Green and recycled: Twelve of the most impressive watch launches at Watches and Wonders
Even as green dominated in the aesthetic for dials this year, Panerai has led innovation by creating a 98.6 percent recycled elements watch
Opened on April 7, the Geneva leg of Watches and Wonders, the world’s most prestigious watch fair, formerly known as the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), is being held digitally second year in a row. Its second leg in Shanghai, from April 14 to 18, invites very select watch dealers and VIPs.
There are 38 participating brands including A. Lange & Söhne, Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe, Rolex, Montblanc, TAG Heuer, Chopard, Panerai and IWC among others.
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The luxury watch industry has seen constant speculation about whether luxury watches would survive versus smart watches as well as the second year of a global pandemic, which could change luxury consumers’ behaviour. “But the industry seems resilient. Not only have some brands shown some very innovative novelties, most have gone ahead and shot up their pricing too,” says Sarosh Mody, founding director of Luxury Watch Works, an after-sales service centre for luxury watch brands.
Some of the pieces that impressed him at Watches and Wonders are Vacheron Constantin’s Split-Second Chronograph in platinum, A. Lange & Söhne’s Triple Split, Bulgari’s Octo Perpetual Calendar and the pièce de resistance of high watchmaking this year—Jaeger- LeCoultre’s Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 Quadriptyque.
Other noteworthy innovations are Cartier’s Cloche, Piaget’s Limelight collection, Louis Moinet’s 8 Marvels of the World, IWC’s Big Pilot in 43mm and Ulysse Nardin’s UFO. “Green has dominated in the aesthetic for dials this year while Panerai has led innovation by creating a 98.6 percent recycled elements watch,” adds Mody.
