Here I share photos of a few of the new timepieces that I saw during Baselworld 2017, they are all watches I would purchase primarily for their aesthetic styling.
Even if 99 percent of the watches talked about here on Quill & Pad by my esteemed colleagues are high-end horology, it might be understandable that my favorites fall into a far more affordable category. However, these watches contain technical elements in terms of materials and engineering that I like.
My favorites are neither all Swiss, nor are they mainly French, but interestingly, though not deliberately, are mostly German.
Porsche Design Monobloc Actuator GMT-Chronotimer All Titanium
The Porsche Design Monobloc Actuator GMT-Chronotimer is a feat of engineering with its rocker button system necessitating several years of testing and engineering by Porsche Design. It was inspired by the Porsche 911 GT RSR race car’s engine mechanics.
Porsche Design Monobloc Actuator GMT-Chronotimer All Titanium
The GMT-Chronotimer features eight layers of coating on the sapphire crystal to protect it and prevent anything getting in the fractions of millimeters between the rocker bezel that acts as chronograph pushers and the crystal.
For more information, see Porsche Design’s New Monobloc Actuator Wristwatch Is Modeled On Porsche 011 RSR and/or visit www.porsche-design.com/en/Timepieces/Monobloc-Actuator/MONOBLOC-Actuator-GMT-Chronotimer-All-Titanium.
Quick Facts Porsche Design Monobloc Actuator GMT-Chronotimer All Titanium
Case: 45.5 x 15.6 mm, titanium with integrated rocker bezel that acts as chronograph pushers
Movement: automatic Caliber ETA Valjoux 7754
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date, chronograph, GMT function (24-hour second time zone)
Price: €6,450
Nomos Ahoi neomatik signalrot
Those clever chaps in Glashütte continue to make cool watches at reasonable prices in-house. I personally love the new dial colors, with a bright blue and this red/orange (“signalrot”) my favorite by far.
Nomos Ahoi neomatik signalrot
For more information on this brand see How Does Nomos Glashütte Make A Beautiful Watch With Manufacture Movement For Under $3,000. Or visit www.nomos-store.com/en/Watches/Model-series/Ahoi/Watches-with-automatic-winding/Ahoi-neomatik-signalrot-sapphire-crystal-back.
Quick Facts Nomos Ahoi neomatik signalrot
Case: 36.3 x 9.55 mm, stainless steel, water-resistant to 200 m (20 atm)
Movement: automatic Caliber DUW 3001 with 43-hour power reserve and Nomos Swing System
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds
Price: €3,160
Hautlence Vortex Gamma
I was introduced to this collection at Baselworld by Sandro Reginelli, co-founder and CEO, a cool, charismatic Italian Swiss, and I was instantly smitten with the madness of the Tron-style case of this watch with its sapphire crystal viewing windows.
Hautlence Vortex Gamma
For much more information on the Vortex principle, see The Hautlence Vortex: Is This The World’s Slowest Tourbillon? Or visit http://www.hautlence.com/fr/collection/concepts-d-exception/vortex.
Quick Facts Hautlence Vortex Gamma
Case: 52 x 50 x 18 mm, HL Colorlight (an itr2 ceramic composite)
Movement: automatic HLR 2.0 tourbillon caliber with rotating regulator, micro rotor, 92 jewels, 3 Hz frequency
Functions: jump hours displayed by a chain, retrograde minutes, 40-hour power reserve indication
Limitation: 8 pieces
Price: 170,000 Swiss francs
HYT H0
The HYT H0 is the latest, coolest, and most refined HYT timepiece yet.
It comes in several colors and finishes, but the black DLC-coated titanium version with fluorescent green liquid hour display grabbed my attention.
HYT H0
I find this watch now more wearable without conventional lugs despite its large case, and the rubber strap is a particularly comfortable presence on the wrist.
For more information, visit www.hytwatches.com/collection-h0.
Quick Facts HYT H0
Case: 48.8 x 17.9 mm, black DLC-coated titanium
Movement: manually wound HYT caliber with micro-fluidic hour display; 4 Hz/28,800 vph, 65-hour power reserve
Functions: hours (shown by fluid), minutes, seconds; power reserve
Price: 57,000 Swiss francs
Romain Gauthier Enraged Prestige HMS
I’m a big fan of the Logical One and Romain Gauthier pieces in general, but the Enraged series with its ultra-cool modern case finish reminiscent of an emery board or pumice stone impressed me very much!
Romain Gauthier Enraged Prestige HMS
This piece just has that rock ‘n’ roll, rebel edge as opposed to the usual gold or platinum finishes. The orange accents of this version sealed it for me.
To get the Enraged finish, the titanium case is sandblasted, blackened using a PVD (physical vapor deposit) process, and finished off with a protective layer to prevent print marks or fingerprints.
So clever!
For more information, visit www.romaingauthier.com/hour-minute-second.
Quick Facts Romain Gauthier Enraged Prestige HMS
Case: 41 x 12.1 mm, sandblasted PVD-coated titanium (“Enraged” finish)
Movement: manually wound Caliber HMS with 60 hours of power reserve and exceptional finishing
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds
Limitation: 5 pieces (there are two further color combinations, each also limited to 5 pieces)
Price: 56,000 Swiss francs (excluding VAT)
Graham Chronofighter Vintage Nose Art
The entire Quill & Pad team thought the pinup illustrations added to the dial of the Chronofighter was cool: four editions each have a different lovely, artistic lady inspired by the 1940s added to the dial.
Graham Chronofighter Vintage Nose Art
For more information, visit www.graham1695.com/index.php/nose-art.
Quick Facts Graham Chronofighter Vintage Nose Art
Case: 44 mm, stainless steel with start/stop button in crown on left side, covered by protective trigger
Movement: automatic Caliber G1747 (ETA Valjoux Caliber 7750)
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date, weekday, chronograph
Limitation: 100 pieces of each of the four pinup motifs
Price: £3,840
Meistersinger Salthora Meta X
The Salthora Meta X, the so-called “non-diving diver,” continues Meistersinger’s infamous series of one-handed watches, though in this case the single hand is used to measure minutes and seconds instead of the usual hours. The hours here are shown in the jump hour window at 12 o’clock.
Meistersinger Salthora Meta X
Seconds markers on a rotating bezel along with the minute markers right on the dial help you to read the time more easily despite the single hand.
This beautiful blue dial stood out for me as did the sportier-looking case and chunkier strap.
For more information visit www.meistersinger.com/collection/single-hand-watches/salthora-meta-x-1.
Quick Facts Meistersinger Salthora Meta X
Case: 43 x 14.2 mm, stainless steel
Movement: automatic Caliber ETA 2828-2 or Sellita SW200-1 with added module for jump hour
Functions: jump hour, minutes, second
Price: €2,998 / $3,675
Junghans Form A
The Junghans Form A is recognizable through crystal-clear time-telling against the backdrop of a three-dimensional light-colored dial. This watch is classic German style from a classic German brand.
Junghans Form A
For more information, visit www.junghans.de/en/junghans-collection/watches/performance/performance-forma.
Quick Facts Junghans Form A
Case: 39.1 x 9.5 mm, stainless steel
Movement: automatic Caliber J800.2 (ETA 2824) with 38-hour power reserve
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date
Price: €840
Sinn EZM 12
Sinn’s latest watch is a super cool EZM, designed for the air rescue service.
It has a specially treated case and bezel made of scratch-resistant tegimented stainless steel; “tegiment” is Sinn’s own hardening process.
Sinn EZM 12
EZM also boasts high protection against magnetic fields (up to 80,000 A/m) and temperatures ranging from 80ºC to -45ºC, so it would be useful whether you are trekking across the Arctic or laying on the beach somewhere!
The “pulse rotor” measures increments of 15 seconds for accurate heart rate reading.
I also enjoy the orange design elements on the watch, from the inner flange to the bezel ring and crown.
For more information, visit www.sinn.de/en/Modell/EZM12.
Quick Facts Sinn EZM 12
Case: 44 x 14 mm, tegimented stainless steel with diver’s bezel
Movement: automatic Caliber ETA 2836-2
Functions: hours, minutes, (hacking) seconds; date, weekday, chronograph, pulse measurement
Price: €3,250
Remark: comes in a set that includes a pocket knife, three-year guarantee
March LA.B Seventy
A re-discovery for me at Baselworld this year was French brand March LA.B with its 1970s California vibe, which introduced the quartz Seventy model.
March LA.B Seventy
It has an elegant steel case with a choice of brushed dials. My personal favorite is the gold-colored dial . . . I liked it so much that I purchased one at the show!
For more information, visit www.march-lab.com.
Quick Facts March LA.B Seventy
Case: 36 mm, stainless steel
Movement: Japanese quartz
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date
Price: €245
Dietrich Perception
Emmanuel Dietrich definitely shocked me with this fantastic new watch that is very different to the Organic Time collection that he has been producing for the last few years.
Dietrich Perception
This project, which plays with one’s perception of time, is entirely new for the brand. It also requires a more complicated movement that allows the brand to enter a different, higher price range than in the past.
For more information, visit www.dietrich.luxury/product-category/watches.
Quick Facts Dietrich Perception
Case: 50 x 50.8 x 14.5 mm, stainless steel
Movement: modified automatic Caliber ETA 2824 or Sellita SW200-1
Functions: jump hours, minutes (at 9 o’clock), (concept) seconds (at 5 o’clock)
Price: approx. £12,000
Armin Strom Configurator
I’d also like to give a shout out to the Armin Strom Configurator, which offers custom choices on your favorite models with a selection of options for various movement parts, case, and even strap and stitching colors. You can even get up to three letters engraved on the case lip at 6 o’clock.
Armin Strom Manual from the Configurator
For extensive information on this and how the Quill & Pad team chose their own configurations, see Watch Modding By The Brand: Quill & Pad Team Members Play With The Armin Strom Watch Configurator And Share Their Results.
