With Raptor, display enters a new dimension
How do you create a display case that reconciles security requirements with optimal visibility of the exhibited product? This question finds a convincing answer in the new Raptor concept. Bring your hand close — and the object disappears…
By Michel Jeannot
The Hublot stand at Baselworld was particularly lively this year. A few shrieks, quite a number of startled reactions, and a great deal of astonishment accompanied the presentation of the new Raptor display case. No sooner did visitors approach the ground-floor display than the mechanism supporting the watch snapped back, sending curious onlookers jumping. In fact, surprising as it may be, this new Raptor display case demonstrates that it is possible to reconcile what had until now been considered the squaring of the circle: optimal visibility of the displayed product combined with its security.
The challenge was met with success by Hublot in partnership with Dietlin Artisans Métalliers, and the result undoubtedly opens a new era in the world of display. Indeed, the new "display case" can do without glass entirely, since the exhibited object disappears into the base of the display unit as soon as a foreign body approaches. It reappears as soon as the distance between the watch and the foreign body is sufficient and safe.
The new Raptor display unit offers a triple level of security: infrared detectors are placed around the watch or any other prestigious object on display; the watch is secured to its presentation base by a grip on the strap; and finally, a weight variation of +/- 5 grams on the display base triggers an audible alarm and causes the immediate retraction and disappearance of the object at a speed of 2 metres per second. A reaction time of 1/10th of a second makes the object impossible to grab by hand. Given the complexity and fragility of the watches and other objects on display, the designers developed an ingenious acceleration and deceleration system for the retractile mechanism.
The ease of use of the new Raptor display case is another major advantage. Thanks to the computing and robotics developments carried out as part of this project, the unit can be programmed as required: security level, times for the mechanism to retract — at night, for example — and to extend, connection to a shop's central alarm system, remote control via the internet, and so on.
To achieve this result, Hublot and Dietlin Artisans Métalliers worked in collaboration with two start-ups based at the Lausanne Science Park: Fiveco and Bluebotics. This multi-partner collaboration made it possible to overcome all the challenges involved in developing Raptor. And while Hublot secured a 24-month exclusivity on the use of Raptor display cases by funding the project, the concept already appears destined for a bright future.
