The weather in Basel has so far been incredible. It's really a shame to have to have a show here, as the sun is shining every day and it's a very mild, sometimes hot, 75 degrees or so. I think the warm weather has caught the show by surprise, as the halls haven't caught up, air conditioning-wise. In a suit, some of the booths can be saunas.

The watches, however, keep me focused on the task at hand.
One of the more interesting stories at the BaselWorld show is what is going on at Timex. A well known name in the US, Timex is shaking the watch world with its aggressive growth, which includes the acquisition of several brands - high-end, boutique watchmaker Vincent Berard, Valentino, Versace and now the brand is launching the TX (TechnoLuxury) and mechanical Timex lines at the BaselWorld show. Joe Santana, President and CEO, Timex, sat down with me today to explain: “Timex is changing, we are adapting to the times. The market is changing and we have to follow what the consumers want, get our creativity behind the development and get with the times,” he said. “In 1992, we were one brand, we addressed one broad consumer segment. Today, we are a group that addresses the consumer needs in the market, all the way from the super rich down to everyone else. We have more to offer than just Timex.”
Look for more on Timex in a future issue of Europa Star.

Here's some of what I saw today:
De Grisogono had some beautiful new watches, including the brand new ladies Piccolina, which features a solid gold cuff with diamonds sprinkled liberally throughout.

This year, Oris has a jazz tribute limited edition dedicated to Dizzy Gillespie, as well as a beautiful new titanium and gold TT3 and a huge 47mm diver's watch.

Chronoswiss is adding the words CASP to its watch line, which means “Certified All Swiss Parts.” I talked with Gerd-Rüdiger Lang, founder and owner, and this is how he explained it: “We want to certify that we make watches with 100% Swiss parts, and the term 'Swiss Made' is not enough. CASP is a quality pledge from our company to the customer.”

For Victorinox Swiss Army, 2007 is the year of the chronograph, and the brand introduced 21 new chronographs at BaselWorld. Two of the most interesting are the Alpnach chronograph (43mm in automatic and in quartz) and the Ambassador XL LE, limited to 750 pieces, with a chocolate dial and strap, a color that Victorinox has never used before.
Ritmo Mundo introduced its Indy Racing League watch at BaselWorld and also announced that it is the official watch of the new “Oceans 13” movie. The new Randy Jackson collection, from “American Idol” fame, is something to take a good look at as well.


Photographs from our web photographer Casey Bayandor to follow shortly and information on Armand Nicolet, Eterna/Porsche Design and Patek Philippe.