The special exhibition of the EPHJ-EPMT-SMT paying tribute to creativity
To complement the news generated by 755 exhibitors, the « Création » space received an exhibition throughout the whole fair. A detour proposed to more than 18’000 visitors.
By Joel Grandjean
Editor-in-Chief
Throughout the whole fair, which remains the greatest annual Swiss professional event, there were craftsmanship demonstrations and technological innovations. Notable among the number of professions which are the upstream and downstream of watch production - since EPHJ-EPMT-SMT, from its creation, forbids the presence of finished watches – are the designers and movement constructors, which had their dedicated space this year.
Often working in the shadows of the brands, when they are not directly employed, these essential links of horology burst with creativity. Thus, through the provision of an exhibition space dedicated to creation, the organizers revealed their “willingness to exchange and interact”. Mostly self-employed, sometimes founders of an already prominent brand, those who answered the call were given carte blanche in the choice of exhibited works.
Even if the actors of this profession mostly refuse to communicate about the secrets linking them to some of their client brands, they have all showed that they have ideas to defend, approaches to share.
About fifteen designers and constructors honored at EPHJ-EPMT-SMT
For the first time since its creation 11 years ago, the central exhibition of the EPHJ-EPMT-SMT fair dedicated itself to creation this year. It was an unhoped-for opportunity for the various visiting deciders to discover the free self-expression of an indispensable creativity, which is intimately linked to watch production.
Designers present at the EPHJ-EPMT-SMT
The Blade Design studios (Stéphane Avranches), Cosanova (Claudio d’Amore), Dupont Design (Nicole Dupont), Dalo Création (Philippe Moser), David Quinche Design (David Quinche), Étude de Style (Sébastien Perrret) and Atelier TPCM; the self-employed Rebecca Yeager, Sébastien Mettreaux and André Meyer, Jean-Claude and Emmanuel Gueit.
Exhibitioning constructors
TimeVision (Frédéric Richard), Ludovic Ballouard (Montres Ludovic Ballouard), Saskia Maaike Bouvier, Yvan Arpa (Montres ArtyA et Spero Lucem), MHC, Manufacture de Hautes Complications (Pierre-Laurent Favre).
