Video: Industry Luminaries Pick Their Top 3 SIHH Watches Before Baselworld
Before we head off to Baselworld, a flashback to the best watches of Geneva.
Here we go! At this hour, all the opinion leaders and players of the Watch Industry are packing, choosing that last tie that matches with their good socks or the relevant Repetto ballerinas to substitute for a pair of 14mm High heels. Now that we are in the mood to discover 2018 Baselworld novelties, let’s take a quick look back and re-discover the favorite 2018 SIHH watches according to some of the leading journalists and insiders such as, Nick Foulkes, Eric Giroud, J. Philip Rathgen, François-Xavier Overstake, Elizabeth Doerr, Vincent Daveau, and Christian Barker.
3 Watches is a difficult choice
On the afternoon of the fourth day of SIHH 2018, we planned to ask seven major voices what was their Top 3 Watches of the first fair of 2018. We would like to warmly thank all those personalities that took the time to think about their analysis and give us some brilliant, yet relevant inputs to understand their choices.
A Top 3 is always a hard thing to deliver as we must accept that much more than 3 watches were relevant. So before discovering what will be the hits and tendencies of Baselworld, let’s have a flashback to what SIHH was made of for these seven players.
Nick Foulkes’s SIHH Top 3 Watches
No need to present Nick Foulkes, a prolific author & journalist, interested and relevant in so many domains of culture and good taste. As it was impossible for Nick to focus on three watches, we had the chance to have his global overview including eight watches. As Nick is truly multiple in the way he can envisage the different views and aspects of a watch, I believe that his choices reflect all his talents in having the knowledge to read and react to so many different worlds such as; art, design, history, literature, friends, cigars and much more…
So, Nick’s Top 3 extended to eight: the Cartier Santos pink gold, A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split, Piaget Altiplano Lapiz Lazuli Marquetry Tourbillon, Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic, Vacheron Constantin FIFTYSIX in steel, Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Chronograph, Van Cleef & Arpels Complications Poétiques Lady Arples planetarium, and the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere.
Eric Giroud’s SIHH Top 3 Watches
While Eric Giroud is widely known as designer of watches, he also designs such interesting objects as knives. No surprise since Eric is primarily an architect and uses this approach in his creation process. Eric focused primarily on esthetics, as he’s a fine connoisseur of contemporary art having a true sense of the pertinence and values of an object.
Eric’s Top 3: Cartier Tank Cintrée, Girard-Perregaux Neo-Tourbillon with Three Bridges Skeleton, Montblanc 1858 Automatic.
Extra Choice: Montblanc 1858 Automatic Chronograph bronze.
J. Philip Rathgen
When you have the capacity to judge and explain in relevant terms the essence of the values of a collectible car, you have maybe reached one of the hardest knowledge regarding any other kind of collection. As Classic Driver Editor & CEO, J. Philip Rathgen has a definitively accurate eye and sense of detail when he explains his motivations in 3 different approaches.
J. Phillip’s Top 3: Cartier Santos, A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split, Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept.
François-Xavier Overstake
PuristSPro moderator & Equation du Temps Editor, François-Xavier Overstake, aka FX, aka Fovesta, is without any doubt one of the most sincere and relevant collectors and commentators regarding contemporary watches. François-Xavier always has a fresh eye on every new watch or brand with an incredible capacity to judge the various aspects of a watch without any preconceptions.
François-Xavier’s Top 3: A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split, Cartier Santos Skeleton steel, Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic.
Woman’s Watch pick: Van Cleef & Arpels Planetarium.
Elizabeth Doerr
Renowned Author & Journalist Elizabeth Doerr has given the watch industry some of the most relevant books of our time, or may we say Encyclopedias as her work is complete and referral? As editor-in-chief and co-founder of Quill & Pad, she tries this same editorial approach to deliver a qualitative digital product that lends her site towards a reference object.
Elizabeth’s Top 3: A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split, Cartier Révélation d'une panthère, Van Cleef & Arpels Planetarium.
Vincent Daveau
Vincent is surely one of the most expert eyes to give us his Top 3 Watches as he is primarily a watchmaker AND a talented journalist that we have the privilege to work with as our Managing Editor France. He is the leading voice for watchmaking for the prestigious freeman magazine, L’Express.
Vincent’s Top 3: Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic, Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak RD#2 Perpetual Calendar Extra-Thin.
Christian Baker
Watch Correspondent, Robb Report Australia & UK (LINK) and Asia Editor-at-large for The Rake (LINK), Christian is a world citizen. Having a strong personal taste but an open-minded approach, curious of each detail, he provides us a terrific Top 3 in a non-duplicable yet pleasantly dandy way.
Christian’s Top 3: IWC Tribute to Pallweber, Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris, Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept.