On the Scene at SIHH 2017: Day One

#legend is on the ground at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in snowy Geneva, here to bring you the latest news from the exclusive watch trade show. On our first day, we bring you highlights from Cartier, Montblanc, Parmigiani Fleurier, Ulysse Nardin and a special surprise in the form of Ryan Reynolds, spotted among the throng surrounding the Piaget booth.

Cartier

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Cartier first revealed the Drive de Cartier at SIHH last year, and the timepiece’s new shape and feel was an instant hit. This year, Cartier has revealed an updated look to the icon-in-the-making—the limited-edition Drive de Cartier Extra Flat—with some pretty big and welcome changes. The watch has been sized down to 39 mm from 40 mm, and is ultra thin at 6.6 mm. Available in white and rose gold, the movement has been changed to the calibre 430MC, a hand-wound, ultra-thin movement with a 36-hour power reserve.

Ladies are in luck. Apart from showcasing its panache in mixing high jewellery and watchmaking (see, for example, the Ronde Louis Cartier XL flamed gold), Cartier has also reissued its Panthére de Cartier timepiece, an imposing icon from the 1980s but now with an edgier, more contemporary look. This version even mimics the patterns on panther’s fur by mixing black lacquer on the pink gold bracelet and dial.

One of the more complicated watches Cartier is showcasing this year is the Rotonde de Cartier Skeleton Mysterious Hour watch. For the first time, Cartier has combined skeleton work and a mysterious movement into one watch. You have to see this watch to believe it. With the new calibre 9983MC, the watch reveals the gear train of the mysterious movement, which is usually hidden beneath the dial. The transparency exposes the smallest details in the movement’s architecture, but none of the magic is lost.

Montblanc

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Montblanc’s focus this year is on the more commercially oriented TimeWalker collection, repositioning the line with a series of new chronographs that capture the beauty and spirit of motorsports. The most interesting is probably the TimeWalker Chronograph Rally Timer Counter. Inspired by the Rally Timer stopwatch produced by Minerva for recording road racing, the timepiece is a stopwatch, wrist chronograph, a dashboard-mountable rally timer and a table clock, all rolled into one.

We also love the TimeWalker Chronograph 1000. Limited to 18 pieces, the timepiece is the result of Montblanc’s continued pursuit of technical prowess. Back in 1916, the Minerva Manufacture developed its famous 1/100th of a second stopwatch, and since 1936, Minerva has been known as the specialist for professional watches and stopwatches. This new limited timepiece now boasts a mechanical chronograph that measures elapsed time to the 1/1000th of a second.

Parmigiani Fleurier

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Parmigiani Fleurier has been taking style notes from the Bugatti Aérolithe since 1935. This year’s release sees the high-tech piece come in a titanium case, which uses laser technology to apply finishes beyond the capability of conventional machining. The automotive-inspired leather strap finishes off the tribute in style.

Ulysse Nardin

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Ulysse Nardin, exhibiting at SIHH for the first time, is already making waves with the newly revealed avant-garde InnoVision 2. From a brand-new constant-force escapement crafted from silicon, to using glass in a watch movement, this watch has 10 complex innovations and 10 pending patents. For the maritime-inclined patron, the Swiss watchmaker continues to pay tribute to its seafaring heritage with the Diver Chronograph Artemis Racing.

Piaget

And for something not entirely watch related, here’s a fan pic of the one and only Ryan Reynolds. The ambassador for Piaget dropped by the brand’s booth on Monday for an exclusive tour from CEO Philippe Léopold-Metzger himself, and to celebrate the Altiplano’s 60th anniversary.