Last week, the watchmaking industry's top brands and buyers converged on Basel, Switzerland, for the annual Watchmaking Fair. Mondaine presented their new ideas at our exhibition space outside the fairgrounds, which is a bike shop the other 355 days of the year.

It's a good opportunity for us to listen and respond to what customers and watch wearers are looking for in their daily lives and here's what we heard:

"I'm looking for a watch that I can wear with a good feeling"

For some brands, this means responsible diamond sourcing or more conscious use of packaging. At Mondaine we go one step further by launching an eco-friendly watch collection under the name create essence . SBB essence by Mondaine is born from nature and developed from eco-friendly renewable materials including castor oil for the case, natural rubber for the strap and recycled PET bottles for the case, making this creation not only clean and simple in design, but also considerate towards our environment. When we set out to create a truly affordable Swiss watch, we knew it couldn't be made of plastic and we found something new in the watchmaking world, an innovative material that we are proud to work with and that our customers feel comfortable wearing can.

"I want a watch that works for me"

In the last 4 years, since watch manufacturer Mondaine was one of the first to develop a smartwatch, many new connected devices have come out. We have listened to what our customers are really looking for and will soon have a new one Offer Mondaine Helvetica Smartwatch . In addition to activity monitoring, get-active notifications, "Dynamic Coaching" function, sleep monitoring, sleep cycle alarm and, most importantly, the two-year battery life from our first smartwatch, here are the updates for this year:

• Call and message notifications - a gentle buzz and a notification of what type of message you have received.
• A smaller pocket - we've made internal design updates to allow the smart hardware to fit in a smaller case
• Updated design that remains aesthetically clean and clear

NEW 2018 Helvetica Smart Collection

"I need a watch that I can wear every day"

A watch is an investment in essential style. It's a personal choice that says a lot about the wearer. We listen to you when you say that originality in design, modernity without depending on trends, and clearly unconceited trust are key and we promise that each of our styles will meet these requirements, so you won't have more than need a Mondaine watch.

Leaving Switzerland, where all our watches are handcrafted, we are reminded of the purity of our history, of the authentic need for clear and consistent timekeeping, and of the origins of the Mondaine brand, which today can be seen on the watches on all SBB trains - Train stations can see.

Would you like to see more of Basel? follow us on Facebook and Instagram @mondaine_watch to keep up to date with our newest styles!