Taking place right now, Baselworld 2019 is the world’s premiere show for watches, jewelry, gems and related industries. Baroque Access has all the details
Baselworld 2019 officially opened on 21 March with major watch and jewellery brands on display including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Jacob & Co, Chopard, Picchiotti and Hublot, all showing off the latest trends for the coming year. It is evident that digitalization has transformed this industry, offering new challenges and keeping manufacturers on their toes. Baselworld 2019 is thus the perfect platform for media, the public and those in the industry to be able to see this firsthand.
Numerous innovations are evident in the 2019 show, including the newly designed event location, Show Plaza, the new home for jewelry companies. Here, daily fashion shows and jewelry displays are in the spotlight.
This year’s Baselworld 2019 has also expanded its information channels and now offers an app with augmented reality features, a chatbot messenger service called ‘Baselworld Live News’ and a relaunched website offering all the information required for visitors to the show.
Baselworld 2019 features fresh twists on existing classics, and there are a number of standout highlights, including the new long-term partnership between famous diamond and jewelry house, Jacob & Co, a leader in complicated timepieces and and Bugatti, the most celebrated high performance sports car manufacturer in the world. The Presidents of the two companies, Jacob Arabo and Stephan Winkelmann, made their partnership official at Baselworld 2019, with two meticulously manufactured new timepieces – the extremely complicated Twin Turbo masterpiece and a limited edition of the Epic X Chrono.
Another highlight is the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht Master 42, which was unveiled at the show. Originally launched in 1992 the Rolex timepiece with its Oyster case and Perpetual (self-winding) movement has had numerous iterations. This year’s new model is in white gold in a 42mm case, making it the largest Oyster Perpetual ever. It is fitted with Rolex’s new-generation 3235 movement that includes 70 hours of power reserve.
Hublot’s standout pieces centered around its partnership with luxury auto brand Ferrari. The major highlight is the Classic Fusion Ferrari GT timepiece, which boasts an extremely innovative design integrating the UNICO manufacture movement in a distinctive case with dynamic lines reminiscent of an aerodynamic motor car body. The 45mm Classic Fusion case is 6.75mm thick and boasts a 3-day power reserve. The transparent dial features the famous Prancing Horse at 12 o’ clock. The new timepiece comes in three different cases – Titanium (a limited edition of just 1,000 pieces), King Gold (in a limited edition of just 500 pieces) and 3D Carbon, also in a limited edition of 500 pieces.
Tag Heuer’s Autavia Isograph was another standout, reviving the swinging 1960s with a timepiece that sits very happily in the 21st century. There’s also Patek Philippe’s 5235/50R Annual Calendar with a regulator dial (ie the seconds, minutes and hours are all displayed on separate dials).
Media are invited to attend a final press conference on the last day of the show, 26 March, where plans for Baselworld 2020 will be revealed. According to MD of Baselworld, Michel Loris-Melikoff, “Baselworld will and must continue to change – initial steps are discernible this year, and next year’s exhibitors, visitors and journalists can look forward to a completely renewed show.”