REBELLION TIMEPIECES: THE 24 HOURS OF BASEL

REBELLION TIMEPIECES: THE 24 HOURS OF BASEL

Red carpet, red bar, and festive atmo: Sébastien Buemi is the new ambassador!

While the master-pieces of the REBELLION collections were the talk of the town, several waves of select guests were making their way from the booth at the Palace (Baselworld 2016) to the luscious interiors of the Hôtel des Trois Rois. For its 2016 edition, the REBELLION party, initiated a year ago by the only watch brand with its own race car stable, boosted its reputation as the absolute "place2be!"

Among the VIPs present was the latest brand ambassador, the rebel Sébastien Buemi, the eternal Formula One champion, and the company's drivers, Nicolas Prost, Nick Heidfled, Nelson Piquet Jr, Mathias Beche, Dominik Kraihamer, Alex Imperatori, and Mathéo Tuscher. They boldly defended the REBELLION Racing colors in the midst of a herd of industry players, either known faces or discreet talents from the supply chain, all of them somewhat lost in this wacky, nocturnal party circuit. It was a great opportunity for the brand to express thanks and its spread contagious energy, while at the same time sharing its values, like the rebelliousness that comes with accepting no compromises.

The relentless T-1000 drives Baselworld 2016

Will this timepiece ever stop? It has 1000 hours´ power reserve, a micro-mechanical feat never achieved or imitated before in the world of ultra-complicated high-end watchmaking. The 2016 version of the T-1000 by REBELLION Timepieces is a one-of-a-kind workhorse. And it came on the scene like a veritable star. But it’s a real and functional watch, far less of a diva than your average talking piece. Its virile, angular and brawny design struts about far from any normal standards and puts the REBELLION brand squarely in the spotlight. And it's the same spotlight set up in the plush foyer of the Hôtel Les Trois Rois that lit up the prominent guests arriving for a private dinner cocktail, leaving fast cars parked at the entrance.

First the Palace, then partying at the Trois Rois

After hours, time goes on. At Baselworld 2016, the independent Swiss watch brand REBELLION Timepieces doubled down on its presence. While the booths and storefronts were shutting down at the end of the official business day, the executive team was doing après-Basel by receiving guests at the heart of the city, in a private salon at the famous Hôtel des Trois Rois. Journalists from the world round, distributors, friends and – in growing numbers – collectors and aficionados thumbed their noses at the rigid schedule imposed by the fair. They seized the opportunity of convivial têtes-à-têtes and special appointments to get right up close to the exceptional pieces and the collections, like the incredible Magnum 500 Tourbillon Saphir, whose modular case made of sapphire crystal is, to date, the world's most complex. Or like the famous T-1000…

Photos © Johann Sauty