Hello everyone! I'm Masamasa Hirota, editor-in-chief of Chronos Japan and webChronos! This year, the world's largest watch fair, Watches & Wonders Geneva 2025, will be held again, so I've been forced to attend. "Hirota-san, you're going to write another Geneva diary, aren't you?" "Oh?" So, once again this year, I'll be bringing you the state of the venue, my random thoughts on new releases, and more!
Text by Masayuki Hirota (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published on January 4, 2025]
Day 1 begins!
On April 1, 2025, Watches & Wonders kicked off. I took the 7:4 train and arrived at the venue, Palexpo, at 8:4. Apparently, the Hosoda group, who hadn't been able to get into the hotel the previous day, managed to get a room using some tricks. Since I hadn't had breakfast, I was eating a sandwich on the platform.
The first day's coverage will be from Bulgari!
I visited the Bulgari booth at 8:30. Even though it was their first time participating this year, they were able to secure a prime location, a testament to their political clout. After seeing the new products, I interviewed CEO Jean-Christophe Babin. As of this day, he also assumed the role of head of LVMH's watch division. "Congratulations on your new position!" I replied, "I just turned 66 a few days ago. I never thought this would happen." I was shown the tourbillon of the new Octo Finissimo Ultra. Apparently, the number of parts has been reduced. The women's jewelry watch was also well-made. Bulgari's cases are quite rounded, which contributes to raising the bar for jewelry watches.
Head to TAG Heuer's "F1" festival!
I'll be checking out the new releases at TAG Heuer from 10am. This year, Heuer is having an "F1 festival." That's only natural, since they've returned to being the official timekeeper. My personal favorite is "Formula 1." However, there's a reason for this. It looks just like the old model, but it's solar-powered and the texture of the dial isn't bad. And while the case size of 38mm in diameter is slightly larger than before, it's still compact enough. Honestly, I want this one.
Another recommendation is the Carrera Day-Date. Starting this year, it has moved away from the "magically modified Sellita" and is now equipped with a movement jointly produced with AMT (a subsidiary of Sellita). The approximately 80-hour running time will surely raise the bar on the quality of the basic Carrera. Later, when I spoke to Carol Cazapi in the tobacco section, she said, "Isn't a minimum of three days the new standard?"
By the way, the exterior of this watch has also been improved. The dial has also been improved, and the bezel has been made thinner, resulting in a larger opening. However, the feeling of elongation has been cleverly eliminated by deepening the flange on the outer edge of the dial and moving the indexes closer to the center of the dial. This is a clever touch. Also, a mysterious adjustment system has been incorporated, where you remove the bracelet links by pulling them left and right. It seems that there is little play when you touch it, but it is still too early to judge. I would like to try it out if I get the chance. Anyway, personally, I would like to have a Formula 1.
Before leaving, Hirota mentioned Cartier as a brand he was interested in.
Starting at 11:45, we'll be covering Cartier's Touch & Feel. Essentially, this is a session that touches on all the new models. This year, Cartier has focused on shape, and what's new is that this has extended even further to the dial. If I were to write about everything, I'd run out of material for the website and magazine, so I'll keep it brief, but the dials are finished with lacquer and paint, and the base is treated with pressing and lasers, so they've done everything they can. The Tank à Guiché, also known as the Iron Mask, is very popular, and with the exception of one platinum model, they'll be producing it for several years this year, so it's definitely easier to get your hands on. The texture of the exterior of each model is overwhelming.
Jaeger-LeCoultre during lunch break
After Cartier finished, I had lunch at 12:30. The press lounge was a little better, and they served me a ramen imitation. Hmm, the taste was a bit off. It tasted like a degraded ramen salad from a convenience store. While eating, I compiled my report and then visited Jaeger-LeCoultre at 2pm to take part in a booth tour.
Although we only walked around the booths, this time our guide was Mr. Hamaguchi, Jaeger-LeCoultre's general manager of development. We couldn't have asked him anything, so we couldn't have had such a luxurious time. When we heard about the elaborate details of the new products, it was easy to understand why he exclaimed, "It's so difficult!"
Afterwards, I interviewed Jérôme Lambert, who has returned to the company as CEO. I can't go into details, but there will definitely be some interesting models coming out in the future. It was striking that the name Günter Blümlein came up several times during our conversation. "The watch market has expanded recently, but there are fewer people who know everything," he said, in his own words. I have no right to say this, but I agree. But was Lambert really such a cheerful person?
Interview with Seiko's President Naito → Return to Cartier
After Mr. Lambert, I interviewed Seiko's President Akio Naito at 3:30 pm. He is a calm but sharp man. It is clear to see why he has established Grand Seiko in the American market. I have heard him in detail, so I cannot write about it carelessly. When I asked him about the economy, he said, "The American market is unpredictable."
At 16:15 PM, I met Pierre Lenerot, the driving force behind Cartier's heritage. He's a gentleman who speaks perfectly British English and is incredibly knowledgeable. I asked him about this year's designs and how he ensured consistency and diversity. I was pleased to find that my personal recommendation of the Tank in MM size (with a laser dial) coincided with his recommendation. I plan to write an article about why.
After Rainero's interview, I took photos of Cartier products. Since touch and feel doesn't provide enough information, I stayed close and asked questions. I realized that the quality of the product was top-notch. What's more, the products no longer have the roughness they used to have.
Dinner at Cartier → Cup Yakisoba (Nissin Noodles) in front of the station
After finishing work at 7pm, I went to dinner with everyone from Cartier. It was a fusion restaurant near the Acacia district, where Rolex headquarters is located. I arrived 45 minutes late due to traffic congestion, so dinner started at 7:30pm. I wanted to stay until the end, but I couldn't catch my train, so I only had three drinks (only three) and finished the meal early. The food was delicious, so I wish I could have taken it longer.
I took the tram from Acacia at 21:15pm, changed to the SBB at Cornavin station, and took a local train, arriving in Mauge at 22:16pm. Since I had nothing to eat, I bought some cup noodles (Nissin!) and water at the Coop in front of the station and worked from the hotel. I went to bed at 1am the next day. I drank a ton of Leopin Royal before going to bed.
