VIDEO: 8 of the best Seiko watches from Basel 2018
Seeing Seiko at Basel 2018 can be a pretty overwhelming experience. There’s. Just. So. Many. Watches. Trays and trays of them. It’s easy to get distracted, to lose sense of the bigger picture and be bogged down in the minutiae of Presage dials or the subtly tweaked new cases. But we managed to stay above the fray this time ’round, to use our limited time to focus on the surefire hits from the line-up. Like the new blue enamel-dialled Presage, the significantly re-worked Astron, and Prospex. Lots of Prospex. There’s the new limited edition Turtle, with an incredible dial inspired by a blue whale. Then there’s the epic re-creation of the first quartz saturation diver. And finally, the real stars of the show, the 1968 Automatic Diver’s models. But you know what, we’re only scratching the surface with these watches. There’s still plenty of Seiko stories to tell this year …
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In the wee hours of this morning, as I was recording this voice-over, it occurred to me that the only watch from the new Rolex GMT-Master II collection currently not receiving a massive amount of coverage at Basel 2018 was the one in the middle – with both Oystersteel and Everose elements, the two-tone, or as Rolex call it, Rolesor model. It just so happens that, at this point in time, it’s the one I’m most fixated on. I think, without stealing too much of my own thunder, it’s the way that all the colours, finishings, materials, and fine details come together – and play off one another. I’m sure that once the Pepsi sugar high has worn off a little, the glittering Rolex GMT-Master II in Oystersteel and Everose will have its time in the sun, but we thought we’d shine a little light on it early.
I always feel a slight apprehension walking into the Tudor press presentation at Baselworld. My expectation levels are maxed, and I’m always worried that the new range won’t live up to the high standards of the previous year. And, as usual, I needn’t have worried, as Tudor’s Basel 2018 collection is STRONG. New dials, movements, complications and collections — Tudor has it all. First of all, there’s a brand-new line, the 1926, a dressy, everyday option with strong hints of vintage and a decent dash of bling. Speaking of bling, there’s a new dial for the S&G — a new, molten gold champagne dial that really amps up the lux-factor of the already showy Black Bay. But it’s the Black Bay Fifty-Eight where things really start getting interesting. Ostensibly a smaller, 39mm Black Bay; for me the real charm of this watch lies in the slimmer profile, giving it a completely different (and really good) on the wrist feel. All these new additions are pretty great on their own, but the one that has everyone talking is the Black Bay GMT. And it’s easy to see why. Powered by a new movement, this GMT is integrated, meaning you can jump the…
Longines have a well-earned reputation for exceptionally strong heritage releases, and while their Baselworld 2018 collection featured a particularly hot blacked-out Legend Diver, it was newer lines, like the extensions to Record and V.H.P. that really stood out. On the one hand, the new gold and two-tone additions to the traditionally styled Record impressed with their simplicity and everyday wearability, while on the other, Longines added a chronograph and a GMT to their super-accurate V.H.P. collection. This line in general is well beyond your average quartz collection, but the GMT is particularly impressive, as the smart crown allows you to quickly swap between local and home time, and you can even set the time using your phone, thanks to an intriguing bit of technology called flash setting, which uses a photo detector integrated into the ‘12’ marker. Longines’ Baselworld 2018 collection goes to show that this twin focus on making quartz cool and COSC-level accuracy accessible seems to be a real winning formula for the brand.
Russell Crowe. A New Zealander who became an actor. The actor who became a star. The star who became a watch collector. Late last year, Russell Crowe announced that he was auctioning off some of his possessions, from movie props to art and, intriguingly for us, watches. In early February, Rusty tweeted again, giving us some more detail on the watches he was selling. This auction I’m having April 7th in SYDNEY will feature no less than 29 watches !! Representing over half my collection . 21 or so of the ones on sale are Chronographs. Never had a flash watch as a kid. Certainly made up for it as an adult haha — Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) February 2, 2018 The tweet included a blurry picture of a Panerai, and subsequent posts ran through some of the brands he was selling, and that the watches – in many cases – related to specific films or projects. Crowe also noted that the watches represented half his collection. It was clear that Crowe wasn’t just a man who owned a few nice watches, he was a collector. And given that the April 7 auction was happening in our own backyard, we knew…
The Omega Seamaster Railmaster was one of the surprise hits of last year’s Basel fair. So it’s vaguely appropriate that as we’re busy speculating what we’ll see Omega release at Baselworld 2018, we look back on one of their hottest from last season. Not that we realised it at the time – the regular production Seamaster Railmaster was more of a slow burn. It’s a deceptively simple piece, lacking the hero status of its limited edition sibling, and somewhat lacking in obvious bells and whistles. Rather than being a weakness, this simplicity is the Railmaster’s greatest strength. Clean, pure design, of the sort that Omega excels at: classic, but with fine details — like the brushed dial and Railmaster text — that reward close inspection. But even though I’d be completely happy with this watch on my wrist, there’s a part of me holding out to see what gets unveiled next week …
If I’m completely honest, women’s watches aren’t my speciality, largely because they tend (notable exceptions aside) not to look the greatest on my fairly hairy 21cm wrist. But luckily — and thankfully — Sandra Lane is on the team. So rather than flounder my way through the intricacies of stone-setting and satin straps, I defer to Sandra’s insight and expertise. And what better setting for this than that most exclusive of Maisons (and SIHH newcomer) Hermès. Ironically enough, the Hermès Sandra opted for, the Carré H, isn’t a feminine model per se, but when it comes to some of her other picks — from the likes of Van Cleef & Arpels, the below Parmigiani Fleurier, and Audemars Piguet — there’s no doubt they’re intended for women’s wrists.
If you know a little bit about how the world of watches works, you’ll likely know that it’s a space dominated by a few big groups (namely Richemont, Swatch and LVMH), each with their own stable of brands. SIHH is a show dominated by Richemont brands — big names like Cartier, IWC and Montblanc. But they’re not the only show in town at the Salon. Some larger independent brands, such as Richard Mille, show as well, as do a a select group of smaller names. These smaller names — low in production numbers but high in quality, innovation and prestige — congregate in the Carré des Horlogers, an opulent cul-de-sac, populated by some of the most exceptional (and expensive) watches at a fair all about exceptional (and expensive) watches. Who better to show us around than Andrew and sometime contributor and full-time indie-lover Justin Mastine-Frost. Over to you, Justin …