Senin, 11 Januari 2016

WATCH TRENDS : WHY MECHANICAL BEATS  SMARTWATCHES IN 2016
 

The Year in Horology: What to watch for in 2016

 2015 saw the embrace of wearable tech and smartwatches in the fashion industry. In 2016, will this mean the end of the classic mechanical-watch in favor of new technologies? Experts say no.

 
(CNN)Will the advent of the smartwatch mean the death of the traditional mechanical watch? It's a question many are now asking, as leading luxury brands such as TAG Heuer and Breitling embrace new technology, adding smart and connected watches to their product lines.
But classic timepieces have faced down threats from new innovative designs in the past. As with quartz and digital watches, an increasing number of consumers will likely add a smartwatch to their accoutrements this year. Though as with previous upgrades, the majority of these buyers will see them as more of an addition rather than a replacement for the classical wristwatch.

Breitling's brand new Exospace B55 Connected is a hybrid, using Bluetooth rather than wifi and an upgraded quartz movement, for those who want both the functionality of a smartwatch and the look and feel of a traditional timepiece. But that doesn't mean the brand is abandoning mechanical watches like its classic Navitimer (pictured). "In 2016 we will also continue to develop in-house movements in our watches," Breitling USA President Thierry Prissert tells CNN. "And we will have have plenty of new, exciting watches being released this year at Baselworld in March that I am looking forward to."

 "Moving into the future, Breitling will continue to value tradition and quality while balancing a growing need for technological integration," Breitling USA President Thierry Prissert tells CNN. "The Exospace B55 Connected is a perfect example of this [because] it places the smartphone at the service of the watch. You can use your smartphone to adjust various functions on the watch including setting the time zone, an alarm or measuring calculations important to pilots such as flight times, block time and mission elapsed time. You can even receive notifications on the watch when you receive text messages, calendar notification, phone calls and e-mails."

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In "The Watch Book," a new horological encyclopedia released by German luxury publisher teNeues, wristwatch expert and historian Gisbert Brunner agrees. "Chronometric luxury and long-lasting value cannot be found among these newfangled inventions," Brunner writes.
Indeed, 2016 is shaping up to be a banner year for traditional mechanical watch enthusiasts. In addition to Brunner's book, the market for both modern and vintage mechanical watches is growing apace, with buoyant auction prices and increased value for collector items complementing the sales of new, and in some cases, more affordable designs.

 Mechanical watches evoke an emotional connection with consumers that electronics cannot and will not ever achieve, James Lamdin, founder of Analog/Shift tells CNN. "At a time when more and more consumers demand a lasting and meaningful experience from the goods they purchase, the mechanical timepiece industry will continue to thrive in 2016 and beyond," opines Lamdin. Analog/Shift is a highly-regarded online watch boutique which specializes in vintage timepieces like the 1958 Rolex Submariner pictured above.
 "The vintage watch market has exploded in recent years, with consumers from all walks of life drawn towards the concept of re-discovering the past, finding a timepiece with a story, and adding their own chapter to it," Lamdin says. "In 2016, the vintage market will continue to blossom at all levels -- entry, mid and high-end." Pictured is a motorsports-inspired 1970s Heuer Autavia from Analog/Shift's collection, a model that has seen prices rise steadily.
 Customization of high-end timepieces is a growing popular as well, and we expect many innovative designs in 2016. The newest player, with the unlikely name Huckleberry, specializes in intricately engraved Rolex timepieces, like this green dial Submariner -- which took 140 hours of labor to complete and costs $37,500. Others like Project X and Bamford Watch Department have begun to offer blacked-out stealth versions of Rolex sports models and are branching out with different designs and a wide palette of custom color options.
 The annual SIHH luxury watch fair in Geneva is organized by Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) and was originally created to showcase luxury watch brands -- including Cartier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre and A. Lange & Söhne -- owned by the blue-chip Richemont Group. Prestigious brands outside the group such as Audemars Piguet and Parmigiani Fleurier were added to the mix later on, as well as Ralph Lauren Watches, a collaboration between the legendary designer and Richemont launched in 2007.
 This year Ralph Lauren will be absent from SIHH in order to focus more on the U.S. market, while nine new and/or independent watch brands will be exhibited at the high-end event for the first time. The new exhibitors are Christophe Claret, De Bethune, H. Moser & Cie, Hautelence, HYT, Kari Voutilainen, Laurent Ferrier, MB&F, and Urwerk, whose fanciful timepieces resemble machinery fit for a Star Wars set. Some of them are literally changing the way we tell time, though not everyone would consider them objects of beauty. Urwerk has exhibited at Baselworld in the past.
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This has also paved the way for independent brands to enter the market, with some like Detroit-based Shinola, New York-based Autodromo and Antwerp-based Ressence eschewing the conventional wisdom that a watchmaker must be based in Switzerland to be taken seriously.
Several newcomers will also be exhibiting for the first time at SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie), the first major international watch event of the year, held January 18-22 in Geneva.
On the auction front, Antiquorum and Bonhams will lead 2016 with February sales of important modern and vintage timepieces in Hong Kong and London respectively. Sotheby's follows suit on March 8 in London.
 More recently established watch brands Antwerp-based Ressence and New York-based Autodromo, have both succeeded with an emphasis on world class design. While Autodromo's timepieces, which are inspired by vintage sports car gauges, are relatively affordable, Ressence is built on the expertise of yesterday -- crafted with today's technology, but designed for tomorrow. It has relied on the backing of men's style powerhouse Mr. Porter to sell watches for up to $37,000 apiece. We expect to see more offerings from them both in 2016.
 2016 will be an interesting year for watches, Julien Schaerer, Managing Director of auction powerhouse Antiquorum in Geneva tells CNN. The market continues to grow for exceptional and undervalued [vintage] pieces; there has been tremendous growth on brands such as Heuer, Universal Gene and diving watches in general. "Where sales of conspicuously expensive luxury goods have slowed, the market for Rolex sport models in excellent condition like this iconic Daytona will continue to grow no matter what," says Schaerer, noting the influence of consumers in China and the Middle East.
 According to "The Watch Book," the 18 watch brands that matter in the world right now are: Audemars Piguet, Breguet, Breitling, Cartier, Chopard, Glashütte Original, Hublot, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, A. Lange & Sohne, Montblanc, Omega, Panerai, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Rolex, Vacheron Constantin and Zenith. Mechanical watches dominate, smartwatches need not apply. We would add TAG Heuer, Tudor, Hermès, Bell & Ross and Blancpain to the list for starters.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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