22 high-end timepieces made their world premiere in Shanghai: some sold for tens of millions, and some used peels as straps

The scene of the high-end watch exhibition, this article picture surging news reporter Zou Juan

From April 14th to 18th, the 2021 “Watches and Miracles” Haute Horlogerie Exhibition will once again come to the Shanghai West Bund Art Center, and 22 new products will be launched at the exhibition for the first time.

A reporter from The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) saw at the scene that 19 participating brands brought more than one hundred of their latest works from 2021, including Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Chopin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Athens Watch and other participating brands. 22 models of the world premiere watches were tailored specifically for the “Watches and Miracles” Shanghai Haute Horlogerie Exhibition. Two Swiss independent watch brands, Jarno and Ferdinand Bell, made their debut in Mainland China for the first time through the “Watch and Miracle” platform. Due to the seamless connection between the Geneva online exhibition and the Shanghai floor exhibition, these latest and most fashionable high-end watches are the world’s first offline shows.

This year is the 90th anniversary of the birth of Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, so Jaeger-LeCoultre released the world’s first Reverso four-sided flip watch at the scene, and this is also the world’s first watch with a four-sided display. Precise craftsmanship brings complicated functions. The four-sided dial includes perpetual calendar, minute repeater, rendezvous period, intersection period and near-point period display. It contains 12 patents, and its price is as high as more than 11 million yuan.

Swiss independent watch brand Henry Moser & Cie. brought the Swiss Alp Watch “Unlimited Restart” watch. Although it was only released in early February this year, it sold out soon. Today, the only remaining watch came to the Shanghai exhibition and will be looking for its owner at the auction. The staff said that this watch uses the most representative shape design of a smart watch, but its production process and movement belong to the most traditional category of high-end watchmaking. The surface does not display the time, but can only count the seconds. The black humor of the watch industry means that you will always be loyal to the traditional watchmaking process and will not get lost in the smart watch. Once this conceptual product came out, it was highly sought after by watch enthusiasts around the world, and the 50 limited editions were sold out.

Cartier brings a new environmentally friendly watch. The watch band is made of fertilizer such as apple peel, and the watch uses solar energy as kinetic energy, and it can be used for half a year when storing electricity. The scene was well received.

Cartier’s solar watch is made of waste materials such as apple skins.

“For the entire Swiss fine watchmaking exports, the Chinese market accounts for 24.7%, which is about a quarter. This figure is enough to show how important the Chinese market is.” Chen Chen, Chairman of the Swiss Foundation for Fine Watchmaking (FHH) Asia Kaixun revealed that the transformation of the global retail market is changing the operating mode of the traditional watch industry. In addition to the coordinated development of online and offline, the trend of sales focus shifting from the West to the East is also accelerating. Choosing to hold an offline exhibition in Shanghai is because the standards of Shanghai collectors are leading the way. “Regardless of the level of consumption or the ability to appreciate, Shanghai collectors are top-notch. The reason why some independent Swiss brands come to the exhibition is because there are people who admire them.”

exhibition site.

In addition, The Paper sorted out some of the highlights of the exhibits:

Cartier specially created the Pasha de Cartier region limited hollow watch for the Chinese market, limited to 15 pieces;

The Chopard LUC XP Skeletec watch was made its world premiere during the Shanghai Haute Horlogerie Exhibition, limited to 50 pieces;

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s world premiere of the 90th anniversary of the Reverso Tribute Nonantième flip series;

The world premiere of Ulysse Nardin watches represents the future UFO clock;

Panerai released a red gold watch with a mother-of-pearl dial for the first time for Chinese consumers in the world;

For the first time, Vacheron Constantin exhibited the orphan Les Cabinotiers attic craftsman, the minute repeater tourbillon starry sky Leo jewellery watch;

Among the independent watch brands, Yamingshi created a special limited edition of 3 pieces for the Shanghai Watch Exhibition;

Henry Moser & Cie. has also created a world premiere special limited edition watch for the “Watches and Miracles” Shanghai Haute Horlogerie Exhibition.

(This article is from The Paper. For more original information, please download the “The Paper” APP)