The chronograph is, without doubt, one of the most popular complications. A complex, purposeful piece of engineering, it is a must-have for watch aficionados… and the category has given rise to some of the most iconic watches (think Moonwatch or Paul Newman here). Among the numerous new models presented at Baselworld 2019, some really stood out. Here’s a look at 5 of our favourite chronographs of the fair.
Baselworld has been through difficult times recently, drawing criticism and seeing more than half of the exhibiting brands leaving the show. The main announcement was, of course, when Nick Hayek decided that the whole Swatch Group was leaving the 2019 Edition – which we now know to be a definitive decision. While the 2019 edition […]
Founded in the 1980s, Chronoswiss made a name for itself with its regulator watches, with their characteristic separate time indications inspired by the master clocks of yesteryear. At Baselworld 2019, with the Flying Grand Regulator Open Gear ReSec (for retrograde seconds), Chronoswiss demonstrates that it still actively develops this signature display with a model boasting […]
Like a good thriller, the Calatrava Weekly Calendar 5212A is packed with subtle clues that offer us a glimpse into the strategies of its maker. More complex than the élite and minimalist line-up of Calatrava watches, the Weekly Calendar also departs from its family heritage of precious metal cases and flaunts a stainless steel case. […]
High-frequency chronographs have long been part of Zenith’s identity. It all started in 1969 when Zenith introduced one of the best and most accurate chronograph movements ever created, the iconic El Primero. Fast forward to 2017, when Zenith introduced the Defy El Primero 21, an innovative chronograph with two regulators, capable of measuring hundredths of […]
It’s been an excellent crop of new releases for Grand Seiko, and hiding amidst a healthy assortment of models came this gem — the yellow gold SBGY002. Using a new hand-winding 9R31 Spring Drive movement with a power reserve of 72 hours, the new piece mates a variation of the brand’s iconic Snowflake dial with a more traditional and slender dress watch casing. Coming in north of $25K, it’s obviously a different beast to the classic Snowflake model; however, the new piece is yet another example of how Grand Seiko just isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to delivering impeccable design, finishing, and attention to detail when compared to any of their Swiss competition. This piece is one of four new models in the same vein; it is flanked by a pair of platinum-cased models at the upper register, and a more restrained steel model at the other end of the spectrum. All four models were launched as part of Grand Seiko’s celebration of the 20th anniversary of Spring Drive. While our topic at hand (as well as the steel model) are manufactured in the Shinshu Watch Studio, where all other Spring Drive watches are made, the platinum models are…
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This is the Klepcys Vertical Tourbillon from independent Swiss Manufacture Cyrus Watches. It was unveiled at Baselworld last year and was without a doubt one of the more unusual watches I got hands-on with this year. It also offered my first glimpse into a brand that I must admit I knew little about before. Polarising […]
This is the Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon from independent Swiss Manufacture Cyrus Watches (an evolution of last year’s model with a closed dial). It was unveiled at Baselworld last year and was without a doubt one of the more unusual watches I got hands-on with this year. It also offered my first glimpse into a […]
Carl F. Bucherer dips into its archives and breathes new life into a 1956 bi-compax chronograph with the release of the Heritage BiCompax Annual. Produced in two limited editions of 888 pieces, the Heritage BiCompax Annual is the second member of the Heritage Line designed to showcase the brand’s technology housed in designs inspired by watches from the mid-20th century. Revisited in a 41mm format, the Heritage BiCompax Annual pays tribute to its forbear but pops an annual calendar into the mix. Two very desirable complications in an impeccably stylish package at a price that has nothing to do with other Maisons adept at these combinations, we were lucky enough to get some hands-on time with this exceptional retro revival.
It’s now 10 days since Baselworld 2019 ended – but it feels like yesterday. Or half a lifetime ago. That’s what a week of viewing hundreds of new watches through a haze of severe jet lag, industrial quantities of caffeine and minimal sleep does to you. But with time comes recovery, and with that comes perspective. So now seems like a good moment to look back on what was always going to be one of the most keenly anticipated Baselworlds in the fair’s century-plus existence. Keenly anticipated but not necessarily in a good way. I hardly need to repeat that the past year has been an annus horribilis for Baselworld, with Swatch Group jumping ship along with hundreds of smaller companies, and the fair’s entire management team being replaced. For some, anticipating Baselworld 2019 was akin to a ghoulish fascination with an impending car crash – waiting and watching to see how bad it would be. Schadenfreude in spades. Others hoped (and some, I suspect, even prayed) that the changes announced by the new management would pull the ship back from the rocks. Boring? Hardly. One of the most entertaining (not-boring) things about Baselworld – and SIHH for that matter…
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