Some Highlights of the Geneva SIHH Luxury Watch Preview

The SIHH watch preview is to luxury watch lovers as the biggest Star Trek convention is to avid Trekkies—except that most watch lovers will never find themselves at the SIHH. The event is a private trade show for the finest new Swiss watches and is by invite only. Only the most prestigious watch sellers are invited, by the manufacturers themselves, to view the new up-and-coming designs that will adorn the wrists of the wealthy—and the rest of us, though in the form of perfect replica watches. We've compiled some highlights from this year's SIHH trade show that have got us excited and are causing a great deal of buzz in the luxury watch world.

More than Meets the Eye: The MontBlanc Metamorphosis

Certainly one of the most exciting and interesting timepieces previewed at SIHH was the MontBlanc Metamorphosis (pictured above). A truly magnificent marriage of classic watchmaking and cutting-edge innovation, this Transformer-esque MontBlanc watch is literally two watches in one. By moving a slide control up and down, the aptly-named Metamorphosis physically transforms from a standard hour, minute, and second watch to a chronograph and back again. The mechanism they invented to achieve this transformation was not only informed by centuries of watch-making wisdom, but also by the ancient Swiss art of automaton construction. Creating a replica MontBlanc version will be no small feat, but we're sure it will be magnificent when it happens.

Classic Cartier Craftsmanship

Another undeniable highlight was the Cartier Rotonde Astrotourbillon which is expected to cost around $136,000. The movement, which is visible through the watch face, has impressive specs (38mm diameter, 9.01mm thick, 9451 MC caliber) and took five years to develop. This timepiece is manually wound and has a 48 hour power reserve. Truly a masterpiece of watch craftsmanship, the Cartier Rotonde Astrotourbillon is sure to be a hit when it hits the market.

Swiss Excellence with a Portuguese Touch

For lovers of a more restrained aesthetic, IWC has produced the simple Portuguese Hand-Wound 5454 that combines technical excellence with elegant aesthetic simplicity. With an oversized face (44mm) and a sleek minimalist design inspired by the line's Portuguese roots that stretch back to the 1930s, this IWC watch is pure class. It features a minute and hour hand, with a small understated dial that indicates seconds. This elegant timepiece is bound to be a top-selling replica IWC watch.

Replica Watches: Something for Everybody

Looking at these examples, it's clear that the future holds a variety of styles and aesthetics in the world of luxury watches. Whether you're looking for something sleek and classic, something utterly unique and technologically advanced, or a perfect combination of the two, there is certainly a replica watch that will satisfy what you are looking for.