First Impression: More Favorites from Baselworld 2015

Following press day, the Wound For Life team continued to be amazed at all the new watches we were able to see at Basel. Today, we resume our coverage and highlight some more of our favorites from Baselworld 2015. We tried to restrain ourselves to only a couple pieces each so we would save you from reading a novel. Oh, the efforts we go through for our readers.

Neil’s Picks

Oris Divers Sixty-Five

Oris Divers Sixty-Five (left) next to the original (right)

This is the second vintage inspired timepiece to impress us at Baselworld 2015. The Oris Divers Sixty-Five was an instant hit with many members of the press and spectators we talked with. It is a direct homage to the vintage Oris dive watch from 1965. The new one looks straight out of the 60’s yet features modern technology. While not identical, it is one of the most accurate reissues amongst the many vintage inspired watches released in the last few years, and we could not be more pleased.

Oris opted for a 40mm case, which is 4mm larger than the original, but the perfect size for a basic modern diver. The domed sapphire crystal adds to the classic looks. The Oris Divers Sixty-Five has unique angular hour markers and is one of the few new watches that pulls off the aged patina look well. Another well executed detail is the date window. Too often these reissues are marred by an oversized or clashing date window. Worse yet, adding one when the original vintage piece didn’t have one to begin with. This one has been moved from 3:00 to 6:00, but is subtle, and does not ruin the lines and balance of the dial. Another fantastic feature is the tropic strap — it’s pure 60’s diver and is perfect for the watch. We understand it’s also available with a black NATO.

Oris Divers Sixty-Five

The Sellita SW200 will provide accuracy, toughness, and worry-free use. The water resistance is 100m, which is plenty for most people. At under $2,000, this is probably the best looking vintage inspired dive watch for your hard earned money. The Divers Sixty-Five looks unique and distinctively Oris. It certainly won’t be confused with any of the countless other dive watches out there. The fact that they showed restraint and stayed as faithful as possible is impressive and other watchmakers should take note. We’re glad Oris decided to pay homage to an excellent, yet relatively unknown vintage dive watch. Oris’ stock keeps going up in my book and it’s because of watches like this. The Divers Sixty-Five is a great looking, high quality timepiece at a value that’s hard to beat.

Glashütte Original PanoReserve with Blue Dial

Glashutte Panoreserve with new blue dial

We were fortunate enough to sit down with Glashütte Original and get some firsthand experience with their new releases. All the new references were stunning but the one that stood out to me was the PanoReserve with galvanized blue dial. It immediately became one of my favorites from Baselworld. The watch is the perfect blend of functionality, class, engineering all with the ideal size and proportions. I’m a fan of the German brands in general, and Glashütte is certainly no exception. The history and significance of the brand is undeniable. That heritage still influences their manufacturing philosophy and the German watch industry as a whole.

The PanoReserve, as the name would imply, features a 42 hour power reserve complication. It is showcased in the upper right-hand quadrant of the classic Glashütte Original asymmetrical dial. The panoramic large date window is displayed in the lower right quadrant and the left side displays the time with an overlapping sub-seconds. It’s this asymmetry that creates a beautiful and unique flow to the dial. The stunning new deep blue color in combination with the milled sub-dials draws you in.

exhibition back of the Panoreserve

The Panoreserve is available in stainless steel or red gold. Strap options include a bracelet, alligator strap, or a calfskin nubuck strap. The steel case combined with the suede-like blue calfskin strap is my personal favorite combination. At 40mm, the size is just right and it sits nice a low on the wrist. The manually wound Glashutte Calibre 65-01 is gorgeous and is displayed through the exhibition case back.

Glashutte Original’s reputation is only growing as a superior manufacture that makes beautiful watches at reasonable prices. Their passion for quality can be seen in each watch they make. Glashutte Original is playing a large part in the ever-increasing excellence of the entire German watch industry and it is pieces like these are helping them do it.

Shane’s Picks

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39mm

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39mm

Aside from the rose gold Yachtmaster on a rubber strap, Rolex didn’t make a lot of noise at Baselworld. However, after it was all said and done, I think they were a big winner. The Yachtmaster will no doubt sell like hotcakes, and I think updating the Day Date with a new movement was also a solid and subtle release. Then, their best release came a few days into Baselworld, the new Oyster Perpetual 39mm.

For many years, the basic Oyster Perpetual has been stuck at a maximum of 34mm. That’s a fine size for watches up until the 1990s, but things have changed. Bringing the OP into present day, I think the 39mm size will make this a huge seller, and a new benchmark for that “first luxury watch”. Water resistance, a reliable COSC movement, and simple, clean looks make it a perfect buy around the $5,000 mark. Of course, that’s a lot of money for an “entry level” watch, but the watch world has changed tremendously since the Oyster Perpetual was under $200. Expect to see this on many wrists in the next year or so.

Bremont Model 1 Ti-GMT

Bremont Boeing Model 1 Ti-GMT

Aviation-inspired watchmaker, Bremont, continued its collaboration with Boeing with two new models, the Model 1 Ti-GMT and the Model 247 Ti-GMT. Building off of the previous Models 1 and 247, as you can guess, these have been switched from steel to titanium, and augmented with GMT complications. Of course, working with Boeing, the titanium had to be aircraft grade, the same type you’ll find on many Boeing airplanes.

While I think both models are good looking, the Model 1’s simple clean looks do it for me. I prefer my pilot’s watches to be as legible and functional as possible, and that’s what you get with the Model 1 dial and the GMT complication. I love the asymmetrical case and the 4:00 crown position, both of which add something different to the otherwise conservative appearance. With lots of talk about in-house this and in-house that, Bremont opted for the reliable ETA 2983, modified to their standards, which is a smart decision.

I find most Bremont watches look better in person than in pictures, and the Model 1 Ti-GMT is no different. The build quality is unquestionable, and the looks are exactly what you want in a pilot watch. Again, like the last Boeing models, Bremont could have gone overboard with branding, but they kept it subtle and refined, in true British fashion. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more from this relationship, and that’s fine by me.

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