Exhibition

Geneva to host the First Independent Watchmakers’ Fair

January 17-22, 2010

The New Year brings along with it new hope and optimism as the world grapples to deal with the recent past of economic slowdown. Independent watchmakers as well as new and established global brands facing are looking for real and concrete solutions and constantly looking for ways to increase brand visibility and awareness. The watchmaking revolution is underway! Independent brands and craftsmen are teaming up to fight the global economic crisis by participating to the Geneva Time Exhibition®. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Three entrepreneurs - Florence Noël, Paola Orlando and Dominique Franchino – who specialize in international communication, public relations and events organization have conceptualised a unique idea.  Their venture, Time Exhibitions Sàrl has announced the Geneva Time Exhibition (GTE) to offer a unique opportunity for all watch industry professionals to discover the exceptional creativity of the independent watchmakers.

380 years of Watchmaking History - Revisited by 35 exhibitors…= A revolution!

From January 17-22, 2010, some 35 watchmaking brands will display their latest collections at the first-ever Geneva Time Exhibition (GTE): a unique opportunity for all watch industry professionals to discover the exceptional creativity of the new watchmaking generation.

For a number of years, independent watchmaking brands have been looking to pool their forces at international exhibitions with a view to attacking new markets. Now, the Geneva Time Exhibition®, designed with the firms' budgetary constraints in mind, replies to the crisis by offering them optimum conditions to seize the new financial opportunities that are opening up across the world today. In fact, these are the reasons why Watch Market Review is a media partner for this prestigious event being held in the heart of the world’s fine watchmaking hub. 

GTE provides a fantastic platform for an economic sector with immense creative potential. As independent watchmakers strive to give fresh impetus to endangered craftsmanship, they are offering a host of bold, ingenious solutions designed to refresh the image of traditional watchmaking. The result is an array of contemporary, classical or totally revolutionary timepieces which, in terms of both appearance and technology, transcend tradition.

The first edition of GTE runs from Sunday 17 January (opening 2pm) through Friday 22 January 2010. The atmosphere is sure to reflect the personality of the exhibitors: young, enthusiastic and convivial! GTE will be held in the heart of cosmopolitan Geneva – at the International Geneva Conference Centre (CICG) close to Place des Nations. The 35 exhibitors’ stands, made from top quality materials in keeping with the prestigious world of Swiss watchmaking, will cover an area of 1000m2. In a unique proposition, the GTE has flexible opening hours: Sunday 17 January 2010: 2 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.; Monday 18 – Thursday 21: 8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.; Friday 22 January 2010: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

GTE is geared towards watch professionals and events will be taking place throughout the fair showcasing the riches of independent watchmaking. These range from after-work cocktails to an exhibition of iconic watches encapsulating the appeal of this branch of the luxury industry… not forgetting a display of brand new watchmaking concepts from a pool of talented young watch designers, and a host of other surprises to discover on the spot!

Exhibitor Profiles

The 35 independent brands taking part in GTE reflect the incredible diversity of the watchmaking industry. They are ALAIN SILBERSTEIN, ANTOINE PREZIUSO, AQUANAUTIC, ASPEN JEWELLERY AND WATCHES, ATELIERS DEMONACO, BADOLLET, B.R.M., CABESTAN, CECIL PURNELL, CLAUDE MEYLAN, CLERC, CORNELIUS & CIE, HD3 COMPLICATION, JEAN-MAIRET & GILLMAN, LADOIRE GENEVE, LINDE WERDELIN, LOUIS CHEVROLET, LOUIS MOINET, MAGELLAN WATCH, MANUFACTURE CONTEMPORAINE DU TEMPS, MARVIN WATCH C° 1850, METAL.CH, PETER TANISMAN, PIERRE DE ROCHE, QUINTING, REBELLION TIMEPIECES, ROBERT & FILS 1630, SAINT HONORÉ PARIS, SNYPER, STEENMAN, SWISS KUBIK, TEMPVS COMPVTARE, TITANIUM CARGO, VALBRAY, VOLNA, ZANDIDOUST. GTE brings together independent watchmakers, craftsmen, and brands with an established international reputation, to provide a veritable showcase for all that is best about Swiss watchmaking. Some watchmakers have even chosen GTE to officially launch their brand on the market, and present their very first timepieces to a specialist audience. Some of the watch brands are showcased below.

ASPEN JEWELLERY AND WATCHES

Welcome to Aspen, made in Switzerland. Aspen is internationally known for its natural beauty, perfect slopes, and the glamorous appeal of its famous visitors. Aspen Jewelry and Watches, has been granted the worldwide license to use the Aspen name for the collections it is introducing, the first being the limited edition of the first watch: Aspen One. The heavy and precious Swiss-made timepiece offered in four color combinations of 18 kt white or rosé gold, carries unique features that communicate elements specific to Aspen. A specially-designed compass shows you where you are once on top of Aspen Mountain, and the watch tells you when it is time to change your ski-strap to your après-ski strap (done in a few seconds with a technique similar to removing a ski from a boot) at four o’clock.

AQUANAUTIC™

KING CHRONO DIVE GOLD

Based in Geneva Switzerland, Aquanautic’s flagship store stands in the center of the historic Place du Molard (Molard Square Clock Tower), where, centuries ago, the chiming of the clock announced the arrival of docking merchant ships. Today, a place steeped in harmony and history houses a modern store filled with innovative, nautical-inspired timepieces. Aquanautic, a name meaning «inspired by water», is pioneering the future of contemporary watches. Entirely Swiss manufactured, AQUANAUTIC™’s one-of-a-kind steel designs masterfully balance the union of aesthetic beauty and technical ability. The only Swiss watch to feature total l y interchangeable par ts, AQUANAUTIC™ watches include straps, bezels and bands that wearers can rearrange into hundred of variations to create the ideal customized timepiece. Each water-resistant, handcraft piece is carefully inspected to ensure a perfect fit, finish and accurate timekeeping.

BADOLLET

BAMBOO SKELETON TOURBILLON

The Badollet philosophy combines luxury, human values and respect for watchmaking tradition. Just like the work of the Badollet dynasty, the latest Badollet timepieces look both to the roots of watchmaking and the latest technology in expressing the neo-classical spirit for which the brand is famed. This neo-classical identity involves revisiting watchmaking tradition with the eyes and knowledge of the 21st century – respecting the industry's history, and the people who wrote it, in order to better what has been on offer until now. Or, if that's not possible, to do at least as well.

CLERC
Hydroscaph

The century-old Clerc brand, based in Geneva, has been rejuvenated in recent years by watch designer Gérald Clerc and his innovative timepieces. Gérald Clerc represents the firm's fourth generation, and strives ceaselessly to conceive today the luxury watches of tomorrow. His hi tec-de luxe designs – conceived as individual works of art, with no compromise on quality – embody a radical new departure. The Hydroscaph, one of the brand's latest creations, perfectly illustrates this philosophy: the case, composed of over 75 elements, required a totally novel construction procedure… and total creative freedom!

HD3 COMPLICATION
Capture Chrono Tourbillon

After years working together at Team Styling, Jorg Hysek, Valérie Ursenbacher and Fabrice Gonet unveiled Hd3 Complication in 2004. The brand is based on three designers' creative passion for exceptional 21st century watches: Hd3 Complication offers a subtle blend of haute horlogerie and the technologies of tomorrow's world. This innovative approach stresses total creative freedom: each member of the trio is like a painter seeking perfection as he conceives and designs his own exceptional timepieces, in line with his own style and artistic world.

LADOIRE
Roller Guardian Time

Ladoire Genève is a forerunner among makers of luxury, avant-garde Swiss timepieces with complications. Under the Helvet Mechanic label, the brand has created RGT (Roller Guardian Time), an extraordinary timepiece, with its micro-rotor automatic winding caliber made by Ladoire Genève itself. Like an haute couture fashion house, and in conjunction with leading Swiss artists and craftsmen, Ladoire Genève conceives, designs and produces each component of its watches, granting them an avant-garde aesthetic firmly anchored in the 21st century… when watches have become the ultimate male accessory.

PIERRE DEROCHE
SplitRock MDA

As designers and manufacturers of unique movements, Pierre DeRoche cultivate rarity. Mechanical jewels of this kind require infinite patience – with each detail, however tiny, receiving meticulous attention, in order to attain the level of perfection to which Pierre Dubois, the brand's CEO, aspires. As this modus operandi is respected at all times, and as Pierre DeRoche do not design watches so much as living timepieces injected with their creator's soul, only a few hundred watches leave the brand's workshop each year: a philosophy diametrically opposed to the practice of industrial principles.

SAINT HONORE
Haussman Magnum

For over a century, SAINT HONORE has been synonymous with the world-famous “Paris-Style”, and have created collections of unrivalled design. From Paris to New York, and Tokyo to Dubaï, the brand’s exceptional watchmaking expertise exerts an irresistible attraction on those who love contemporary pieces. Backed by “Swiss Made” quality, a unique spirit, high-status materials and bold finishes, SAINT HONORE offers watches, jewellery and accessories that reflect and interpret today’s desires. Today SAINT HONORE is a truly global brand with a presence in more than 50 countries and is a fast growing style icon and creative force to reckon with.