The 16 Most Impressive Watches from Baselworld 2016
The dust is just starting to settle on another mad year at Baselworld, and we’re still reeling from the excitement. We put in serious time on the show floor — shook hands, knocked on doors, and manhandled some pretty badass hardware — and the end result is this: the 16 most surprising, innovative, technically brilliant, handsome-as-hell timepieces to come out of Basel in 2016.
1. Hublot Big Bang MECA-10
This thing is a real beast from the house of Hublot — which, given the Swiss maker’s penchant for larger-than-life timepieces, is saying something. The ultra-industrial piece bears a welcome resemblance to that old Meccano set you had as a kid, and, as the name suggests, it boasts a power reserve of 10 days.
2. Harry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon 7
If you’re obsessed with seeing your watch movement then this dual bi-axial tourbillon will have you mesmerized for days. She’s big, flashy and impossibly cool.
3. Ulysse Nardin Grand Deck Marine Tourbillon
This nautical number’s retrograde minute hand sweeps across a deck-like teak hand-finished dial, but what makes it really stand out is the use of a high-tensile, ultra-thin nanofiber that pulls the hand back and forth in lieu of a gear-driven mechanism — pretty slick.
4. Bremont Regatta OTUSA Chronograph
Regatta timers are becoming rarer and rarer in the industry, so we’re pleased to see Bremont design one so thoughtfully. The piece was designed with loads of input from Team Oracle USA, with whom the brand have an ongoing partnership. This is the kind of watch that can go from the deck to the clubhouse without skipping a beat.
5. Patek Philippe 5930G World Time Chronograph
Leave it to Patek to build a dead-sexy world timer chrono with the smallest movement of its kind ever created. You’re looking at over $70,000 USD worth of white gold glory — and if you ask us, it’s worth every penny.
6. Angelus U20 Ultra Skeleton Tourbillon
Angelus recently relaunched in the watch realm, and they’re wasting no time in showing the world exactly what they’re capable of. This stellar, innovative creation is proof. The big win here is that they’ve managed to fasten the movement’s bridges into a thick chunk of sapphire, meaning the movement has no direct connection to the outer case. A little over the top? Maybe. But this thing is just too incredibly cool for that to matter.
7. Bulova CURV Chronograph
Bulova’s got itself a case of the bends. They’ve become first watchmaker on the planet to figure out (or even bother trying to figure out, for that matter) how to build a curved watch movement. It looks damn good and fits like an absolute glove.
8. Omega Speedmaster Meteorite Dial
In our book, a Speedmaster is a Speedmaster is a Speedmaster, and you either love ’em or hate ’em. Until now, that is. I’m the first to admit they’re not my thing, but this meteorite dial variant with red gold accents is just too sexy to turn down.
9. Arnold & Son Nebula
Of all the watches in Basel, this was the one that had me thinking, “If I sell off part of my collection, I can buy this and be the happiest watch geek on the planet.” Arnold & Son’s attention to detail and level of craftsmanship are tough to top, and at only $13,500 USD, this thing beats just about everything we’ve seen to date in overall value.
10. Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater
Without doubt, this is the sleekest, most desirable watch Bulgari’s built in years. Its movement is the slimmest minute repeater on the market, and thanks to some clever cutaways in the dial it’s chime is just as clear and beautiful as much larger and heftier creations out there.
11. Rolex Air-King
When Rolex ditched the Air King a few years back, we wondered how long it would take for it to make its return. Upgraded to a just-about-perfect 40mm case, and using a mix of minute and hour numerals around the dial, the Air King is just odd enough to appeal to those looking for something outside the classic Rolex wheelhouse.
12. Tudor Heritage Black Bay Bronze
Seeing a resurgence of bronze was a bit of a surprise at Basel this year, and many were shocked to see Tudor getting on the bandwagon. Upping the Black Bay case size from 41 to 43mm, the new bronze variant is a solid choice for those seeking a chunky bronze diver imbued with plenty of old-school style and character.
13. Hublot MP-07
This was the piece of kit that really got us drooling at the Hublot booth in Basel. Only a select group of media got some hands-on time, and as of now the brand is staying quite secretive about it. What we do know is this: Its movement is an evolution of what they created with the LaFerrari MP05 using nine barrels rather than 11, meaning its power reserve is 42 days instead of 50. This thing is a super-industrial take on the Masterpiece line that somehow prices at $300,000 USD cheaper than the LaFerrari watch ($276,000 USD rather than $575,000 USD).
14. Tag Heuer Monza Chronograph
Tag does reissues well, but this new Monza is their best yet. Carbide-coated titanium makes it relatively light on the wrist, and its 42mm case means it’s a little more wearable for all wrist sizes than the original ever was.
15. MB&F x Black Badger HMX
MB&F is one of the top independent watchmakers of all time, and this collaboration with Black Badger — known for their fascinating work with luminous materials — is just spot on. A gorgeous and elaborately designed movement, a sleek, light titanium case, and that sexy lume application make this an all-around killer piece. It’s available in green, blue and purple, with each production run limited to 18 units.
16. Chanel Monsieur De Chanel
Another real surprise this year was Chanel coming to the table with one serious dress watch for men, featuring their first in-house calibre. This jumping hours retrograde movement is a great one, and will compete incredibly well against the likes of Hermès and Ralph Lauren, who have also joined the Haute Horlogerie game in the last few years.
