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The prestige watch selection in Vegas rivals that of the big show in Switzerland
Move over, Baselworld. There’s another watch fair on the luxury calendar—and we don’t mean Geneva’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie. For eight years, JCK Events has partnered with Kaiser Time on Swiss Watch at JCK, a five-day, by-appointment-only fair that runs concurrently with the main show in Las Vegas.
This year’s gathering will take place June 2–6, says Steven Kaiser of Kaiser Time, noting the show’s new location at Mandalay Bay and the Four Seasons—think penthouse suites and private elevators—where A-list buyers will have the opportunity to mingle with the world’s best watchmakers.
“People can expect an unrivaled level of service in a discrete, luxurious environment,” says JCK Events group vice president Dave Bonaparte.
Nearly 30 elite brands—including Ulysse Nardin, Harry Winston, and Hermes—are pulling out all the stops for the show, Kaiser says. While watchmakers have typically used the event to review collections unveiled earlier in the spring, this year’s edition promises to generate a fair amount of novelties.
Tagged “Life Is About Moments,” Baume & Mercier’s new ad campaign features watches from the 2011 Capeland and Linea lines.
Take, for example, TAG Heuer’s big introduction: the revamped Link series. Although retailers got a preview of the new Link in Basel, the brand wanted the launch to take place in June, when the new TAG Heuer lifestyle boutique in Las Vegas begins selling the pieces (retailers get them in August).
Breitling will also unveil a new limited edition of its legendary Navitimer chronograph, dubbed the Super Constellation, which will be issued in a run of 1,049 pieces, in honor of the Lockheed L-1049 aircraft that inspired it.
Beyond debuting new models, brands are using the show to plug their big marketing ideas. Baume & Mercier, for one, is promoting new imagery, new products, and a new communications regime that link its Swiss watches to the idea of seaside living in New York’s Hamptons. The campaign features real families posing on the beach, gracefully connecting the timepieces to scenes of genuine love and intimacy against the backdrop of a legendary beach haven.