As many of you know by now, SIHH (Salon International Haute Horlogerie) is taking place in Geneva from the 19th to the 23rd of January for the 25th time at the Palexpo center, just like last year. Many horology fans will be flying in, and most of the hotels are already fully booked or extremely expensive for those days. We are of course all very excited for the upcoming exposition and I personally am really waiting to see what some of the brands have got in store for us.

However before we get to the wish list and start guessing what it is that we can expect from the brands this year let’s rewind it back to the last SIHH and take a look at some of my personal favorites.

One of the coolest brands to showcase last year was Roger Dubuis. Before SIHH 2014 they’ve come up with some novelties but it was really last year that they’ve re-imagined the brand, gave it a new twist and really got the attention of the audience by their teaser videos counting down to SIHH, their beautiful booth, and of course, the product itself – I’m talking about an entirely new collection of the Hommage pieces. This year we are expecting them to explore their skeletonized watches, a subject they have mastered over the years. Really looking forward to the new Astral Skeleton.

Roger Dubuis Hommage Collection – Skeleton Watch

Another big brand that has shined last year is Audemars Piguet, we’ve seen many re-done models from them, but apart from them a new version of the Tourbillon Chronograph during last SIHH and an entirely new Tourbillon Chrono with a peripheral rotor during Watches & Wonders. This year the brand is going to surprise us with a completely new Concept RD1; a tourbillon chronograph and what’s believed to be the loudest minute repeater ever made! Stay tuned for the photos and reviews of this one after the fair

Audemars Piguet Tourbillon Chronograph (SIHH 2014)

Richard Mille did a good job of implementing an entirely new material into their line of watches, and the most memorable of all would probably be their NTPT Carbon RM35-01 – the new ‘baby Nadal’ on steroids! Later on last year they’ve also presented the final version of the RM56, their full sapphire tourbillon piece worth well over a million dollars. I can’t imagine what they are going to surprise us with this time but hopefully it’s a new model.

Richard Mille RM56

Now if we get to the independents there’s a lot more to discuss. De Bethune came out with 2 major novelties last year, the DB28 digitale and the Dream Watch 5 (that I’m not so sure of). This year they’re going back to the roots and presenting a DB28GS (Grand Sport), water resistant to 100 m, old-fashioned De Bethune on a rubber strap. If you ask me, I prefer their less industrial models, but there will sure be many long time fans of the brand who would instantly fall in love with it.

De Bethune DB28 Digitale

2 More brands that I didn’t really expect any novelties from, but who managed to pull them off are Urwerk and Breva. Reason why I say I didn’t expect the novelties is because both of those brands tend to pull out the big guns during Baselworld… And yet here we are with a new UR110 Eastwood from Urwerk, made with a wooden case and a Timothy Everest tweed strap, and a Breva Genie 03, first ever watch to feature a mechanical speedometer! Also a lot more affordable than the last two models (retailing at CHF48’000).

Now there are many more brands that are going to be presenting this year, such as IWC, Greubel Forsey, Vacheron Constantin, and others. Of course I’m hoping for a crazy piece from GF, a dramatical booth and an interesting twist on an existing collection from IWC, something maybe a bit more contemporary from VC, and as usual, something technical from JLC and A. Lange & Sohne!

Hope to see many of you at the fair and stay tuned for a detailed review of the novelties after the exhibition!