International Highlights on Display at the Inhorgenta Munich Trade Show
Inhorgenta Munich 2023 will open its doors to industry professionals this weekend from February 24 to 27. Around 800 exhibitors will showcase their latest in jewelry, watches, and gemstones. Although the event is best known as a platform for jewelry and jewelry design, it has also become increasingly important in regards to watches in recent years. One example is The Watch Boutique, which will once again be the centerpiece in the Watch Hall A1. In the elegant design of a shopping arcade and a high-class brand setting, renowned manufacturers will present their latest collections and classics. Among them are Tutima Glashütte, MeisterSinger, Herbelin, Mühle-Glashütte and the two newcomers Seiko and Raymond Weil. Other important watch exhibitors are Junghans, Citizen, Alpina Watches, Frederique Constant, Edox, Casio, and Mondaine.
The Salon Suisse enjoys an increasing demand, with the brands Al-Time, Aerowatch, Continental and Elka Watch participating for the first time—while Belchengruppe and Jean Marcel will be among the repeat exhibitors. New this year is a joint French pavilion, organized by the industry association Francéclat. It will gather the watch brands YEMA, Pierre Lannier, BRISTON, Lip, Beaubleu, Herbelin and March LA.B in Hall A1.
This year’s edition will again include the popular Watch Talks in Hall A1 with a famous guest. Industry veteran Jean-Claude Biver will discuss the latest in watchmaking with seasoned German watch journalist Gisbert Brunner on Friday 24 at 10.30 am. Other topics include plagiarism in luxury watchmaking and smart watches versus mechanical timepieces.
For general information, please visit Inhorgenta Munich’s website, here.
Here are some highlights that will be on display in Bavaria’s capital this weekend.
Orient Star
The traditional Japanese brand Orient is building on the success of the Diver 1964 1st Edition, which was relaunched two years ago to mark the company’s 70th anniversary and is based on the Olympia Calendar Diver from the 1960s. Thanks to its screw-in case back and screw-down crown, the diver’s watch, which has been tested according to ISO 6425, is pressure-resistant to 20 bars.
Limited to only 900 pieces, the edition comes with a silver dial, protected by a sapphire crystal, with three-dimensional luminescent indexes and arrow-shaped hands. The hand-wound movement of the 1964 original model has been replaced by the modern-day self-winding caliber F6N47, which provides a 50-hour power reserve and an indicator to show the power reserve’s remaining running time. The Diver 1964 1st Edition is fitted with a metal bracelet equipped with a push button, security latch and diver’s extension.
Pricing for the Orient Diver 1964 1st Edition is marked at approximately $1,450 when converted to USD.
To learn more, visit Orient Watches, here.
Alexander Shorokhoff
Southern German brand Alexander Shorokhoff, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, introduces its popular Vintage 7 in a limited edition in trendy green. With its extraordinary dial design featuring the brand typical huge “60”, an inner hour circle and leaf-shaped hands, it certainly lives up to its name.
The self-winding Poljot caliber 2616 inside is a genuine original from the sixties. It has been completely disassembled, engraved, refined, newly lubricated, assembled, and adjusted at Alexander Shorokhoff before being encased as a horological gem into the 39.5 mm steel case with see-through case back.
Pricing for the Alexander Shorokhoff Vintage 7 is marked at approximately $1,280 when converted to USD.
To learn more, visit Alexander Shorokhoff, here.
Herbelin
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the collection last year, the French brand Herbelin presented the popular Newport Automatic Chrono in a limited edition with a design inspired by stealth ships. Now it arrives with a new dress code subtly combining black and dark blue shades.
The collection’s typical round stainless-steel case has a diameter of 43.5 mm and a water resistance of 100 meters. It is fitted with a five-screw bezel and frames a black dial with a classic tricompax layout, from which the faceted indexes and rhodium-plated hands stand out clearly. Beating inside is the automatic Sellita SW510 with 62 hours of power reserve. The black leather strap with its blue stitching complements the elegant colorway.
Pricing for the Herbelin Newport Automatic Chrono is marked at approximately $2,700 when converted to USD.
To learn more, visit Herbelin, here.
Elka Watch
Elka Watch, the new old name, debuted on the Swiss market last year. By chance, the company’s founder Hakim El Kadiri had come across a Dutch watch brand of the same name that had been very successful in the sixties: Eduard Louis Kiek from Amsterdam.
Elka’s modern-day collections pay homage to this brand and the zeitgeist of that era. The beautifully shaped, notably flat case of the Elka D Series is inspired by old pocket watches and reminiscent of a pebble. The purity and elegance of the dial is highlighted by striking colors and a fine sunray finish. The box-style sapphire crystal further accentuates the subtle retro appeal. The Elka D Series is powered by an automatic movement from La Joux-Perret with a 68-hour power reserve.
Pricing for the Elka D Series is marked at approximately $1,800 when converted to USD.
To learn more, visit Elka Watch, here.
MeisterSinger
As a nod to the history of timekeeping and a tribute to the brand’s 20th anniversary, MeisterSinger introduced the magnificent Bell Hora with a sonnerie au passage function. This rare function earned the single-hand timepiece that chimes the passage of the hour even a nomination for the GPGH in the fall of 2021 and a Red Dot award. Taking its inspiration from traditional clock towers, it produces just a single chime at the top of each hour, unlike a repeater complication that announces the exact hour through the matching number of chimes.
At the heart of this complication is a module with a strike mechanism that is produced by MeisterSinger and added to the SW 200 base caliber. The automatic movement ticks behind an intriguing vintage-style dial that is now available in a medium blue iteration with gold-colored elements.
The MeisterSinger Bell Hora is equipped with a leather strap and retails for approximately $4,500 when converted to USD.
To learn more, visit MeisterSinger, here.