The classic elegance of L.U.C Chopard, with a contemporary twist and a hint of fair trade… because yes, watchmaking can also take care of social development and environmental protection. Meet the Chopard L.U.C XPS Twist Qualité Fleurier Fairmined, a slender limited edition timepiece resonating a unique perception of elegance, powered by a superb micro-rotor movement and crafted in ethical pink gold.
Most watch brands today have a schtick – and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Whether it’s creating budget-friendly pieces inspired by the past, having a staunch dedication to a single complications, or focusing on particular materials, identity is a big part of the modern watch marketplace. But few brands have something as distinct as what sets HYT apart – it’s circular fluid-driven display. The H0 is the latest watch to make use of this interesting mechanism and its got a bold new look too.
If looking for “the total package” in terms of heritage, well designed, mechanical watches at an affordable sticker price, you simply shouldn’t overlook Junghans. We’ve seen in the past that the brand is capable of offering watches with a very strong design following its own identity to the letter, with basic but reliable movements that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Always leaning on automotive inspiration or following the Bauhaus movement, Junghans brings the Form A (for Automatic) to Baselworld 2017.
Editor’s Note: Working in watches, one of the most common complaints is poor aftersales support. If you believe every horror story you hear, servicing or returning a watch for any reason can be outrageously expensive, horrendously slow and the result can be of questionable quality. And while it’s best to take these tales with a grain of salt (did you really expect your high end chrono to be as simple and cheap to service as an old Toyota?), the reality is that too many brands overlook the unglamorous service centre in favour of the shiny new boutique. There’s one exception – Rolex. Here’s what I found when I visited their (then new) Melbourne Service Centre early last year. One of the biggest issues in this industry is what happens to a watch long after it leaves the boutique on the wrist of its happy new owner. Aftersales support and servicing may not be as glamorous as releasing shiny new watches, but it matters. A lot. There’s no quicker way to ruin goodwill towards a brand than with a negative service or repair situation, and from the anecdotal stories I hear it’s happening all too often, with common complaints including long wait…
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We knew it, as soon as we tried it on. You guys knew it too, judging by the comments, which have usually gone something like, “I’d never been that interested in Bulgari before, but….” And naturally Bulgari knew it, which is why their booth at Baselworld dedicated its grandest display space to tell the story: the Octo Finissimo Automatic in titanium is the most refined mens piece ever for the brand in the ‘accessible’ category. By ‘accessible’ – around $18k – we’re not talking entry level, but it certainly is a newly affordable price point for a barely there piece that holds the record for the thinnest automatic watch on the market. In addition there’s a fully murdered out Octo, with all black errrrrrrthang. And the softly cased new Octo Roma, which heartens with its warm tones and gentler curves.
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If you are into sports, even just a little bit, you were probably watching The Masters yesterday. And, like many, you were probably doing so with a smile on your face as you watched Sergio Garcia win. Not only has he been in the game since 1999, but he also came back after a rough 13th hole and won the playoff after sinking his putt against Justin Rose. And on his wrist as he donned the famous green jacket? His trusty Omega, of course.
The G-Shock has led an interesting life. G-Shock started out in 1983 as engineer Kikuo Ibe’s obsessive reaction to the breakage of a cherished mechanical watch, with his initial goal being the creation of a quartz LCD watch with such shock-resistant armor that it could tolerate a 10 meter drop (he famously tested prototypes by surreptitiously throwing them out an upper floor men’s bathroom window into the parking lot behind his lab). There may be no more form-follows-function watch in the world than the original G-Shock DW-5000, but the inadvertent, slightly brutalist, face-only-a-mother-could-love charm of it and subsequent G-Shock models meant that G-Shock has become a style and design icon as well – and G-Shock collectors, as we’ve noted before, are as fanatical in their focus as any vintage Patek or Rolex collector ever was.
After Xavier’s and Frank’s Top 10 watches of Baselworld 2017, after our list of the 10 most read articles of the fair (just to give us an indication of what collectors loved), it is time for your humble editor to come with his 10 favorite watches of Baselworld 2017. First all, before going into further details, this ranking is not about the 10 best watches of the show but it is based on my personal tastes – and as collecting dive and sports watches myself, you’ll see it is a little biased. From a super-friendly priced Oris to a complex Patek, here are my 10 favorite watches of 2017 (and yes, all of them are on my wish-list).
Founded back in 2013, Weiss Watch Company is one of the older brands in the current wave of American watchmakers. These usually-small companies are bringing varying degrees of American design and manufacturing to horology, offering something different from the usual Swiss manufactures. Based in Los Angeles, Weiss has focused on classic field watches, and the 38mm Automatic Issue Field Watch, the brand’s first self-winding watch and its first in a smaller diameter.
If you are experienced with the history of watchmaking or simply if you have ever paid attention to tourbillon pocket watches in auction catalogues, then you are probably familiar with the Pellaton name. It is connected to the makers of some of the most exceptional tourbillons in history. And now it’s brought back to life with a remarkable watch, to say the least! Here is the James C. Pellaton Royal Marine Chronometer, featuring an incredibly well finished movement (and it’s our technical editor who says that).