SalonQP: Just one month to go (and you could be our guest)

More intimate than Baselworld, more laid-back than SIHH, SalonQP has something essentially British about it. It’s charming, accessible and unpretentious in a way that the other watch events simply aren’t. And it has put London firmly on the map of unmissable watch events. SalonQP 2011 was great fun and culminated in Ronnie Wood showing us his huge clock.

Now in its fourth year, SalonQP will open its doors again at the Saatchi Gallery exactly one month from today: 8 November 2012.

Watch collectors, respected commentators, industry insiders and, eh, The Prodigal Guide will gather to touch, feel and occasionally lick; to consider, discuss and occasionally fight about nearly 1,000 pieces from the world’s leading brands. Some of the many highlights include:

• Widely considered best in show at SIHH – and we’ve already brought you an in-depth look at it – Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Sphérotourbillon is sure to draw crowds at SalonQP. Part of the brand’s Duomètre line, it employs a ‘dual-wing’ design using two separate power sources – one for timekeeping and one for regulation/complication. Precision is paramount for this rightly popular piece with die-hard chrono-heads the world over.
• A UK launch exclusive, TAG Heuer will present the MikrotourbillonS at SalonQP. CEO Jean-Christophe Babin justly boasts, “We set a new record for a mechanical chronograph with the Mikrograph. For the first time ever we’ve combined the ultimate precision of 1/100th of a second with the ultimate accuracy that only a tourbillon can guarantee.”
• In another exclusive, SalonQP will be the first opportunity for fans of the eternally future-looking Urwerk house to experience their jaw-dropping new UR-210 ‘in the metal’. With previous design inspiration ranging from the Apollo Space Programme to Duchamp, this latest model is sure to challenge and engage. Details are still strictly embargoed for this remarkable piece but suffice to say, it will knock your cogs off.
• Having previously exhibited the exquisite Opus 9 at the inaugural SalonQP in 2009, Harry Winston return this year with the newest edition to the series, the Opus 12. Continuing the Opus tradition of working with only the most extraordinary craftsmen, this piece was designed in collaboration with Emmanuel Bouchet. Daring to be very different, this masterpiece features no hour or minute hand.
• The preview screening of the film The Watchmaker’s Apprentice: the documentary traces the extraordinary horological work of Dr. George Daniels CBE and his protégé Roger W. Smith, and the fascinating relationship between two of the most renowned watchmakers of our time.

If you like watches even half as much as we do, by now you’re already salivating. But wait, there’s more.

In many ways the best time to visit SalonQP is for the VIP Reception on opening night. The Champagne flows, everyone turns out looking sensational and there’s a hugely convivial atmosphere. In short, it’s a cracking cocktail party with the added benefit of being surrounded by hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of watches. Our kind of party in other words. And it could be your kind of party too.

Be our guest

We’re offering free tickets to Thursday night’s SalonQP VIP Reception (they normally sell for £100 each) to two lucky Prodigal Guide readers. And winning them couldn’t be easier: just leave a comment below explaining what you’re most looking forward to at SalonQP and why. We’ll select the best two answers in two weeks’ time and announce the winners.

Good luck.

To find out more about one of the very best watch events on the planet, visit the SalonQP website and follow SalonQP on Twitter.

Oh, and as if two free tickets to the world’s coolest watch show wasn’t enough to entice you to take part in our little competition, our friends at Jaeger-LeCoultre have stepped in to up the ante still further. Not only will our lucky winners receive access to Thursday night’s VIP Reception but they’ll also be given a place on Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Watchmaking Master Class, to be held on the Friday evening.

The Master Class will be hosted by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s most experienced watchmaker in the UK, and each guest will experience the exceptional opportunity to delve into the know-how of real watch making. Participants will don the white coat of a watchmaker to test their dexterity and understanding of the workings of a real watch, with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 751.

From the smallest pinion to the largest barrel, learn to assemble the main spring, responsible for powering the train wheels, through to the escapement, or “heart: of the watch, which regulates the energy to the balance.

Working with these minute components, under the guidance of the watchmakers of the Manufacture, will highlight many key aspects of true savoir-faire in fine watchmaking today.