Winners and Losers of Baselworld 2015

With all of the good, the bad, and the ugly released at Baselworld 2015, we decided to choose our winners and losers. Now, “losers” might be a bit harsh, but it’s not meant as, “they did everything wrong and should close up shop,” but more as a brand’s releases were disappointing, whether a single watch, or the whole lineup. In some cases, a poor release is disappointing simply because we expected more from a certain watchmaker, not necessarily because the watch was that bad. At any rate, here are our winners and losers of Baselworld 2015.

Neil

Winner: Bremont

Jaguar MKII

With the previous dust up from Bremont of which I’m sure you’re all aware by now, they had an uphill battle to win me over at Baselworld. Well, let me tell you, they won that battle. We were first able to get our hands on the new production Jaguar models. I’m partial to the MKII Chronograph with it’s legible, balanced, and classic dial. I generally don’t like co-branded watches but the vintage Jagaur logo doesn’t distract from overall design of the piece. The exhibition casebacks on both the MKI and MKII allow you see the beautifully finished movements with the Jaguar steering wheel rotor. It certainly didn’t hurt having design help from Ian Callum.

Boeing Model 247

Additional winners from Bremont are the new Boeing models. We’ve already talked about the Model 1, but my favorite is the Model 247. When you pick it up, its light weight is immediately perceptible thanks to the aviation-grade Ti 6-4 titanium construction. Bremont has really been successful with titanium, avoiding the uninspiring dull color that many manufactures seem to produce. The color combination on the Model 247 is striking and should truly be seen in person. The black sub-dials amidst the dark grey background and bezel with applied indexes create an excellent contrast. Combine this with the yellow 24hr hand and subtle blue accents and you have yourself a winner.

ALT1-ZT

I was also impressed with the new ALT1-ZT. The beloved ALT1-Z is the oldest model in their lineup that has not seen any revisions. It was time for an upgrade and now it’s virtually a new watch. The most noticeable change is the dial. The original dial was very busy with Arabic numerals, 24 hour scale, minute scale, and three sub-dials. The whole thing was cleaned up and drastically improved, replacing the Arabic numerals with markers, and moving the 24 hour scale to the inner bezel. The sub-dials, hands,  and date window were also changed. It is almost an entirely different watch, and all changes were for the better.

A very strong showing overall from the British manufacture. The incredible design and construction was evident in every one of their watches we saw. One thing that greatly increased my opinion of them was getting to sit down with Nick English for quite a while. We had an informative and honest conversation not just about Bremont, but about the watch industry as a whole. I truly saw the drive and passion behind the brand.

Loser: Tudor

Let me start by saying that I’m a big Tudor fan. I try and stick with vintage pieces in my collection, but if I were to select a new watch, Tudor is at the top of my list. It’s because of this that I have such high expectations for them. They have more freedom to try new new things than their big brother, Rolex, and have had a great deal of success releasing modern versions of their vintage classics.

Their showing at Baselworld just left me disappointed and wanting more. I’ll start with the new Pelagos. Yes, it’s great that they now have an in-house movement in it, but that’s not enough to sway me. They unnecessarily added a virtual paragraph of text to the dial. The previous version was simple with, “Tudor Geneve, Rotor self-winding, and 500m/1640ft”. The new version has the same with the addition of “PELAGOS, Chronometer, Officially Certified.” It’s just too much and destroys the rugged simplicity. I have absolutely no issue with the ETA equipped Pelagos; in fact, out of the two versions, the original model is the one I would choose. It can be found for significantly less money on the second hand market, it has proven accuracy and reliability, and it has the cleaner dial. After all, it’s what you see on your wrist that counts.

I’m also not thrilled with the new North Flag. It just doesn’t have the classic looks of the other vintage inspired models that have become Tudor’s bread and butter. The combination of the numeral font, yellow power reserve indicator, and integrated bracelet come off as three different ideas from three different people all thrown on a random watch. It’s clearly based on the old Ranger II, but maybe there’s a reason why they stopped making it in the first place. There’s no elegance and just not enough to draw me towards this piece at all.

I’ll finish with the updated Tudor Fastrider Chronographs. The new dial/bezel/strap combinations have a gimmicky look. They remind me of much cheaper entry-level pieces. I was more interested in the Ducati display they were associated with rather than the watches themselves. My feelings about Tudor’s Baselworld showing this year can be described as, “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.” Although none of the new models impressed me this year, new movement notwithstanding, I will say that I’m glad Tudor is continuing to evolve and try new things. It certainly gets me excited to see what they have planned for the future.

Shane

Winner: Omega

For the last couple of years, Omega has released some serious homeruns at Baselworld. The Dark Side, the Grey Side, the FOIS, Seamaster 300 Master Co-Axial, and the list goes on. I think of all the brands, Omega has been pushing solid pieces with the highest frequency and consistency. I don’t believe this year to be an exception. It seems as though they’re spending more money and effort — trying to create special watches — than the competition.

Rose gold FOIS Speedmaster on the wrist

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, the rose gold First Omega in Space Speedmaster was my favorite release from anyone. I’m surprised it hasn’t been talked about more. The cream and chocolate panda dial with the chocolate bezel insert play so well with the rose gold case. At about $15.5K, it’s not cheap, but in the same way Wayne Campbell felt about Cassandra, “She will be mine. Oh yes, she will be mine.”

Platinum Omega Globemaster with painted enamel hands and markers

Another nice release for Omega is the Globemaster series. Aesthetically, think it strikes a nice balance between the Constellation and the Aqua Terra, as well as pushes the envelope in terms of testing standards. If Omega is going to play in Rolex territory, they need to take quality control just as seriously as their neighbors. And, not for nothing, but the limited edition platinum Globemaster has incredible painted enamel markers and hands. I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes.

Loser: Omega

Wait, what? How could I possibly choose the same brand as my winner and loser? Well, as much as I loved a few of Omega’s releases, I think they did too much. It’s like they took several handfuls of darts labeled “Speedmaster” and chucked them at the board. Unfortunately, they picked up the ones that didn’t stick and used them anyway.

Omega White Side of the Moon — even the lighting was horrendous

Come on, did we really need a White Side of the Moon? Especially one that looks like a department store fashion watch. How about four more iterations of the Dark Side? When the DSotM came out, I thought it was something special, and now the lineup is completely diluted with marginally different options.

I’m not just upset with what they put out, I’m upset with what they didn’t put out. I would trade a WSotM for a ceramic Planet Ocean any day of the week. Another obvious choice they ignored was a Railmaster — and more specifically, one with the manually wound caliber found in the Trésor. That would have stolen the show for many. But, alas, we were forced to attempt to sift through a dozen different Speedmasters. At the very least, they could have spared us from a diamond encrusted Dark Side of the Moon.

Isaac

Winner: Ressence

I’ve always been a big supporter of Ressence, largely because of the Type 1’s game-changing approach to basic operations like time setting, and the overall minimalist vibe, which is greatly enhanced by the oil-filled module as seen in the Type 3. This year at Basel, the Belgian independent showed off it’s newest iteration of the Type 3, which adds an extra complication – the oil temperature gauge.

Updated Ressence Type 3 with its temperature gauge in the top right part of the dial

This adds just that little extra bit of technical mojo, that goes perfectly with the seven bellows that adjust accordingly to potential expansion or contraction. While this was really their only announcement, one must remember just how small of a brand they are. All in all, I love what they’re doing, and think this is yet another indication of their forward-thinking, ultra technical approach to avant garde watchmaking.

Loser: Patek Philippe 

When I first saw Patek’s releases, I was somewhat perplexed. I felt as if I had seen many of these references before, due to the striking similarity of certain pieces. While the introduction of a new dial color option, or what is largely the same watch as a previous reference inside a newly designed case might have collectors excited for a few days, it’s my opinion that several of the releases are effectively over-saturating the market for complicated Pateks. Maybe I was just a bit too hopeful, but the majority of the new collections didn’t catch my eye.

Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 5524G

Furthermore, upon first seeing leaked photographs of the now controversial Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 5224G, I was hoping that it was a joke to throw off the press. A white gold pilot’s watch, with luminous semi-gothic numerals, priced around the $50k mark (to attract a younger audience?), just didn’t add up to me. Do I think it’s an aesthetically pleasing piece? Absolutely, but at the end of the day, I just don’t think it makes sense as a Patek.

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