Everyone remembers their first Baselworld: the grand booths, big lights, looking up at the architectural gap above Tram stop 15. Well, this happened to be my first Baselworld, and the energy and rush of the convention I was promised did not disappoint. It was one to remember—especially for these pieces I had the chance to discover.
A piece that instantly caught my eye was Harry Winston’s 36mm Premier Delicate Silk Automatic—and, funnily enough, it held my attention for something other than diamonds (surprising, since I’m essentially a human magpie). The dial on these pieces is covered in raw silk produced from a unique farm that educates silk worms to weave the fabric naturally. The result is a piece of delicate silk untouched by man, which is then dyed and embossed with intricate curves and floral patterns. Lush and indulgent, the pieces look fit for a queen—after all, who would need a crown with that on your wrist?
Another stunning piece with diamonds was De Grisogono’s Luna, with its diamond covered case and dial. You could see this piece shine from a mile away, but with a closer look, you can see that it’s all curves—there’s not a straight line there, with the curve of the sapphire glass and the waxing crescent moon shape of the case.
Moving away from the ladies, I adored the thoughtfulness of Romain Gauthier’s Insight Micro-Rotor. The open dial shows a careful manipulation of depth and detailing: the beating movement, swaying micro rotor and evenly placed curved hand-beveled bridges show Romain Gauthier’s deep understanding of design. In a subtle touch, the bombé sapphire glass gradually rises towards 12 o’clock before dropping again—a detail that Romain Gauthier himself pointed out to my untrained eye!
Meistersinger stayed true to its roots with the single-hand 40mm Neo Plus, a larger size to complement its Neo collection. The larger dial allows for, I think, a better canvas for Meistersinger’s typographic design—the sober sans serif Helvetica stands out even more in this decidedly ‘50s aesthetic. But the standout is the lavish forest green sunburst dial with matching strap; I felt like I could get lost in the deep green.
Having loved Raymond Weil’s Beatles timepiece, I was pleasantly surprised by the Buddy Holly Maestro, a tribute timepiece to musician Buddy Holly. One of the first artists to be admitted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Buddy Holly defined traditional rock’n’roll (he’s the reason why there’s usually two guitars, a bass player, and drums in a band’s lineup). A sweet tribute to the man, the silver dial has highlights of pale blue (Holly’s favorite color), an oversized number 9 (Holly’s lucky number), and features Holly’s signature at the center. In a quirky touch that completely captured me, the second hand on the sub dial is in the shape of Holly’s emblematic glasses; the piece looks clean cut but has a few surprises—just like Holly did back in the ‘50s.
