Basel 2018: quality over quantity
From March 22 to 27, Basel hosted the world’s largest jewelry and watch event, BASELWORLD 2018. Invited by Andreas Altmann, CEO of Giberg, Russian Roulette attended to check out the latest innovations.
B aselworld has been at the forefront of the industry for over 100 years, and this year brought exciting new changes:
The exhibition shrank a bit—down to three floors and 650 exhibitors. Anyone who’s attended a big show knows how hard it can be to find the real gems amidst the sea of watches, colors, logos, diamonds, and endless promo girls. So, what did we do? We enjoyed champagne with old friends. It was fun, but if you’re looking for fresh ideas and trends, the spark just wasn’t there… The organizers recognized this and chose quality over quantity. After all, Switzerland is all about precision and excellence!
This year, brands brought a fresh touch to their presentations by enhancing their booths with not just displays but interactive installations. While Switzerland remains deeply rooted in tradition, the world is increasingly shaped by technology and innovation, and this year’s BaselWorld reflected that shift. For example, de Grisogono celebrated its 25th anniversary with an exhibition guided virtually via Facebook. Picchiotti captured Polaroid photos of visitors, creating a unique jewelry family tree.
O ur gracious host, Andreas Altmann of Giberg, unveiled an extraordinary dragon installation, crafted by him over evenings using five kilograms of gold and 7,739 diamonds. This breathtaking piece topped Forbes’ list of the most remarkable creations at BaselWorld 2018. In addition to the dragon, Giberg also revealed women’s watches featuring a flying tourbillon—a true testament to quality craftsmanship.
Chopard has officially declared that it will exclusively source “ethical gold,” ensuring that the provenance of the metal can be traced directly to its mine of origin. Furthermore, upon request, the working conditions of those involved in its extraction can be transparently verified.
Atelier Swarovski also unveiled plans for the upcoming launch of a collection crafted from ethically sourced gold, alongside the introduction of its inaugural line of jewelry featuring synthetic diamonds and precious gemstones.
The leading brands have already confirmed their participation for 2019!
