The Ultimate Guide To Watches & Wonders 2020

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The Ultimate Guide To Watches & Wonders 2020 - Watches & Wonders
5 minutes read
The digital watch show Watches & Wonders lifts the curtain on a significant portion of novelties from 18 of its exhibiting brands. Here’s everything you need to know.

In the wake of the cancellation of the original Watches & Wonders salon, which should have taken place at Palexpo from 25 to 30 April 2020, the team at Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) in charge of organizing the show reacted swiftly to launch a multi-language digital platform open for everyone. Of the 30 exhibiting brands, 18 have thus prepared photo and video content that can be browsed by the public and professionals on www.watchesandwonders.com, with the remaining 12 joining in in the coming weeks.  

What to expect

First of all, around 60 videos (varying from 10 seconds to 4 minutes in length), grouped together under a “New Releases for 2020” section, which WorldTempus has analysed for you below. In the next section (“Discover brand announcements”), around 50 videos featuring brand management or artistic directors talking about their 2020 collections and explaining their products in detail. Below that, (“Diving into images”), nearly 80 watches are presented in photos. In each section, links to the brands’ websites allow you to find out more. 

Also interesting is under the “Insiders” section, designed to be more educational and informative, one can find short, formatted videos clearly explaining the functions of 25 of the new products, such as Hermès’ Arceau l’Heure de la Lune, Purnell’s Escape II Carbon, Rober Dubuis’ Excalibur Diabolus in Machina, Montblanc’s Geosphere 1858, or Laurent Ferrier’s Grand Sport Tourbillon. The educational approach follows in the “Did you know” section, which includes a glossary and workshop presentations, and the website visit ends with video interviews of industry professionals.

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Ladies First

Unsurprisingly, Cartier continues its charm offensive with women, presenting a new ladies’ collection, one all about shape, called “Maillon”. With a more unisex approach, the Pasha, Santos-Dumont and Cartier Privé – Tank Asymétrique now have added variations. 

Naturally, Piaget focused a large part of its new offerings on the feminine and jeweller’s segment, with the Limelight Gala (including a high jewellery version) and Piaget Treasures, but also the diamond-set Altiplano and a magnificent Altiplano Ultimate Automatic with a finely diamond-set bezel. 

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Since the beginning of this year, Vacheron Constantin has returned to feminine creations and is stepping up its efforts here, unveiling a remarkable Traditionelle Tourbillon for ladies, including a high-jewellery version, as well as its new high-jewellery Egérie Moon Phase. 

Jaeger-LeCoultre also joined the foray for women with its red Reverso One. More unexpectedly on the women’s field, Rebellion focused on those with bold characters with its diamond-set Predator S, redesigned down to a diameter of 42mm.

The most creative

Naturally, the quality of presentation videos varies from brand to brand. The most creative goes to Vacheron Constantin, which stands out for several reasons. Whether it be the number of videos made available, the commitment from the brand’s Heritage & Style Director Christian Selmoni to thoroughly and thoughtfully explain the collection by circling back to several watches in detail, or the animation for the Les Cabinotiers La Musique du Temps watch, which was done particularly well. At IWC, Artistic Director Christian Knoop is also at ease on camera, reinforced by the elegant editing of videos presenting the brand’s partnership with the shipbuilders Solaris Yachts, notably around the Portuguese Yacht Club. 

In poetic fashion, HYT’s film also features its Artistic Director, François Nunez, recalling the concept of the brand, playing on the concept of telling time through fluid science, while effectively describing the H5, their main new model. At Panerai, practically all the new products are presented in small, very dynamic videos that plunge the viewer into their unique and often nautical universe, showcasing the Luminor Luna Rossa for the America's Cup, the Luminor Prima Assoluta featuring a new ultra-light composite case material called Fibratech, the Luminor Marina DMLS with a 70-year guarantee, or its Submersible EcoPangaea™ Tourbillon GMT who’s purchase includes an experience with Mike Horn! 

Just as virile, but focused on the automotive world, Rebellion effectively combines its commitment to racing with their 2020 novelties, such as the Re-Volt Bruno Senna or the Weap-One Diamond Asymmetrical Flying Tourbillon. More deliberate in their mission to seduce, Hermès aim for the skies with a particularly celestial Arceau l’Heure de la Lune. 

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What men adored

We begin with GMT’s Editor-in-Chief, who chose the following watch for the cover of its spring issue: the astonishing Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Automatic, launched by H. Moser & Cie at the beginning of the year, a watch that does not leave anyone indifferent. 

At A. Lange & Söhne, the brand stands out with its content and format, with two 4-minute videos (among the longest on the website), presenting the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater in white gold. The first video shows the product from every angle, while the second provides precise details on how it works in an educational manner. White gold was also chosen for the new Odysseus, A. Lange & Söhne’s first foray into sports watches. 

On all fronts, Vacheron Constantin consolidates its status as a leader in Haute Horlogerie with its Traditional Tourbillon Chronograph and its ultra-thin Overseas Perpetual Calendar in rose gold, while expanding the retro-leaning Fifty-Six collection with new models. For Jaeger-LeCoultre, it is time for the grand return of the legendary Master Control collection, completely revisited, starting with the Master Control Chronograph Calendar and the unmissable Master Control Geographic available in a new material, Le Grand Rose®. At Piaget, men can now have the choice of a Polo watch with a green dial. 

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To finish this overview of Watches & Wonders, let’s go to the most accessible brand, Baume & Mercier, which will delight men in search of small complications in an affordable and elegant luxury watch with its new Clifton Baumatic displaying the day, date and moon phase in a steel or gold case.

Other Exhibitors

12 exhibitors of Watches & Wonders have not yet put their new products on the exhibition website: Armin Strom, Arnold & Son, Bovet, Claret, DeWitt, Fabergé, Girard-Perregaux, Grönefeld, MB&F, Parmigiani, Rudis Sylva and Ulysse Nardin.

The vast majority of these new products are regularly analysed by WorldTempus experts, or will be in the near future. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive news automatically.

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