After a week in Geneva to see the most haute watch brands set out their stall for the year, we see what conclusions can be drawn and how they might affect the year ahead
By Chris Hall and James Buttery

Chris Hall:

It’s not complicated
My first general thought from SIHH 2018 is to note the scarcity of grand complications (at least, in series-produced watches, of which more in just a minute). A. Lange & Sohne can be relied upon to always produce something with real horological punch, and did not disappoint with the Triple Split, but elsewhere there was nothing really of high-end interest from Audemars Piguet, IWC, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin or Montblanc. Richard Mille’s single new watch was predominantly concerned with shock absorbency; we did have a new Freak – the FreakVision – from Ulysse Nardin which will bear a second inspection, and Girard-Perregaux showed a 48mm minute repeater tri-axial tourbillon that I found quite hard to love. Among the “independent” watchmakers from the Carré des Horlogers, the comparatively cramped confines given over to 17 smaller brands, there was not one new heavyweight complication.  
I’m not sure this is entirely a bad thing. It should mean more watches at price points we can engage with (if not actually afford). But as a bellwether for the optimism and buoyancy of the top end of the market, it means we’re not out of the woods yet. 
 

Good ye...