Show Stoppers of Baselworld
CHRONOGRAPHS
Arguably one of the most desirable complications among men’s watches (and women’s too) even though most of us rarely engage in activities that require us to measure lap times accurate to the second
Hublot Ferrari Magic Gold 45
The first watch to be born of the comprehensive partnership with Ferrari announced in November last year, it takes forward Hublot’s Big Bang series in stunning detail. The case is scratch-resistant 18-carat ‘Magic Gold’. The movement (internal mechanism), with a 72-hour power reserve, is revealed through a sapphire dial. The overall design is very Hublot while retaining touches of Ferrari (strap stitching, prancing horse relief, touches of red).
Price: $30,000
For more details, visit: hublot.com/en/#/COLLECTION/BYCOLLECTION/1000003/ZOOM/2115
Patek Philippe 5204P-001 Chronograph
Under the elegant dial lies a completely new proprietary and hand-wound movement that marries a split-second chronograph, perpetual calendar and moonphase indicator with a 65-hour power reserve. A flawless diamond sits between the lugs at 6 o’clock, visible only to the wearer. How very Patek!
Price: $300,000
For more details, visit: patek.com/contents/default/en/5204P_001.html
Breitling Transocean Chronograph Unitime
A complex yet beautiful evolution of Breitling’s signature design, this watch features a new in-house movement and two rotating discs that allow you to see the time in 24 cities around the world (which feature Karachi and Dhaka, but sadly no Indian city) simply by turning the crown. Oh yeah, there’s
a chronograph too.
Price: $11,000
For more details, visit: breitling.com/en/models/transocean/transocean-chronograph-unitime/presentation/index.php
AVANT-GARDE
In spite of numerous innovations in the way mechanical watches keep and display time, there is a certain conformity to them. “We value our heritage and history,” the older watchmakers will say. Nonetheless we come across a few instances of avant-garde thinking every year, usually from their younger (though equally talented) peers.
Christophe Claret XTREM-1
Christophe Claret has a solid reputation among connoisseurs as a maker of elaborate, original and beautiful watches. The XTREM-1 is a great example of why. A flying tourbillon at a 30 degree angle is mounted where the mainplate meets the strap and next to that on either side two metallic spheres float in clear cylinders, showing the hours and minutes. How do they do that? Through magnetic fields generated by miniature magnets moved by cables. Whew! And wow!
Price: $280,000
For more details, visit: christopheclaret.com/en/collection-x-trem-1-c7.php
MB&F HM4 Thunderbolt
When MB&F refers to its watches as “horological machines”, they aren’t kidding. Inspired after vintage airplanes, the HM4 features two ‘pods’ that tell the time and indicate the power reserve, while a cutaway sapphire in between them shows the aircraft’s, um watch’s, ‘engine’. As avant-garde as they come, including the ‘three-dimensional’ in-house movement.
Price: $160,000
For more details, visit: mbandf.com/machines/horological-machines/hm4-thunderbolt/index.php
Hyt H1
Possibly the most talked about watch from an independent brand at Baselworld this year was the H1, the first watch by Hyt. The H1 indicates time by pumping a mix of coloured and clear liquids around the dial in a clear tube, using mechanically powered pistons and bellows.
Price: $45,000
For more details, visit: hytwatches.com
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