On the Scene at SIHH 2017: Day Two

#legend is on the ground at the Salon de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in snowy Geneva, here to bring you the latest news from the exclusive watch trade show event. On our second day, we bring you highlights from A Lange & Sohne, Van Cleef & Arpels, Piaget, Richard Mille, Baume et Mercier and Roger Dubuis.

Van Cleef & Arpels

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We stepped out of the hectic scene that is SIHH and into the ethereal world of Van Cleef & Arpels for a moment and were in for a treat. The maison’s theme this year is Enchanting Nature, and the one watch to look out for is the Lady Arpels Papillon watch. Watch the timepiece come to life in the butterfly on the dial. Equipped with an exclusive automaton module, the wings of the tiny enamel wings flutter at random against the pastoral backdrop.

Van Cleef & Arpels also unveiled the stunning Automate Fée Ondine, the first of its new special project, Extraordinary Object. The mechanical clock, decorated like a lily pad and decorated with a miniature fairy, highlights the brand’s savoir faire in watchmaking and story-telling.

Piaget

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2017 is the year of the Altiplano. Celebrating one of its most successful watches, Piaget is marking the watch’s 60-year milestone with a commemorative collection filled with new materials, new dial sizes and new colours.

The Altiplano is also rendered in feathers and gold lacework in two novelties that showcase Piaget’s creativity and expert craftsmanship. Having previously put her creativity in last year’s Secrets & Lights collection, Émilie Moutard-Martin is once again invited by the maison to create another feather dial. The Altiplano Feather Marquetry, with its peacock blue and green plumage and silver leaf, is elegant and unmistakably Piaget.

A Lange & Sohne

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The Lange 31 is a seriously impressive watch. Introduced in 2007, it held the record for the wristwatch with the longest power reserve. It was the first watch to have a 31-day power reserve, beating the rest of the watch brands out of the water, including IWC and Panerai, whose 7-day and 8-day power reserves are already considered some of the most powerful ones in the market. The Lange 31 is re-released this year in a new version in white gold with a grey dial.

Richard Mille

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The most talked about watch from Richard Mille this SIHH is the RM 50-03 Tourbillon Split Seconds Chronograph Ultralight McLaren F1. The watch sets an exceptional record: it’s the world’s lightest split-second tourbillon chronograph, coming in at just 38 grams.

Baume et Mercier

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Over at Baume et Mercier, the Clifton Club Shelby Cobra Limited Edition stands out. The chronograph with the bi-colour dial, destined to become a collectible, was created in recognition of the speed record achieved by the Daytona at Le Mans in 1964.

Roger Dubuis

Not everyone can pull off the avant-garde open worked Roger Dubuis watch, but 2017 sees the brand ramping up its efforts to be daring and disruptive in its Excalibur line. Limited to 8 timepieces only, the Excalibur Spider Pirelli Double Flying Tourbillon features a sturdy 47mm-diameter black titanium case with vulcanised rubber accents and Pirelli design features like the automobile-inspired pointers and speedometer-like seconds counter, plus two flying tourbillons at 5 and 7 o’clock.