The 2019 edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, known as SIHH, is almost upon us. On Monday morning, the doors will open to Geneva’s Palexpo centre, which has played host to the luxury watch fair since its inaugural edition in 1991, and we’ll be on the ground, bringing you live coverage throughout.
First up is IWC Schaffhausen, which will be turning its attention to its signature Pilot’s watch collection for 2019
Every January, SIHH sets the agenda for the year ahead in the horological industry, as the likes of Audemars Piguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Panerai take the wraps off their latest novelties. While only the participating brands know the full extent of timepieces and trends they have in store for visitors, we can already report on a handful of releases.
First up is IWC Schaffhausen, which will be turning its attention to its signature Pilot’s watch collection for 2019. The brand chose the Goodwood Estate to preview its new aviation-inspired model last month – at the same time announcing a partnership with Goodwood Aviation, which is home to the Boultbee Flight Academy, the world’s first official Spitfire flying school. This summer, Steve Boultbee-Brooks and Matt Jones will embark from here on the first round-the-world flight in a Spitfire as part of the ‘Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight’project, with IWC serving as the main sponsor.
Among the new IWC launches to keep an eye out for will be the new Spitfire line, which will be made exclusively using IWC-manufactured calibres. We’re particularly excited to get our hands on the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire, which features a vintage-inspired 41mm bronze case and a striking green dial. Elsewhere, the new Top Gun line will feature Ceratanium for the first time in a pilot’s watch, in the form ofthe jet-black Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium. This material, created by IWC, marries the scratch resistance of ceramic with the lightweight strength of titanium.
Parisian watch house Cartier, meanwhile, is reviving its signature barrel-shaped Tonneau timepieces this year
Zenith has also hinted at one of its new launches ahead of the big reveal in Geneva. The Defy Classic Black Ceramic, a stealthy automatic three-hander, features a stunning open-worked dial and is the first model in the Defy range to be cast in hardwearing ceramic. Inside ticks an in-house Elite movement, which powers a date window at 6 o’clock. We can’t wait to see it up close.
Parisian watch house Cartier, meanwhile, is reviving its signature barrel-shaped Tonneau timepieces this year, taking inspiration from a watch it first produced in 1906. Shaped watches were a big theme for the house in 2018 as well, so we’re eager to see what forms the Cartier collections will take next in its collections for both ladies and gents.
Many of the other brands are keeping their powder dry for now,but we’ll be publishing all the stories as we uncover them right here on the Calibrehub throughout the fair. From the latest watches and interviews with industry insiders to daily podcasts and Calibrenewsletter round-ups, stay tuned to find out all the latest news direct from SIHH. We’ll be covering events as they happen on social too, so make sure you follow us on Facebook and Instagram and you won’t miss a thing!
