Let the modest number “fourth” not mislead the uninitiated: Watches & Wonders became the direct heir of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) – the “Salon of Haute Horlogerie”, which was held for almost 30 years in Geneva, and the oldest, for more than a century watch and jewelry exhibition Baselworld, which took place in Basel. After the latter closed in 2019, participants in both events united under a new name, and the event took on a new scale.
54 watch brands presented their new products here in 2024 – both mastodons and industry leaders, as well as small independent companies, mainly from Switzerland, but also from Central Europe and France. The results of Watches & Wonders 2024 in numbers are impressive and demonstrate the significance of the event: within a week, the PalexExpo exhibition center was visited by 49,000 people, 14% more than a year ago, of which 5,700 retailers and 1,500 journalists. The hashtag #watchesandwonders2024 attracted 600 million users around the world to social networks.
And it’s not for nothing that the exhibition is called “Watches and Miracles” – next to the achievements of complex mechanics on the wrist, decorative and jewelry art harmoniously coexists.
Hublot
In the Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu model, Hublot craftsmen for the first time combined the aesthetics of the Sang Bleu collection jointly with Maxime Plescia-Buschi and the brand's specialization – a sapphire crystal case. The Swiss watch brand has been collaborating with the tattoo artist, artist, typographer and founder of the Sang Blue art studio Maxime Plescia-Buschi for eight years, and any new model in the Sang Blue collection is recognizable by the graphic pattern he developed with movable arrow elements and the original time display, which the engineers Hublot was invented specifically for this collection.
Now this three-dimensional multi-layered geometry is embodied in a transparent sapphire crystal case. After eight years of experimenting with this high-tech, scratch-resistant material, almost as hard as diamond, Hublot managed to produce several limited editions from it, and also continued to develop new colors – from yellow and pink to blue (also premiering this year). .
Another innovation is the 42 mm ergonomic barrel-shaped case, which has been laser-engraved on the sapphire crystal, which imitates the ink pattern of Plescia-Bushi's tattoo. The HUB4700 automatic chronograph movement, with a date display at 04:30 and a power reserve of 50 hours, can be seen through several transparent levels. The disc hands are also made of sapphire crystal for the first time, and all other elements are made of titanium. The skeletonized design of the mechanism enhances the effect of levitation of all the constituent elements, the work of which took more than 100 hours. The release of this model is limited to the same number.
Часы Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu, Hublot
Patek Philippe
A year ago, on the occasion of the Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Tokyo, the Swiss manufacturer Patek Philippe presented the World Time Ref. 5330, which featured patented technology that became a world premiere. The date display in this model is synchronized with local time, that is, it adjusts to the time zone indicated by the central hands at 12 o’clock. Now World Time Ref. The new generation 5330 is part of the brand's current collection: a 40 mm white gold case, a blue-gray opaline dial with a Carbon pattern, applied faceted hour-stick markers in white gold with luminescent coating, a blue-gray calfskin strap, stylized under denim
Of course, the main premiere is the 306-part caliber 240 HU, which is self-winding and has a power reserve of 38–48 hours. Engineers were able to link the date display module to local time without the need for the owner to adjust this parameter. Automatic adjustment is provided in two situations: after midnight, when the date moves forward a day; and when crossing the International Date Line (an imaginary line running across the Pacific Ocean) from west to east, when the date goes back a day.
Also for the first time in the history of Patek Philippe, the date indication is carried out by a transparent glass hand with a red lacquered tip, which does not interfere with the reading of other indications, which moves on a scale from 1 to 31. The 24-hour disc is logically divided into day and night zones: a gilded sun on a silver background denotes noon, and a gilded crescent moon on a blue-gray background symbolizes midnight. The red dot between Auckland, New Zealand and the Midway Islands on the city name disk marks the international date line.
Часы World Time Ref. 5330, Patek Philippe
Chanel
The biggest theme of the 2024 collection of the Chanel watch division is the Couture O'Clock Capsule Collection, and the term “couture” in it directly refers to the fashionable atelier of the French house on rue Cambon and its tailoring art. Needles, spools of thread, scissors, thimbles, measuring tapes, pin cushions and safety pins, tweed jackets and even miniature images of Mademoiselle Chanel herself – all these elements can be found in 19 watch models in different variations.
The apogee of the couture theme was the object Mademoiselle's Workshop (“Mademoiselle’s Workshop”) – simultaneously a table clock, an automaton and a music box. Six mannequins in white ceramic aluminum with black leather bands and rose gold and diamond brooches form the center of the composition. Above them is a precious chandelier (like the one in Chanel’s apartment), made of gold with diamond pendants – there are more than 50 carats in total. This composition is covered with a glass dome and stands on a stand with elements of black onyx laid out in the marquetry technique, like the pattern of quilted bags 2.55. The self-winding movement displays the hours and minutes on an aluminum measuring tape at the base of the dome.
If you start this automaton with a special key, the mannequins begin to rotate in a circle and dance up and down to the melody of Bing Crosby's My Woman from 1932 – Gabrielle Chanel sang it while working in the studio.
Mademoiselle's Workshop (“Mademoiselle's Workshop”) – simultaneously a table clock, an automaton and a music box, Chanel
Rolex
Since its introduction to the Rolex collection in 1955, the GMT-Master first became the reference for explorers and travelers who needed to know the time in a second time zone. And then it gradually acquired cult status for those who actively move around the world. In 1982, the GMT-Master was equipped with a new mechanism that allowed the hour hand to be adjusted in one-hour increments independently of the other hands and without stopping the watch and was called the GMT-Master II. Since then, each new version has become an object of desire for Rolex fans.
The 2024 Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II is a watch with a 40 mm case made from a single piece of Oystersteel. The signature 24-hour hand with a triangular tip shows the time on a rotating bezel with a two-color scale – in the new model it is made of gray and black Cerachrom ceramic (this material was first used for this part a year ago), and the markings themselves are also covered with a layer of platinum with using PVD technology. The GMT-Master II inscription on the dial is the same vibrant green as the tip of the 24-hour hand. Caliber 3285c also displays the current date at 3 o'clock under the Cyclop lens. The model was released with two variations of bracelets – Oyster and Jubilee and, like all Rolex watches, was certified as a high-precision chronometer.
Price Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II, Rolex
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