Company president Mike Abt just returned from Basel, Switzerland, where he attended BaselWorld, the biggest and most important event for the international watch and jewelry industries. More than 2000 companies showcased their latest products and innovations this year, and there were an estimated 100,000 visitors from the retail and wholesale trade sectors in attendance.
Mike was there to discover the current trends and view the latest creations, some of which just might make their way to our Time Watch Boutique in the near future. Here are some of Mike’s observations:
“There were many new Swiss creations that showed the great value and innovations the country produces. More than 450 brands were on display, and I especially liked the Bob Dylan special edition piece from Oris that comes with a harmonica and sells for $2000.
“I enjoyed being able to see Pascal Couchepin, head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs, cutting the ribbon to open the show. The presence of the Swiss Interior Ministry demonstrates just how important this show is to Switzerland.
“The new Seiko Ananta collection, which combines advanced technology with traditional craftsmanship in its mechanisms, looked great, and I fell in love with the MeisterSinger watch, which has only one hand. This watch goes back to when ‘nature defined the meaning of life,’ and it emanates calm and tranquility. It takes five minutes for the hand to move to the next marker, making time seem to pass slowly. This is the Zen Watch.
“Franck Muller had a fantastic new chronograph collection called Mariner. These watches have blue wind rose and compass symbols. The Mondaine Watch was also a very nice, simple piece, and the company has its time clocks all over the Swiss railroad stations. This may make a nice addition to the brands we carry.”
Sounds like Mike had a great “time” in Switzerland. If you’d like to see all the watches on display at Abt, just stop in and visit the Time Watch Boutique in our Atrium area, or shop online and discover a whole new way to experience time. —by Graham W.
No Comments