BASELWORLD 2014: Day 5 – Top 5 Baselworld Trends

Felix Scholz

Day 5. My last day at Baselworld – it’s been a whirlwind working week of watches. And what better way than to top it off with a list. Over the course of the fair definite themes emerged and certain key phrases popped up in every product presentation or press briefing. This is our list of Baselworld 2014 buzzwords.

1. “Heritage”

The trend of raiding your (way) back catalogues and refreshing models from the golden age of watch making isn’t going away. There was plenty of retro vintage styling in evidence at Basel this year, notably the new models from Tudor and the reissue of Omega’s Seamaster 300. And while ‘faux vintage’ lume and artificial aging are in evidence, brands seem to be getting more judicious with its use.

2. “Silicium”

You say potayto, I say potarto, Euro say silicium, Australian say silicon…. No matter the nomenclature, every second assortment we saw seemed to have silicon components! Using antimagnetic and lubricant free silicon in your watches seems to be short hand for showing how cutting edge you are, but we can’t help but think that it’s all a bit of a fad, and many brands are using it for looks and marketing.

3. “Ultra-Thin / Slimline”

It’s official. Thin is in. You know when a brand like Hublot is slimming down that the trend has gone mainstream. Partially a reaction to the excesses of pre-GFC horology, and partially a game of one-upmanship for brands to show off their prowess. Either way, we like it.

4. “Skeletonisation”

No longer content with taking off your watch and gazing at it’s movement through the sapphire caseback, now we are able to see the inner workings of the watch through the dial. Skeletons are back from the dead and they’re dancing at all price points, from the entry level to the highest level.

 5. “A return to tradition”

This is the most loosely phrased trend of the list, but it’s a thing. The focus on iconic heritage models, the move towards more classically styled watches, and an increasing focus on developing movements or components ‘in house’. All these factors suggest that watchmaking involves more than just making a case from a fancy material and popping a tourbillon in it.

That’s it for Baselworld 2014. Thanks for following us on the journey!