SIHH 2018 – the neologisms in the watchmaking dictionary

We start the week with an in-depth interview with IWC’s CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr by Brice Lechevalier. He explains how the brand from Schaffhausen will be celebrating its 150th anniversary, presents the 2018 collection and considers the challenges that lie ahead.

Since a number of press embargoes were fixed for 9am this morning, we have delayed our newsletter by two hours to give you access to the very latest news from the SIHH just as the show opens its doors. This allows me to introduce you to terms such as the Baumatic and Triple Split. Other neologisms will no doubt follow over the course of the week as I grapple with concepts such as “phase-shift seconds”. Keep an eye out on the site this week to see if I can work out what it means!

The “Baumatic” is Baume & Mercier’s brand-new movement that raises the bar in terms of value for money, given its impressive technical specifications. For just 2,450 Swiss francs it offers a silicon hairspring, magnetic resistance to 1500 Gauss, chronometer-level performance and a power reserve of 120 hours. This would take some beating at Baselworld, never mind the more luxurious halls of Palexpo. Oliver Müller brings you the full story behind this new calibre tomorrow.

The “Triple Split” is the only split-seconds chronograph in the world that can measure additive and comparative times for elapsed times of up to 12 hours. Presented by A. Lange & Söhne, it follows on from the brand’s “Double Split”, which is already fourteen years old. Find out more about this technical marvel in my article on Wednesday.

Ferdinand Berthoud’s new FB 1R.6-1 has been christened with a burdensome name and its aesthetics may not be to everyone’s taste but, with only 20 models available, demand for this new interpretation of Ferdinand Berthoud’s hugely completed fusée-chain movement will undoubtedly exceed supply. Oliver Müller brings us all the details on Friday.

These four articles are just a bite-sized appetiser ahead of what promises to be a veritable smorgasbord of watchmaking news over the coming week. We will be updating the site regularly throughout the day during the SIHH and our new community manager Ali Beretdinov will be leaving no showcase and no microfiber glove unpacked in his quest to bring you the best live wristshots and behind-the-scenes coverage from the show on our social media accounts. Our contributors will be reporting on their favourite watches from the SIHH 2018 every day and we will also be sending out our daily newsletter every evening with a summary of the latest product launches.