What a man wears on his wrist says a lot about him, after all…
There are many things to be excited about at Baselworld every year with hundreds of watch and jewellery brands showcasing its latest and most impressive but that number also means it is just as easy to get distracted.
Skeleton designs remain a hot favourite while versatility is the new trend from interchangeable straps to more colour choices. For the gentlemen looking for something new to add to their collections, here are the 8 most handsome timepieces.
Rolex 50th Anniversary Sea-Dweller
Rolex’s most iconic model since the brand’s inception gets a new 43mm case together with a Cyclop lens on the crystal at 3 o’clock. On the bezel, it gets a black Cerachrome insert that is scratch-proof and a UV-protected ceramic case while the dial comes with large Chromalight hour markers and hands that glow a long-lasting blue for readability in low-light conditions. Powered by a Calibre 3225 movement, it is waterproof up to 4,000 feet and is finished with a link Oyster bracelet in steel. W rolex.com
Chopard LUC Lunar One
The poster child of Chopard’s LUC collection gets a new dial design in a 43mm platinum case with vertical satin-brushed flanks and bezel mirror finish. A royal blue dial, finished with sunburst pattern, sportily boasts white Roman numerals along with a stunning orbital moon phase at the 6 o’clock seconds sub-dial. The moonphase itself is a work of art – decorated with a deep blue sky and the stars of the Northern hemisphere. W chopard.com
Hermès Slim d’Hermès L’heure Impatiente
Never be late again with this timepiece that is powered by the same Calibre H1912 movement as seen in its ‘Imaginary Time’ predecessors. Twelve hours before an appointment, activate the ‘impatient hour’ function at 9 o’clock and set the time of said appointment with the crown at 4 o’clock. One hour before, the mechanical hourglass will be set in motion, striking a note to alert you when the moment arrives. W hermes.com
Patek Philippe Advanced Research Aquanaut Travel Time
Created to commemorate the Aquanaut’s 20th anniversary, this ‘Advanced Research’ edition comes with two new major technical innovation – an optimised Spiromax balance spring with an inner boss and a flexible mechanism for time-zone setting, all housed within a 40.8mm 18k white-gold case. You also get a glimpse into the mechanisms under the dial – Patek’s automatic calibre 324 S C FUS – through a nifty aperture at 9 o’clock. It is limited to only 500 pieces worldwide. W patek.com
Omega Speedmaster 60th Anniversary
Omega is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its iconic chronograph with a commemorative piece that looks back to the first model launched in 1957. It comes with the original 38mm case with straight lugs, etched techymetre and even a faux tropicalisation of the dial to age the piece. The applied Omega logo also makes a return, as is the Speedmaster signature in the original font. This one is limited to only 3,557 pieces. W omegawatches.com
Hublot Techframe Ferrari Tourbillon Chronograph
Teaming up with Ferrari for the carmaker’s 70th anniversary, Hublot released a new collection that’s designed like Ferrari’s fastest cars but built by Hublot’s horological know-how. Essentially skeletonised, it comes with a monopusher chronograph with a flying tourbillon escapement (or what look like a flying tourbillon) and features strap buckles that release like the seatbelts of a car when the red button lugs are pressed. W hublot.com
Breitling Navitimer Rattrapante
Breitling brings to the table its first ever split-second chronograph movement that is designed and developed completely in-house with this piece. A milestone such as this sees would of course see it embedded only into its most emblematic model – the Navitimer. It comes in the original steel case or a limited edition red gold in only 250 pieces with an exclusive bronze dial. W breitling.com
Bell & Ross BR-X2 Tourbillon Micro-Rotor
Bell & Ross amps up its bold design with a new case, movement and a provocative structure this year alongside a conspicuous mechanical movement. The BR-X2 comes with no separation of case and movement, with the two seemingly melded into one. All it has is a steel movement plate beween two thick layers of machined sapphire crystal, connected through a transparent sapphire case. W bellross.com
