Yup it's that time of the year again that sees flocks of visitors, business executives, bloggers and pretty much anybody with a tangential interest in the watch business heading to Basel for the biggest, baddest watch show in the world, aptly dubbed the Baselworld. For those who might not be familiar with this world class trade show, it helps to understand that a trip to Baselworld is kind of like the horology equivalent to a pilgrimage to Mecca. You will get to go hands-on with the newest creations from watch brands - from Patek Philippe to Edifice - from all over the world. You will get to see legendary industry figures and collectors whom you though only exist on Instagram. You get the idea.
And just like any previous Baselworld showing, Baselworld 2017 has proven to be a blast. With the dust well settled, it's about time we recount our memories of the event. Of the slew of new pieces unveiled, here are Lengbeau's top 5 picks (not in any particular order), and we can't wait to explain to you why these watches in particular speak to us. What's more, we'll also name new pieces that made us go "meh." for a myriad of reasons, be it a sheer creative laziness, or simply a head-scratching idea.
Let's check them out.
And just like any previous Baselworld showing, Baselworld 2017 has proven to be a blast. With the dust well settled, it's about time we recount our memories of the event. Of the slew of new pieces unveiled, here are Lengbeau's top 5 picks (not in any particular order), and we can't wait to explain to you why these watches in particular speak to us. What's more, we'll also name new pieces that made us go "meh." for a myriad of reasons, be it a sheer creative laziness, or simply a head-scratching idea.
Let's check them out.
#1: Hermès Slim d’Hermès L’heure impatiente
Yup, you're reading it right: an Hermès watch! The Parisian fashion and luxury goods powerhouse has been making steady strides into the game of high horology and to earn a niche for itself in this highly competitive market, Hermès has turned to the philosophy of incorporating "poetic complications" for its timepieces - intriguing complications that serve more of a romantic function than a practical one - and we absolutely adore this principle, one that is perfectly embodied in the brand new Hermès Slim d’Hermès L’heure impatiente (it literally means "impatient hour"). Here's what it is about.
The 40.5mm wide, rose gold-cased dress watch came into existence in the form of a mechanical hourglass (that is, on top of its usual function of telling time) which serves as an event reminder that begins to start counting down exactly 1 hour before an event - supposedly something that drives its wear "impatient" about (e.g. a much anticipated date, an important business presentation etc.) - to take place any time in the next 12 hours. You activate the "impatient hour" mechanism by pressing the button at 9 o'clock and set the event time using the crown at 4 o'clock, which moves the small 12-hour subdial near 4 and 5 o'clock. Once you're within 60 minutes of the time of the event, the semi-fan shaped subdial near 6 and 7 o'clock kicks into motion, with its hand sweeping across the 60-minute scale, ending with a sweet chime as the hand lays above the musical note symbol, announcing the arrival of the big event. Now THAT's innovative. And we can't help but to feel a little mellow about how well this watch captures the human mentality of "I can't wait to (insert important event here)!".
The 40.5mm wide, rose gold-cased dress watch came into existence in the form of a mechanical hourglass (that is, on top of its usual function of telling time) which serves as an event reminder that begins to start counting down exactly 1 hour before an event - supposedly something that drives its wear "impatient" about (e.g. a much anticipated date, an important business presentation etc.) - to take place any time in the next 12 hours. You activate the "impatient hour" mechanism by pressing the button at 9 o'clock and set the event time using the crown at 4 o'clock, which moves the small 12-hour subdial near 4 and 5 o'clock. Once you're within 60 minutes of the time of the event, the semi-fan shaped subdial near 6 and 7 o'clock kicks into motion, with its hand sweeping across the 60-minute scale, ending with a sweet chime as the hand lays above the musical note symbol, announcing the arrival of the big event. Now THAT's innovative. And we can't help but to feel a little mellow about how well this watch captures the human mentality of "I can't wait to (insert important event here)!".
#2: Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Chronograph
(Image courtesy: Haute Time)
The moment we saw the new El Primero 21 chronograph under the resurrected Defy collection (a collection in the 1990s with, let's just say, questionable design language), we knew we were looking at something extraordinary. It's the first new major Zenith wristwatch release orchestrated by Mr. Jean-Claude Biver, the energetic head of LVMH watch division that took the helm of Zenith as interim CEO recently, with a mission to rejuvenate the brand. If you've been following watchmaking, you could be forgiven for thinking Zenith is all about the El Primero movement, which made its debut in 1969 as the world's first integrated, automatic chronograph movement. Having a calling card like the El Primero is all good, but Biver clearly saw a problem with how dependent the brand is on a creation that is almost 50-year old. And it is this sense of urgency that fuelled the making of the El Primero 9004 movement. Yup, that's the movement powering the Defy El Primero 21 (meaning it's the El Primero movement for the 21st century), generously visible under the skeletonized dial (there's also a solid dial option).
The 203-part El Primero 9004 is designed to measure lapsed time up to an accuracy of 1/100th of a second. Yes, that basically leads to a chronograph hand spinning like crazy as the chronograph function is set off, taking exactly one second to travel around the dial once, having made 100 tiny advances that the human eyes could not capture. To achieve that, the movement makes use of 2 separate sets of balance wheels, gear trains and mainsprings, powering the chronograph and timekeeping functions respectively. Everything about the edgy and bold Defy El Primero 21 screams action, and we can only imagine it appealing to anyone who craves for a little mechanical fiesta on their wrist: everyone.
(to be continued)
The 203-part El Primero 9004 is designed to measure lapsed time up to an accuracy of 1/100th of a second. Yes, that basically leads to a chronograph hand spinning like crazy as the chronograph function is set off, taking exactly one second to travel around the dial once, having made 100 tiny advances that the human eyes could not capture. To achieve that, the movement makes use of 2 separate sets of balance wheels, gear trains and mainsprings, powering the chronograph and timekeeping functions respectively. Everything about the edgy and bold Defy El Primero 21 screams action, and we can only imagine it appealing to anyone who craves for a little mechanical fiesta on their wrist: everyone.
(to be continued)
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