“We are looking forward to this striking modernization of the exhibition site: with investments of around 430 million CHF ($459 million Cdn), we will be able to provide our exhibitors, our trade visitors, and our journalists with a fantastic trade show infrastructure,” said René Kamm, chief executive officer (CEO) of MCH Group, BaselWorld’s organizer.
Out on the show floor, designs leaned toward nostalgia and capturing the vintage look. Monochrome and two-tone styles stood out, as did black, white, and silver-toned watches. Skeletonized dials allowing a peek at movements was another noticeable trend, as was a preference for chronographs and styles based on racing, aviation, and extreme sports. As in previous years, automatics remain the frontrunner among men’s watches. However, ladies’ automatics appear to be gaining ground, with brands focusing their efforts on capturing more of this market.
V.J. Geronimo, CEO of Oris Watches USA, explains that although the brand is known for its men’s diving and aviation- and motor sport-inspired watches, the company is looking at expanding its ladies’ line. “We’re planning for this category,” he says, adding part of the challenge is re-inventing a brand to appeal to women.
Stephen Taylor, president of Bulova Watch Co., says the brand’s line of ‘Precisionist’ watches has been geared toward men, complete with a ‘technology’ story. Expanding the line to include a ladies’ model required tweaking the marketing message slightly, while maintaining the watch’s technical focus. Beyond design, accuracy is among the most important supporting factors to purchasing a watch, and consumer desires must align with a brand’s marketing message, Taylor stresses.
“When we talk about a technology story, we need to remember the design aspect always comes first,” he says. “The consumer has to believe in the look of the watch before they can connect with it on another level”¦ For men, the message focuses on the functionality of the watch and how it works. For women, it’s more about the end benefit and communicating a desire for balance.”
Perception is everything, says Lars Gram Skjønnemann, co-owner of Bering, particularly when it comes to a consumer categorizing a watch line. He cringes at the thought of being known as a fashion brand.
“We see ourselves as a designer brand with a story behind it,” he says, referring to Bering’s origin story of its founder being captivated by the beauty of the Arctic. “We design our watches to be as simple and as clean as possible like the landscape that inspired them.” Selling a concept is key, he says, right down to brand-specific furniture and cases that help create the desired atmosphere. “We believe that if we want to build a successful business, we need not just to design beautiful watches, but a concept in how to present them.”
Italo Fontana, creator and designer of U-Boat and Welder, takes a different approach. Rather than using a concept to connect with consumers, he uses his name, which appears on U-Boat’s dials. “I put my name on it because behind the brand there is one face, one heart, one set of hands,” he says, adding few companies advertise their designers in such a manner. “It’s important for a consumer to make the connection between the brand and the designer.”
