Baselworld 2012 Closes with Strong Results, Upbeat and Confident

Business was brisk at Baselworld 2012 and the attitude of both exhibitors and buyers was upbeat and confident.

A fractured arm kept me from attending Baselworld this year Fortunately, veteran watch journalist, William George Shuster, kindly agreed to take time from his busy schedule to write a few stories from the tradeshow. Below is his fourth and final report.

By William George Shuster

An Up Close View of Hublot's $5 Million Watch

Swiss luxury watch brand Hublot unveiled a diamond-covered $5 million timepiece Wednesday at Baselworld—the world’s largest and most important watch and jewelry fair, in Basel, Switzerland. The company released professionally photographed images of the timepiece Friday.


The watch is covered with 1,282 diamonds, including six square stones that weigh more than three carats each, according to

Vacheron Constantin Sponsors Major Art Event and Unveils New Timepieces

Art lovers and watch lovers mingle inside the Vacheron Constantin Fifth Avenue boutique.

NEW YORK — Vacheron Constantin’s jewel box of a boutique was on a recent cool, crisp evening. Inside, art enthusiasts mingled with timepiece lovers within the lightly colored space highlighted with dark wood tones, straight lines and minimal furnishings.

The March 2 gathering then moved a couple blocks

Ulysse Nardin Opens Boutique in South Florida

Luxury Swiss watch brand Ulysse Nardin opened its second boutique in the United States at the Aventura Mall in South Florida. The 775 square-foot store has a collection of more than 100 of company’s timepieces, including three models from the Limited Edition Boutique Exclusive line, presented in a nautical inspired setting.
The line includes the Blue Toro, the Freak Diavolo Platinum, and the

Former Hublot Exec to Lead U.S. Expansion for Girard-Perregaux

Michael Margolis
 Updated, 12:04 p.m.

Luxury Swiss watch brand, Girard-Perregaux, named Michael Margolis president of America for Sowind (which owns Girard-Perregaux and watch brand JeanRichard), effective March 1.

Margolis will join Michele Sofisti, CEO of Sowind and Stefano Macaluso, Girard-Perregaux managing director, to oversee the U.S. expansion strategy for the watch brand.

Born in the

Girard-Perregaux Hires Legendary Watchmaker Dominique Loiseau

Dominique Loiseau at work

Legendary watchmaker Dominique Loiseau has joined Girard-Perregaux as part of the Swiss luxury watch brand's manufacturing team.

Loiseau has worked at the highest levels of complex horology for more than 30 years and is the creator of several remarkable timepieces, including six Montres de Sables, the Rose de Temps clock, the Renaissance or Capriccio pocket watches

Montblanc Honors Princess Grace with a Sparkling Collection

Princess Grace

There may be no greater symbol of royalty, style and fashion than Grace Kelly. The Philadelphia-born actress was thrust into the international spotlight when she married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and became known throughout the world as Princess Grace. It was a role she was born to play and till this day she is looked upon as one the world’s great fashion icons.

With this

Jean Claude Biver Resigns as Hublot CEO

Jean Claude Biver and Ricardo Guadalupe

Jean Claude Biver, one of the most influential persons in the Swiss watch industry, is stepping down as CEO of Hublot. 

He is being replaced as CEO by Ricardo Guadalupe, former Hublot managing director and personal friend of Biver with whom he has been working with for nearly 20 years. The change became effective January 1.

The company in a statement

Harry Winston’s Growth Ends in Q3

Harry Winston salon in Paris

Harry Winston Diamond Corp., the luxury retail jeweler and supplier of rough diamonds, saw its retail sales slow to a crawl and its diamond business take a nosedive for the third quarter of fiscal 2012.Sales in the Toronto-based company’s mining segment fell 40 percent, year-over-year, to $36.2 million for the quarter, ended October 31. Rough diamond production for

Andrea Bocelli Foundation to Host Benefit Gala with Girard-Perregaux

Andrea Bocelli 

Classical singing sensation Andrea Bocelli will launch his new foundation with a benefit gala on Friday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. Bocelli, David Foster, Heather Headley and Anna Maria Martinez will perform at the event.

The Andrea Bocelli Foundation seeks to raise funds and awareness for its efforts to fight poverty around the world and to help people

Ulysse Nardin's $1.1 Million Timepiece Highlights Superyacht Charity Event

The $1.1 Million Royal Blue Tourbillion Haute Joaillerie

PALM BEACH, Fla. – The guests circled the marble outdoor pool area Saturday at the Mar-A-Lago Club, Donald’s Trump’s Mediterranean-revival palace, as night fell. The men wearing formal tuxes, the women in flowing gowns with jewelry that sparkled like stars against the night. They entered the main banquet room with drinks in hand and sat

Hublot and Ferrari Become Partners

Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of Hublot (left), and Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, president of Ferrari S.p.A, seal the deal at the Mugello International Circuit. Photo credit: Raphael Faux.


Luxury Swiss watch brand Hublot says it has entered into a “comprehensive agreement” with the Italian sports car manufacturer, Ferrari, merging the brand images and the commercial activities of both companies.

Hermès Q3 Sales Up 15.8% Led by Watch and Jewelry Sales

The cream rises to the top as the best luxury goods brands continue to report robust sales in a difficult economic climate.
Hermès reports that revenue in the third quarter increased 15.8 percent, year-over-year, to 683.2 million euros. Revenue rose by 18.2 percent at constant exchange rates (stripping out the effects exchange rate changes). Sales growth for the Group's own stores was up 19.1

Jewelry and Watch Sales Sparkle for LVMH

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s leading high quality products group, said revenue for the first nine months of 2011 rose 15 percent year-over-year to 16.3 billion euros ($22.3 billion). Organic revenue growth was 15 percent after the currency impact was compensated by the June 30 consolidation of Italian luxury jeweler, Bulgari, into the LVMH structure.The third quarter continued

Update: Swatch Group Ends Partnership with Tiffany

The Atlas Chronograph watch in 2009, one of the first watches created by Tiffany Watch Co. Ltd.

Updated at 2 p.m. with a statement from Tiffany & Co. disputing the claims of the Swatch Group. See below.

In a terse statement Monday, the Swatch Group said it will end its partnership with Tiffany & Co. to make and distribute branded watches for the luxury jeweler and will seek compensation for

Richemont Reports Widespread Sales Growth Led by Jewelry Sales but Cautions on Future Profits

Cie. Financiere Richemont SA said Wednesday that sales for the five-month period ended August 31 increased 29 percent year-over-year, led by strong growth for all of its brands throughout all regions. At constant exchange rates, sales increased by 35 percent. However, the company cautions that the rising Swiss franc and uncertain economic conditions make the remainder of the year difficult to

Hermès Watches Reinterpret the Passing of Time

Arceau Temps Suspendu in a steel case and opaline silver dial with herringbone motif.

In the world you and I inhabit it may seem that time moves in a linear fashion. But in the world of Hermès time can be suspended and days can disappear while hours can travel at an unpredictable pace.

The famed Parisian luxury house, the apple of Bernard Arnault’s eye, recently introduced two watch lines

Boucheron’s Wild and Crazy Ladies Watches

Héra Tourbillon

For more than 150 years, Boucheron has held an esteemed place in the rarified world of haute joaillerie. Early this year, the Parisian jewelry house introduced its “Cabinet of Curiosities,” a jewelry and timepiece collection based on animals and presented in a wildlife setting.
At Baselworld, the world’s largest watch and jewelry tradeshow in Basel, Switzerland, held in

Hublot is Still Making Noise with its Big Bang Watches

Mathilde Krim, amfAR chairman, and Jean-Claude Biver, Hublot CEO, at the opening of the Hublot New York boutique on May 11. Krim is holding the Big Bang Magic amFAR timepiece.
A few years ago Swiss luxury watch company, Hublot, introduced its Million Dollar Big Bang watch, a tourbillon timepiece covered with diamonds. It was big hit, generating a great amount of press and interest and leading

MB&F Unveils New Exotic Frog Time Machines

HM3 Chocolate Frog features a "chocolate" PVD coated Grade 5 titanium case and a 22K red gold rotor. It is available in a limited edition of 10 pieces.
Its protruding eyes and its mouth-like front are actually instruments and complications that differentiate the “horological machine” from the frog where it gets its inspiration.

The HM3 frog, as it is known, was actually released a year ago