Platinum watches 'to be popular' this year

Platinum is expected to be a popular metal choice for watches this year, an expert has said.

Francois Thiebaud, executive for Swatch Group, made this comment at BaselWorld 2011, for which he also serves as the Switzerland representative, reports National Jeweler.

He revealed that designs will be inspired by the 1950s and 1960s, as well as Art Deco styles of the 1920s and 1930s.

According to the news provider, Mr Thiebaud also predicted that there will be a trend for dials to be stripped down to the bare essentials.

BaselWorld 2011 ended on March 31st. This year's event saw 103,200 visitors from more than 100 countries attend.

Following the event, Thiebaud said: "This was an excellent show for us. We achieved splendid sales, and we feel a great sense of satisfaction. BaselWorld's global reach has played a key role in this over the past few days."

Next year's event will take place between March 8th and the 15th.