First-timers at Baselworld, the planet's largest offline platform by far to showcase new timepieces, would be left totally bedazzled. Baselworld is where watches are no longer just watches and where many don't really care much about functionalities like if the hands are too short or the dial is too small. At Baselworld, watches display brand identity right on wrists of the wearers to proclaim what kind of a person they are and what kind of life they like to live.
But those who frequent Baselworld would definitely notice the plunge in the number of exhibitors at this year's edition which wrapped on Tuesday in Basel, Switzerland. Some blamed a poor overall economy. The construction of a brand's booth, for instance, requires quite a budget, and unsellable names could possibly find it hardly affordable. Luxury booths were competing over things like who was going to have the best hangout place in town. While Blancpain seemed to win the hearts of many with indoor smoking allowed, Omega this year set up a virtual reality room for visitors to fully immerse themselves in a digital experience. This is not to mention finger foods and booze available in full flow.
But the heart of Baselworld remains one thing: watches. The weeklong trade fair this year featured five of the six highest-earning Swiss watch companies. According to the Baselworld website, the event welcomed 8% more visitors on the first two days than last year.
The Swatch Group, Swiss manufacturer of various luxury watch brands like Omega, Blancpain, Breguet, Harry Winston, Glashutte and Jaquet Droz, was vibrant at this year's event. The official timekeeper of the Olympics, Omega this year highlighted and celebrated one of the brand's significant horological milestones -- Master Chronometer innovation.
Newbies, now pay attention. Master Chronometer is Omega's certification for their products. To earn it, the finished watch must pass tests approved by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (Metas). Master Chronometer certification contains eight criteria: function of movement during exposure to 15,000 gauss magnetic field, function of watch during exposure to 15,000 gauss magnetic field, deviation of daily chronometric precision after exposure to 15,000 gauss magnetic field, power reserve, deviation of chronometric precision in six positions, deviation of chronometric precision between 100% and 33% of power reserve and, lastly, water resistance.
At Omega's manufacturing plant in Bienne, two officers from the Metas are stationed there to ensure all Omega timepieces pass all eight Master Chronometer criteria before being delivered to customers' doorsteps. These officers work independently and are not hired by Omega but it's a service offered by Metas to watch brands. Omega's Master Chronometer has been used since 2015. This year the watch industry is going to see the arrival of the 12th and 13th new Master Chronometer calibres.
This year Omega introduces the 12th and 13th new Master Chronometer calibres. OMEGA
At the 2018 Baselworld, Omega also introduced six new collections. The 25th anniversary of the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M, with a complete facelift, was said to have been given a Master Chronometer Calibre 8800, which simply stands for more precision, better performance and magnetic resistance. The collection comes with 14 models, six in stainless steel and eight in a mix of stainless steel and gold.
When the Seamaster Diver 300M was first released 25 years ago, Omega introduced a metal known as tantalum. What's outstanding about tantalum is its professional characteristics such as a helium escape valve and extendable divers' clasp -- perfect as a diving watch. This year, the brand is paying tribute to that 1993 release by introducing a limited-edition model with tantalum, available in only 2,500 pieces.
Next up was the Seamaster Aqua Terra collection, which has recently undergone a transformation with several new "jewellery" models. The new Aqua Terra is driven by the Master Chronometer Calibre 8807, offering the industry's highest standard of precision, performance and magnetic resistance.
The limited-edition Seamaster 1948 was also introduced this year with historical significance associated with World War II. Between 1940 and 1945, Omega delivered more than 110,000 timepieces to the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) for use within the Royal Air Force and its other branches. The watches were highly valued by British airmen and sailors for their water-resistance and reliability in combat.
Launched in 1948, the Seamaster line was actually the brand's first family of watches. So 2018 marks the 70th Anniversary of the Seamaster, and Omega is paying tribute to these historically significant timepieces by releasing two limited-edition models in the spirit of the 1948 classics.
One of the most impressive pieces unveiled this year was the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 -- 50 years after the Apollo 8 mission, the first to make lunar orbit. Unlike previous Dark Side models, this release houses a specially decorated version of the brand's famous Moonwatch movement.
To display the workings inside, the dial of the new Dark Side collection has been skeletonised. On the caseback is engraved "We'll see you on the other side", the words spoken by Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell on board the Apollo 8 mission at the start of the crew's pioneering orbit to the dark side of the Moon. Lovell spoke such a phrase to ground control seconds before the spacecraft disappeared beyond the range of radio contact.
While the new Tresor Collection offers a classic design with a modern edge, the last Omega fine jewellery watch collection introduced this year was Constellation Bangles, whose design is inspired by watch elements and claims an in-line with one of today's most popular styles.
Omega's Baselworld releases are expected to reach Thailand from next month onwards.
BREGUET
Marine Chronographe 5527
Breguet is interpreting this new model in several versions. The first combines a white gold case with a blue dial in gold, on which the wave-motif engine-turned pattern echoes the collection's origins. A variation in rose gold is also available, with a silvered gold dial. Breguet also offers its Marine Chronograph 5527 in titanium, a novelty for the collection. Two types of straps are available to choose from: leather and rubber.
Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Automatique 5367
This new Classique Grandes Complications 5367 suggests a simple interpretation of the tourbillon — one of the world's most precise mechanisms found in mechanical watches. The information on the dial has been deliberately pared down to essentials in order to give the mechanism the full attention it deserves.
HARRY WINSTON
The Precious Signature
As its name suggests, the Precious Signature is basically a machine to automatically sign your preset signature. But it's precious because actually it is an automaton and desk clock and is indeed a rich man's toy. The object contains 905 brilliant-cut diamonds (approximately 3.98ct), 582 baguette-cut diamonds (68.45 ct), three blue sapphire cabochons (1.45 ct) and one emerald-cut diamond (0.42 carat).
Travel Time
Another rich man's accessory, Travel Time is basically a portable alarm clock crafted to fit in your pocket. With such aesthetics, some might say it's a pity this clock cannot be worn on the wrist, but isn't it more sexy if you take such a work of art out of your pocket just to read the time?
JACQUE DROZ
Tropical Bird Repeater
Claiming to be the only one of its kind in the world, the Tropical Bird Repeater is inspired by a tropical landscape with the beauty of nature, birds, peacocks and other creatures. A marriage between watchmaking and decorative expertise, the Tropical Bird Repeater features in the centre a hand-carved, hand-engraved hummingbird whose wings beat up to 40 times a second. A peacock on the right with intense blue feathers can, of course, open and close its tail. Such a nice watch just to look at.
Lady 8 Petite
Jacquet Droz transformed its original model — the Lady 8 — into a more intimate version only 25mm in diameter. The Lady 8 Petite preserves the attributes of its predecessor: an original creation that features the brand's emblematic "8" design blended with traditional gem-setting and natural dial expertise.
BLANCPAIN
Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Annuel
The Bathyscaphe, a pillar of the Fifty Fathoms collection, comes with a useful complication in a new annual calendar model. All of the diving-watch DNA is fully preserved in this Baselworld debut with clear readability, robust movement and a unidirectional rotating bezel. Adding new functionality to the sport collection, the Bathyscaphe aims also to be more of a daily-wear timepiece.
Villeret Tourbillon Volant Heure Sautante Minute Rétrograde
At Baselworld 2018, Blancpain introduced the Villeret Tourbillon Volant Heure Sautante Minute Rétrograde model, which comes with new complications — jump hours and retrograde minutes. In addition to the remarkable construction of the tourbillon, which appears to be floating on air, this new launch is distinguished by an entirely decorated movement and a grand feu enamel dial handcrafted in the Blancpain workshops.
