Christmas is over and the end of the year is just days away but watch aficionados have plenty to look forward to in the first months of 2015.
From January 6-9 the International Consumer Electronics Show will invade Las Vegas and give us our first look at the new tech items we’ll be craving for the next year. One of the hottest categories is sure to be wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness bands. With the introduction of the Apple Watch in September, the bar has been raised and the makers of fine Swiss timepieces are now eying the market for an upscale smartwatch that combines traditional craftsmanship with the latest technology. There are rumors that TAG Heuer may have a prototype smartwatch ready in time for CES but we won’t know until January.
Another much-anticipated event happens in January when 16 of the world’s foremost makers of luxury watches will gather in Geneva for the Salon International De La Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) exhibition. Look for the latest designs from members of the Richemont group.
The watchmakers that skip SIHH will get a chance to show off their wares a couple of months later when dozens of famous brands will meet in Basel, Switzerland, for the BaselWorld fair. Alas, all three of these events are trade shows that are closed to the general public.
Those who make it to Macau for this retail exhibition will be able to view an enormous selection of the most decadent timepieces on the market right now like the Jacquet Droz Bird Repeater Openworked watch. This timepiece is distinguished by a clear sapphire dial that reveals the complex mechanism within. An intricate design of two birds and their young decorate the dial. This watch is being manufactured in a very limited edition of just eight individually numbered pieces.
Another eye-catching timepiece is the Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight Planétarium Poetic Complication with a replica of the solar system on the face. How much does it cost to have the entire world on your wrist? The Midnight Planétarium watch is being made in a limited edition of 396 pieces in 18-karat rose-gold for $245,000. A more extravagant version with diamonds is priced at $333,000.
You can’t leave Macau without viewing the Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Florilége Collection with its intricate and ornate dials. This set of three watches, each of which features an exquisitely rendered floral design, is an extremely limited edition. 20 pieces of each style were made to sell for $124,000 each plus five special collectors models with baguette diamonds for $153,000 each.
The world’s thinnest tourbillon movement is housed inside the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon watch, making it a one-of-a-kind timepiece. The 40mm platinum case is a mere 5mm thick. The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon sells for $138,000.
All of these and more can be seen at the Shoppes at the Four Seasons in Macau.
