What shouldn’t have been missed in Doha
Baguettes sizes, snowfall settings, brilliant cuts … rare are the fairs where diamonds shine on timepieces as much as they do in Doha.
By Eléonor Picciotto
Too close from the SIHH in Geneva at the end of January and with Baselworld at the corner, the Qatari fair slipped in between those dates with just a few brands unveiling a special «Qatar Edition.»
Zenith launched on the second day of the fair a Primero Movement chronograph with the improvement of 36 thousand vibrations per hour (5 Hertz), a big date and a moon phase where «Al Adaam» - name of the national flag - is spelled out in the old style Qatari writing. The limited edition of 15 pieces is made with a steel case and a dial made of the Qatari burgundy color with a chocolate brown alligator strap on a deployment buckle.
Pushing the burgundy almost to a shade of fuchsia, Hublot launched a limited edition embedding the Qatari flag. A simple classic fusion made of steel with the white arrows embroidered in cotton thread on the bracelet.
Parmigiani didn't follow the trend and unveiled the Toric Capitol, a unique piece in diamonds and black onyx, where the hours indicate the minutes. An intricate way of telling the time.
Jaeger-Lecoultre showcased their fully-paved Gyrotourbillon and Urwerk their diamond paved 103 with the Hamsa (or fatma hand), although already known pieces, there were spotted if not acquired by some interested buyers!
The real interesting thing though was the power of independants and the curiosity they triggered such as HYT, Linde Werdelin, Manufacture Royale, De Bethune or Speake-Marin to name a few. Not that Qataris don’t have the financial means of buying a Manufacture Royale Opera piece or a De Bethune dial full of stars, the fact is: they don’t know anything about the technical prowesses made in those timepieces because no-one explained them. According to those brands and thanks to the active work their local partners do, independent brands are emerging in the middle-eastern market opening a new spectrum of potential sales differing from what Qataris are used to. From sparkle to technical, the next step will be to combine both.
Sparkling echoes in Doha, Qatar
By Eléonor Picciotto
The Doha Jewellery and Watch Fair officially took place 24-28 February with the highest security in order to take care of the thousands of carats combined to...