BaselWorld was held from 21 to 26 March for its 103rd edition. A golden and diamond opportunity to review the most beautiful new products released during the show.
By Hélène Cougot
A weekbook at Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe introduces a new function among its calendar watches: the weekly calendar. The Calatrava Semainier reference 5212A – 001 is also equipped with a brand new basic automatic movement with optimized performance, while the new Calatrava Semainier reference 5212A – 001 is distinguished at first sight by its silvered opaline dial with its unique geometry, equipped with five central hands – an unusual configuration.
The hours and minutes are indicated by elegant “dauphine” type hands in blackened white gold with two stoned sides, echoed by applied “stick” type hour-markers, also in blackened white gold, with four stoned sides.
304 components (including the weekbook mechanism) make the new 2 6 – 330 S C J SE calibre a perfect combination of tradition and innovation in the purest Patek Philippe spirit.
Equestrian inspiration at Charriol
The MARIE-OLGA watch is a jewellery watch creation that pays tribute to one of the passions of its eponymous muse, Marie-Olga Charriol, wife of the founder of the House and distinguished rider. A luminous and refined piece, this new ambassador of the House of Charriol combines femininity, sophistication and personality, and in the silhouette of this watch we find all the movement of the rider on her frame, linking the figures.
The case combines roundness and asymmetry. Its oval shape is visually very soft and technically masterful, with a unique stirrup extending the case of its asymmetrical attachment that emphasizes the equestrian metaphor and magnifies the equestrian metaphor and the personality of the case, while the bezel and attachment of some versions are set with white diamonds, reflecting the watercolour shades of the mother-of-pearl dial, also punctuated with precious indexes. Available from June 2019.
Bell & Ross in vintage mode
For this 2019 edition, Bell & Ross is delivering the BRV2-94 Bellytanker bronze. Unveiled two years ago, the BRV2-94 Bellytanker men’s chronograph appeared in a steel version with a gold dial and black counters. The 41 mm diameter case is adorned with a pale yellow bronze reminiscent of yellow gold, which adorns some of the chronos of the 1960s and 1970s.
Then its sumptuous black dial, also highly vintage in inspiration, is punctuated by two golden counters encircled by a timer of the same colour, in the purest reverse panda dial style. Finally, Bell & Ross opted, as with the previous Bellytankers, for screwed chronograph pushers reminiscent of Rolex’s famous Cosmograph Daytona.
Rolex is waking up the panther
Rolex unveils the Oyster Perpetual Cospograph Daytona: a panther-printed dial in diamonds and enamel, a bezel set with baguette diamonds… In 1963, Rolex launched this chronograph with an ultra-readable dial, giving it the name of a motor racing circuit held in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Three years later, the play was launched in the United States: “In its early days, it was not sold. Its design, both cool and stylish, was too ahead of its time,” says expert Romain Réa and president of the auction house Antiquorum.
“It took the Italians, Agnelli, on his yacht on the cover of an American weekly newspaper to rediscover it in the 1980s to make it the most desirable chronograph in the world.”
Gucci unveils a unisex watch
The Italian company took advantage of Baselworld to present its brand new unisex watch range, “Grip“. The collection is distinguished by an innovative design, a vintage touch, which adapts to both female and male wrists, and this watch line stands out thanks to its case and dial shaped in a single piece, available in various materials.
Square in shape, with slightly rounded contours, the case and dial reveal three windows in which white discs rotate to display – from top to bottom – the hours, minutes, and date.this timeless collection currently consists of four models: a first with a yellow gold PVD case and strap, a second entirely made of stainless steel, a third with a steel case and a green calf leather strap, and a last with a yellow gold PVD case and a bordeaux calf leather strap.
All underlined by the iconic double G, signature of the Gucci company.
