BASELWORLD ORGANISED LIKE THE FINE MECHANICS OF A HIGHLY-PRECISE WATCH MECHANISM
Basel-Stadt Cantonal Council Member, Christoph Brutschin, welcomed the guests and conveyed the best wishes of the governments of Basel-Land and Basel-Stadt. He compared the show to a watch describing it as "similar to the fabrication of a watch mechanism, a lot of thought and passion with a high standard of precision is invested in this masterpiece that is Baselworld." Clarifying his statement in horological terms, he said, "The precise workmanship of the wide variety of cogs that are tuned to the last detail to work in harmony, makes Baselworld a top-class event." Mr Brutschin acclaimed Baselworld for its economic importance to the region, mentioning the thousands that visit the city during the eight days and also because it generated 13,000 jobs in the region. He too paid tribute to Mr Jacques J. Duchêne, lauding his life's work with the words: "His passionate and generous commitment to the development of Baselworld and the watch industry marked and guided his life," adding that Mr Duchêne "constantly sought to ensure the sustainability of Baselworld and contributed to its reputation all over the world." Mr Brutschin ended his speech with a Jacques J. Duchêne quote: "The creative capacity of this industry is undeniable. You only have to open your eyes to see it every year." These words comforted Mr Brutschin and strengthened his "conviction that the Swiss watch industry, clearly focused on exports, would indeed rise to the current strong franc crisis with creativity, innovation and outstanding Swiss quality.