Each year, hundreds of watches make their debut at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva, one of the two most important trade fairs - the other being Baselworld - in the watchmaking calendar. Some create a splash, others provoke barely a whimper.

Among the new SIHH releases which generated buzz last month were the Clifton Baumatic by Baume & Mercier and the FiftySix collection from Vacheron Constantin.

The Clifton Baumatic is interesting because it features the brand's first in-house calibre, developed with expertise from the Richemont Group. The movement comes with features usually seen in more complicated timepieces, including a silicon escapement, a balance spring as well as a power reserve of five days. The watch's biggest attraction, however, is its price. Similar watches with such horological muscle usually cost five figures - the Clifton Baumatic, however, is priced between $3,800 and $4,750.

Similarly, Vacheron Constantin's FiftySix collection - priced between $17,100 and $52,400 - intrigued many because of its pricing. This makes it the cheapest in the brand's stable, almost half the price of most of its entry-level offerings.

Luxe watch brands have been moderating their prices in the last couple of years to battle a market made lethargic by difficult economic conditions, the falling Swiss franc and China's war against corruption.

There is another reason why watchmakers from IWC to Piaget are focusing on providing better value - to reel in younger buyers.

At last month's SIHH, IWC launched its Jubilee Collection, which includes cheaper chronographs, to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Ditto Cartier with new iterations of its classic Santos watch, as well as Jaeger-LeCoultre with its new Polaris collection.

Mr Tom Chng, founder of the Singapore Watch Club, says the trend is good for consumers and watch lovers.

"Brands which many thought of as out of reach are now slightly more accessible. Consumers can expect to see better value for money."

He adds: "It's a good move to capture more junior collectors, luring them into the brand and keeping them as fans early on in their horological journey."

Here are some interesting entry-level offerings at the SIHH this year.

MONTBLANC 1858 COLLECTION

The watchmaker unveiled three different collections at the SIHH, but the most attention grabbing is the 1858 collection.

Taking its cue from the vintage Minerva pocket watches and chronographs from the 1920s and 1930s, the range includes the 1858 Automatic; 1858 Automatic Chronograph; 1858 Geosphere; 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Limited Edition 100; and 1858 Pocket Watch Limited Edition 100.

Inspired by the rugged outdoors, in particular mountain-climbing and hiking, the collection is built to be hardy, with features including anti-glare crystals and compasses.

The Geosphere, for instance, is a world time watch, but, at $8,300, it costs a lot less than most world time watches. Other models in the collection are priced between $3,960 and $103,100.

HERMES CARRE H

Eight years after this square-cased watch made its debut, the Carre H, designed by French designer and architect Marc Berthier, gets a snazzy makeover.

It is now housed in a bigger stainless steel case (38mm x 38mm vs the original 36.5mm x 36.5mm), with an angled guilloche dial and faceted hands and numerals. A lot of thought has gone into the timepiece's proportion and symmetry - the square case is balanced by the rounded corners and curved case. It also boasts a different movement - the H1912 calibre, which operates at 28,800 vibrations an hour and boasts a power reserve of 50 hours.

Just as one would expect from a fashion powerhouse, the Carre H comes with an elegant Barenia calfskin strap.

The watch retails for $11,330.

PANERAI LUMINOR LOGO

This collection, to be released in April, is eagerly awaited for two reasons - the entry-level prices and the fact that the entire collection is powered by in-house movements.

There are two iterations: the Base model and the small-seconds Luminor Marina.

Both have a diameter of 44mm and are powered by the manual-wind Calibre P.6000, with a balance wheel which is secured by a full bridge.

Besides the usual black, the dial is also available in white. Beige LumiNova, a photo-luminescent material, is used in the hands and hour markers.

If you want a change from the usual leather straps, opt for the new fabric ones which come in blue or grey.

Prices start at $6,750.

VACHERON CONSTANTIN FIFTYSIX COLLECTION

This is one of the most affordable collections from Vacheron Constantin, which, together with Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, is known as the Holy Trinity of the Swiss luxury watch industry.

A reworking of a historical model from the 1950s, the FiftySix collection comes with a 40mm case and faceted lugs and is available in pink gold or steel. There are three models - a day date, a complete calendar and a three-hand automatic.

While contemporary looking, it retains a cool 1950s vibe, with a sector dial, fetching Arabic numerals and luminous indexes.

Prices start at $17,100 for the self-winding model in steel and go up to $52,400 for the complete calendar in rose gold.

JAEGER-LECOULTRE POLARIS COLLECTION

This collection boasts five models: a three-hand automatic, a chronograph, a chronograph world time, an automatic with date and a Memovox diver's alarm watch. The last model, an update of the Polaris Memovox from the late 1960s, is the collection's pillar and the most heralded.

A rare sports range from the brand, the Polaris collection mixes the modern and vintage in a handsome body featuring dials with contrasting finishes, faceted lugs, large hands coated in Super-LumiNova and indices with a trapezoidal shape.

Prices range from $10,600 to $36,500.