Baselworld 2014 Show Recap – New Record Attendance & Overall Optimism

This year’s edition has brought another record attendance at the Baselworld Watch & Jewelry Show. As much as 150,000 visitors strolled along the exhibition halls of more than 1,500 watchmaking brands from 40 different countries. During the eight days while it lasted, the Basel exhibition once again established itself as the central event of the year that exposes new trends in the world of watches. All the leading brands of the industry have shown off their latest products, and exposure was exceptionally high when it comes to the Swiss exhibitors. The companies which stand behind 95 percent of the entire nation’s annual exports worth 24.5 billion were represented at the Basel fair. Among the unveiled watches, we saw three pieces that set new records- Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon, TAG Heuer Monaco V4 Tourbillon and Graff Hallucination. The first one of them is the new flattest tourbillon on the market, while the second premiers a belt-driven tourbillon complication. Along with these two pieces that stand out from the technical point, the Baselworld 2014 audience also got to see the new most valuable high jewelry watch Graff Hallucination with the staggering price of $5.5 million.

Baselworld 2014

“The Unmissable Show” & Its Encouraged Exhibitors

The importance of the annual Basel Watch & Jewelry Show is undisputed in the industry, since the fair reestablishes itself year after year as the most important venue were the major players show off their latest achievements. The Baselworld’s significance is clear from the scope of the event’s revenue – it directly and indirectly generates $2.7 B and employs 13,000 people.

Baselworld

This can be also backed up by the statements of the exhibitors. The president of the Exhibitor’s Comitee, Jacques J. Duchene, agreed with the assessment: “The Exhibitors made a very good turnover and were positive about the media exposure that has aroused interest in the Baselworld event”. Moreover, Duchene claimed that Baselworld is “the unmissable show for the watch and jewelry industry”.

Similar opinions were also heard from Francois Thiebaud who was the head of the committee that represented Swiss exhibitors at the event. “2014 has confirmed excellence and global prestige of Baselworld”, stated Thiebaud and then went on saying that he was especially satisfied with the media coverage of the event. The official press release of the event also quotes several officials of the major watchmaking brands, among them Bulgari, Patek Philippe, Chopard, Zenith, TAG Heuer, Hermes, Longines and Sowind who all praised this year’s show as great success.

The next edition of the Baselworld Watch & Jewelry Show will take place from 19 – 26 March 2015.

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