THE BASEL BIBLE: 2015 Edition

Felix Scholz

Can’t make it to Baselworld? Don’t worry – we’ve got your back. We’ve put together a list of the latest and greatest watches of Baselworld 2015. The holy book of horology. The Baselworld Bible.

Louis Vuitton Escale Worldtime

Louis Vuitton knocked it out of the park with their Escale Minute Repeater Worldtime, but if you don’t have a spare 280,000 euro to drop on a watch the 39mm Escale Worldtime – an evolution of last years model is a very impressive (and very bright) watch for 5300 euro.

Nomos Minimatic

Nomos introduced a new completely in-house calibre this year, the slim and robust DUW 3001. The Minimatic is the completely new line they put it in. And while the 36mm case is intended as more of a ladies piece, we suspect this watch will have a role to play in bringing smaller watches back. You heard it here first.

Rolex Day-Date 40 in platinum ref 228206 

Rolex updated their iconic president this year, new 40mm case, new laser etched dials, new super accurate 3255 movement. For a real statement go with platinum.

Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time ref 5524

The controversy watch of Baselworld 2015. Patek making a classical pilot watch? What’s going on here? Of course it is impeccably constructed with a well-integrated second timezone complication, but there’s a strong resemblance to Zenith and IWC too. This watch has a lot of people scratching their head.

Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph ref 5905

Unlike the Pilot Travel Time this is the sort of watch people expect from Patek – a solid update of their Annual Calendar Chronograph – slightly bigger at 42, with sporty pushers. Comes in black as well, but we prefer the blue.

Rolex Yacht-Master in Everose

The Rolex that no one saw coming. The new Yacht-Master looks like a delectable chocolate with it’s Everose case and Cerachrom bezel with raised numerals. It comes in refreshingly reasonably sized 37mm and 40mm versions. Oh and it’s got a new “Oysterflex’ bracelet. That’s Rolex for a rubber strap.

Rolex Day-Date 40

Rolex have finally updated the President. Giving it a beefier 40mm case, and a new calibre 3255. As expected we’ve seen a veritable fleet of variations, wih the early standouts being the models with laser-etched dials.

Omega Speedmaster DSOTM Pitch Black

Omega Speedmaster DSOTM Vintage Black

Omega Speedmaster DSOTM Black Black

Omega released A LOT of new Speedmasters this year. Perhaps too many. We saw three new variants on the successful Dark Side of the Moon, and our favourite has to be the ‘Pitch Black’ (not only because it’s clearly named after an excellent Vin Diesel movie), but also because it has serious lume game.

Omega Speedmaster ‘57

We also saw Omega release a vintage variant of the Speedmaster ’57 – which really plays to the watches broadarrow roots.

Omega Speedmaster White Side of the Moon

And of course we have the inevitable White Side of the Moon. This watch is glaringly white – like dentist teeth white. We’re reserving judgement until we lay our hands on it.

TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-01

This watch makes it clear that Jean-Claude Biver is now steering the good ship TAG Heuer. Powered by the new, in-house Heuer-01 calibre which is proudly on display behind the skeletonised dial. We can’t help but think that this design bears more than a passing resemblance to another LVMH brand…

TAG Heuer Monaco V4 Phantom

TAG Heuer have given their Monaco V4 the all-black treatment (the trend that seems to have had a resurgence this Baselworld). They’ve paired this stealth look with a on-trend CMC (Carbon Matrix Composite) Case.

Tudor North Flag

Tudor’s first watch with an in-house movement, a sporty take on the old Ranger II integrated case design. Read the full story here.

Tudor Pelagos Blue

Not content with putting their brand new in house movement in the North Flag, Tudor have also outfitted their most technical watch, the Pelagos, with the MT5612 movement. Oh, and it’s now available in a very tropical blue. The Pelagos now gives even the mighty Submariner a run for its money. Seriously.

Tudor Fastrider Red

Tudor released a bright brace of colourful new Fastriders this year, In yellow, olive green and red. The watch is a tie-in with the youthful Ducati Scrambler. The dial is simpler, and dare we say it more Daytona-like. Perhaps Tudor’s most fun and youthful offering yet.

Hublot Unico Italia Independent

Everything about this watch screams Hublot. The watch is a huge blue Unico chrono in a Texalium (that’d be a brand new fusion carbon fibre material) that’s tied in with an extravagant Italian design brand. Classic Hublot.

Bell & Ross BR-X1 Carbon Forge

Take the classic BR01 shape, make it out of super light pressed carbon, add a protective rubber and ceramic band around the outside, skeletonise the dial and what do you get? The BR-X1 Carbon Forge.

Longines Heritage Diver 1967

Yet another solid heritage piece from Longines – Sexy bright burgundy bezel, column wheel chronograph with pleasingly mismatched subdials. This piece deserves to be a hit.

Oris Divers Sixty-Five

This heritage piece features some super funky numerals that have divided the Time+Tide team. Put it side-by-side with an original version and we’d be hard picked to tell them apart (though the date window is always a give-away).

Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Gravity Blue

Last year’s Masterpiece Gravity was a surprise hit for Maurice Lacroix – so it’s no surprise that we’re seeing more versions this year. This version with blue dials is particularly good looking.

Glashütte Original Senator Observer

The classic deck watch style Senator Observer gets some dial makeovers. Including this handsome lacquered grey number.

Breitling Superocean II

 

The crowd-friendly Breitling gets a dial refesh, bezel update and profile slim-down. Still a winner.