The watchmakers' plaza: jackpot!
The group of independent watchmakers called the "Carré des horlogers" at the SIHH 2016 stood for creativity and passion for alternative mechanics. The players will ultimately become winners, but that will require some tall ordering. What's on the table?
By Vincent Daveau
Contributor
The nine independent watchmakers who came to this Salon had undoubtedly made a daring choice by accepting to be at the SIHH 2016, because the cost of having a presence there is high, especially for these companies whose finances have been under some stress during these recent months of crisis. But many journalists at the event did feel that this year's SIHH would have been a lot duller without their presence, because the novelties displayed by the institutional companies were, in the final analysis, not really revolutionary. Let's put it this way: they tend to lack the sex appeal that might make them a success in editorial pages and turn them into sell-out products.
There are rumors of high fees for a presence at the Salon, but it is only fair that all creative watchmakers taking advantage of the infrastructure should reach into their own pockets. It's a way of sharing the costs. And luxury has its price, namely that of excellence. But one must consider that most of the independents who came to the SIHH also have a booth at Baselworld. Not to mention the fact that the suites in the hotels in downtown Geneva, where they usually find space, are not free of charge either. So, all things considered, and given the increase in visibility, the smaller brands will probably make out fairly well in the end.
Innovation trips
The square was divided into nine little alcoves around which a number of new media buzzed, bent on boosting the fortunes of these poor exiles from the center of town. It was a space that was chock-full of products of incredible quality. Let's consider HYT first, whose timepieces with fluid displays have managed to touch even the most diehard apostles of orthodox watchmaking. These innovative and unusual pieces do give food for thought. There was unanimous approval for the Tradition reference, which is highly readable, and the version featuring a dynamo to produce light.
At Christophe Claret's, the Westminster minute repeater really captivated those who love music with their time. Obviously, the architectural follies served up by MB&F revealed the visionary character of the founder of the brand, which is ready to do anything crazy, but without ever bluffing. The Urwerk models wowed those who love watches that refuse to conform to any norms. The latest timepieces are very martial – they sort of resemble. And they are quite explosive, in the figurative sense, but are extremely precise, thanks to the activation mechanism, a dynamo, which allows the wearer to instantly read and adjust the precision of the in-house caliber.
The Hautlence HL 2. 6 did say what the brand is all about very clearly, even though we found out on-site that Guillaume Tétu, the remaining one of two Hautlence founders, was steering towards new creative horizons.
Straight flush
Even in the world of the independents, there was some balance. The futurists were escorted in their adventures by some brands that are less focused on avant-garde manufacturing. Purists will argue, however, that De Bethune should, by rights, be a part of the first group. That is true. But the novelty of the year, dedicated to traveling, is more classical than we are used to seeing from the brand. And this is the ideal transition to smoothly introduce the works of H. Moser & Cie and Laurent Ferrier, who are both known for their hyper-classical approach and the care they give to details, or the streamlined creations of Kari Voutilainen. In this temple devoted to haute horlogerie, the industry professionals had all the time and space to discover both innovations and traditions, to examine works whose creative richness is diagonally opposite the formatted products of the institutional brands.
Yes, the business is in a genuine crisis. It is a crisis of identity, of economics, and a bit societal. These watchmakers are in the process of redesigning how they conceive their communication and distribution, and they have reached a crossroad strewn with traps. They are facing serious challenges in the way they spread their message. They are being pressed by the need for more vigorous relationship marketing, and will have to choose between virtual and real paths to try an clinch sales they really need if they wish to stay in the frenetic rhythm imposed by the unfettered growth in the luxury segment.
