver. Q3 

was another weak quarter for the 

European markets. Gold jewellery 

demand in Italy and the UK fell by 

22% and 15% respectively from the 

year-earlier period. Fresh record 

highs in the gold price combined 

with a very fragile European economic 

scenario served to weaken 

demand for gold jewellery in both 

markets. 

Gold recycling amounted to 426.5 

tonnes in Q3, a rise of 13% yearon-year. 

However, taken in the context 

of the 39% rise in the quarterly 

average price over the same period, 

this can be interpreted as a relatively 

subdued result. Despite new 

record prices, the supply of recycled 

gold was still well below the 

Romanson carries the brand 

Romanson; Ecco showcases the 

watch brand Ecco and ceramic 

jewellery; Orient Watch carries 

the brand Chagal; SWC presents 

the brands HAAS & CIE, SWC 

and Ceci; the company Yoo 

Kyoung manufactures the brand 

Lachaud; and Benevita exhibits 

Zaspero. 

New brand concepts 

‘The Premier’ concept of elegant 

spider and angular spider watches 

is new at BASELWORLD from 

Romanson. SWC is unravelling 

new brand concepts with dressy 

and elegant watches together 

with modern classic styles, and 

with fine finishing made in stainless 

steel with Swiss movements. 

Using unique ceramic crystallization 

technologies, Ecco creates 

beauty in the form of recrystallized 

rubies, sapphire and other 

gemstones. Orient introduces traditional 

watches through the 

brand Chagal. Benevita displays 

luxurious designs under Zaspero. 

Since 2006, Swiss brands share 81 

percent of the Korean watch mar- 

quarterly high of 609.8 tonnes 

from Q1 2009, at a time when 

average prices were still below 

USD 1,000. 

This restraint in recycling activity is 

indicative of the expectation 

among gold consumers for higher 

prices, as well as a lack of near market 

supplies of old gold. Many of 

the old, out-dated items of jewellery 

that consumers may want to 

sell have already been flushed out 

in prior waves of recycling. For 

investors, the price levels at which 

they would be happy to take profits 

on their holdings of gold bars and 

coins are being revised ever higher 

in light of the new record gold 

price set during the quarter. (cb) ■ 

Photo: Thinkstock 

ket. According to the Federation 

of the Swiss Watch Industry FH, 

Korea is ranked as the 11th county 

in sales of Swiss watches worldwide, 

and 3rd among the top 30 

countries expected to rise. KOW- 

IC is trying to avoid the unbalanced 

watch market in Korea by 

supporting the export of Korean 

watch components. To this effect, 

in 2005, the Kaesong Industry 

complex in North Korea was 

established to reduce watch production 

prices. According to 

KOWIC, 80 watch manufacturing 

companies comprise the 

watch production industry of 

Korea; watch distributors and 

retailers total up to 120 and the 

industry employs about 1,200 

people. (pa) ■ 

Korean watch exports 

Year Volume (USD 

thousands) 

source: Korea Custom Office 

Change (%) 

2010 77,527 10.8 

2011 82.931 7.0 

Indians love gold 

India is currently the world’s biggest 

gold market and will influence 

physical demand considerably 

in the future. According to 

the World Gold Council (WGC), 

demand last year stood at 1,059 

tonnes. Of this, 659.9 tonnes 

went to the jewellery industry 

and 409.1 to coins and gold bars. 

During the same period, global 

demand for gold stood at 3,427 

tonnes. Thanks to the economic 

boom experienced by India over 

the last few years, sales of gold 

have also increased. For many, 

buying gold is the only way of 

putting something aside for old 

age. The consequence: Indians 

own a total of 18,000 tonnes of 

gold corresponding to more than 

USD 800 billion or 11 percent 

of the world’s total gold volume. 

However, Indians do not buy 

gold at any price. When gold 

reached an all-time high of close 

to USD 2,000 per troy ounce 

last year, demand fell substantially. 

Interestingly, the Indian 

government’s announcement that 

import tax on silver and gold 

would be increased by 6 percent 

and 2 percent respectively, with 

immediate effect, had no impact 

on the gold market. (ahe) ■

BRand FacT 

Order fulfillment within 48 hours. 

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HALL 1.1 . BOOTH E31

VILLAGE | CELEBS | IMPRINT PAGE 48 


Impressions from The Village 

Meeting a true legend of racing Geneva in Basel 

He is one of the most successful 

racing drivers of all time: Jacques 

Bernard “Jacky” Ickx won the 

24-hour Le Mans race a total of 

five times. We met the motor sports 

legend at Chopard. 

BWDN: Chopard has dedicated five 

editions of the Jacky Ickx chronograph 

to you. What does this tribute 

mean to you? 

Jacky Ickx: The Jacky Ickx Edition is 

the result of trusting each other and 

sharing the same passion: for automobiles 

and for watches. Whenever 

I doubted that the idea would work, 

■ IMPRINT 

BASELWORLD Daily News 

A publication by Untitled Verlag und 

Agentur GmbH & Co. KG 

Managing Director: 

Dr. Christian Jürgens 

Editors: 

Watches: Iris Wimmer-Olbort (iwi), Sabine 

Zwettler (sz), William George Shuster (wgs) 

Jewellery: Nina Hald (nh), Axel Henselder 

(ahe), Christel Trimborn (cete) 

Gemstones: Gary Roskin (gr) 

Countries/International Markets: Axel 

Henselder (ahe), Dr. Roberto Chilleri (rc) 

Technique: Pia Grund-Ludwig (pgl) 

Village: Anja Szerdi (as) 

Karl-Friedrich Scheufele proved me 

wrong. So far each of the editions 

has been very successful. I would be 

lying if I said that I didn’t like the 

idea and the watches. 

BWDN: Can the success of a watch 

brand be compared to the success of 

a racing driver? 

Ickx: Definitely. When you are 

young, you think you are the best. 

When you grow up, you realise that 

your successes in life depend on the 

people you meet and work with. 

Today, I know that every person is 

worthy of respect − even if their 

share in your success is small. 

BWDN: What do racing and 

supremely accurate timekeeping 

have in common? 

Ickx: They are both based on the 

same principle: there are no limits 

in development and technology, 

neither in racing nor in developing 

new watches. Innovative materials 

and knowledge enable technicians 

and designers to do things that were 

inconceivable just a few years ago. 

Interview by Christel Trimborn ■ 

Contributors: 

Pooja Agarwal (pa) 

Carol Besler (cb) 

Kyra Brenzinger (kb) 

Gerhard Claußen (gc) 

Elizabeth Doerr (ed) 

Magdalena Malawska (mm) 

Roberta Naas (rn) 

John Rice (jr) 

Editorial Management: 

Mathias Menzel, Caroline Schiedt 

tel. +41 61 699 80 57 

dailynews@unitled-verlag.de 

Art Direction: 

Kerstin Vorwalter 

Layout: 

Janina Demiana Roll | Heike Wahnbaeck 

Marlene Wolf 

Picture editor: 

Andre Weinberg 

Photos: 

David Matthiessen | Volker Renner 

Daniel Stauch 

Translation: 

Ad Rem Sprachdienstleistungen 

Prisca DeGroat 

Good vibes at Skagen Design 

Denmark-based watch brand Skagen Design has organised a special party to demonstrate its 

appreciation for its long-standing relationships with its business partners. Obviously, the event 

also provided the perfect seting to celebrate the new collections and the brand itself. International 

guests came to enjoy drinks and food together with the company’s owners, representatives 

and friends. Skagens new autumn-winter collections are a celebration of the company’s Danish 

heritage. Many models reflect the rough nature of the Danish shores. (as) ■ 

Advertising: 

MCH Swiss Exhibition (Basel) Ltd. 

BASELWORLD 

CH-4005 Basel / Switzerland 

tel. +41 58 206 2222 

exhibitor@baselworld.com 

Printing: 

Vogt-Schild Druck AG 

CH-4552 Derendingen 

www.vs-druck.ch 

BASELWORLD Daily News is published 

by Untitled Verlag und Agentur GmbH & 

Co. KG. Reprints of articles are obtainable 

on application to the publisher. 

All rights reserved. 

A reception was held for the 

exhibitors from the canton of 

Geneva. They were warmly welcomed 

by the government as 

well as by Jacques J. Duchêne, 

president of the Exhibitors’ 

Committee and were informed 

about the plans for BASEL- 

WORLD 2013. 

BASELWORLD Daily News may 

not be reproduced in any manner of 

form without written permission. 

Publisher’s address: 

Untitled Verlag und Agentur 

GmbH & Co. KG 

Innocentiastraße 33 

D-20144 Hamburg 

tel. +49 40 189 881-0 

fax +49 40 189 881-111 

info@untitled-verlag.de

PREMIUM SPECIALISED RETAIL PAGE 50 


“A place to meet and greet” 

Nymans Ur CEO Jan Larsson shares his excitement about the new products on display 

Jan (left) and Olof 

Larsson’s (right) of 

Nymans Ur. 

Established in 1851, Nymans Ur is 

one of the most important watch 

selling boutiques in Sweden. With 

four shops and two web-shops, 

they feature some 55 exclusive 

brands. Their CEO, Jan Larsson, 

has been coming to BASEL- 

WORLD for 20 years; the past 13 

years as CEO of the company. 

BWDN: Amongst the many 

national, international and regional 

shows annually, what makes 

BASELWORLD so important for 

Nymans Ur to attend? 

Jan Larsson: The sheer size of 

BASELWORLD and the number 

of exhibiting companies make it 

the biggest and most important 

“The perfect platform” 

Juwelier Depperich trusts the brand offers available at BASELWORLD 

The success of the Depperich 

company is based on a passion 

for materials, attention to detail 

and professionally trained 

employees. This Reutlingenbased 

traditional company is 

now run by its 4th generation 

owner-manager who understands 

that jewellery and watches are 

much more than just objects of 

value. This is why the company 

motto is ‘Taking pleasure in personal 

contact’. In this discussion 

with the BWDN, managing director 

Peter Voss explains the role 

BASELWORLD plays as a trade 

show for securing orders. 

BWDN: How many years have 

you been visiting BASELWORLD 

and what are your expectations of 

the show? 

Peter Voss: We have been coming 

to Basel for two or three days for 

more than 30 years along with 

several members of our team. The 

key thing at the trade show for us 

is to place new orders and develop 

a feel for the latest trends. Discussions 

with colleagues and suppliers 

in the aisles are also important 

to us. 

trade fair for watches and jewellery 

in the world. Especially for Nymans 

Ur and the brands we carry, we find 

the largest selection of the leading 

companies here. For the past 20 

years, we have continuously 

increased our sales, and during the 

year of 2011 we further increased 

our turnover by some 10%. We 

find that BASELWORLD and a 

very select few other fairs satisfy all 

our needs, since 98% of our turnover 

is generated from watches. It is 

at BASELWORLD that we meet 

and greet for example Breguet, 

Rolex, Tudor, Breitling, Chopard, 

Longines, Omega, Tissot, Certina, 

TAG Heuer, and Ulysses Nardin. 

But BASELWORLD also gives us 

The top address for jewellery and watches in Reutlingen since 1897: the Depperich jewellery store on Wilhelmstraße. Peter Voss, managing director. 

BWDN: Do you look for specific 

products or do you draw inspiration 

from the displays? 

Voss: Both. Of course we look out 

for specific products and the latest 

trends among our existing suppliers 

with whom we have often 

developed a long-standing and 

excellent partnership. Preparing 

for the trade show is a key issue 

for us: what will we need? What 

has sold well? What do our customers 

want? We book fixed 

appointments with the brand 

manufacturers. But there is usually 

time to explore some new 

the chance to meet with new or 

niche brands we find interesting. 

This is an important part on how 

we expand our knowledge and our 

understanding of the watch industry 

as a whole. 

BWDN: What are the benefits for 

your business at BASELWORLD? 

Larsson: Every year, some 8-10 

people from our company go to 

BASELWORLD; we want to be 

the first to see the news and the 

limited editions, and be the first to 

sell them as well. To see our colleagues 

in Europe and America is 

also a very important reason for us 

to come to the show. We compare 

stock, sales tactics and marketing 

strategies, and talk about the business 

general. 

BWDN: What are you looking for 

in the way of products, trends, and 

networking possibilities at BASEL- 

WORLD this year? 

Larsson: Networking is the most 

important thing for us when we go 

Switzerland; to listen to what is 

happening in other countries for 

other companies and brands is 

extremely interesting for us, as we 

learn a lot about services and 

trends that way. For some time we 

were selling a lot of fashion watch- 

things, too. We stroll through the 

halls looking for inspiration and 

new firms which catch our eye. 

BASELWORLD offers the perfect 

platform for this. 

BWDN: What trends do you 

expect to see in 2012? 

Voss: The last few years have been 

successful for us. In addition to 

trends, quality is also very important 

to us in the watch and jewellery 

sector. Mechanical watches 

and complications features are in 

higher demand than ever before 

among our customers. In the jew- 

es and big watches, but when 

I look for what I think will be 

trendy, I look towards Breguet, 

Zenith and Rolex as the most 

important watch brands to follow. 

We are refurbishing one of our 

shops in Sweden, and that will 

give us the opportunity to take in 

more specialized watch brand. 

Our clients are not looking for the 

mainstream; they want to explore 

some of the smaller brands, that 

are highly specialized in their aesthetic 

point-of-view. 

BWDN: What benefits make you 

come back year after year to 

BASELWORLD? 

ellery sector, we are expecting to 

see lots of coloured gemstones, 

large solitaire stones, and light, 

playful forms in line with the fashion 

trends for spring/summer 

2012. Diamonds will also continue 

to be a key theme. 

BWDN: Do you ever develop any 

lasting business relationships here? 

Voss: New companies increasingly 

catch our eye. Initial contact is 

often made at the trade show. If 

there is potential for further collaboration 

or interest, a visit to 

our store is organised so that all of 

Larsson: It is a lot of fun for us to 

talk business, service, new projects 

and products with colleagues from 

other countries. A topic is how we 

increase awareness for highly-complicated 

watches among younger 

consumers. 

We get inspiration from BASEL- 

WORLD, and when we come 

home, we invite 1,500 clients to a 

special evening, sort of a mini- 

BASELWORLD in Stockholm, 

Sweden. We consider it a way to 

maintain our clients, and increase 

their spending in our stores. 

Interview by Nina Hald ■ 

Nymans Ur offers a great selection of some of the most famous watch brands. 

the employees can get to know the 

product better. This can give rise 

to lasting business relations. 

BWDN: Do you also take part in 

any of the cultural or nightlife 

offers in Basel? 

Voss: Actually, we don’t. Occasionally 

we take up invitations 

from our partners or suppliers. But 

after a busy day at the show, we go 

back to our hotel outside of Basel 

to eat and relax a bit to recharge 

our batteries for the next day! 

Interview by Sabine Zwettler ■

Enough functions for two watches… or one Manero! 

BASELWORLD 

Hall 1.0, Stand B19 

Elegantly and neatly arranged on the dial of the Manero RetroGrade are seven hands and four 

additional displays. With its retrograde calendar, intelligently divided power reserve indicator and 

subdials for the day of the week and a 24-hour display, it is the embodiment of Carl F. Bucherer’s 

specialty: the ability to blend timeless aesthetics with maximum functionality. 

www.carl-f-bucherer.com

April 25, 2013: the new era - MCH Group

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