The Franc Vila FVa15 Column Regulator Automatique Watch was introduced in Baselworld 2009 and the FVa15 Column Regulator joined the Franc Vila collection with the aim to create a contemporary interpretation of this classic complication used by watchmakers to set time in the watches.

This is also the first Franc Vila timepiece using meteorite in the dial, combined with sapphire glass. While maintaining the characteristic “esprit unique” shape in the watchcase this timepiece stands out due to the asymmetrical column design of the dial, which allows to see the movement beating inside.

The timekeeper is equipped with the Franc Vila FV15 automatic calibre, which features regulator function indicating hours, minutes and seconds, and the additional indication of date in a window in the dial.

Watch Information

Case
Bezel in DieHard Extreme Steel. Carrure in titanium. Special “Esprit Unique” shape with elliptic and circular bezel. Crystal and caseback both in sapphire with double sided anti-glare treatment. Water resistant to 100 meters.

Movement
High Grade Mechanical Self-Winding hand finished complicated movement Caliber FV15. Franc Vila Exclusive “Gold Concept Rotor”. Power reserve of 42 hours.

Functions
Hours, minutes and seconds. Date indication.

Dial
Meteorite, brushed metal, and sapphire glass. Date indication at 3′.

Straps
Rubber sport straps with DieHard Extreme Steel deployant buckle. Crocodile leather straps also included.

Limited edition of 88 pieces.

We had a chance at BaselWorld 2009 to sit down with De Grisogono and see this masterpiece. It lives up to it’s beauty and fame. The unique dual time feature it has dazzles us all and provides an look at what we are going to see in the future from De Grisogono.

Watch in matt blackened 18 carats white gold and polished 18 carats white gold set with 154 baguette-cut white diamonds of 18 carats Matt black dial with twelve-blade titanium diaphragm, Arabic numerals, dauphine hands in polished 18 carats white gold Hour, quarter and minute repeater strike on three gongs with the diaphragm open Cathedral gong Genuine matt black alligator strap with blackened 18 carats white gold de GRISOGONO butterfly buckle Sapphire glass and case back  Crown with de GRISOGONO crest Water-resistant up to 30 meters

The new Corum Golden Bridge Lady is an amazing combination of a Gold and Diamond watch.  Maybe they will want to sell this on their new online store. It is the first botuiqe that they are opening and an interesting turn in the luxury watch world for the luxury watch companies.

Luxury Watch Specifications:

• Limited production of 175
• Reference 113.353.85/0089 0019R (red/rose gold)
• 113.353.69/0081 0019G (white gold)
• Movement CO113
• Mechanical baguette movement, hand-wound by a stem at 3 o’clock
• 18kt red gold or white gold hand-engraved plates and bridges
• Slipping spring mechanism
• Variable inertia balance adjustable by screws
• Frequency: 4Hz, 28,800 vibrations/hour
• 19 jewels
• Power reserve of 40 hours
• Functions Hours and minutes
• Case 41 x 34mm
• 18kt red gold 5N or 18kt white gold case
• Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
• Case set with 72 diamonds, total: 1.6 ct
• Fluted crown at 3 o’clock adorned with white mother-of-pearl
• Dial No dial
• Flange set with 108 diamonds total: 0.9ct
• “Leaf-shaped” hour and minute hands
• Glass Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
• Strap Crocodile leather strap, white on red gold models, black on white gold models
• Buckle 18kt red gold 5N or 18kt white gold tongue buckle
• Water resistance 3 atmospheres (30 meters/99 feet)

When we went to visit Harry Winstons booth at BaselWorld 2009, we found it empty with no one to talk too. I knew that this wasn’t a good sign and waited to see there Q4 results. Yesterday they came out…  Luxury jewelry retailer and diamond miner Harry Winston Diamond Corp. reported that fourth quarter consolidated sales declined by 37 percent, year-over-year, to $118.4 million.

The company recorded a fourth quarter loss of $73 million, compared to net earnings of $90.4 million in the fourth quarter of the prior year. The net loss resulted from a non-cash write-down of the goodwill relating to the retail operations of $93.8 million. The company recognized a net $4.6 million foreign exchange gain. Also impacting results was an after-tax gain on insurance settlement of $9.9 million that resulted from the December 2008 robbery at the Harry Winston Paris salon.

But diamond watches are still in style, however it seems that Harry Winston has set goals they cannot ascertain.

Swiss Exhibitors stay ahead of the game

Watchmakers can feel a warm glow of satisfaction, with this year’s results comparable to those of 2007 and 2006, both judged to have been very good years. An accurate barometer of the industry, the world’s most important Watch and Jewelery Show has ended on a reassuring note after a difficult beginning to the year compared with the first two months of 2008, which were exceptional. Signs are that the industry is returning to normality rather than experiencing a really serious slowdown.

All present and accounted for
With the exception of the Americans, who were under-represented this year, all the industry’s international players made the trip to Baselworld. The drop in visitors compared to the record numbers of last year can be explained by the fact that the delegations came in smaller groups. Nevertheless, the rendezvous in Basel proved to be as crucial as ever: for the exhibitors on the one hand, as a large part of their sales are realised here and it is vital to remain visible in a generally difficult economic climate; on the other, for the retailers as the Show represents the biggest showcase of new trends and innovations in every sector – watchmaking, jewellery and related branches – and at every price level. Furthermore, Baselworld provides the best opportunity for exhibitors and retailers to make contacts, get informed and develop long-term relationships. All signs of confidence and respect, which are so important to the Swiss Exhibitors.

Horological savoir-faire and innovation
Trailblazers sans pareil, Switzerland’s watchmakers premiered several small revolutions. In these tight market conditions, innovation proved to be their most effective response. In-house movements, ingenious display mechanisms and spectacular tourbillons, housed in such noble metals as pink or white gold, high-tech alloys or finely worked ceramic, topped the bill. And while round cases are still the most popular shape, square, rectangular, tonneau or lozenge cases were also much in evidence at the Swiss exhibitors’ booths. Very small cases for women made a strong comeback, while men’s watches alternated between oversized models and slightly smaller ones than those of recent years. Anthracite, full-black and chocolate were the most popular colours.

On the jewellery front
As in 2008, Switzerland’s jewellers welcomed a very well-informed class of clientele. Buyers were seeking particular pieces – unpretentious luxury that could be worn every day or identified with a leading brand – rather than buying on the spur of the moment. This year’s jewels, from white diamonds to coloured stones to semi-precious stones like amethyst, were smaller than in the past. Pearls, for their part, made a grand comeback.

Craftsmen behind the scenes
The slight drop in the number of Asian visitors to the stands of the related branches was counterbalanced by new buyers from Central and South America. While it is too early to see the emergence of a new manufacturing area in this, the Europeans, led by the Swiss, Italians and Germans, were once again present in force, underpinning their role as key players in the world of watchmaking and jewellery.

Baselworld: a venue of excellence
Baselworld is more than ever the most important Watch and Jewellery Show on earth. Besides the impressive number of products and the business generated, its size, aura and well-adapted infrastructure make Baselworld a venue of excellence. And added to this are the incomparable professionalism of its organisers, who also manage such prestigious shows as Art Basel, and the events organised by the exhibitors. The Show’s popularity is not limited to the professionals of the industry since players from other sectors like design, fashion, architecture, as well as new media traditionally little interested in watchmaking and jewellery, have also been charmed by the Show’s sumptuous setting. The countdown has already begun for Baselworld 2010, which will be held from March 18th to 25th.

The Swiss Exhibitors’ Committee
Baselworld 2009 in figures:
- 93’900 visitors
- 1’952 exhibitors
- 453 Swiss brands
- 160’000 m2 of overall exhibition space
- 115’200 m2 of occupied exhibition space
- 2’973 accredited journalists

We really enjoyed our time at BaselWorld 2009. The staff were helpful and friendly and we are looking forward to meeting everyone again next year.

As our train pulled into the main station in Basel, our excitement grew. After all, BaselWorld 2009 is supposed to be the premier unveiling of the latest and greatest in the Watch World. 

Just a few words about the City of Basel itself. Basel is a quaint city in Switzerland  located on the borders of  Germany and France. While the exact year of its’ establishment is unkonwn, Basel (“Basilia” in Latin) was first documented in 374AD. It is the third to the largest city in Switzerland with approx. 167,000 inhabitants. While the primary language spoken in Basel is German, inhabitants also speak a German dialect known as Basel-German. It also boasts (self-proclaimed) “the world’s first international train station”. Additionally, as you may well know, Basel hosts the world’s largest Watch show in the world.

Basel Train Station BaselWorld 2009

We got to the show and were politely greeted in the press office. We quickly organized ourselves in the Press area, and immediately began our tour of the show. While, as expected, the main hall consisted of the world’s top watch-makers, names like Corum, Rolex, Hublot and Zenith (to mention but a few) there were some names that were conspicuously missing this year.

More to come.

The number of visitors that attended the 2009 Basel watch and jewelry show fell 13 percent to some 93,000 according to event organizers. Foreign buyers constituted 68.1 percent of the total visitor count, compared to 63.6 percent in 2008. Show organizers said 71 percent of attended surveyed said they intended to return for the 2010 event.

BaselWorld director Sylvie Ritter said at the show opening that a drop in attendance was expected due to the weak economic climate. The eight day show ended on Thursday April 2.

Some 1,952 exhibitors from 45 countries showcased their products over an exhibibition area of 160,000 square meters. Basel also attracted a large media contingent with 2,973 accredited journalists attending.

Dual analog and digital display. These Gold Watches are a real piece of art! In fine watchmaking, you can decide to reinterpret existing concepts or choose to steer a pioneering course. Founder and CEO of de Grisogono, Fawaz Gruosi has deliberately chosen the second approach. With the Meccanico dG, the Geneva based manufacturer’s most recent entry, de Grisogono presents a design stemming from the purest watchmaking tradition and projects it into the future. With a total of 651 components, the Meccanico dG’s mechanical movement is one of the most complex ever made. A masterpiece of fine watchmaking, designed to display the time in two time zones, it ranks as the world’s first watch with a mechanical digital display as well as an analogue face. This world first – based on a de Grisogono patent – places a startlingly complex mechanism in a very contemporary design.

To celebrate his company’s 15th anniversary, Fawaz Gruosi decided to explore an area where no watchmaker had ever been: the digital display driven by a mechanical system exclusively. Despite the considerable audacity and the measure of recklessness this extraordinary project demanded, Fawaz Gruosi never looked back. For him, watchmaking goes hand in hand with innovation. With its patented dual analogue and mechanical digital display, the Meccanico dG springs from a totally innovative concept in the world of traditional horology. A single mechanical movement, two time zones, two types of display: the Meccanico dG breaks truly new ground; for the first time in watchmaking history, a digital display and mechanical power come together successfully.

A NEW DIMENSION
Digital displays came into their own in the quartz era. Electronics dominated the industry and mechanical watchmaking seemed seriously threatened. Thirty years later, highly intricate mechanical movements exert unprecedented fascination as Haute Horlogerie continues to prosper.

In the meantime, traditional watchmaking has undergone radical change; through wave after wave of innovation and increasingly impeccably finished products, it has conferred on the most highly complex timekeepers the status of objets d’art. But watchmakers had up to then never challenged the digital display’s basic technical principle. Meccanico dG has now achieved this, making history as it propels Haute Horlogerie to a stunning new level.

The Meccanico dG is an assemblage of microsystems featuring highly sophisticated cam and gearing mechanisms. A proprietary de Grisogono calibre, its hand-wound movement comprises 651 components. It offers an analogue display of the hours and minutes on the upper dial and the digital display of a second time zone on the lower section. The latter features the tens of hours, the hours, the tens of minutes and the minutes. The mechanism is activated via movable micro-segments driven by a set of 23 cams combined with gears plus a triggering and synchronization device.

23 horizontal and vertical micro-segments are involved in displaying the time digitally. The vertical segments are 4.55 mm high and the horizontal segments have a display length of 1.80 mm. Each segment has four faces: two visible faces opposite each other with coloured inserts and two invisible faces, also opposite. One or more segments rotate 90° to turn one time indication into the next. The jump is instantaneous while anywhere from 1 to 12 segments move, depending on the time being displayed.

AN INNOVATIVE DESIGN
This radically new dimension in fine watchmaking extends to the Meccanico dG’s trim contemporary design. Its intricate mechanical construction, not least the cam and gear systems, can be observed through the watch’s transparent dial. Also fitted with coloured inserts, the hour markers for the analogue display seem suspended in mid-air to allow a glimpse of their mechanical driving system. Just like all de Grisogono movements, the Meccanico dG calibre features an immaculate black finish. “de Grisogono” and “Swiss Made” are inscribed on the movement itself while the back of the watch features a small plate inscribed with “Meccanico dG”.

Despite the power required for the dual mechanical and digital display and the torque essential for the instantaneous rotation of the micro-segments, the proprietary de Grisogono hand-wound calibre fitted in the Meccanico dG has a power reserve of some 35 hours. The latter is displayed by a hand in a 90° sector on the back of the movement and is visible through a shaped crystal caseback giving a glimpse of the brand’s famous emblematic scrolls.

The Meccanico dG case matches its outstanding movement. Imposing in size (56 x 48 mm), innovative in design, water-resistant to 30 metres, it comes in a choice of pink gold, titanium, titanium and rubber, titanium and pink gold or titanium and platinum. In keeping with the watch’s futuristic character, its correctors and crown cover are vulcanised rubber. A crown at 3 o’clock controls the analogue time display. Two correctors serve to reset the second time zone; the left-hand one controls the hours, the right-hand one the tens of minutes and minutes. The strap is also fashioned in natural vulcanised rubber and features a deployment clasp adorned with the de Grisogono emblem.

An outstanding design enhancing an exceptional de Grisogono watchmaking year, the Meccanico dG is being fashioned in a limited edition of 177 watches.

The king of hublot fusion and evolution, the Gold King Power blazes forward. Reminiscent of the original fusion between rubber and gold of the first Hublot watches, its current lines, with a design pushed to the extreme, reflect the fusion between power and elegance. Traditional and avant-gardist, combining on its dial additional elements and cut-outs, the King Power also owes its name to the red gold from which it is made – a new alloy developed for Hublot and used by the brand for the first time. Redder, tougher and more intense. With its split seconds foudroyante chronograph movement, the King Power really looks the part. The absence of number represents the evolution of time being easier to read and therefore not needing numbers. Grab them while you can there will only be 500 made.

Luxury Watch Details:

• Case “King Power” diameter 48 mm in « King Gold »
• Bezel « King Gold » with black rubber moulding, with 6 black PVD-coated titanium raised H-shaped screws
• Crystal Sapphire crystal with interior/exterior anti-reflection treatment
• Bezel lug Black composite resin
• Lateral inserts Black composite resin
• Back « King Gold »
• Crown « King Gold » with black rubber insert
• Push-pieces « King Gold » with black rubber insert
• Water-resistance 100 m or 10 ATM
• Dial Multi pieces with matt black and gold plated microblasted additional counters and flange; applique gold plated markers; black SuperLuminova^TM transfers
• Hands Gold plated chronograph hand; Gold plated hours and minutes hands; Gold plated and brilliant black nickel with black SuperLuminova^TM split-seconds hand; Gold plated and brilliant black nickel with black SuperLuminova^TM foudroyante hand
• Movement Self-winding mechanical split-seconds foudroyante chronograph, Hublot HUB 4144 calibre developed with La Joux-Perret
• Bridges Polished, satin-finish with chamfered edges
• Screws Black PVD
• Oscillating weight Tungsten carbide with dimpled surface coated with black PVD
• Bottom plate Sand-blasted; rhodium-plated
• Barrel With reinforced spring
• Escapement Glucydur balance spring
• Power reserve 42 hours
• Strap Adjustable jointed black rubber
• Clasp « King Gold » and steel gold PVD deployment clasp
• Limited Edition 500 numbered pieces 01/500 – 500/500

Hublot Gold King Power

After we finished our interview on the Hublot WiseKey. We were then shown the latest Hublot Watches. The first one is the new Big Bang Apple. It comes in both a white and black dial it’s like a forbidden fruit; seductive, fresh and elegant! The Big Bang Apple, precious and luminous with its favorite-set bezel and its case in red gold or black ceramic, sports alligator strap lined with rubber. A fusion of emotions, materials and colors, the “Big Bang Apple” chronograph could be one you’d like to “get your teeth into”!

Luxury Watch Details:

• Case “Big Bang” 41 mm diameter in 5N gold (or black ceramic)
• Bezel 5N gold with 6 titanium H-shaped screws – sunken, polished and blocked,
  set with 48 favorite baguette
• Crystal Sapphire crystal with interior anti-reflection treatment
• Bezel lug Green (or black) composite resin
• Lateral inserts Green composite resin
• Back 5N gold (or titanium) with sapphire crystal, interior anti-reflection treatment
• Crown 5N gold (or titanium) with green rubber insert
• Push-pieces 5N gold (or titanium), rectangular with green rubber insert
• Screws Titanium
• Water-resistance 100 m or 10 ATM
• Dial White with satin-finished 5N gold-plated figures and appliqué index markers
  (or mat black with black figures and appliqué index markers)
• Hands Faceted, diamond-polished, 5N gold plated, with white luminescent
  feature (or black nickel without luminescent)
• Movement Mechanical chronograph with automatic winding, Hublot HUB4300 calibre
• No. of components 278
• Rubies 37
• Bridges Polished, satin-finish with chamfered edges
• Screws Black PVD
• Calendar Trapezoid aperture at 4:30
• Oscillating weight Tungsten carbide with dimpled surface coated with black PVD
• Bottom plate Sand-blasted; rhodium-plated
• Barrel With reinforced spring
• Escapement Glucydur balance spring
• Power reserve 42 hours
• Strap Adjustable green alligator with rubber lining
• Clasp 5N gold (or black PVD coated steel) and black PVD coated deployment clasp