“The Best of…” BaselWorld 2013 – part 1

Łukasz Doskocz31.05.20131.06.20139 min. of reading

Luckily for us all BaselWorld 2013 wasn’t short of great new timepieces. Here are some of our favourites, selected by journalist-friends.

Łukasz Doskocz (CH24.PL)

As I already highlighted in the opening quote of this article, BaselWorld 2013 was impressive in number of interesting novelties. After sort of disappointing last year, this year’s fair not only brought new, redesigned venue for the show, but also equally nice number of great new watches. Here are some of my favourites… and not all of them actual timepieces.

OMEGA Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon was a true dark horse of the day. Trying to redesign such an unquestionable icon is a titanic task, but OMEGA team did marvellous job bringing out a very new, all-black, full-ceramic Speedy that just looks stunning. By “full-ceramic” I mean that the watch is not only equipped with high-tech ceramic case, but also with ceramic crown and pushers, ceramic buckle and shiny, ceramic dial. All powered by in-house made 9300 calibre with column wheel chronograph.

If you know watches, and try to think about “perfect” classic timepiece, chances are that Patek Philippe Calatrava is the one on your mind. When Geneva manufacture created Calatrava back in 1932 it quickly became a role model for a traditionally styled, elegant watch. Probably the one that best fits brand’s famous advertising slogan “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation”.

The new Calatrava – Ref.5227 – took 2 years to develop, according to Thierry Stern CEO of the family ran company. It has redesigned, bigger case (made of white, yellow or rose gold), closed “Officer-pocket watch-style” caseback and an automatic movement with Gyromax® balance and Spyromax® hairspring. Best Calatrava yet – only that price tag…

I was greatly looking to that next watch of my choice. Not only it comes from the brand I adore, it also fulfils all the expectations I had for a complete sporty piece. It is called Big Bang UNICO and comes from the Nyon manufacture HUBLOT. When the brand introduced their own, in-house made chronograph calibre – UNICO – in the huge King Power line, all the expectations were to place it into the smaller, Big Bang watch. We had to wait long, but it was worth it. BB UNICO comes with a new, 45mm case (titanium or gold for now) with new crown and pushers design, skeletonised movement, open worked dial and a great, sporty feeling to it. I love this watch!

And last but not least… not a watch. It is a bit unusual for a watch fair and a watch brand to create something, that is not a watch at all. Unusual but not impossible. And when it happens the result is just staggering. Maximilian Busser and his MB&F cooperated with Reuge to revive mechanical music box. Their creation is called MusicMachine – and looks and sounds like nothing you’ve seen before. Its shape was inspired by the spacecrafts form the famous S-F movies. Its two music tubes are programmed to play 3 “Science-Fiction-films” themes and 3 “Classic-Rock” themes. This kinematic-acoustic marriage is just brilliant for me, and a very thought of my friends seeing it for the first time, and then hearing its music makes me smile.

Other interesting novelties we saw during our short stay in Basel were the likes of Chopard’s new Mille Miglia 2013, TUDOR Blackshield Chronograph with matt ceramic case, HUBLOT’s great ode to La Ferrari – the Masterpiece 5 with an engine-block design, Linde Werdelin’s Oktopus II Moon and high-tech SpidoLite II Tech series, Laurent Ferrier’s amazing Galet Traveller with one of the most beautiful movements around, TAG Heuer’s Carrera Racing Calibre 36 with titanium black case and El Primero or the very affordable yet beautiful Alpina 130 Heritage Pilot Chronograph. All in all a great year for watches.

Elizabeth Doerr (WorldTempus)

Baselworld was incredibly interesting this year, and I must stress that it was very difficult to pick just five watches.

Louis Vuitton has really upped its game thanks in great part to the acquisition of the movement maker headed up by Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini (previously of BNB) called La Fabrique du Temps. They have masterminded a split-seconds chronograph called TwinChrono that actually displays the difference between the two times taken. So simple, yet so complicated…and absolutely delightful.

Girard-Perregaux impressed me mightily with its brand relaunch this year, and though I absolutely adore the Constant Escapement thanks to its forward-thinking ingenuity and architectural visuals, I choose the 1966 Integrated Chronograph for my Top 5 (perhaps also because I saw the Constant Escapement a month before Basel began). This column-wheel chronograph is a real classically-minded beauty.

Breguet was also high on my list of favorites during Baselworld thanks to a bevy of gorgeous models in classic Breguet dress. The Chronométrie Classique 7727 captured my heart, though, with its mix of progressive mechanics (also using new materials and high frequency) and classic Breguet styling that includes hand-guilloché, enthralling finish and hand-engraving.

And, finally, two independents made my Top 5: Antoine Martin’s mesmerizing Slow Runner and Ressence’s glorious Type 3. The former is the world’s first wristwatch to beat at one hertz, and the latter sees Benoît Mintiens’ “no-hands” platform watch filled with liquid for a captivating look.

Miguel Seabra (Espiral do Tempo)

I’m going out on a limb and pick a timepiece that I’d never thought I would – considering the brand in question, the type of watch, the size and even the case material. But when I tried it on the wrist, and I tried it randomly, I realized I had discovered by chance the hidden gem of Baselworld: the 36mm Rolex Day-Date Rhodium, featuring an Everose case and a silvered rhodium dial!

No, I’m not crazy nor am I joking; I swear that when I saw it on my wrist I was gobsmacked: there are a lot of collectors out there paying record sums for vintage Rolexes of yesteryear and here’s a brand new model that is able to provide everything a lot of them are looking for – a sense of preciousness, sheer elegant proportions and that magical timeless aura. Yes, I know ‘timeless’ is an overused word in watchmaking but I really mean it; the 36mm case wears a bit bigger (around 39mm, I’d say!) and is the first ‘regular’ Oyster case especially and exclusively conceived for a leather strap. But let me get this straight: I’m only picking the silver version, because the new Day-Date midsize line comes in six different dial/strap colors. Among the most complex and original masterpieces, I have to mention the Jacket-Droz Charming Bird (hey, I’m a Twitter guy), Konstantin Chaykin’s Cinema (the combination of sound and image is awesome) and Graham’s Tourbillon Orrery (with its portable solar system); on the sporty side, the dark ceramic sophistication of the Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon, the 70s-inspired funky Tudor Heritage Chronograph Blue and the Linde Werdelin’s Oktopus II Moon Black combined with the clip-on The Reef electronic instrument.

Kristian Haagen (Timegeeks)

Patek Philippe Calatrava – The more I think of it the better I like the new Patek Philippe Calatrava. Not only is it a nice size of 39 millimeter. It is also rather sexy with that new creamy dial. And of course the hinged back, or dust cover as Patek Philippe calls this feature we know so well from pocket watches, is a charmning detail as it can be engraved on both sides.

This of course has not been possible on the Calatravas with glass casebacks, but as you don’t actually own a Patek Philippe, but instead merely look after it for the next generation, why not invest in this credo by adding a personal engraving to your heir?

I would have this engraved for my son: “Son, if you want to trade this watch for hash, then please make sure you get at least ten kilos”. You should too. No matter if you have a son or daughter. But especially if you have both.

Urban Jürgensen Montre Observatoire Émail – This watch from the incredible Danish watch brand Urban Jürgensen & Sønner offers one of the most impressive grand feu enamel dials I have ever seen. I am not just saying this because I too am Danish. But I am saying it also because I mean it. And because it probably is the best enamel dial work I have ever seen on a wristwatch.

Of course a watch of such beauty that represents true artisanery of the most talented hands in the world does not come cheap. I do naturally not have the 85.000CHF needed to purchase this watch. But if I had just half of that money I would strongly consider selling my soul to the devil (again) in order to make the second half.

By the way, a good piece of advice: if anybody reading these appraising words and should have the chance to see this watch in real life you really should bring a strong loupe. A tool that should come with any watch from Urban Jürgensen & Sønner as the stunning details makes the watch. As well as the inhouse movement, caliber UJS-P8 detent escapement, ticking inside that handmade. Does my enthusiasm and and thrill about this particular watch shine through? I hope so.

Girard-Perregaux – Can I say I just like what Girard-Perregaux did to the place? It was a first for me to see GP at Basel World as I have only visited this fine brand during SIHH in Geneva. But not only was it my first time to see GP at Basel World, it was also my first time to really enjoy, what not only they did to their incredibly nice watches, but also what they did to their image by that fine looking booth. So I lift my hat, salute GP and ask them to kindly keep up doing what they are doing right now. Because they are doing ever so right. Good at ya, GP.

But if I should pick a fav from what I was presented at GP this year then my vote actually goes to last years 1966 Tourbillon with a stunning opaline dial. So last season, sure, but what a looker.