The SIHH (Salon International d’Haute Horlogerie) has been held every year for twenty-six years in Geneva, just before the much more populous (could you also say popular?) Baselworld fair. The main difference between both fairs, apart from the exhibitors, is that Geneva is only attended by invitation, you cannot get tickets. And this is because initially this show was promoted – and financed – by the powerful Richemont group and only invited distributors of its brands, some journalists and a select group of clients with the intention or at least potential to purchase.
In 2016, twenty-five years after that first edition, the group of exhibitors has expanded not only with other large brands outside the group such as Audemars Piguet, Parmigiani or Richard Mille, but with a constellation of more modest independents (comparatively speaking) that in recent years had been taking positions in suites of luxurious hotels in Geneva during the dates of the event with the clear intention of taking advantage of the traffic it generated.
Thus, for the first time in its history, and coinciding with a change of image, the SIHH has set up the “Carrè des Horlogers”, an effectively square space like a plaza where nine of the biggest names on the independent watchmaking scene have shown not only their new products but also their capabilities: Christophe Claret, DeBethune, H. Moser&Cie, Hautlence (which belongs to the same group as Moser, which makes both brands less “independent”), HyT, Kari Voutilainen. Laurent Ferrier, MB&F and Urwerk.
The presentations have taken place in an absolutely scheduled manner, and to this end each visitor (at least those related to the Press) has been provided with a personal and non-transferable card - with name and photograph - coded specifically for the events to which they had been invited, making it impossible to access a press room where they were not expected. On the other hand, it should be said that once inside the premises (and hours) of the Salon one can have breakfast, lunch or snacks at any time of the day, all of excellent quality and provided by the organization, so that the few waits between visits become much easier to bear.
As in Baselworld, the visitor has access to a very large kiosk of magazines from all over the world that can be taken for free, which necessarily generates additional weight in any suitcase... unless you use the parcel service that has been strategically located next to the Press area and which, again courtesy of the Show, provides vouchers to send a package of up to seven kilos free of charge anywhere. More numbers: 24 exhibitors including the 9 independents, 40,000 m2 of exhibition and 15,000 visitors of which 1,500 are journalists.
This year (I don't know about previous ones) new things have been presented as if there were no tomorrow: an average of ten for each member of the Richemont group goes a long way, so it will be a matter of starting with it before they stop being just that, new.
Best watch strap | Best annual calendar watch | Best watch winder | Best Black Luxury watch | Best Luxury Watches Men | Best Swiss Luxury Watches Women | Best Men Diamond Watches under 1000 | Best Diamond Watches Women | Best Luxury Dive Watch
