3. A Little Bit About SIHH
If you are a regular follower of our blog postings or social media, you’ve no doubt seen us bandy about the letters S-I-H-H as of late. They stand for Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, a yearly event in which many luxury watchmakers showcase their latest creations. SIHH 2014 will run from January 20-24, in Geneva, Switzerland.
The SIHH is a private event for industry professionals who have been invited to attend by participating brand exhibitors. As the premier watch magazine in the world, WatchTime annually covers the event on behalf of its readers. In a very real sense, we are your eyes and ears to this very exclusive gathering.
Because so many of you ask us what goes on at SIHH, we thought it would be fun to show you some images from last year’s show. You can find them above and below.
To view a full slide show of images from SIHH 2013, click right here. We will soon be putting together a visual diary of this year’s SIHH, so watch this space!
4. There’s a Clock in that Sidewalk!
We saw an interesting piece this week on Hodinkee that we thought we’d share with you.
Next time you’re in Manhattan, take a train downtown to the corner of Maiden Lane and Broadway (the Fulton Street station is less than a block away). There you will find a curiosity that has stood its ground (quite literally) for over a century. It is a clock set deep inside the sidewalk, visible through a foggy crystal that is level with the concrete. You can see the clock depicted in the lower right-hand corner of the drawing below.
The idea for a sidewalk timepiece came from New York jeweler William Barthman, who reckoned the oddity would draw customers to his jewelry store. However, it was one of Barthman’s employees, Frank Homm, who provided the technical know-how to bring the idea to life. Homm was also instrumental to the upkeep of the clock.
After Homm died in 1917, the clock fell into a state of disrepair and the jeweler had trouble ensuring that it kept proper time. In about 1940, it was decided to replace the clock with a new one, which can still be seen today.
To read a more detailed account of this quintessentially New York tale, along with some wonderful images and a video, click here.
Until next week, enjoy!
