Basel World 2017 – Enough talk about the vintage watch craze

Over the past year we have heard more about the “vintage watch craze” than almost the whole of the last decade! But there is absolutely no craze, nor trend nor fad!

Vintage watches, especially wristwatches, have been doing quite well since the late 1980s when the wristwatch became accepted as a suitable object of desire and collection alongside the pocket watch which had thus far been regarded as a more serious form of collectible horology.

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We are pleased to offer you an exclusive opportunity to discover the new products of Swiss Exhibitors at Baselworld 2017. HD pictures and texts in English, French, Italian, Spanish, German and simplified Chinese are available to you on www.swisstime.ch.

Hublot – Big Bang Unico GMT

In this age of travel, moving constantly back and forth between time zones, Hublot delivers a simple solution to a complex problem thanks to a patented, proprietary GMT module. Its ingenuity resides in its remarkable simplicity of use. All it takes is the push of a button – at 2 o’clock to move forward by one-hour increments or at 4 o’clock to move back – and the second time zone is updated. Local time is set independently of the other hands, hence there is no need to synchronise all the hands at every change in time zone. Hublot has not only made GMT easy to use, it has optimised legibility too. Local time is shown by the main hand while home time is indicated by a second, arrow-shaped hand that is correlated to a day/night disc. Now travellers know the time in their two zones at a glance.

Movement

Mechanical automatic, UNICO HUB 1251 calibre, developed and manufactured by Hublot, 339 components, 41 jewels, 28,800 vib/h, 72-hour power reserve.

Functions

Hours, minutes, seconds, GMT.

Case

Satin-finished, polished titanium or carbon fibre, 45 mm. Satin-finished, polished titanium bezel with engraved Dual Time or carbon fibre with Dual Time inscribed in white lacquer, 6 H-shaped titanium screws. Anti-reflective sapphire crystal. Sapphire back. Water-resistant to 100 metres (10 bar / 330 ft).

Dial

Skeleton blue and anthracite grey (titanium) or skeleton blue and mat black (carbon).

Bracelet/strap

Black and blue ribbed rubber with folding clasp.

Constant Force Tourbillon

British watchmaker John Arnold (1736-1793) ranked among the most eminent specialists in marine chronometry. Established in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Arnold & Son continues to find inspiration in its founder’s work. The Constant Force Tourbillon is a technically superlative wristwatch that reflects the eighteenth-century watchmaker’s ingenuity. The manufacture movement is equipped with a constant force mechanism and true beat seconds. The former has two series-mounted barrels at 12 o’clock that ensure an optimal and regular flow of power to the tourbillon. The latter, which is clearly visible between 7 and 8 o’clock, stores energy from the balance via a spring, which it releases at each elapsed second only. The seconds hand therefore advances incrementally, allowing time to be read with greater ease and precision. 28-piece limited series.

Movement

Mechanical hand-wound, A&S5119 Manufacture calibre,39 jewels, 21,600 vib/h, twin barrels, 90-hour power reserve.

Functions

Hours, minutes, true beat seconds, tourbillon and constant force.

Case

Red gold 18K, 46 mm. Domed sapphire crystal with multi-layer anti-reflective coating on both sides, transparent caseback. Water-resistant to 30 metres (3 bar/100 ft).

Dial

Visible movement with twin barrel at 12 o’clock, tourbillon between 4 and 5 o’clock, true beat seconds between 7 and 8 o’clock. Seconds counter and anthracite inner bezel ring with red gold appliques 18k.

Bracelet/strap

Patinated brown bottier alligator, hand-stitched with red gold folding clasp 18K.

Franck Muller V45 SQT Serie

For 25 years, Franck Muller has been reinterpreting watchmaking tradition in order to propel it into a high-tech dimension. The 2017 creations are no exception to the rule and send a distinctly avant-garde breeze blowing through the time-honoured art of skeleton-working. The tourbillon bridges of the Gravity™ Skeleton take their place within a 3D architectural concept, supported by a rounded structure that is entirely openworked, like the mainplate. While this new model can be personalised by means of variously coloured finishing options, the Vanguard™ Skeleton Sapphire is all about transparency. Its case crafted from a sapphire crystal block calls upon the most advanced skills in highlighting this tourbillon with its extremely graphic structure. No less than two months of machining, followed by two months of polishing, are required to create this sapphire crystal case. In a more sporting style, the Vanguard™ 7 Days Power Reserve Skeleton features a blend of design and performance. As its name implies, it accomplishes the feat of ensuring seven days of autonomy, despite the movement components being openworked in the extreme so as to transform the beating heart of the watch into an authentic mechanical sculpture.

de Grisogono

de Grisogono – New Retro Lady Taille Baguette

Marilyn Monroe would have loved its sparkling diamonds and rubies; Audrey Hepburn would have succumbed to the charm of its original shape; Grace Kelly would have saluted the glamour of this mechanical gem. Inspired by Fifties fashions, the two versions of the New Retro Lady glow with an atypical retro-chic look. The de Grisogono style reveals its singular elegance right from the first glance. The wide rectangular-shaped pink gold case is paved with two rows of baguette-cut gems and adorned with a crown cleverly placed at 12 o’clock. The dainty gemsetting in the dial centre is a radiant expression of the de Grisogono jewellery expertise. Finally, the gaze lingers on the famous galuchat strap, a brand classic. Elegance meets opulence in the New Retro Lady models that first and foremost convey a state of mind and a determination to break free of trends so as to set the next ones.

Movement

Mechanical automatic.

Functions

Hours, minutes.

Case

18K pink gold set with 70 baguette-cut diamonds (3.40 cts) or 70 baguette-cut rubies (8.20 cts). Sapphire crystals, front and back. Water-resistant to 30 metres (3 bar/100 ft).

Dial

Creamy white set with 60 baguette-cut diamonds (1.84 cts) or 60 baguette-cut rubies (2.20 cts).

Bracelet/strap

White or ruby-red galuchat, 18K pink gold triple folding lcasp set with diamonds (0.65 cts) or rubies (0.80 cts).

Breguet – Tradition Dame 7038

The Tradition collection from Breguet belongs to the select circle of Haute Horlogerie icons. First introduced in 2005, it now welcomes a rose gold Tradition Dame. With this self-winding timepiece, Breguet has succeeded in feminising a model whose aesthetic essence lies in mechanical horology, a field that many tend to reserve for men. Clearly visible front and centre of the watch, the barrel is decorated with a rosette motif and overlapped at 12 o’clock, by a mother-of-pearl dial adorned with hand-crafted engine-turned “Clou de Paris” hobnailing. Although in full view, the movement bridges and gear trains remain sufficiently discreet to ensure smooth and instead of the hours and minutes. The sandblasted mainplate and bridges are rhodium-plated to create a pleasing contrast with the rose gold case set with 68 diamonds. At the heart of this Tradition Dame beats Calibre 505SR, equipped with a lever escapement with silicon pallets and a Breguet balance-spring also made of silicon.

Movement

Mechanical self-winding, 505SR Calibre, numbered and signed Breguet, 38 jewels, 3 Hz, inverted in-line lever escapement with silicon pallets, Breguet balance-spring in silicon, 50-hour power reserve.

Functions

Hours, minutes, retrograde seconds.

Case

18K rose gold with fluted caseband, 37 mm. Bezel set with 68 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.895 cts). Crown set with a watch jewel. Sapphire crystal and back. Water-resistant to 3 bar (30 metres / 100 ft).

Dial

Natural white mother-of-pearl, offset at 12 o’clock and hand-engraved on a rose engine. Breguet open-tipped gold hands.

Bracelet/strap

Leather.