Cartier Clé Silvered Flinqué Dial Steel Men's Watch WGCL0005

Elizabeth Doerr: It seemed like a very relaxing show to me this year with fewer crowds in the halls of the SIHH. 
Carlos Torres: Some retailers were under the impression that there were less people attending the show, although official numbers stated there was a 10 percent increase this year. On one subject all were unanimous, though: everyone noticed the more relaxed ambiance where the pressure to buy older watch models was not felt that bly.
Roberta Naas: No matter how much coverage we give the fair and the watches, no matter how many pictures we bring to the forefront - it doesn't hold a candle to being there. The excitement at the show as brands unveil their newest creations - well, it's incomparable. We talk about the watches, or the people who build them, the celebrities who wear them - but it still isn't enough to bring it all to life.
Miguel Seabra: The first immediate conclusion drawn at the SIHH was that it wasn't as crowded as in previous years - it was easier to get a seat for lunch and faster to get it eaten! But all exhibitors seemed pretty pleased with attendance and business done throughout the event, even with the economic recession still affecting most Europeans countries and the U.S. My overall impression of the GTE was it lost some important exhibitors and thus a little weight.
ED: While I agree with you, Miguel, that the number of exhibitors at GTE was lower, I feel that the exhibitors that were there were very good quality. The fair was more organized and the ambiance was excellent. I enjoyed my day there.

Remarkable products
ED: What were some of the coolest watches we saw this last week? At the SIHH, I have several standouts in mind…
RN: I was particularly impressed with the stunning creations in master joaillerie and horlogerie from Cartier, and am really enthusiastic about the celebratory Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks. Similarly, I think it was wonderful that Vacheron Constantin put together a retrospective of the Malte and its expertise in the realm of tonneau shapes. Sometimes the brands say they have their inspiration in history, but to see it lined up in front of you makes it really hit home. Again, Van Cleef & Arpels works magic with its Poetic series, and Michel Parmigiani reminded us all of his truly creative spirit with the unveiling of the superb dragon automaton clock.

Kristian Haagen: I have to come back to Richard Mille and Greubel Forsey when we are talking about wow-factors and fantastic-ness. These two brands are late bloomers in terms of showing their watches at the SIHH, but they are also the showstoppers. They both offer an almost crazy amount of wow, and without these two brands the SIHH 2012 would have been a little too quiet in terms of revolutionary new products - in my humble opinion.
CT: Right there with you, Kristian. Richard Mille was a definite wow. Probably, the high-tech level of the 3D press presentation contributed to better perception and understanding of the high watchmaking level that was at stake. The sapphire case of the RM 056 was remarkable and something of a world-first.

KH: But this year it was also about the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak re-launch as Roberta noted. And the multi-axis tourbillon fitted into the already-cool Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre line. 
ED: The Spherotourbillon a Duometre was for me one of the top watches at the show, as was A. Lange & Söhne's Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar. I love the unpretentiousness of the downplayed complications in both of those models. And they are both completely wearable.
MS: Some two dozen watches caught my attention, but I particularly liked the Greubel Forsey GMT model boasting a three-dimensional globe; the Richard Mille exclusive limited editions (the architecture of the RM053 Pablo Mac Donough, the expensive transparency of the RM056 and especially the daring RM052 Tourbillon Skull); the Jaeger-LeCoultre Spherotourbillon kicks off a stunning new generation of tourbillons in a classic, elegant case. In the end, I'm not too greedy - I'd settle for the merely updated 41mm Royal Oak Chronograph by Audemars Piguet.
KH: Let us not forget the Girard-Perregaux Laureato outfitted with that brand's most iconic function: the triple bridge tourbillon. And Piaget, of course, showed the brand new Governor, which seems to be a mix of two shapes and designed by super-talented Emmanuel Gueit and his father Jean-Claude. Piaget also showed its otherwise cool Polo FortyFive in titanium with a black coating. Black coating? That is so last-year in my book. Why coat a luxury watch that retails for € 22,000 when you KNOW it will wear off and make the watch look cheaper rather than the opposite? I…don't…get…it! 
CT: On the other hand, thin is still in, of course. The presentation of several new models with case sizes under 40 mm might be a trend that Basel confirms, and can also represent a demand coming from the smaller wrists of Asia. I also thought there were some impressive complicated pieces by Greubel Forsey and Jaeger-LeCoultre, along with interesting propositions in the field of perpetual calendars. A. Lange & Söhne had definitely the best piece on show in this category, I'm right there with you, Elizabeth. And the "metiers d'arts" continue to gain more and more ground and will definitely grow in 2013.
KH: Indeed, Carlos, in addition to its metier d'arts, Cartier showed some truly amazing new movements: a titanium minute repeater, a grand complication pocket watch and other incredible new models from their manufacture collection. What head watchmaker Carole Forestier-Kasapi and her talented teamsters presented this (and last) year is not just good: it's great. Nobody really saw this coming six years ago when Cartier was all about Tank, Pasha and Santos. Forestier-Kasapi is the rock star of Cartier and I can't help but think what she could do for the likes of Girard-Perregaux, JeanRichard and other watch companies that are in need of novel thinking. 
ED: Ah, but that was one of this fair's big surprises, wasn't it, Kristian? Girard-Perregaux announced the arrival of master watchmaker Dominique Loiseau to the team. Loiseau - who was the creator of Blancpain's most complicated watch, the 1738 - will remain in his own workshop and continue working on his own masterpieces, but he will also create some for Girard-Perregaux as well - from the ground up, might I add, not based on the existing GP 3100 caliber. I can't wait to see what he does, though we might be waiting a year or two to see it - at Baselworld.
MS: But back to the issue at hand. What I saw was that the main trends were not completely different from those already featured last year - including classic looks and feminine mechanical timepieces appealing to the Chinese market, a more subtle neo-retro touch (though Jaeger-LeCoultre even came up with a chronograph inspired by its Deep Sea watch that made a lot of people think it was a re-edition) and streamlined models for those looking for a more affordable price tag. Still, some prices seemed unreasonably high - on the other hand, there were several models worth an apartment on Madison Avenue. Skeletonizing is now shown in a contemporary way. The limited edition craze is like a Pandora's Box and is turning the "limited edition" tag into a common one. On the technical side, new tourbillons were introduced, but there seemed to be particular attention given to perpetual calendars and minute repeaters. The race for frequency records has TAG Heuer out in front, after the introduction of the Mikrogirder in the brand's own exhibition in Geneva.
ED: Did you see Montblanc's TimeWriter II Chronographe Bi-Frequence 1.000 at the SIHH? I find that this sort of display makes much more sense - even more technical sense - than the crazy displays of the TAG Heuer high-frequency watches. The Montblanc movement's escapement beats at 18,000 vph, while the chronograph's separate escapement beats at 360,000 vph (50 Hertz). The result of the timing process is shown on a "dashboard" when the stop button is pushed. It also has a full 45 minutes of power reserve when the chronograph is activated and 100 hours of power reserve without the activated chronograph.
CT: I agree with Miguel on the continuing feminine mechanics. Without a second thought, the best I saw was by Van Cleef & Arpels. The collaboration with Jean Marc Wiederrecht has given the brand new horizons in creativity, and even the Pierre Arpels piece looks remarkable on the wrist.
MS: Van Cleef & Arpels really came up with original poetic complications.
Presentation
MS: Another aspect of the fair was the almost bipolar method used to present new products: some brands just introduced the models, highlighting the product in a simple way. Others tried to capture the imagination of the press and clients through spectacular settings in their respective booths - for instance, all three brands under Georges Kern's umbrella chose to tell a story as a way of romancing the respective main launches.
RN: I know exactly what you mean. IWC managed to take its booth space and create an aircraft carrier ambience in the finest style to underscore its new pilot's watches. Once again, the various brands surprised us with their exhibits and their tenacity. This seems logical since so many brands unveiled watches that had been three or more years in the making and so many showed master pieces of both art and technology that go above and beyond the norm. 

MS: Then there was the Hamptons' seaside chic for Baume & Mercier (for the Capeland and Hampton lines) and Hollywood's Matrix/Mission Impossible for Roger Dubuis (the launch of the Pulsion line). Some presentations seemed like marketing stunts. And I liked Richard Mille's way of using 3D to introduce the new collection.
Xavier Dietlin's innovative showcases for Cartier deserve a mention and it should be noted that, in the last year of Girard-Perregaux and JeanRichard exhibiting at the SIHH, Alfred Dunhill was not present for the first time - while Ralph Lauren, like in previous years, was not included in the media presentation schedule of many markets.

Overall?
ED: I know I felt that overall the fair was a great and positive sign for things to come. It looks like there is good balance and certainly plenty of interesting things to talk about. 
CT: Although there were many interesting pieces, there was a feeling in the air that something was missing. Several brands, like Vacheron Constantin, said that considering the projects that are in the pipeline, 2013 should be a more interesting year regarding complicated pieces and mechanical innovations. Even Roger Dubuis will probably present a chronograph with power reserve and tourbillon next September, even though the piece is probably already completed.
KH: Maybe we have been spoiled by former years' revolutionary movements, as I felt 2012 was somewhat of a quiet year in terms of revolutionary timepieces at the SIHH. It seemed to me that many of the watch companies chose to update and refine already existing models. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but the wow-factor was of course affected by this somewhat conservative approach…considering that the SIHH is a watch fair - for new watches.
MS: I was also struck by several adjustments or updates made too soon by a few experienced brands in some models or collections, be it in size (slightly bigger or smaller) or structural (tweaking with the bezel, for instance) - making me wonder if the original launch was too precocious. And precociousness is another part of the business that needs to be addressed, since too many clients were claiming that orders made in January at the SIHH were delivered too late in the year.
What also struck me at the Palexpo was that China has kept its status as the new El Dorado and seemed omnipresent not only through the number of visitors and media representatives but also because apparently every brand had Chinese members in their staff (presenters/translators). With the Year of The Dragon just having started, it could be said that the overuse of the dragon in too many creations was a bit opportunistic. Another direct influence of the Chinese and Asian market is the size of some timepieces that would actually look terrific if they were a mere one or two millimeters bigger.
ED: Well, I think that's a matter of opinion, Miguel. I personally liked the classic case sizing just fine. For me, the future of watchmaking looks secured and happy. I came home from the fair feeling optimistic about the months to come. Thank goodness for all the variety in watchmaking: there is something for everyone! Variety is, after all, the spice of life.