Countdown to Baselworld 2014

A week from now Baselworld doors fling open unto an eager crowd of watch and jewelry enthusiasts, buyers, boutique owners, journalists and seekers. From March 27th to April 3rd, show goers will venture from hall to hall and event to event gathering information about new styles, prices and brands. Old friends will meet, new ones made, contacts forged, orders arranged and signed upon the dotted line. Seven informative Baselword Daily News issues ,available online and at the show itself,  keeps visitors abreast of "must-see", news and current trends. A Baselword App on your i-phone, i-pad, blackberry and android provides useful interactive information.

I have outlined a brief Pre-Baselworld Virtual Walk to Navigate the halls. Keep in mind, this is just a hint of what awaits you at the show.


Hall 1.0 is a given to go with highly popular prolific top notch brands such as Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Patek Phillipe, Tissot, Hublot, Tag Heuer - you get the gist.

Breitling for Bentley 6.75 Midnight carbon

Hall 1.1 houses a bejeweled assortment of high end brands - famous for gem encrusted watches and jewelry  such as House of Graff, Boucheron, Jacob &; Co. and of course de Grisigono.  Great Sporty brands such as Edox, U-Boat and Clerc are displayed among high end accessory brands such as Hermès, Dior and Chanel. Seiko holds a prominent place being in a category of its own.
Quite a few lessor known brands are within these walls, but favorites are found all around.  Europa Star spans one wall - an excellent watch news source.
 Hall 1.3 showcases affordable brands such as Invicta, Follie Follie, Guess and Casio.

Jacob & Co. Epic SF 24

International Brands
Hall 2.0, 2.1, 2.2 is abundant with jewelry - each booth displaying originality in design and expertise.
Eterna, Ball Watch USA holds command of Hall 5.0.
The Palace is by far my favorite Baselworld local, housing unparallelled watch making expertise.  HYT renowned for its hydro mechanical timepiece is at P03, while at P06, the edgy and daring Artya brand  rubs shoulders with the elusive Haldimann Horology.

HYT H2 Forged from Titanium & White Gold with Blue Fluid

 The Palace is abundant with complex complications perfected by MB &F, Konstantin Chaykin (genius in watch design) and Christophe Claret.  Badollet - keeper of my favorite design and De Bethune- creator of the finest blue  are found at P01 and P02 respectively.

Badollet Ivresse like a Painters Pallet

Hall 3.0 and 3.1 is abundant with jewelry and gem.
Hall 4U holds necessary tools for the trade and Hall 4.0 and 4.1 are National Pavilions.



Unlike the exclusive SIHH , where visitors must receive an invitation to attend, Baselworld is open to the public without prior registration.  Simply show up and purchase your ticket "on-the-spot" or online at www.baselworld.com. Prices are quite affordable at CHF   60.-for the day or CHF 150.-for the week.

Coming from far and away without a place to stay? Enjoy some Swiss Hospitality at the Mövenpick Hotel Egerkingen. If you wish to be a bit closer to the action, a room at the Hotel Alexander Basel is a stones throw away. Zürich is  a 90 minute train ride away with hotels galore ready to welcome a Baselword traveller. But whether you come by land or air, it is on the water you can stay.  Book a floating room on the "Hotel Ship" for the duration of your trip. A free shuttle bus will transport you to the show - just 15 minutes away. 

The show does not end at closing time, Baselworld Village is open from 6pm until 2am.  Restaurants and Bars provide prime places to seal a deal over some fine wine and delectable dine.  

For the best and most productive Baselworld experience planning is crucial, but  the most memorable moment may just be chance. Make a memory, a deal, a contract, a sale, a moment.  Come to Baselworld.

It's a New Moon for Konstantin Chaykin Lunokhod Watch

Russian Watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin was so inspired by the 1970 success of  Russian Scientists, who created and landed  two unmanned lunar rovers on the moon, he named a collection of watches after the vehicles: Lunokhod.

When I asked, "What so inspired Konstantin Chaykin to use the name Lunokhod?"

He replied, "The main theme that inspired me was the proudness about the russian scientists that make a moon rover."

  Not only was it the success of this endeavor that prompted him to use the name Lunokhod, but also its uncanny play on words for a watch of this kind.

As Konstantin Chaykin explained, 
 "First I create the movement that rotate the 3d Moon in the watch. But its design was close to Moon rover form and I desired to call the watch Lunokhod. In Russian it looks like play of words - Lunok - Moon hod - movement. It seems to me like a good idea."

Embedded in the very center of  Russian Watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin's Lunokhod timepiece is the moon represented by a single pearl. The symbolism of moon as pearl is as old as time itself told around crackling fires in faraway lands.  An ancient Indian Myth claims pearls are dewdrops from heaven captured by shellfish at dawn in the phase of a  full moon. Looking up at the night sky a full moon softly bathing the world in its reflected light, one can imagine it as a large pearl The Lunokhod moon phases are indicated by a shutter, which slides across the pearl darkening its surface.

Surrounding the pearl are hour, minute and seconds retrograde time displays crafted in 18k yellow gold and curved like the indices on an ancient astrolobe.  One can almost imagine  Ptolomy donned in flowing robes peering at the timepiece and  generating complicated astronomical calculations.  The slim case is crafted from 18k yellow gold, which adds an ancient  elegance to its unique design.  The previous Lunokhod was a bit more sinister looking and had a more space age feel to it than the newer all gold model.  However the previous model used wootz steel, which is an ancient metal originating in India around 300 BC.  So coveted was this metal, it was given as a gift by King Porus ,ruler of an Ancient Civilization, to Alexander the Great.  Constantin Chaykin used this material as its texture simulated that of the moon. The moon in the previous model is not a pearl, but rather a textured silver.  A black rhodium plated silver hood which represents the moon phase change is probably used in both models. 

The hand wound mechanical movement is crafted entirely by Konstantin Chaykin  framing the prominent moon phase.

Konstantin Chaykin will release only 12 models of the Lunokhod in gold, priced at 110,000 Euros.
In a world where the art of mechanical watchmaking is increasing in leaps and bounds, Konstantin Chaykin has received quite a bit of notice.  His watches exude a strength of character and watchmaking skill only accomplished by the highly talented and exceptionally competent watchmaker.



The next Konstantin Chaykin timepiece to excite the watch world is his enigmatic, "Mystery Watch".  Mysterious because the dial hands are suspended in a transparent dial with out any conceivable support.  To be unveiled at BaselWorld 2012.
In time my Blog about  the Konstantin Chaykin Mystery Watch will reveal itself from its drafting board.