Show Stoppers of Baselworld
Picks from Baselworld 2012
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Prefer us on GoogleLast Updated: Jul 14, 2012, 06:02 IST9 min
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CHRONOGRAPHSArguably one of the most desirable complications among men’s watches (and women’s too) even though most of us rarely engage in activities that require us to measure lap times accurate to the second
Hublot Ferrari Magic Gold 45The first watch to be born of the comprehensive partnership with Ferrari announced in November last year, it takes forward Hublot’s Big Bang series in stunning detail. The case is scratch-resistant 18-carat ‘Magic Gold’. The movement (internal mechanism), with a 72-hour power reserve, is revealed through a sapphire dial. The overall design is very Hublot while retaining touches of Ferrari (strap stitching, prancing horse relief, touches of red).Price: $30,000 For more details, visit: hublot.com/en/#/COLLECTION/BYCOLLECTION/1000003/ZOOM/2115
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Patek Philippe 5204P-001 ChronographUnder the elegant dial lies a completely new proprietary and hand-wound movement that marries a split-second chronograph, perpetual calendar and moonphase indicator with a 65-hour power reserve. A flawless diamond sits between the lugs at 6 o’clock, visible only to the wearer. How very Patek!Price: $300,000For more details, visit: patek.com/contents/default/en/5204P_001.html
Breitling Transocean Chronograph UnitimeA complex yet beautiful evolution of Breitling’s signature design, this watch features a new in-house movement and two rotating discs that allow you to see the time in 24 cities around the world (which feature Karachi and Dhaka, but sadly no Indian city) simply by turning the crown. Oh yeah, there’s a chronograph too.Price: $11,000For more details, visit: breitling.com/en/models/transocean/transocean-chronograph-unitime/presentation/index.php
AVANT-GARDEIn spite of numerous innovations in the way mechanical watches keep and display time, there is a certain conformity to them. “We value our heritage and history,” the older watchmakers will say. Nonetheless we come across a few instances of avant-garde thinking every year, usually from their younger (though equally talented) peers.
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Christophe Claret XTREM-1Christophe Claret has a solid reputation among connoisseurs as a maker of elaborate, original and beautiful watches. The XTREM-1 is a great example of why. A flying tourbillon at a 30 degree angle is mounted where the mainplate meets the strap and next to that on either side two metallic spheres float in clear cylinders, showing the hours and minutes. How do they do that? Through magnetic fields generated by miniature magnets moved by cables. Whew! And wow!Price: $280,000For more details, visit: christopheclaret.com/en/collection-x-trem-1-c7.php
MB&F HM4 ThunderboltWhen MB&F refers to its watches as “horological machines”, they aren’t kidding. Inspired after vintage airplanes, the HM4 features two ‘pods’ that tell the time and indicate the power reserve, while a cutaway sapphire in between them shows the aircraft’s, um watch’s, ‘engine’. As avant-garde as they come, including the ‘three-dimensional’ in-house movement.Price: $160,000For more details, visit: mbandf.com/machines/horological-machines/hm4-thunderbolt/index.php
Hyt H1Possibly the most talked about watch from an independent brand at Baselworld this year was the H1, the first watch by Hyt. The H1 indicates time by pumping a mix of coloured and clear liquids around the dial in a clear tube, using mechanically powered pistons and bellows. Price: $45,000For more details, visit: hytwatches.com
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$5000For more details, visit: citizenwatch-global.com/baselworld_2012/nova.html
Frederique Constant Double Heart Beat Black BeautyThis watch features the trademark ‘heartbeat’ aperture that reveals the coiling and uncoiling of the hairspring as it controls the balance wheel combined with a black mother-of-pearl dial set with diamonds. Price: $2,500For more details, visit: frederique-constant.com
De Bethune DB25S JewelleryA blue mirror-polished titanium dial is the ‘sky’ within which lie white gold and diamond stars and at 12 o’clock, a three-dimensional moonphase made of 44 diamonds and 44 blue sapphires that spins on its own axis. The movement is an in-house automatic. A conversation starter if there ever was one!Price: Over $100,000For more details, visit: debethune.com
WOMEN’S WATCHESGone are the days when women’s watches meant just changing the type of diamonds, straps or dial decoration from model to model. Modern women want to combine substance with style on their wrists, powering an increased thrust towards mechanisms and complications.
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CLASSICEvery person who is into mechanical watches owns at least one classic piece. A watch that will not fade away with changing fashion trends or require five minutes of serious eye-squinting to tell the time or bursting forth with complications. A watch that will be at ease on your wrist any time of the day, any place you go.
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Rolex Sky-DwellerRolex’s first dual-time features a new patented mechanism that tells the second time via an off-centre rotating disc and a calendar that utilises the 12-hour markers as indicators for the 12 months too (using apertures to highlight a particular one). The calibre too is entirely new.Price: $45,000For more details, visit: rolex.com/en#/rolex-watches/basel2012/the-new-sky-dweller/the-new-sky-dweller
Tag Heuer Carrera Calibre 17Issued on the 80th birthday of Jack Heuer, the designer of the iconic Carrera series and Heuer CEO till its sale to TAG in 1985, the watch pays homage to its origins—a silver dial and uncomplicated silver hands and hour markers, just the ‘Heuer’ logo and chronograph counters at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock. It’s also a limited edition series.Price: $4,500For more details, visit: baselworld.tagheuer.com/en/carrera-watch-for-men#step-p9-cqd-intro
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MATERIALSThough Swiss watches have been incorporating precious materials—both natural and manmade—for centuries, there are always newer boundaries to be crossed. But it’s usually the younger brands that are more eager to experiment with newer materials around functionality as well as aesthetics.
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De Grisogono INSTRUMENTO N°UNO DF XL N01A tribute to founder Fawaz Gruosi’s iconoclastic yet tasteful approach towards watchmaking, this one features a dial made of polished Macassar ebony wood containing two time zones and an off-centre date display between 7 o’clock and 8 o’clock. The richness of the wood is complemented well through the elaborate use of pink gold and brown titanium.Price: $25,000For more details, visit: degrisogono.com/#/en/timepieces/men/instrumento-n%C2%B0-uno-xl
Rado SpecchioIf there is one brand that is eponymous with the use of cutting-edge materials in its watches, it is Rado. The Specchio range features elegant contrasts between colours, shapes and materials, including the first appearance in rose-gold colour of Rado’s proprietary ‘Ceramos’ ceramic-metal composite.Price: $2,500For more details, visit: rado.com
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Carl F Bucherer Patravi TravelTec FourXOne of the most promising and well-strategised luxury watch brands out there, Carl F Bucherer presented a stunning contemporary watch that combined titanium, ceramic, rubber and rose gold together with a three-time-zone display! Surprisingly easy to use once you figure it out, the watch is powered by an in-house movement.Price: $50,000For more details, visit: carl-f-bucherer.com/en/collection/patravi/models/traveltec-fourx/
LIMITED EDITIONLimited edition pieces often have intricate work that cannot be produced in larger numbers. For watch connoisseurs, it isn’t sometimes enough to sport a great watch on their wrists. It must be numbered too. Ideally in two digits, but three is acceptable too.
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(Prices are approximate and international. Given India’s high duties and taxes–35-40% currently– expect local prices to be significantly higher.)
First Published: Jul 14, 2012, 06:02
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