2015 saw the embrace of wearable tech and smartwatches in the fashion industry. In 2016, will this mean the end of the classic mechanical-watch in favor of new technologies? Experts say no.
Breitling's brand new Exospace B55 Connected is a hybrid, using Bluetooth rather than wifi and an upgraded quartz movement, for those who want both the functionality of a smartwatch and the look and feel of a traditional timepiece. But that doesn't mean the brand is abandoning mechanical watches like its classic Navitimer (pictured). "In 2016 we will also continue to develop in-house movements in our watches," Breitling USA President Thierry Prissert tells CNN. "And we will have have plenty of new, exciting watches being released this year at Baselworld in March that I am looking forward to."
!["Moving into the future, Breitling will continue to value tradition and quality while balancing a growing need for technological integration," Breitling USA President Thierry Prissert tells CNN. "The Exospace B55 Connected is a perfect example of this [because] it places the smartphone at the service of the watch. You can use your smartphone to adjust various functions on the watch including setting the time zone, an alarm or measuring calculations important to pilots such as flight times, block time and mission elapsed time. You can even receive notifications on the watch when you receive text messages, calendar notification, phone calls and e-mails."](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/160107123034-breitling-3.jpg?q=w_964,h_637,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
"Moving into the future, Breitling will continue to value tradition and quality while balancing a growing need for technological integration," Breitling USA President Thierry Prissert tells CNN. "The Exospace B55 Connected is a perfect example of this [because] it places the smartphone at the service of the watch. You can use your smartphone to adjust various functions on the watch including setting the time zone, an alarm or measuring calculations important to pilots such as flight times, block time and mission elapsed time. You can even receive notifications on the watch when you receive text messages, calendar notification, phone calls and e-mails."
Expect even more mainstream fashion brands to get in on the smartwatch action this year, but don't bet on them to ever entirely replace mechanical watches, especially for those who espouse effortless elegance. A smartwatch is simply too techy, though the Apple Watch Hermès has plenty of panache. Spanish-Italian style stalwart Massimo Dutti recently collaborated with Sony on an alternative version (pictured) with ambient light sensors, accelerometer, compass, gyroscopic system, GPS, voice control, touch control, writing with gestures and a dapper saddle leather strap.
According to "The Watch Book," the 18 watch brands that matter in the world right now are: Audemars Piguet, Breguet, Breitling, Cartier, Chopard, Glashütte Original, Hublot, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, A. Lange & Sohne, Montblanc, Omega, Panerai, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Rolex, Vacheron Constantin and Zenith. Mechanical watches dominate, smartwatches need not apply. We would add TAG Heuer, Tudor, Hermès, Bell & Ross and Blancpain to the list for starters.
"The Watch Book" delves deep into its favored brands like Glashütte Original (pictured) in the form of illustrated-biographies of the most important names in top-end timekeeping. It traces the progressive development from their earliest days right up to the latest innovations and current models and features nearly 750 photographs.
Mechanical watches evoke an emotional connection with consumers that electronics cannot and will not ever achieve, James Lamdin, founder of Analog/Shift tells CNN. "At a time when more and more consumers demand a lasting and meaningful experience from the goods they purchase, the mechanical timepiece industry will continue to thrive in 2016 and beyond," opines Lamdin. Analog/Shift is a highly-regarded online watch boutique which specializes in vintage timepieces like the 1958 Rolex Submariner pictured above.
"The vintage watch market has exploded in recent years, with consumers from all walks of life drawn towards the concept of re-discovering the past, finding a timepiece with a story, and adding their own chapter to it," Lamdin says. "In 2016, the vintage market will continue to blossom at all levels -- entry, mid and high-end." Pictured is a motorsports-inspired 1970s Heuer Autavia from Analog/Shift's collection, a model that has seen prices rise steadily.
Customization of high-end timepieces is a growing popular as well, and we expect many innovative designs in 2016. The newest player, with the unlikely name Huckleberry, specializes in intricately engraved Rolex timepieces, like this green dial Submariner -- which took 140 hours of labor to complete and costs $37,500. Others like Project X and Bamford Watch Department have begun to offer blacked-out stealth versions of Rolex sports models and are branching out with different designs and a wide palette of custom color options.
The annual SIHH luxury watch fair in Geneva is organized by Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) and was originally created to showcase luxury watch brands -- including Cartier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre and A. Lange & Söhne -- owned by the blue-chip Richemont Group. Prestigious brands outside the group such as Audemars Piguet and Parmigiani Fleurier were added to the mix later on, as well as Ralph Lauren Watches, a collaboration between the legendary designer and Richemont launched in 2007.
This year Ralph Lauren will be absent from SIHH in order to focus more on the U.S. market, while nine new and/or independent watch brands will be exhibited at the high-end event for the first time. The new exhibitors are Christophe Claret, De Bethune, H. Moser & Cie, Hautelence, HYT, Kari Voutilainen, Laurent Ferrier, MB&F, and Urwerk, whose fanciful timepieces resemble machinery fit for a Star Wars set. Some of them are literally changing the way we tell time, though not everyone would consider them objects of beauty. Urwerk has exhibited at Baselworld in the past.
More recently established watch brands Antwerp-based Ressence and New York-based Autodromo, have both succeeded with an emphasis on world class design. While Autodromo's timepieces, which are inspired by vintage sports car gauges, are relatively affordable, Ressence is built on the expertise of yesterday -- crafted with today's technology, but designed for tomorrow. It has relied on the backing of men's style powerhouse Mr. Porter to sell watches for up to $37,000 apiece. We expect to see more offerings from them both in 2016.
![2016 will be an interesting year for watches, Julien Schaerer, Managing Director of auction powerhouse Antiquorum in Geneva tells CNN. The market continues to grow for exceptional and undervalued [vintage] pieces; there has been tremendous growth on brands such as Heuer, Universal Gene and diving watches in general. "Where sales of conspicuously expensive luxury goods have slowed, the market for Rolex sport models in excellent condition like this iconic Daytona will continue to grow no matter what," says Schaerer, noting the influence of consumers in China and the Middle East.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/160107134129-antiquorum.jpg?q=w_1600,h_900,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
2016 will be an interesting year for watches, Julien Schaerer, Managing Director of auction powerhouse Antiquorum in Geneva tells CNN. The market continues to grow for exceptional and undervalued [vintage] pieces; there has been tremendous growth on brands such as Heuer, Universal Gene and diving watches in general. "Where sales of conspicuously expensive luxury goods have slowed, the market for Rolex sport models in excellent condition like this iconic Daytona will continue to grow no matter what," says Schaerer, noting the influence of consumers in China and the Middle East.
