Sometimes a watch catches you by surprise and blows you away. And it doesn’t always have to be a grand complication to do so. This is the Tissot Heritage 1948 Chronograph and it caught me totally by surprise. It’s a vintage-inspired automatic chronograph measuring in under 40mm with a solid movement inside. And it’s under $1,500. Yeah, like I said, consider me blown away.
If there’s one category of watches Seiko is famous for, it has to be divers. Think 62Mas, SKX007, Turtle or Samurai… All are simply icons, and affordable ones on top of that. But what if you want more? More precision, more quality, more luxurious feel, more style, more horological pleasure and more Professional specifications? Well, this year at Baselworld 2017, you’ll have something Grand… Here are the Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 Professional 600m Diver’s (SBGH255 – SBGH257) – high-end, titanium, pro-oriented, high-beat dive watches with a proper appeal.
There seems to be a running theme this year at Baselworld and it is vintage. Joining in on the trend is Blancpain with its Tribute to Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC. Based on the original MIL-SPEC 1 that was designed by Jean-Jacques Fiechter and produced in 1957, this is the first time Blancpain has produced a modern MIL-SPEC and it doesn’t disappoint. Let’s dive in (pun totally intended).
Last year, Tudor Watch surprised us (and by that I mean a very pleasant surprise) with a small, super clean and properly elegant watch: the Black Bay 36. We reviewed it, even our vintage guy tested it… and we loved it. This year, this same stunning look, clean and inspired, comes back in a more masculine diameter. Meet the Tudor Heritage Black Bay 41 ref. 79540, same but different.
While most might know about the square design of Bell & Ross watches and their strong link with aviation and military purposes, we should all remember that this was not the only field where the brand has been active. Indeed, in 1997, Bell & Ross became the leader in professional diving watches with the launch of the HYDROMAX®, a watch capable to resist to 11,100 meters of water, thanks to an innovative case entirely filled with oil. So, to all of those who will say that Bell & Ross don’t know anything about dive watches, here’s the proof that they are wrong. And for Baselworld 2017, the brand goes back to its roots, with the Bell & Ross BR03-92 Diver, their first square dive watch.
This year is the 20th anniversary of the Aquanaut, and to celebrate Patek Philippe has created the ref. 5168G. Originally the Aquanaut was made in stainless steel and with a black dial, very much playing the part of a casual sports watch. Well, this model changes all that, with a hefty white gold case and a striking blue dial. Click through for all the details.
This is the new Longines Heritage 1945, a watch that I was particularly thrilled to see in the metal. I named it as one of my favorites of the show so far in our live report last night, and I have to say this watch really speaks to me. The 1940s is arguably my favorite decade for watch design, and this simple calatrava-style case design with a flat bezel and a curved convex dial is just stunning. And it’s now a production piece in the often-wonderful Longines Heritage line. But my connection to this watch goes a little deeper.
If you’re looking for a solid pilot’s watch but you’re on a budget, Alpina is definitely a place you should be looking. Its most successful collection, the Startimer Pilot, offers several good options, including the Chronograph Big Date. Here we take a look at another solid entry, the new Startimer Pilot Automatic AL-525, a simple no-fuss take on a classic.
Back in 2014, Glashütte Original launched an important watch, the Senator Chronograph Panorama Date with the new In-House Calibre 37. Important because the market for high-end chronograph is extremely competitive and because, to fight with the right gears, GO came up with their first automatic integrated chronograph, conceived internally. First unveiled in rose gold and platinum – rather dressy versions – the Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph Panorama Date is now dressed in a sporty Steel case with black dial.
According to the CEO of Omega, Raynald Aeschlimann, the Planet Ocean ‘Big Blue’ Co-Axial Master Chronometer is “one of the most interesting” watches to be launched by Omega at Baselworld 2017. It represents, he says, a “continuation of Omega’s technological advances, a full ceramic blue Seamaster Planet Ocean, which is coming as a very nice surprise, following the Deep Black and following the whole evolution in ceramic that Omega has been doing for three years.” We should warn you though, this is more of a dip than a deep dive as we’re scheduled to meet the wider Omega school of 2017, including this blue ceramic diver, later today. It will be interesting to shoot this blue ceramic model under normal lighting conditions to compare and contrast with the brand video here and previous Swatch Group blue ceramic models, most notably the Blancpain Ocean Commitment Fifty Fathoms models.
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