The stars of Baselworld 2019
LOFTTimes of change
The days are getting colder in Chile, but in the northern hemisphere, spring is beginning to show its friendlier face, and we're excited to know that this means a new season of launches for the most traditional watchmaking "maisons." We were present, in person and in a pleasant 10 degrees Celsius of Swiss heat, at the most recent edition of Baselworld , the promised land for those who thrill to the marvelous machines that accompany us everywhere on our wrists. Tireless, curious, eager like a child on Christmas Eve, we wandered around and around, combing every corner of the enormous "Messeplatz" , in search of the new releases that will become the bestsellers of 2019, those that will set trends with their winning designs, and also those that will be an experiment misunderstood by us, mere mortals.
Generally speaking, just like in the automotive industry, all brands are in a regressive cycle of taking refuge in vintage designs, rescuing classics from their old catalogs, and appealing to nostalgia. Many even presented "homages," or exact copies, of iconic models of the past. The vast majority of the collections looked straight out of 1970, which, in our opinion, is great news! Here, without further ado, we bring you a rather eclectic selection, in no particular order and without prejudice, of our favorites. Simply those that literally made us lose track of time (and more than a few, a heartbeat, too):
Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 Anniversary Limited Edition
While OMEGA wasn't technically at Baselworld, it managed to take us to Zurich to eat decadent chocolates and show us its way of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo II mission. Which one? The one that landed one Neil Armstrong on the lunar surface. What watch did those space pioneers wear? An Omega Speedmaster, handpicked, approved, and paid for by NASA. After the successful mission, in 1969, OMEGA produced 1,014 solid gold Speedmasters, which it presented as gifts to President Nixon, the mission's astronauts, NASA personnel, and others. That watch, like this new 2019 version, featured a hand-wound chronograph movement in a solid yellow gold case with a burgundy bezel and black onyx markers. The new version is identical to the original, except for a few modern details, such as the ceramic bezel and the latest generation Master Chronometer-certified movement. A transparent caseback that allows us to see a mini version of the Moon, made with pieces of real meteorite, and the Earth, in perfect scale... A small sculpture worthy of awe. The bad news? Only 1,014 pieces will be made, just like the 1969 original, so it will be very difficult to get one... very difficult... extremely difficult... Oh, and it costs USD 35,000. But it will surely be worth much more than that in a few years. For us, a safe bet... As a famous cosmic explorer would say: To infinity and beyond!
Seiko Prospex 1970 Diver's Re-Creation Limited Edition SLA033
Long name, simple concept. For cinephiles, this watch will look familiar. In the legendary "Apocalypse Now," Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is seen in several scenes sporting this distinctively shaped SEIKO, one of the Japanese brand's first diving watches. 100% functional, with a design and features that served the most demanding professional divers of the time.
The story didn't end well for Willard, but SEIKO has seen much success and prosperity since the launch of the original in 1968, and this year they've decided to resurrect it with this new version, which blends a design identical to the original with cutting-edge materials and technology. A hardened steel case, hand-polished Japanese polishing, and an automatic movement built to quality standards admirable even by the Swiss make this SEIKO's $4,250 price tag seem like a good deal, even though we're used to much more modest prices for SEIKO.
In any case, we have no doubt that the 2,500 pieces manufactured will sell out quickly, snapped up by fans of '70s nostalgia and funky design, as well as the quality and impressive technical features of this unique diving watch. We'll continue to salivate until its arrival in Chile...
Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic
The Italians... What more can we say about them? Pure style without substance? Beauty over quality? Design without engineering? Maybe... But every once in a while, they come along and hit us over the head with an object so powerful and astonishing that we fall in love again like the first day, and we forgive all our sins. Bvlgari, a brand that was almost extinct in the watchmaking world a few years ago, has been resurrected with its OCTO Finissimo collection, which year after year continues to break records for the thinnest mechanical watches in history. This year, they introduced us to the Finissimo Chrono GMT, a 6.9-millimeter-tall marvel that houses a self-winding chronograph with a GMT function, so we can always know the time in Milan or Rome. It's worth noting that the last time the record for "thinness" for a Chrono was broken was in 1987, which gives us an idea of how difficult it is to develop these types of movements in such confined spaces.
https://youtu.be/cLveBHDhkjc
Source: Collecting Lifestyle
