The value of Swiss watch exports began the year 2009 with very marked rates of decline which held steady at between -20% and -33% until October. A recovery was evident in November and December, which months recorded single digit declines.
Signals perceived on the markets indicate that 2010 should see a turnaround for Swiss watch exports. It will however be modest and will only really be felt in the second half of the year, when the annualized variation will return to positive rates.

PRODUCTS

Wristwatches comprised the major part of exports. They saw their value fall by 22.3% compared to 2008, at 12.3 billion francs. Their volume meanwhile fell to 21.7 million units in one year, a decline of 17.0%. As a result, Swiss watch manufacturers exported 4.4 million fewer timepieces in 2009.

All materials registered a downturn. The overall value was affected by gold watches, as well as steel products. Bimetallic timepieces, most often a combination of gold and steel, also had a major negative impact on the annual result. In volume terms, steel watches were responsible for a large part of the overall decline. The category of other metals, mainly aluminium, also fell back sharply. For the category of other materials, the decline was considerably less pronounced.

Wristwatches costing less than 200 francs (export price) saw their value and their volumes decline by 17%, accounting for most of the total fall in volumes. The 200-500 francs segment achieved the best result, even though it remained negative. Here the value fell by 4.7% and the number of units by 3.9%. Watches costing more than 500 francs followed a uniform pattern and recorded the steepest rates of decline. Their value was 23.7% below that of 2008. In parallel, the number of units fell by 25.7%.

Of the other finished products exported by Switzerland in 2009, alarm clocks and clocks in general were among the very few to record growth. The rate of increase here was 6.2%, albeit accounting for a relatively small value in relation to the sector as a whole.
Exports of components recorded a decline. The value of movements leaving Switzerland in 2009 fell by 8.4%. Bracelets (-20.1%), watch cases (-36.0%) and dials (-25.0%) fared no better.

MARKETS

During the year 2009, the fifteen main markets showed the following trend (total value in million francs and % variation by comparison with 2008):
1. Hong Kong / 2,167.9 / -19.7%
2. USA / 1,470.4 / -37.9%
3. France / 968.7 / -14.4%
4. Italy / 900.0 / -13.9%
5. Germany / 794.0 / -13.0%
6. Japan / 768.4 / -33.5%
7. China / 700.4 / -15.2%
8. Singapore / 673.9 / -13.9%
9. United Kingdom / 544.5 / -15.1%
10. United Arab Emirates / 438.0 / -34.9%
11. Spain / 318.9 / -29.5%
12. Taiwan / 244.2 / -15.7%
13. South Korea / 223.0 / +35.7%
14. Saudi Arabia / 190.9 / -20.2%
15. Thailand / 161.7 / -39.0%

Despite some changes at the end of the year and in particular several markets that did register growth, the main outlets in 2009 saw no significant changes to their situation compared to the first half-year. Recording a less pronounced decline than the United States, Hong Kong confirmed its position as the leading destination for Swiss watch exports, thanks in particular to a very good result in December.

Starting from a much lower base, the United States also benefited from a recovery at the end of the year, albeit less marked. This market finally recorded one of the steepest declines of 2009.

The main European markets experienced a slight delay factor and therefore ended the year with slightly less acute downturns. The downward trend recorded by Japan accentuated as the months went by and reached very low levels. While recording an annual result close to that of France and its neighbours, China proved a more attractive proposition for Swiss watch manufacturers.

It is in fact one of the rare markets, with Singapore, to have recorded a second half-year of growth. The Middle East was divided between the mixed performance of Saudi Arabia and the consistently low level of the United Arab Emirates, such that no clear trend is yet apparent. Finally mention should be made of the excellent result achieved by South Korea, a destination for watch exports that continued to show very strong growth in 2009.

Source: www.swisstime.ch

20'000 FEET by CX Swiss Military Watch

Shattering existing limits: such is the motto of the CX Swiss Military WatchTM brand, which is proudly unveiling its record-breaking 20’000 FEET, the only mechanical timepiece able to plunge more than 6,000 metres deep! Duly featured in the Guinness Book of Records, the 20’000 FEET fears nothing: neither the pressures equivalent to 750 kg/cm2 exercised at the bottom of the ocean; nor a dynamite blast; nor even rifle bullets. Such unwavering resistance and reliability are bound to fascinate enthusiasts of the extreme.

Infallible and indestructible in even the most hostile environments, the 20’000 FEET naturally takes its place as the absolute leader among professional diver’s watches. Developed in cooperation with experienced divers as well as the famous Oceanographic Institute of the University of Southampton, the 20’000 FEET boasts extreme sturdiness and reliability that are equal to any trials. And speaking of trials…

REAL LIFE TESTS

20'000 FEET by CX Swiss Military Watch

The three Real Life Tests to which the brand has subjected its chronograph confirm its extraordinary performances. Whether fired at by a Winchester rifle from a distance of just eight metres; placed on an explosive charge blasting at a speed of 5,000 metres/second; or submerged by water spurting at 6,000 litres/minute: the 20’000 FEET remained completely unperturbed and its hands continued to turn as if nothing unusual were happening. The one result still lacking is that of the freefall test scheduled for this autumn: after jumping out of an aircraft at an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,000 metres),
a parachutist will drop the watch as soon as he reaches a height of 1,500 metres. Will he find it intact after the impact?

In developing this imposing time instrument, the ultra-confident team at CX Swiss Military WatchTM believes it has taken account of every possible trial and risk, to the point where it even encourages you to submit your own ideas for ambitious and unexpected Real Life Tests! At the end of the year, the person who has suggested the most original test will be rewarded with one of these exceptional timepieces.

A COSC-certified automatic chronograph endowed with a 48-hour power reserve, the 20’000 FEET is equipped with a 46 mm-diameter case carved from a block of titanium, a 10 mm thick domed sapphire crystal, an Incabloc shock-absorbing system, as well as a rugged titanium bracelet complete with safety folding clasp. Despite such impressive credentials, this diver’s watch feels extremely comfortable on the wrist, since the geometry of its hypoallergenic case was specially developed to ensure a perfect fit.

20'000 FEET by CX Swiss Military Watch

THE ONGOING SAGA OF CX SWISS MILITARY WATCHTM RECORDS

Designed as an outstanding complement to professional diving equipment, the 20’000 FEET has earned a new world record for Montres Charmex SA, the parent company of the brand specialising in watches for top-class military and sports use.

Following on from the certification of a water resistance record set in 2005 by the 12’000 FEET (3,657 metres), the firm is celebrating this year the official recognition of its 20’000 FEET – which steals the show from its competitors of most prestigious brands!

Nonetheless, the brand has no intention of resting on its laurels and is already in hot pursuit of other high goals. This determination to excel displayed by Montres Charmex SA is backed by another essentially altruistic objective. As a contribution to preserving nature and its essential biodiversity, the brand has decided to support a magnificent African national park in Zimbabwe: part of the revenue from the sale of each 20’000 FEET will therefore be donated to The Friends of Hwange foundation (www.friendsofwange.org), which was established with the mission of developing this park. Helping to protect the nature is a top priority for this brand that has consistently invited its customers to explore the bounties of nature.

Technical Specifications

20'000 FEET by CX Swiss Military Watch

Functions
Hour, minute, second, date, chronograph

Case
Titanium, diameter 46 mm, thickness 28.5 mm, weight 265 gr., anti-magnetic ISO 764.
Screw-down crown, pushers, and caseback
X-large crown with side-guards, allowing for diving with gloves
Red safety marking on pushers (visible when unscrewed)
Unidirectional rotating bezel, 60 minute graduation, Superluminova™ indices
Helium relief valve
Domed, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, thickness 10 mm
Water-resistant to 7’500 meters (25’000 feet; 6’000 meters or 20’000 FEET & 25% safety margin as per ISO 6425)

Dial
Silver, black carbon, blue or yellow, sunburst decor
Hour, minute, and small seconds counters at 6, 12, and 9 o’clock respectively
Date at 3 o’clock
Superluminova indices and hands, red chrono hands

20'000 FEET by CX Swiss Military Watch

WARRANTY EXTENSION
As an additional service for its customers Montres Charmex SA signed a contract with the Swiss insurance company Helvetia to insure the 20’000 FEET by CX Swiss Military Watch™ against theft for the first two years.

Gebson Imagination & Inspiration

GEBSON is proud to launch on Saturday June 6, 2009, its first wristwatch collection bringing together cultural symbolisms and 100% Swiss made watch-making art. Based in Neuchâtel, this new brand is also opening its web site www.gebson.com on that same day.

Human relationship at the heart of Gebson

This new brand has been founded in 2007. It is part of the Geb Group Ltd that belongs to a family renowned since three generations for its most complex watch cases. The idea to create an independent brand emerged from several private clients and collectors who asked for exceptional and highly emotional timepieces. The sales of these überpremium wristwatches – either unique pieces or limited editions of a maximum of 8 watches – mainly occur between the brand and its exclusive customers, without intermediaries.

Between Art and Technique

Gebson’s creations gather local artistic references, cultural symbolisms, and historical traditions. For its first collection, the brand has drawn inspiration from the Chinese culture with its more than 5000 years of history. Mixing the ancestral crafting techniques of “champlevé” enamel (a gold dial plate engraved by hand and decorated with enamel) or of enamel painting with highly skilled gem setting techniques (diamonds, sapphires, garnets, and other coloured precious gems) and different precious materials (white gold, rose gold), these timepieces, moved by Swiss automatic movements, are made to seduce art lovers who aspire to carry a mechanical wristwatch made in the purest Swiss watch-making traditions.

Gebson Sky and Earth

Original and personalized creations

For its first gent collection, called “Sky and Earth”, Gebson proposes several prestigious timepieces with a dragon or a tiger on their dials, symbolizing strength and power. For the ladies’ collection, the “imagination and inspiration” series represents the grace and providence through a phoenix or a flying bird. But the new brand also seeks to fulfil its customers’ most personal and original wishes. Thus, each client willing to customize his timepiece is invited to take part in designing it, bringing his cultural references and aspirations that the craftsmen of Gebson will translate in an outstanding object, encounter of desires, imaginary and luxury worlds.

For more information:

Gebson SA
Ms P.C.Hsu Derigon
Monruz 17, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Tel : + 41 32 322 91 91, Fax : + 41 32 710 04 24
E-mail : p.derigon@gebson.ch
www.gebson.com

Gebson Sky and Earth

Steven Stamkos Tissot T-Tracs Limited Edition watch (999 pieces) © Tissot

Bern, 8 mai 2009: Playing in his first IIHF World Championship, Tissot Ambassador and 2008 NHL First Overall Draft Pick, Steven Stamkos has been quietly going about his business at the tournament. Being in Switzerland, Steven took the chance to meet Tissot President, François Thiébaud for the fist time.

Despite being his first IIHF World Championship, it has been a successful one for Steven Stamkos to date. After the quarter final matches, in which the Canadian team beat Latvia to progress to a semi-final match up on Friday evening against Sweden, Steven Stamkos was top of the goal scoring charts with 7 goals in 7 matches and 4th in the overall scoring charts with a total of 10 points to date.

After the quarter final victory over Latvia, Steven took time out from his busy World Championship schedule to meet with Tissot President François Thiébaud who congratulated him on his excellent performance. Steven scored one goal and had one assist in a 4 – 2 victory for Canada. Mr. Thiébaud took the opportunity to wish Steven and his Canadian Teammates the very best for this weekend’s semi-final and finals.

Following on from his excellent form in the tournament so far, Steven has been talked about as a star of the future in the media around the world. Tissot is looking forward to accompanying Steven on this path both internationally and in the NHL.

Steven Stamkos wearing the Tissot T-Tracs Limited Edition

Tissot, which has been the Official Timekeeper of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships since 1996, has partnered with this young, successful and dynamic Canadian sports personality in his quest in reaching his professional goals. Tissot has also launched a special Steven Stamkos limited edition timepiece bearing his number “91”.

Tissot, with its signature ‘Innovators by Tradition’, has been pioneering craftsmanship and innovation since its foundation in 1853. Today Tissot is a member of the Swatch Group, the world’s largest watch producer and distributor. For over 155 years the company has had its home in the Swiss watch making town of Le Locle in the Jura mountains but now also has a presence in over 150 countries. The Tissot innovation leadership is enabled by the development of high-tech products, special materials and advanced functionality. With a broader, more versatile range of high-quality timepieces at an attractive price than any other Swiss watch brand, Tissot also expresses its commitment to making excellence accessible. As Official Timekeeper and Partner of NASCAR®, AFL, CBA, Ice Hockey and the World Championships of cycling, fencing and ice hockey, Tissot is committed to respecting tradition, underlining its core values of performance, precision and setting new standards.

For more information: www.tissot.ch

*Note from the editor: the Steven Stamkos Tissot T-Tracs limited edition of 999 pieces is CDN $625- retail and is available in stores now. The collection
is available across Canada.

Breguet No. 5 Quarter-repeating, self-winding watch. 1789-94. Sold to Count Journiac Saint-Méard in March 1794. Collection Montres Breguet S.A. © Montres Breguet S.A.

Through this retrospective of the works of Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823), visitors to the Louvre will discover the art of watchmaking at its apogee, evidenced by these unique precision timepieces, combining genius, virtuoso techniques and avant-garde aesthetics. Assembled in the exhibition are exceptional loans – watches, clocks and measuring instruments – alongside portraits, archival documents and patents that span Abraham-Louis Breguet’s entire career.

Abraham-Louis Breguet an inventor at the court of Louis XVI

Born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, Breguet completed his apprenticeship and studies in France from 1762 onwards. In 1775, at the age of 28, he married and managed to establish his own business on the Quai de l’Horloge, Paris. Watchmakers of the French capital then competed with Geneva and London in the field of scientific and artistic innovation. Breguet explored and perfected these inventions and complications. But he was not recognized as a Master Watchmaker until 1784.

These intervening years saw the gradual development of the automatic (or self-winding) watch and a timepiece with a repeater (or chiming mechanism). The first self-winding watches were purchased by Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette and several high ranking personalities at the court of Versailles. This led, in 1783, to Breguet receiving a commission for an extraordinary watch incorporating all the innovations and complications known at the time. The end result would be one of the most famous of all Breguet watches, No. 160, also called the “Marie-Antoinette”, which, after several lengthy interruptions, was eventually finished in 1827, i.e. four years after Abraham-Louis Breguet’s death.

These watches immediately reveal the originality of his style, characterized by functional simplicity, technical mastery and flawless craftsmanship. His flat watch cases, easily legible numerals, rectilinear hands and guilloched dials made Breguet watches both unique works of art and discreet, practical, everyday objects, unlike the ornate, ostentatious timepieces made in the last quarter of the 18th century.

The Revolutionary interlude

During the Revolutionary period, Breguet made regular trips to England, where he shared the fruit of his research with the watchmaker John Arnold, while enlarging his clientele, which already included the Prince of Wales. In 1793, fearing the consequences of his former relationship with members of the Court and his moderate ideas, Breguet returned to Switzerland. He pursued his research, while striving to run what was left of his Parisian workshops from across the Alps.

On his return to Paris in May 1795, Breguet started up business again with new models, notably a simple watch with one hand, known as the “subscription watch” (an advance deposit of a quarter of the price was paid when the order was placed), launched with the aid of an advertising leaflet. This revealed the subtle balance between the researcher and the entrepreneur, who combined constantly updated unique models with functional timepieces. In 1796, Breguet invented a new type of travel clock that went on functioning during transportion. General Bonaparte purchased the first one to take on his Egyptian campaign.

Breguet No. 4009 Observation chronometer Forerunner of the modern chronograph. Sold in 1825 to Mr Whaley Collection Montres Breguet S.A. © Montres Breguet S.A.

A European reputation under the Consulate and Empire

Thus began a thriving period for the House of Breguet, in terms of both sales and inventions, which seemed to spur one another on. Pure research and applied art always fused in Breguet’s work. The first patent he registered for one of his inventions was in 1798 for constant force escapement (the mechanism of the watch is driven by a rigorous constant force). Shown at France’s First Exhibition of Industrial Products (1798), in a travel clock and a metronome, it won Breguet a gold medal. The following year his “tact watch”, which enabled the wearer to tell the time by touching the watch face, was launched on the market. At France’s Third Exhibition (1802), the House of Breguet attracted a military clientele on presenting its “deck watch” and “Longitude watch”, while in 1806, the public were introduced to the “tourbillon regulator” (device that neutralizes the effects of gravity on the workings of watch movements).

Although kept in the background by Napoleon I, Breguet received orders from the imperial court and his entourage. Always ahead of its time, the company also exported its timepieces through a network in and outside of Europe, having understood at an early date that its survival depended on becoming international. England, Spain and Russia were its principal foreign markets, but the political situation at the end of the Empire slowed down Breguet’s activity considerably. To compensate for the markets it lost, the company developed its sales in the Ottoman Empire by adapting its models to Turkish tastes.

Ultimate recognition during the Restoration

When the Bourbons returned to power, the House of Breguet saw a spectacular turnaround in its activity. Its European clientele reburgeoned and included loyal customers such as Tsar Alexander I of Russia and King George IV of England. Prestigious timepieces once owned by them will be on display in this exhibition. In France, Louis XVIII publicly displayed his respect for Breguet by appointing him Watchmaker to the Royal Navy in 1815 and awarding him a seat in the Academy of Sciences in 1816. At the Exhibition of 1819, as member of the jury, Breguet presented a retrospective of his clockmaking career, during which he had raised this precision craft to a degree of unprecedented excellence. The reliability and streamlined designs of his timepieces were far ahead of his era and already belonged to modernity.

This tradition lives on at Breguet today in innovative timepieces, thus confirming their precursory status that bears witness to European culture and history.

Visitors information

Opening times : daily except Tuesdays, 9am-6pm. Late-night opening until 10 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Admission : access to the exhibition is included in the admission to the permanent collections of the museum: €9; €6 after 6pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. Free admission for under-26s from the European Union, under-18s, the unemployed, card-holders (Louvre jeunes, Louvre professionnels, Louvre enseignants and Louvre étudiants partenaires) and Friends of the Louvre. Free admission for everybody on the first Sunday of the month.
Further information
01 40 20 53 17 / www.louvre.fr

The Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5960R

After it was launched in January 2006, the Annual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5960 instantly became a bestseller among Patek Philippe’s complications. With its patented Annual Calendar and Patek Philippe’s proprietary selfwinding chronograph movement, it offers functions that are very useful in everyday situations. Now, this technical opus, previously available only in platinum, also comes in a case made of 18K rose gold.

The CH 28‐520 IRM QA 24H manufacture caliber: Tradition and innovation hand in hand Developed and manufactured in‐house, the self‐winding CH 28‐520 IRM QA 24H chronograph caliber addressed an expectation long harbored by many aficionados and collectors of Patek Philippe timepieces. In addition to the normal time indication, the movement stands out with numerous features. It has a flyback column‐wheel chronograph, a power‐reserve indicator, an Annual Calendar with day, date, and month, and a day/night indicator.

Beating at 28,800 semi‐oscillations per hour (4 hertz), it maintains an extremely constant balance amplitude and high rate accuracy. The winding power is generated by a unidirectional central rotor in solid 21K gold.

With its classic column wheel and a vertical disk clutch, the movement combines the traditional chronograph control concept with a modern power transmission solution. It offers high functional reliability and eliminates the danger of hand bounce when the chronograph is activated. Because of its low‐wear design and the absence of any negative influence on the rate accuracy of the watch, the chronograph hand can be used as a continuously running seconds hand without hesitation.

The patented Patek Philippe Annual Calendar is a full‐function calendar that automatically recognizes months with 30 and 31 days and when kept running only needs to be corrected by hand once a year on March 1. It displays the day, date, and month in three apertures and controls the day/night indicator at 6 o’clock.

The Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5960R

A new look in 18K rose gold

The new rose gold case adds an attractive and contemporary touch of nostalgia to this impressive instrument. The same warm hue of 18K rose gold ennobles the luminescent hands, the applied hour markers, and the polished frame of the date aperture. They contrast well with the dark silvery gray of the vertically satin‐finished dial that in its bottom half showcases the brighter zone of the delicately snailed minute and hour counter. On three concentric scales, it indicates elapsed minutes and hours while the chronograph is running. On the two outer scales, the longer red hand counts the minutes from 0 to 30 (red numerals) and from 30 to 60 (blue numerals) while the shorter blue hand keeps track of as many as 12 elapsed hours along the innermost scale.

The day/night (am/pm) indication is a small round aperture that progressively changes its color from white (day) to dark blue (night) and vice‐versa. This function is also significant when the time and calendar indications need to be readjusted after a longer standstill period and an am/pm differentiation is required.

The day, date, and month apertures are arranged along an arc at the upper periphery of the dial. The date at 12 o’clock is particularly prominent, forming a visual balance with the monocounter that dominates the bottom half of the dial. The small power‐reserve indicator hand beneath the date aperture moves between the plus and minus signs to indicate the state of wind of the mainspring.

With a diameter of 40.5 millimeters, the Ref. 5960R Annual Calendar Chronograph is a stately timepiece without violating the rules that apply to timelessly elegant watches. It is worn on a brown large‐scaled alligator strap with an 18K rose gold clasp that assures a snug and secure fit on the wrist.

For further information, please contact:
Jasmina Steele
International Communication & Public Relations Director
Patek Philippe Geneva
P.O. Box 2654
1211 Geneva 2
Switzerland
Tel.: +41 22 884 20 20
Fax: +41 22 884 25 47

Bernhard Lederer, the founder of BLU

Bernhard Lederer is the founder and chief watchmaker of the watchmaking brand BLU. He was born near Stuttgart, Germany in 1958, began a watchmaker apprenticeship in 1976 and qualified as Master Watchmaker in 1984.

A passionate desire to be independent encouraged Lederer to open his own atelier called ‘Uhrenmanufaktur Lederer’ (Clock manufacture Lederer). He specialized in the restoration of vintage watches and clocks, as well as developing his own timepieces. In 1985, Lederer’s horological talent was recognized by his peers when he was accepted as a founding member of the A.H.C.I, the Horological Academy of Independent Watchmakers.

As well as restoration, Lederer constructed unique pieces on commission: these included a table clock featuring a perpetual calendar and moonphase that it only needed correction after 1000 years. He also developed a sculptural clock called ‘Trojka’, which features clockwork concealed inside three tall, chrome-plated columns.

Lederer’s next project was manufacturing a series wristwatches called of ‘Time Dimension’ with orbiting Zeiss glass disks, which won the German Watch of the Year prize and became the inspiration for BLU’s popular Galaxy series.

BLU MT3, winner of “The Most Revered Watch 2007 in terms of design and technological innovation“

In 1997 Lederer headed to Brazil to manage a monumental clock project consisting of 24 large (14 meters/45 feet) countdown clocks placed in historical locations around the country. Then, in 2000, Lederer relocated to Neuchâtel, Switzerland and founded his own haute horogerie watch brand, BLU (Bernhard Lederer Universe).

BLU’s designs and innovation have been recognized by international awards, including the 2006 Middle East Watches and Jewellery award for Best High-End Jewelled Watch for the Baguette, and the 2007 Kuala Lumpur watch competition prize for Most Revered Watch for the MT3 orbiting triple-axis tourbillion.

Bernhard Lederer’s timepieces are united by the fact that they tell the time without imposing the constraints of time on the viewer. You can relax and appreciate the beauty of the watch without being stressed by time racing by.

Louvre - Salles du Conseil d’État © Didier Plowy

Exclusive Montres Breguet SA patronage for the remodelling of the Conseil d’Etat rooms and salon Beauvais, known as the Louis XIV wing, at the Louvre museum as part of the renovation of the museum premises devoted to 18th century furnishings.

An impressive collective demonstration of French talent and capabilities, the Louvre’s collections of 18th century decorative arts are unrivalled anywhere. They rank as some of the most comprehensive ever assembled in a public institution, comprising an unmatched assortment of royal furniture, tapestries and jewellery, enriched all throughout the 20th century by the generosity of numerous donors.

Louvre - Salles du Conseil d’État © Didier Plowy

The presentation of these 18th century artistic and craft masterpieces has barely changed since 1960. Their collections’ rare and precious character, not to mention the priceless additions of the last half-century, call for a radical remodelling of the corresponding premises located in the Sully wing of the Louvre.

Two decades after the inauguration of the Louvre Pyramid, the reorganization of 18th century decorative arts collections will mark a new step in the Grand Louvre project. The renovation of the rooms of the Sully wing is designed to reconcile museological imperatives, the collections fitting in perfectly with the Louvre’s architecture, and their display, with special emphasis on facilities for the public.

Timepieces form a particularly exceptional aspect of 18th century decorative arts. The pieces representing the first third of the 19th century collected by the Lyons industrialist Claudius Côte and bequeathed by his widow brought the museum a magnificent selection of watches by Abraham-Louis Breguet. «Souscription» watches, repeater watches – such celebrated inventions and feats of manufacturing sealed his reputation as an outstanding horologist.

Breguet n°4009 - © Montres Breguet SA

I am therefore extremely gratified by the support which Montres Breguet has seen fit to bring to the remodelling of the Conseil d’Etat rooms and the Salon Beauvais, a significant aspect of the renovation of the premises devoted to 18th century furniture. Of particular importance, this partnership is for the Louvre both a natural association and a logical one.

I extend my deepest and sincerest thanks to Nicolas G. Hayek, Chief Executive Officer of Montres Breguet, for his generous contribution to a challenging project that will soon place in the best possible light a chapter in the history and cultural heritage of Europe.

Henri Loyrette
Managing President of the State Corporation of the Louvre Museum

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.

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.