BASELWORLD 2009

BASELWORLD Press release, April 2, 2009 – After eight successful days, BASELWORLD 2009 closed its doors today, once again reaffirming its position as the leading international watch and jewellery trade show. On a site covering approximately 160,000 m2, 1,952 exhibitors from 45 countries showcased their latest products and innovations. Exhibitors and visitors alike spoke enthusiastically about their experience at the show and the business they did. Thanks to this sense of positi­vity, both exhibitors and visitors forecast new prospects for the industry as a whole.

Watch and jewellery manufacturers and representatives from related industries have been showcasing their exclusive new products and premium collections at BASELWORLD over the past eight days. With its unrivalled vibrancy, BASELWORLD proved once more its immense importance to all exhibitors as the absolute highlight of the watch and jewellery industry’s calendar.

Satisfied exhibitors

This year, BASELWORLD once again reaffirmed itself as the leading global business platform for the watch and jewellery industry. And with results to match. For François Thiébaud, President of the Swiss Exhibitors’ Comittee, BASELWORLD 2009 was a great success. In his own words: “We were able to showcase our new products to buyers from all over the world and we’re extremely satisfied with how the show went. It was extremely well organised and it worked its magic for us once again”. Rolf Schnyder, President of Ulysse Nardin, was also very pleased: “The results for 2009 have been far better than we had expected. Once again, BASELWORLD has been the best place for us to meet specialist dealers and showcase our latest collections.”

BASELWORLD 2009

A strong media and trade presence

For Luc Perramond, CEO of Hermès, BASELWORLD was without a doubt much more successful than many had been anticipating in the run-up to the show: “The mood was fantastic. There was a strong media and trade presence which has given our new range excellent coverage.” Jean-Christophe Babin, President of TAG Heuer, stresses this point as follows: “Over the course of one week, we have the attention of the world’s press in Basel – and these media representa­tives were there yet again in 2009. Therefore, BASELWORLD has once again offered us a fantastic platform where the entire watch industry can get together.”

BASELWORLD as a barometer for the rest of the year

For Rodolphe Schulthess, Sales Manager of Breguet, being able to stage a successful trade show is also very gratifying: “BASELWORLD is immensely important to Breguet.” Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Vice President of Chopard confirms this: “BASELWORLD is the highlight of the year and it’s also the barometer for the rest of the year. We do a large proportion of our business in Basel and get together with our clients and the press from all over the world.” This was once again the case for Chopard: “Even if there was a noticeable air of caution amongst a few of our clients.”

Expectations clearly surpassed

The jewellery sector was also very satisfied as the show drew to a close. “BASELWORLD has been a success. All major jewellers came to our stand, almost without exception”, says Christoph Wellendorff, Managing Director of Wellendorff. Lisa Foo, Marketing Manager of Pasquale Bruni, backs this up: “BASELWORLD is extremely impor­tant to us because it’s the one and only trade show we go to. Our expectations, which were initially a little conservative, were clearly surpassed.” Expectations were also exceeded in the gemstone and diamond sector. Markus P. Wild, Managing Director of Paul Wild, said that there was a large amount of visitor interest. According to Chaim Pluczenik, CEO of The Pluczenik Diamond Company: “It just illustra­tes that even in these difficult times, BASELWORLD attracts all of the decision-makers for the entire industry.”

BASELWORLD 2009

Stengthening its position as a global leader

BASELWORLD strengthened its position as a global leader with a total of 93,900 visitors coming to the show from around the world. Buyers also drew an equally positive conclusion from BASELWORLD 2009: “There is no other comparable event in the jewellery industry’s calendar which has the potential and scope of BASELWORLD”, according to Scott Martin, buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue in New York. “For all of us, BASELWORLD is the launch pad for the rest of the year.” For Michael Tay, Executive Director of The Hour Glass in Singapore, one thing is certain: “This year, BASELWORLD was once again the epicenter of the watch industry. As usual, I was able to gain a fantastic overview of current issues and trends in the industry.”

Buyers focus on BASELWORLD

Arif Ben Khadra, owner of Levant in Dubai, simply describes BASEL­WORLD as the most important watch and jewellery show there is: “Its importance has been borne out by the sheer number of exhibitors, purchasers and media representatives who once again have come to Basel this year. Anyone who is anyone in the industry has a stand in Basel.” Rajesh Gandhi, owner of Choron Diamond in Russia, espe­cially appreciates the “unique and pleasant atmosphere which the organisers have managed to bring to the show once again this year. With its huge number of exhibitors from 45 countries, this watch and jewellery show exceeded my highest expectations.” For Mehud Choksi, Managing Director of the Gitanjali Group in India: “BASEL­WORLD is the world’s biggest and most important trade show. In good times as in bad, my colleagues and I can take or leave other trade shows, but that’s not the case with BASELWORLD.”

BASELWORLD is a must

The show’s good atmosphere and the satisfaction of the buyers also comes across in the survey conducted on behalf of BASELWORLD. Like last year, of those questioned, three quarters rated BASEL­WORLD 2009 as either good or excellent. As many as 78% of visitors in 2009 stated: “BASELWORLD is a must”. What has been on offer at the show, in all of the exhibition halls, has been judged to be of an extremely positive quality.

BASELWORLD 2009

Increased internationality and strong customer loyalty

68.1% of those who visited BASELWORLD were from overseas (compared with 63.6% in 2008). 71% of those visitors questioned confirmed that they also intend to visit BASELWORLD next year; thus emphasising the strong ties the show has. When asked, those questioned said that the main goal of their visit to the watch and jewellery show was to gain an overview of the market. This was followed by networking, customer care, meeting new clients and information gathering about market innovations. Orders were slightly down on the previous year due to the global economic crisis.

The large number of media representatives underscores the importance of the world show

With 2,973 accredited journalists covering the trade show, the impor­tance of BASELWORLD to the entire luxury goods industry has also been underlined. All major trade publications, hundreds of lifestyle magazines, daily newspapers, the online media and numerous TV stations from all over the world, have given coverage to BASEL­WORLD and to the collections and innovations which have been on display over the course of the last eight days.

New momentum boosts business

Sylvie Ritter, Show Director of BASELWORLD, draws an extremely positive conclusion: “BASELWORLD 2009 has shown that the watch and jewellery industry is facing up to this difficult economic situation in an extremely constructive way. BASELWORLD 2009 has successfully given the watch and jewellery industry new momentum and as a result business has been boosted.”

BASELWORLD 2010: March 18 – 25, 2010

BASELWORLD 2010 – the World Watch and Jewellery Show – will be held in Basel, Switzerland, from March 18 – 25, 2010.

The astronauts Harrison Schmitt, Thomas Stafford, Eugene Cernan, Charles Duke and Buzz Aldrin, from left, pose after a press conference at the Omega booth at the world watch and jewellery show 'Baselworld' in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, March 28, 2009. Omega presented the 'Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch Apollo 11 40th Anniversary Limited Edition' wristwatch in presence of the astronauts.

Tuesday 31 March 2009 – Omega presented one of the most compelling and best-attended events at this year’s Baselworld trade fair. Four astronauts who wore their OMEGA Speedmasters on the Moon were joined by other key players in NASA’s manned space program at a news conference at the Swatch Group Plaza in the middle of the Hall of Dreams on Saturday, March 28th.

On the 20th of July, Omega and the rest of the world will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first lunar landing and the event was an advance celebration of one of mankind’s most historic adventures.

Moonwalkers Buzz Aldrin, Charles Duke, Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan took the stage along with their colleague Thomas Stafford, who commanded the Apollo 10 mission, and Swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier. The dream panel for space aficionados was rounded out by Gerald Griffin, one of NASA’s lead flight directors for the Apollo missions and Jim Ragan, the aerospace engineer responsible for the chronograph tests which led to the selection of the Speedmaster as the only watch qualified for each of NASA’s manned space flights since May of 1963.

The event began with comments from Omega president Stephen Urquhart, who spoke with pride about his company’s long relationship with NASA and its astronauts. Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek remembered that the Apollo 11 landing had impressed him so much as a 14-year-old that his parents bought him a Speedmaster at the time. He described the astronauts as “my personal heroes”. Hayek added, “We all know what it is to dream and these guys lived our dreams better than anyone else.”

The CEO’s father, Swatch Group Chairman Nicolas G. Hayek said that he was thrilled to be able to participate in an event “which honours this American face we love – these people who create and do things.”

Buzz Aldrin, left, gets a watch from Stephen Urquhart, right, during a press conference at the Omega booth at the world watch and jewellery show 'Baselworld' in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday, March 28, 2009. Omega presented the 'Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch Apollo 11 40th Anniversary Limited Edition' wristwatch in presence of the astronauts.

Master of ceremonies, science journalist Roland Goerg, then introduced the astronauts and scientists, making brief comments about each as he invited them to the podium.

The first one to take his place on stage was Buzz Aldrin who was, with Neil Armstrong, one of the first men to land on the Moon and the second to set foot on the lunar surface. He recalled the launch day vividly: “I found myself standing by myself. In the distance I could see the sun and the waves of the ocean and the millions of people who had come to watch the launch. I knew that it was a moment I would never forget.”

Gerald Griffin, a legendary flight director for ¨the Apollo missions said that as Apollo 11’s Lunar Module descended to the Moon’s surface, there was an unusual stillness at Mission Control in Houston. “It was normally a beehive of activity,” he said, “but for those seconds, you could hear a pin drop. No one breathed until we heard Neil say, ‘Houston. Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.’”

Talking about the unique challenges of operating the Lunar Rover on the Moon’s surface on later missions, Charles Duke of Apollo 16 pointed out that the Lunar Rover had the potential to be driven quite a distance from the landing site. “But we never went more than a few kilometres away because if it broke down, we’d have to walk back.”

Jim Ragan was responsible for testing the chronographs to be used by NASA’s astronauts. Ragan described placing a “nebulous order for price quotes on chronographs.” He said that the suppliers in the early 1960s knew the watches were for NASA but had no idea what they were to be used for.

Referring to the OMEGA Speedmaster, Ragan said, “To the best of my knowledge, the Speedmaster is the only piece of hardware which was used from the very beginning without any modification.”

OMEGA president Urquhart quickly commented to loud applause, “And that’s why forty years later we haven’t changed it.”

Gene Cernan who walked on the Moon with Harrison Schmitt in the last Apollo mission added, “In time, I can assure you that we will send a manned mission to Mars and when that happens, the first astronaut to step onto the Martian surface will be wearing a Speedmaster.”

Swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier was part of four space shuttle missions, having flown on Atlantis, Endeavour, Columbia and Discovery. He was also the first European to take a space walk when he had the responsibility of repairing the Hubble Space Telescope.

Nicollier described OMEGA’s new challenge – the company is providing capital and technological support to the Solar Impulse project whose aim is to circumnavigate the globe in an airplane powered only by the sun. Nicollier is actively involved in the project, having designed a special tool to help pilots land the aircraft.

At the end of the news conference, Buzz Aldrin was presented with an OMEGA Speedmaster Apollo 11 “40th Anniversary” Limited Edition Moonwatch which was released to commemorate his and Neil Armstrong’s historic walks on the Moon nearly 40 years ago.

Moderator Roland Goerg commented on the panellists: “These men are true heroes of our time. They invested all their energy and talent; they risked their lives to make a dream come true.”

It was particularly fitting that the astronauts shared the stage with two men who worked behind the scenes: one, a flight director who dedicated his professional life to making sure that the astronauts returned safely to earth, and another, who more than 45 years ago, approved the only watch to be qualified for all manned spaceflights: the OMEGA Speedmaster.

OMEGA at Baselworld 2009

Monday 23 March 2009 – BASELWORLD, the watch and jewellery industry’s most important annual trade fair, will take place from the 26th of March through the 2nd of April. OMEGA will have a significant presence at Baselworld and we look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in Hall 1.0. It’s safe to say that you can’t miss us!

Some of OMEGA’s product highlights at this year’s fair will be the launch of the re-designed Constellation line, the celebration of ten years of the Co-Axial Escapement at OMEGA, the release of the Seamaster 1200M Ploprof and the Speedmaster Apollo 11 “40th Anniversary” Limited Edition watches which commemorate the day in 1969 when a human being first set foot. On the day that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the lunar surface – the 21st of July, 1969 – the Speedmaster, which has been part of every NASA manned mission since 1963, became Moonwatch – the first and only watch to have been worn on the Moon.

The OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch Apollo 11 “40th Anniversary” Limited Edition

To honour the Apollo 11 mission and OMEGA’s long history with NASA and its astronauts, our main event at Baselworld will take place on Saturday, March 28, 2009. It will feature four astronauts who have walked on the Moon – Buzz Aldrin, Charles Duke, Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan – and another, Thomas Stafford, who has orbited it. This impressive line-up will also include Gerald Griffin, one of the lead flight directors for the Apollo missions and Jim Ragan, the aerospace engineer who was responsible for the chronograph tests which led to the selection of the Speedmaster as the only watch qualified for every manned space flight.

The presence of so many of the surviving members of one of the world’s most elite clubs (only 12 men ever walked on the Moon) is itself newsworthy and OMEGA looks forward to sharing this important part of its pioneering spirit with visitors to Baselworld.

RITMO MUNDO introducing at BASELWORLD the Puzzle

Basel, Switzerland – March 26, 2009 – RITMO MUNDO, the Rodeo Drive Beverly Hills, Calif.-based luxury watch manufacturer, today announced new additions to its collection here at the 2009 BASELWORLD International Watch and Jewelry Show, taking place from March 26, 2009 through April 2, 2009.

Celebrating its 7th year anniversary, and despite the difficult market environment RITMO MUNDO is actually expanding its collections to bring to the market place innovative products along with value orientation.

o Puzzle 501 – all time machines are an instrument of seeing time. The puzzle reverses the role of the the traditional watch. The objective of most watches is to see the time. Not the Puzzle. The automatic movement time can’t be seen until the Patent Pending lever on the right hand side slides out to reveal the time. Aside from this feature, the Puzzle also has 9 moveable square parts that move to allow different portions of the watch to be revealed. Or, if you are bored, you can play the puzzle game. Moreover, the Puzzle features the traditional RITMO lugs with open air design. A puzzle is a problem or enigma that tests the ingenuity of the solver. In a basic puzzle one is intended to piece together objects (puzzle pieces) in a logical way in order to come up with the desired shape, picture or solution Herein, RITMO has redefined in 2009 the role of the watch with the Puzzle.

Technical Specifications

Background: Puzzles are often contrived as a form of entertainment, but they can also stem from serious mathematical or logistical problems — in such cases, their successful resolution can be a significant contribution to mathematical research. Solutions to puzzles may require recognizing patterns and creating a particular order. People with a Zhigh inductive reasoning aptitude may be better at solving these puzzles than others

Movement 2824: Swiss Automatic Movemenet

Measurment: 44 mm (excluding projections); 18 mm thick

Case: available in 4 versions
- IP black brushed stainless steel case with ip black brusdhed steel puzzle top and polished ip black puzzle with diamodns applied
- IP black brushed steel case with brushed steel top and polished IP black and steel puzzle with diamonds applied
- IP rose gold brushed stainless steel case with ip rose gold brushed steel puzzle top and polished ip rose gold puzzle with diamonds applied
- Yellow gold plated brushed with case and stainless steel puzzle top and polished yellow gold plated and ip black puzzle with diamonds applied.

Water Resistant: 10 ATM

Dial: black sunrary finsiehd lower layer with ip black number applied and painted indexes. Matted black upper laye r with diamodns applied

Strap: black rubber style strap

Buckle: stainless steel with butterfly construction with match ip rose, yellow, or gold buckle

Jörg Schauer - Edition 14 © Stova.de

Edition 14 was introduced new at the Basel fair in 2008.

New functions:
Illuminating hands and indices, narrow bezel and a new lettertype. Small design steps with big result: Schauers Cronographe line reflect a complete new face.
Stainless steel case 42mm
height 15 mm,
22 mm strap,
sapphire crystal both sides,
chronograph movement Valjoux 7753,
blued steel hands,
luminous hands C3 rubber strap or steel bracelet,
5 atm