Purity, an absence of the unnecessary and a focus on the essential… Beat Haldimann unveils his first steel watches with new versions of the no-frill H11 & H12: two superb blue dialed timepieces radiating authentic, uncompromising craftsmanship. We take a hands-on look at these rare objects.
While the current Rolex Cellini collection will never have the same mass appeal or cool cachet as their ever-popular steel sports models, I think this chic and refined collection is just as important and emblematic to the Big Crown. When they revamped the line in 2014, I was quite taken – with their fluted bezels, interesting dial textures and small complications, the Cellinis spoke to a mid-century tradition of elegance that seemed almost diametrically opposed to the steel sports watches for which the brand is so famous. Three years later and Rolex has added another complication to the family – the Cellini Moonphase. In preparation for this review I re-read what I wrote in 2014, when the original came out and one line in particular stood out. In reference to the Dual Time: “…and is very reminiscent of the classic Rolex moonphases. On that note, Mr Dufour, if you’re reading this, I’d give major organs to see a full-on moonphase – a tribute to the 8171 would make a great addition to the Cellini line-up in years to come.” Well, excuse me while I search the darkweb for places to offload an excess kidney, because the reference 50535 Cellini Moonphase,…
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Last year saw the debut of the wonderfully simple Breguet Classique 7147, an elegant entry-level piece with an eye-catching guilloche dial. Now, Breguet has done the seemingly impossible, and followed it up with an even more refined version. Presenting the new Breguet Classique 7147 “Grand Feu” Enamel.
Dolce & Gabbana makes its debut in the world of Haute Horlogerie… Clearly, this was one of the things we did not expect to see when running around Baselworld. Among the presentations surrounding the watch and Jewelry fair, the Italian fashion powerhouse was showcasing its watch collections in the exclusive settings of the luxurious Hotel des Trois Rois. Continue reading if you are up for something… Let’s say, different!
Dolce & Gabbana makes its debut in the world of Haute Horlogerie… Clearly, this was one of the things we did not expect to see when running around Baselworld. Among the presentations surrounding the watch and Jewelry fair, the Italian fashion powerhouse was showcasing its watch collections in the exclusive settings of the luxurious Hotel des Trois Rois. Continue reading if you are up for something… Let’s say, different!
Oris seem to be going from strength to strength, releasing smart watch designs – like the Divers Sixty-Five – that impress critics and customers alike. This year it’s time for their modern diver, the Aquis, to shine. The entire collection has been revamped – it’s still big and bold, but it’s a little less blocky. Oris also released the Artelier Calibre 113, with loads of calendar complications (though truth be told, we’re still wondering who would use a week indicator), as well as some hot new heritage pieces: the old-school pilot that is the Big Crown 1917 and the funky cushion-cased Chronoris Date. All up it’s another strong year for the Hölstein-based brand, which is great news if you’re in the market for a well-priced mechanical.
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One of the brands we’re always excited to see at Baselworld is Seiko. Not just because they’ve always got a few surprises up their sleeve, but also, if we’re honest, because the price point is a lot less painful than some of their Swiss counterparts. This year we were particularly impressed with two models that represent different ends of the Seiko style spectrum. First up is the excellent reissue of the 62MAS, Seiko’s first ever dive watch. And then there’s the flashy, dressy Cocktail Time collection, which is now part of the ever-growing Presage family. No matter what your tastes, it looks like Seiko has your wrist covered in 2017.
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Think about it for a second… What is the most important feature of a dive watch? Its water resistance? Its second hand? Its bezel? Of course, it is a combination of these elements however, pro-divers won’t contradict me, THE ultimate feature of a dive watch is the minute hand. For safety reasons, the minute hand is key to calculate remain diving time and decompression stages. Oris knows about it for already some years and comes back with a new version of the Regulateur ‘Der Meistertaucher’, a watch intensively thought, built for pro-divers and with the appeal of its original display.
When prior to Baselworld 2017, at their annual pre-Basel event, Tudor unveiled the new Black Bay Chronograph, the crowd of journalists present there immediately thought “in-house chronograph movement” (us included). The excitement lasted for less than 5 minutes, as soon as the official disclaimer was launched. Indeed, despite the “MT” nomenclature, this movement is not produced by Tudor, but by Breitling – which soon after announced the launch of a new 3-hand movement, based on a… Tudor calibre. Good thing or not? This is what we’re going to see with the new Tudor / Breitling alliance.
Maurice Lacroix unveiled a new version of its Masterpiece Double Retrograde at Baselworld this year – and the watch has never looked so good. Here is a hands-on look at this tastefully executed facelift with a new clous de Paris dial that is definitely more modern and chic – and still with this great display, complex and legible at the same time.