Revolution at Baselworld: the smart showcase

Xavier Dietlin’s display windows are now indispensable for watchmaking brands. He is everywhere to the extent that he arrives prior to the inauguration of big international watchmaking events in order to install, secure and make his little wonders work. The former professional sportsman automatically puts a smile on your face when you come across him. He has forged himself an unprecedented reputation in the sector in less than 10 years after his family company was established in 1954 and enjoyed a good reputation in construction. Now with Dietlin, they have transformed the simple display windows that showed the indispensable luxury products that are precious timekeepers in the best possible light into the missing link in production. The new generation of showcases present at Baselworld 2015 opened a promising era of smart display windows.

Fame came in the shape of an unglazed showcase

Come to think of it, it’s all about creativity and that is something Dietlin certainly has. Those who know it, such as Hublot, don’t bother carrying out further research. Instead, they get involved in a proactive manner and regularly visit workshops, ask questions and discover the amazing leads on which Xavier Dietlin works and innovates. Their regular visits to his creative drawers made them the first to manufacture hitherto unseen products that blend holographic images, special effects and other patented inventions. When, at the age of 22, Dietlin took over the family company famous for its participation in the construction of the Olympic Museum in 1991, he made some major changes that brought it close to Swiss watchmaking brands. 

Among the display windows that brought the brand fame and clients was the famous Raptor launched in 2015. No one can ignore this model that not only carries out its role of putting exceptional watches into the spotlight perfectly, but it has also become a production in its own right.

The Raptor is an unusual display window in that it is unglazed but also because it makes the product available to touch. Only, the piece vanishes the moment we reach towards it and hides away in the security of the base. After a while – the exact duration can be programmed – the watch comes out of its hiding place and reverts to its initial position for visitors to see. This holographic dance is an added value to brands, which have to rise up to the challenge of sharing the space available at fairs and points of sale with their competitors. The Raptor provides these brands with a powerful seduction weapon that draws attention on its own.

Raptor II: logical evolution, exhibition art 2.0

The new Raptor generation goes even further. The Raptor II is filled with useful electronics and is equipped with side screens that prolong the time before the watch retreats to safety when an indelicate or playful hand reaches across to it.

The inside of the case is revealed through an animation that may be more or less magical depending on its creators’ skills. The visitor is invited to discover where the watch goes when it disappears from sight: it is featured in a film with a moving background that features the watch’s other communication tools, ad images and catalogues. There we find her, desirable and appealing, just like the star in a series of magical images.

The Raptor II turns the famous time-out (the time a visitor has to wait for the piece to come back out after they tried to grab it) into a deliciously playful moment. What visitors don’t know, however, is that the high-tech window also yields statistical data thanks to its two systems: IR motion Captures and R2D2, tracker of visitors. So the window can measure the time that each visitor has taken to look at watches within approximately a 10-meter radius.

In other words, the Raptor II provides precious information to those who install it. Yet, while the corridors at BaselWorld must have undoubtedly provided a good training ground, they have most probably not been decisive.

Of course, data does not provide the faces or addresses of visitors. Nevertheless, it produces a representative sample that lets us know whether the showcase was well positioned, whether the animation was appreciated and, most importantly, whether potential clients attracted to it played the game. Yes, the smart window is indeed born.

Technical information

IR motion capture: the IR (infra-red) detection system recognizes movements (sweep of hand from left to right) then runs a specific program (scrolling the collections like on an iPad). By moving your hands together, you zoom in and by moving them further apart, you zoom out.

R2D2, the visitor tracker. This module placed in the Raptor II (or any other display case), knows how many visits it has received, how many people have played and how long they stayed. Daily statistics provided. Based on IR scanning, this system facilitates total anonymity with regard to the visitors.